Free summer concerts start in June

Taiwanese Culture Night at Ossian Hall Park is scheduled for June 30.

From big band to rock, bluegrass to international music, there will free concerts in Annandale four nights a week all summer long.

The Spotlight by Starlight Summer Concert series starts June 16 with Chinese Cultural Heritage Night at Ossian Hall Park, 7900 Heritage Drive.

The first concert at the amphitheater at Mason District Park, 6621 Columbia Pike, is June 17, featuring the City of Fairfax Concert Band.

There are concerts every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday at Mason District Park beginning at 7:30 p.m. through Aug. 24.

Some of the groups performing this year at Mason District Park include the Ron Holloway Band, Lori Williams and Friends, NOVA Annandale Symphony Orchestra, Tom Paxton, the Grandsons, and the U.S. Army Men of Note. There will be music from Russia, Ireland, India, and the Andes, as well as American folk, rockabilly, and jazz.

The popular Capitol Steps, the comedy troupe that satirizes current events and always draws a big crowd, is scheduled for July 22.

There are free children’s concerts at Mason District Park on Saturday mornings, too, but the lineup hasn’t been announced yet.

Concerts at Ossian Hall Park, every Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m. through Aug. 18, feature music, and sometimes dance, from around the world. Among the countries featured this summer: Indonesia, Bolivia, Peru, and Germany.

Ossian Hall Park doesn’t have seating, so guests are encouraged to bring a blanket to sit on. The Amphitheater at Mason District Park has benches.

The shows are canceled if there is rain. If it looks like it’s going to rain, call 703-324-7469 an hour before show time to see if it’s still on.

The concerts are presented by the Fairfax County Park Authority with support from the Fairfax County Park Foundation and individual and corporate donors.