Festivities are Part of ‘Make Music Day’ Being Celebrated Worldwide on the Summer Solstice
OLD LYME – A popular live music stroll along Lyme Street, Make Music Old Lyme, returns Monday, June 21, from 5 to 7 p.m. An international celebration of free music for all, the Old Lyme Arts District is producing the town’s event in conjunction with the Southeastern Connecticut Cultural Coalition and the MusicNow Foundation.
As in previous years, the Make Music Old Lyme celebration will take place on Lyme Street, this year spanning from the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, where Steve Dedman of Plywood Cowboy will play, to the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts where the Old Lyme Town Band will entertain on the front lawn.
On the Center School front lawn, Braiden Sunshine will entertain with his upbeat take of music from the 1940s to today. The Lyme-Old Lyme Lions Club will also be in front of Center School with grill items including hamburgers and hot dogs for sale from 5 to 7 p.m.
A dozen or so musicians will play in front of businesses and public buildings along the half-mile length of Lyme Street south of Halls Rd. Genres include bluegrass, folk, indie-rock, and pop.
Musicians on the Stroll include:
- Whiskey & Aspirin
- Woodsmoke
- Moving Target Band
- Not My Wife
- Marcy Conway
- Midnight Anthem
- Welcome to Space
- Hot Strings Café
- The Nightingale Fiddlers.
A children’s craft will be available in front of the Old Lyme Historical Society.
An impromptu “kazoo parade” is expected to sprout up on Lyme Street toward the end of the evening. The photo above show the fun parade, which took place in 2019.
Some businesses on Lyme Street will be open during the Stroll including:
- The Cooley Gallery
- The Chocolate Shell (which will be offering a Make Music discount of 10 percent off purchases)
- Old Lyme Ice Cream Shoppe
- Nightingale’s.
Lawn chairs or blankets are encouraged for the Braiden Sunshine concert at Center School, the Old Lyme Town Band at the Lyme Academy, and Plywood Cowboy at the First Congregational Church.
Cheryl Poirier, one of the volunteer organizers of the event, comments, “This music stroll has been a wonderful way to showcase the local musical talent living right here in Southeastern Connecticut. The team at Nightingale’s Acoustic Café has done a phenomenal job putting together a great lineup for us.”
She adds, “We’re so lucky the musicians are performing in the true spirit of the international Make Music Day’s ‘free music for all.’ We hope our local residents will join us in welcoming these performers while enjoying a relaxing and fun evening.”
The event was postponed in 2020 due to pandemic precautions. Current State of Connecticut protocols advise that masks are not required at outdoor events yet it is still recommended that attendees follow social distancing protocols.
Launched in France in 1982, Make Music Day is an international musical festival open to all who would like to participate, and takes place in over 1,000 cities in 120 countries on June 21, the summer solstice.
The State of Connecticut Office of the Arts debuted the State’s effort in 2018 with 528 free musical performances at 224 locations across the state, including Old Lyme.
For a complete lineup of activities (including weather contingencies), visit the Old Lyme Arts District’s website. A handout of where to find musicians will be available at the event.
The Old Lyme Arts District is a partnership of a dozen organizations and businesses promoting arts and culture on Lyme Street. LymeLine.com is proud to be a media sponsor of the organization.