This Passaic County town will serenade local shoppers with summer concert series

HAWTHORNE — A series of outdoor concerts will take place this summer as officials continue to try to support downtown merchants in more creative ways.

The six musical acts, which begin Saturday afternoon on the grounds of the Louis Bay 2nd Library & Community Center on Lafayette Avenue, will mark the latest attempt by the borough to charm new clientele to the business district.

The performances were scheduled by a 15-member committee , which for three years has budgeted and planned for the borough to participate in the Neighborhood Preservation Program , a grant initiative offered by the state Department of Community Affairs.

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Its past projects included the installation of a 16-foot-7-inch street clock and the renovation to the patio at the public library. The committee also hired a graffiti artist to paint a mural on a barren retention wall at the municipal pool.

Nancy Agnello, a borough native and the program coordinator, said the live concerts should excite people to shop locally.

“That’s our hope,” she said Tuesday. “We think that it’ll do very well.”

The first performance will feature Last Night in Town , a cover band from Berkeley Heights that specializes in chart-topping hits of the 1990s.

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Jefferson Place, a road that connects Grand and Lafayette avenues, just south of the public library, will be closed during the concert. Bogie’s Hoagies & Deli and Mister Softee will park trucks there, Agnello said, to sell food and ice cream.

The entertainment will go on for the next two months.

It will include local musicians Brendan Anthony and Willie Wilson, who will walk around the downtown as they perform for shoppers.

Philip DeVencentis is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: devencentis@northjersey.com

Summer serenaders

The following performances are scheduled for downtown Hawthorne.

July 20: From 1-4 p.m., Last Night in Town will be at the public library at 345 Lafayette Ave.

July 27: From 4-7 p.m., “strolling” musician Brendan Anthony will be near the pocket park at the corner of Diamond Bridge and Lafayette avenues.

Aug. 3: From 4-7 p.m., “strolling” musician Willie Wilson will be near the pocket park.

Aug. 17: From 4-7 p.m., Anthony will again be near the pocket park.

Sept. 7: From 1-4 p.m., Last Night in Town will again be at the public library.

Sept. 21: From 1-4 p.m., Vera and the Force will be at the public library.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: This Passaic County town will serenade local shoppers with summer concert series