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The Deck Heads . Truckee Regional Park
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Summer season at North Lake Tahoe and Truckee means music concerts – mostly free – throughout the basin. With musical styles running the gamut, you can sit back and enjoy as the band is ‘Singing the Blues’ or you can ‘Listen to a Country Song’, rock out to the ‘Rock of Ages’ and get down with your bad self when they ‘Play That Funky Music’. (Ten points if you can name all the artists who sang those…)
Most of these venues encourage you to bring a picnic along with your low backed chairs and blankets. Sip a glass of wine while you relax for an evening of open air entertainment. (decant beverages into plastic bottles if you can. Broken glass on the beach is a real buzz kill). Don’t feel like cooking or packing picnics? Some venues offer food and beverage vendors on site that can sate your hunger pangs and wet your whistle.
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In Truckee, The Truckee-Donner Recreation & Park District hosts the Truckee Summer Music Series on Wednesdays from 6:30-8:00pm at the Truckee River Regional Park. For more information on their full schedule, the bands and the type of music they play, click their link above. Also note all the many local businesses that sponsor this event to bring this wonderful music to you. So shop local, these businesses will appreciate your support. Donations to help fund this event are also appreciated and donation boxes are available at the park.
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The Blues Monsters. Photo from the Concerts at Commons Beach website.
In Tahoe City, The Tahoe City Downtown Association and the Tahoe City Public Utility District hosts the Concerts at Commons Beach. Concerts are held on Sundays and start at 3 or 4 pm and go until 7pm. Once again, local businesses and community groups sponsor this event too. Click the link above for more information, and there is also a place for you to donate to ‘the cause’ on the website.
In Kings Beach, The North Tahoe Business Association hosts Music on the Beach every Friday from 6-8:30pm at the Kings Beach State Recreation Area. What makes this particular venue even more enjoyable is not only its vast sandy beach, but its sandy lake bottom and warmer water temperatures that make it perfect for a before concert afternoon swim. Kings Beach also has many restaurants and food purveyors in quick walking distance to the beach. Come early though, as there is road work being done in the area which can slow you down. Parking is available for a fee at the beach, but parking here can fill up early, so plan accordingly. As always, support your local sponsors of this event.
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If your tastes run more towards classical music and sumptuous orchestral arrangements, The Lake Tahoe Music Festival starts in July. Dubbed ‘Serenades at Sunset’, the locations, days and prices vary from venue to venue, so be sure to check out their website as to what is being played where and when and for how much. Links on the website allow you to buy tickets for these concerts in advance.
From the Lake Tahoe Summer Music Festival website. Venue: The West Shore Cafe
And if you still haven’t gotten enough of your groove on, many of the local ski areas like Squaw Valley and Northstar also often have free music and events. Be sure to peruse their websites for upcoming events. The links to their websites or in the column to the left.
Sing. Sing. Sing!
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YOUR FRIEND IN HIGH PLACES 