City asks TDA for $15K to host Summer Sounds concert series

After a concert series was canceled last year because of budget issues, Elizabeth City’s recreation chief is hoping to use $15,500 in tourism funds this year to jumpstart the free “Summer Sounds” concert series.

Sean Clark, director of the Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Parks and Recreation Department, made a request for the funding while addressing City Council at the city’s work session last week.

“We want to reignite our ‘Summer Sounds’ concert series that we started back in 2021,” Clark said.

Clark asked for council’s approval to apply to the Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Tourism Development Authority for $15,500, which his department will use to pay for four bands to perform over the summer at Mariners’ Wharf Park.

“We’re looking at about $3,000 to $3,500 per event with sound, the band and supporting staff,” Clark said.

Clark told City Council said he hoped his request would be approved in time to submit the application to TDA at the authority’s next meeting, which was held Thursday, April 25. City Council voted 8-0 to have City Manager Montré Freeman submit the application to TDA. Clark said Wednesday he hasn’t heard back from the TDA yet.

Nosakhere Kamau, executive director of Visit Elizabeth City, the city-county tourism agency, said Thursday the TDA had approved $10,160 for the Summer Sounds concerts.

Three of the four concerts will be held the final Friday in May, June and July. The fourth concert will be a special event on July 3, which is a Wednesday.

In 2021 and 2022, the series cost approximately $2,000 per concert, Clark said.

“We did it two Sundays out of the month during that timeframe,” he said. “We kind of cut back a little bit, because of course prices have went up.”

According to Clark, the series was not held in 2023 because of funding issues.

“Summer Sounds” debuted June 4, 2021, with a performance by Joel Taylor and his band. Since then other performances have included the band Uphill, The Daniel Jordan Band and more.