Spotlight by Starlight concerts underway all summer at Mason District Park

The TOAST Big Band ushered in the summertime Spotlight by Starlight
concert series at Mason District Park June 1 with upbeat jazz standards that
got a few swing-dancing couples on their feet.

This is the 24th year
for the free Spotlight by Starlight concerts. Mason Supervisor Penny Gross and the Friends of Mason
District Park welcomed the crowd with cake and lemonade.

Over the
years, the friends group has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in goods
and services to support the concerts, Gross said. Corporate sponsors include Cox, Dominion,
the Goodwin House at Bailey’s Crossroads, TD Bank, and ExxonMobil. Concert-goers can contribute, too. A donation box at the
amphitheater collected about $2,000 last year.

The concerts take place at Mason District Park 7:30 p.m. on
Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays through the end of August. There are also
several children’s shows throughout the summer at 10:30 a.m. on Saturdays.

This week’s shows include pop and rock by the David Kitchen Band on Wednesday, June 4, the U.S. Air Force’s Singing Sergeants on Friday,
June 6, and the City of Fairfax Concert Band on Sunday, June 8.

Shows featuring music and dance from other cultures are held
at Ossian Hall Park in Annandale on Saturday evenings throughout the summer.
The first show, Chinese Cultural Heritage Night, will be June 7, 7:30 p.m. This park doesn’t have benches, so bring chairs or a blanket.

The shows are canceled if it’s raining. If there’s a threat
of rain, call 703-324-7469 before heading out.