Concerts in the Park series returns to Costa Mesa’s Fairview Park for 3-week run

Area residents danced the night away Tuesday to the musical stylings of Redneck Rodeo, which kicked off a recently revamped Concert in the Park series at Costa Mesa’s Fairview Park that features weekly live shows through July 26.

Presented by the city and the nonprofit Costa Mesa Foundation, the popular entertainment series was canceled in 2020 during the pandemic and briefly revived last July as a one-day affair featuring performances from three bands along with a host of family-friendly activities.

This year returns the event to a weekly format of concerts, which take place at 6 p.m. after an hour of preshow fun and a no-host beer and wine garden.

Redneck Rodeo Orange County performs at Costa Mesa’s Concert in the Park event at Fairview Park in Costa Mesa on Tuesday.

(James Carbone)

Condensing three days’ worth of fun into a single afternoon last year was challenging to members of the Costa Mesa Foundation, who voluntarily work the concerts to raise money and then grant proceeds to fulfill requests from a variety of local organizations, including school teams.

“We learned early on we were killing ourselves to do this, and we’re just a tiny group of people trying to raise money for these community groups,” foundation board member Mary Fewel said Tuesday. “So, we thought, ‘Why don’t we get people from these groups to help us?’”

With that, the pool of volunteers increased in volume from about 10 members to 120 people willing to help make this year’s concert series possible.

Families have fun during Costa Mesa’s Concert in the Park series event at Fairview Park in Costa Mesa on Tuesday.

(James Carbone)

“It’s worked out fabulously,” Fewel said of Tuesday’s first installment in the series. “Costa Mesa loves it. It’s just like a big neighborhood party, and we have such a great time.”

The next show takes place Tuesday, with a performance from the eight-piece, foot-stomping Los Angeles-area Motown tribute band Stone Soul. On July 26, audiences will hear from Huntington Beach high-octane rock and party band Tijuana Dogs.

Preshow activities begin each Tuesday at 5 p.m., followed by a concert at 6 p.m. Fairview Park is located at 2525 Placentia Ave., Costa Mesa. For more visit costamesafoundation.org.

Families with children in hand walk into Fairview Park for the Concert in the Park at Fairview Park in Costa Mesa on Tuesday.

(James Carbone)

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