By Dave Fidlin

Summer outdoor concerts return this week at Pioneer Park

After nearly six months of putting pieces of the puzzle together, members of a Mission Hills organization are ready to take the wraps off this summer’s outdoor concert program.

The aptly named Summer Concerts in the Park series kicks off June 19 and runs Fridays through July 31. The Mission Hills Town Council is once again spearheading the festivities at Pioneer Park.

Lara Gates, who serves on the town council, is one of a half-dozen Mission Hills residents involved in planning this year’s concert series. Because of the logistics involved — fundraising, coordinating schedules and promoting the community event — Gates said the effort begins in earnest in January each year.

“We have several strategy sessions and start laying a lot of the groundwork at that time,” Gates said. “From there, it all starts to come together.”

The concert series, a staple in Mission Hills for about two decades, has long been touted as a family-friendly affair. After dwindling to just a few concerts each summer, the town council took oversight of the program seven years ago, not long after the organization was formed.

“We’ve been able to boost participation and raise more money to make this a real neighborhood event,” Gates said.

With an infusion of resources into the concert series in recent years, Gates said attendance has followed suit. Typically, 400 to 500 people attend each performance.

David Espinosa, who also serves on the town council, is a first-year member of the concert planning committee. Espinosa, who operates a namesake real estate strategy company in the community, said he views Summer Concerts in the Park as an opportunity to link residents with the business community.

Nearly a dozen neighborhood businesses provide muscle behind the program, either as title sponsors or supporting sponsors. San Diego City Councilmember Todd Gloria, who represents Mission Hills, has also sponsored the concert series.

This year, Gates said the goal is to have an even wider array of acts on the roster.

The range of local, regional and national performers includes a number of tribute bands that will play music from the Beatles, Neil Diamond, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

The mix of entertainment also includes such acts as Hullabaloo, a two-person band comprised of guitarist and songwriter Steve Denyes and drummer Brendan Kremer. The duo has been friends since kindergarten and aim to dazzle children — and kids at heart.

The seven-week extravaganza follows a similar format throughout, with one exception: Independence Day weekend.

A concert will not be held on Friday, the eve of the holiday. Instead, the council will be hosting a grandiose Fourth of July itinerary on the actual holiday. It will begin with a parade at 10:30 a.m., music from Dr. Elvis at 12:30 p.m. and the fifth annual Mission Hills barbecue competition.

San Diegan Stephen Shuchter portrays Dr. Elvis and has been part of the Summer Concerts in the Park series in prior years. Shuchter’s act as an entertainer runs alongside his stint as professor of clinical psychology emeritus at the UC San Diego’s School of Medicine.

While such crowd-pleasers as Dr. Elvis are back again this year, Gates said there are a number of newcomers as well.

“I think we have a number of really highly professional bands on the roster this year,” she said. “We’re looking forward to a great season.”

For Espinosa, Summer Concerts in the Park epitomizes Mission Hills’ attributes.

“This is a great way to just get out and socialize,” he said. “We have a great, small town atmosphere in this community.”

Gates offers similar sentiments as she reflects on past years.

“It’s just so much fun to connect with people in the community,” she said. “You might meet a new neighbor, and you might have the chance to visit with someone you haven’t seen in a while.”

—Contact Dave Fidlin at [email protected].