ValleyCAST’s Free Summer Concert Series Returns July 1

WHITINSVILLE — ValleyCAST’s Free Summer Concert Series returns Thursday with a lineup featuring an array of popular performers and musical offerings beginning with the Blackstone Valley Bluegrass Band.

There will also be rock ‘n’ roll, R&B, country, folk, reggae, blues, and even part of a symphony orchestra.

The outdoor concerts will be held every Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m., July 1 through Sept. 2, at the Alternatives’ Whitin Mill, 50 Douglas Road.

In case of inclement weather, the concerts will move inside to the Singh Performance Center at the same location.

The concert series, now in its 12th year, was shut down in 2020 because of the pandemic, but it has been one of the most popular events at the Alternatives’ Whitin Mill drawing crowds from all walks of life, organizers said.

ValleyCAST’s mission is to foster a creative community in the Blackstone Valley that is inclusive and supportive of people with and without disabilities.

The schedule is as follows: July 1, Blackstone Valley Bluegrass Band; July 8, The Promise is Hope; July 15, Knock on Wood; July 22, Chuck & Mud and the Hole in the Dam Band; July 29, Superchief Trio; Aug. 5, Far from Eden; Aug. 12, Claflin Hill Summer Winds; Aug. 19, Le’Mixx Band; Aug. 26, Michelle Canning Band; Sept. 2, Changes in Latitudes.

“After a year of isolation, the Free Summer Concert Series is a wonderful way for people of all abilities to gather together in the plaza and sing, dance, or just relax and enjoy a summer evening of music while watching the sunset over the Mumford River,” said Cristi Collari, director of Community Outreach for Open Sky Community Services, of which ValleyCAST is a subsidiary.

The concert series is sponsored by Lampin Corporation, UniBank, Wiersma Insurance Agency, the Northbridge Cultural Council (which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council), Open Sky Community Services and ValleyCAST.