141 North

NORWAY — Thursday daytime and evening concerts will return this summer to the music stage in the McGee Johnson Park in downtown Iron Mountain and the City of Norway’s downtown bandshell, respectively.

The free concerts begin Thursday, June 11, for both Music in The Park and Out To Lunch, with live entertainment all summer long.

Every Thursday, the Out to Lunch concert series will be from 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., with The Braumart hosting in case of inclement weather.

Norway’s Music in the Park series will run from 7 to 8:30 p.m., with the Crossroads Church on Odill Drive as the site for inclement weather.

Out to Lunch and Music in the Park will feature four double-header events when the groups performing on these dates play both events. These dates are June 11, featuring 141 North of Iron Mountain/Kingsford; July 9 with Kind of Blues of Escanaba, Iron Mountain, Menominee; July 16 with The Kaleidoscope Jos of Eagle River, Wis.; and Aug, 13 featuring The DayDreamers of Marquette.

“We hope folks that come into Iron Mountain for Out to Lunch will enjoy the afternoon, have a nice dinner in the area, and come on down to the beautiful Band Shell Park in Norway for these free evening performances,” MIP spokesperson Carol Sundstrom said.

The MIP program began in 2013, and ran for three summers before the grant funding from the Michigan Council for the Arts was discontinued. At the request of many Norway residents, the program was revived through the efforts of a steering committee that included local artist and former MIP organizer Carol Sundstrom, retired Norway-Vulcan Area Schools instrumental music instructor Greg Hunt, and past Norway City Manager Ray Anderson.

Iron Mountain’s Out to Lunch program has been entertaining audiences even longer. Started by the late McGee Johnson in 2002, the program has since been administered by several directors, and is currently operated by the Iron Mountain Downtown Development Authority.

Sponsorship for the Music in The Park series has come from donations from city residents, local businesses, and underwriting with donations ranging from $25 up to large gifts from area businesses and organizations. Out to Lunch secures funding through sponsorships, funds raised through their 50/50 raffle, grants and in kind donations. This year, a variety of season sponsors support each weekly concert.

“It’s great to see these series both return again this summer. We have fantastic artists lined up, and we know our community will appreciate the variety of styles the artists will bring to both downtown concert venues in Iron Mountain and Norway,” Iron Mountain DDA Event Coordinator Katherine Mentel said.

For more information or full season schedules, go to facebook.com/Norway-Music-In-The-Park, or downtownironmountain.com/out-to-lunch.