Rogers Park in downtown Tryon is a quaint but sizable outdoor amphitheater tucked just below the railroad tracks on Howard Street, behind Trade. The park helps cultivate a wonderful concert series each season called Summer Tracks. Entering its 18th season, Summer Tracks is produced by the Town of Tryon in affiliation with Peter Eisenbrown of Blockparty Productions. The popular and well-attended series attracts people from all over the region. Support for these concerts comes from area sponsors and the Tryon Downtown Development Association.

As with all Summer Tracks concerts, the show is free, though a voluntary donation at the gate is encouraged. Summer Tracks has many first time performers and continues the great diversity in musical styles that the series is known for. Audience donations along with the generous sponsorships of local businesses and individuals make these shows possible.

Local food vendor Manna Cabanna is back to add farm-fresh flavor to the musical notes enjoyed in the six-concert series. Guest chefs of the cooperatively driven grab-n-go market downtown offer seasonally inspired, locally sourced food for sale. Each menu offers items on a stick, on a bread, in a bowl, or on a plate.

Items in the past have been authentic hand-rolled tamales, local organic salads, buttermilk biscuits and barbecue, and poached South Carolina Sea Island shrimp with house-made seasonings, Indian heirloom cornbread bites and North Carolina molasses butter. This season’s menu will create itself yet again but the farm-made ice cream encore will remain the same.

For more information about Summer Tracks and the performers, food menu, and email signup list, visit www.summertracks.com. The first show of the series is Friday, June 2. In the event of rain, the show moves inside the fire department across the street for a “house-concert” experience, with food offerings in tow! •

Summer Tracks 2017 Schedule   Music at 7 p.m. 55 W. Howard St., Tryon.

June 2
Tellico
Bluegrass and Americana
tellicoband.com

June 16
Scoot Pittman Band
Americana-rock-funk fun
scootmusic.com

July 7
The Paper Crowns Band
A gumbo of Appalachian folk and bluegrass, delta blues, rock, outlaw country with a hot six-piece band.
thepapercrowns.com

July 21
Even Cowgirls Get The Blues
The music of Emmylou Harris, Rosanne Cash and Lucinda Williams. Featuring vocals by Peggy Ratusz, Ellen Trnka and Mare Carmody with a stellar six-piece backing band.

August 4
Blair Crimmins and The Hookers
Ragtime, Dixieland, Jump performed by a cookin’ six-piece band. Get ready to
shimmy, shake, rattle and roar!
blaircrimminsandthehookers.com

August 18
Seth Walker
Seth is a diverse talent encompassing blues and swing styles in his music with great songwriting. His band is known for making audiences stand up, dance, swoon a little and then clap for more.
sethwalker.com