Cultural Centre in the Park re-launches July 23 with Kobo Town

Concerts in the Park and the Aurora Farmers' Market are not the only reasons why Town Park is a destination this summer.

Next weekend, July 23 and 24, the Aurora Cultural Centre will take over the bandshell for a series of two performances that offer socially distanced fun for the whole family.

On July 23 at 7.30 p.m., Kobo Town will take the stage in a return to Aurora following a Valentine's Day concert at the Aurora Cultural Centre in 2019.

Kobo Town is described as a program of “lilting calypso and Caribbean folk-inspired originals.”

The series will continue Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. with the Juno Award-nominated Njacko Backo, a Cameroonian-born Canadian vocalist and percussionist, and Kalimbas at Work.

“Together with his quartet, they present a family show of songs and stories, where music is the universal language.”

“Joy, joy, and more joy – truly,” says Jane Taylor of the Aurora Cultural Centre on what it means to be able to offer these live performance opportunities at Town Park once again. “To be able to speak to a performing artist and say, ‘Come perform in real life to a real crowd,' – I know for several artists we're presenting this summer this is their first foray back into performing for a live audience and there is pride in that.

“I am so proud of living in Aurora that we have this opportunity to perform outdoors in a green space and I am delighted our Town partners are making Town Park accessible to us so we can safely perform these concerts.”

Kobo Town, fronted by Trinidad-born Drew Gonsalves, is “danceable, his lyrics are incredible and my biggest hope is that at that point people can actually get out of their seats and dance in their safe little rectangles,” says Ms. Taylor on how social distance will be maintained with allocated spots on the lawn in front of the band shell.

“I am thrilled to present this Juno Award-winning group to the community and have a night of totally toe-tapping and hopefully somewhat danceable music as well. We are not only meeting but we're exceeding COVID-19 protocols as outlined by the Province and the York Region Public Health Unit. That's our starting point and that is for every single part of the performance. The event is available by pre-registration only. We have a limited number based on the gathering capacities that are allowed in Town Park at that time

“We ask people to be masked if they enter into the space and they will be led to their seating rectangle of choice where they can safely enjoy the concert from an appropriate distance from the rest of the audience and the group themselves. Our most important part is the audience feels they are enjoying the concert safely and we have lots of volunteers on site to answer any questions they may have. Once you sit down in your rectangle, you can remove your mask and simply get back to the business of enjoying live performing arts.”

For more, including pre-registration, visit auroraculturalcentre.ca.

By Brock Weir
Editor
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter