The sound of trumpets, drums and guitars filled Downtown San Marcos on Thursday, kicking off the first Music on the Square Concert Series show.
Listen San Marcos partnered up with the Texas Music Office to participate in the Music Friendly Community program. Listen San Marcos has a mission to elevate the San Marcos music scene and help build a vibrant cultural hub for musicians to thrive.
“It is so important to us to offer meaningful opportunities for our music community to be able to make a living wage and so that is one of the reasons why we're hosting this event,” said Josie Falletta, Downtown Coordinator for the Main Street Program. “Every single band that you will hear at this music series got their start here in San Marcos in some way, shape or form.”
Residents, community members and lovers of music gathered on the Hays County Historic Courthouse lawn to enjoy the music. The designation ceremony to officially declare San Marcos as a Music Friendly Community was also presented during the event.
Councilmember Melissa Derrick accepted the designation on behalf of the city from Chip Adams, Community Relations and Outreach Specialist from the Texas Music Office.
“Tonight as we accept this designation from the Texas Music Office as a Music Friendly Community, we celebrate that history and our city’s continued influence on the artists and acts that will make up the future of the music industry,” Derrick said.
Texas is the only state in the country to have a Music Economic Development Office. San Marcos was declared the 30th city in Texas to join a network of other cities around the state, including Dallas, El Paso and Lubbock that have been declared Music Friendly Communities.
Thursday's show began with the brass, New Orleans-style band, Time of Night while David Beck brought soothing sounds with his performance to end the show.
Above, Time of Night — a New Orleans Style brass band — performs during a concert series in front of Hays County Historic Courthouse on Thursday. Daily Record photo by Alyssa Gonzales
“Right now is a beautiful and a very much necessary time for us to be able to do this Texas Music Community and I’m looking forward to the future that we have,” said Tara Miller member of Rock Bottom String Band and Advisory Board Member for Listen San Marcos.
The event included games and activities for attendees and free Pfizer COVID-19 vaccinations. The community was invited to bring their own food and beverages and were encouraged to shop from local restaurants and businesses in San Marcos.
For more information, visit the Downtown San Marcos website at www. visitsanmarcos.com/downtown/ or follow @DowntownSMTX on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Updates regarding the next Music on the Square and live music updates in San Marcos, visit www. visitsanmarcos.com/listen-san-marcos/ or follow @listensanmarcos on Instagram and Facebook.
