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Thursdays on the Dock Underway for 15th Year

The Connecticut River Museum’s Thursdays on the Dock concert series has returned for its 15th year. The series features free music performances in front of the scenic Connecticut River.

The family-friendly evenings of music provide audiences the opportunity to enjoy a variety of musical styles in front of the “unbeatable” and “majestic” backdrop of the river, according to Elizabeth Kaeser, executive director of the museum. The concerts are complete with dancing, free massages and giveaways from sponsor Privé Swiss Wellness, and barbeque provided by Porky Pete’s. The museum will offer beer and wine for purchase from a cash bar.

The series offers concertgoers the opportunity to connect closely with the Connecticut River, especially since some enjoy the show from the water.

“We’ve got a lot of people who drive up in their boats; you can pull up with your motorboat and park at the town dock, or kayak[er]s, who hold themselves steady and listen to the music,” said Kaeser.

The series kicked off on July 11 with a performance by Local Honey. Savage Brothers will perform on Aug. 8, Bards of Gungywamp is scheduled for Aug. 15, and Eight to the Bar closes out the series on Aug. 22.

“It’s a classic kind of evening,” said Kaeser. “People filter down the street and settle in, it’s two hours of music and it’s all free, it’s right there on the lawn. It’s a beautiful night, and it’s a beautiful time to see people all coming together listening to music.”

The juxtaposition of the water and the music is a “really wonderful and restorative” combination for the summertime, said Kaeser, and it also can bring greater awareness to the Connecticut River, the museum, and its mission. For some concertgoers, Thursdays on the Dock may be the first time they have encountered the museum. For others, it can be an introductory event to the beauty of the river and the need to protect it from various harms. In that regard, the concerts act as both entertainment and education.

“At a core level, what the museum is always trying to do is to develop the next generation of river stewards. We want people to see the value in the river; we want people to come to love the river,” said Kaeser. “This is a fun way to spend an evening but it’s also very much a way that we hope people will come to have positive experiences and memories along the Connecticut River such that they will care about it in their daily lives.”

For more information on Thursdays on the Dock, visit www.ctrivermuseum.org/events.