A Summer of Free Weekly Concerts: Saugonians got to enjoy some live musical entertainment every Wednesday at the historical Saugus Iron Works

By Laura Eisener

The concerts continued at the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site this summer with great success. Every Wednesday evening a good crowd of Saugus residents met on the upper lawn at the Iron Works to hear a concert performed by a different band. Some audience members came every week, while others attended once or twice to hear a favorite band. Most evenings there were over 150 people.

All the concerts were free to attend. They have been sponsored by the Saugus Public Library and the National Park Service with partial funding from the Saugus Cultural Council, which is an arm of the state agency Mass Cultural Council.

It’s been a great way to enjoy the summer weather – a site unique in its location and history and the companionship of our neighbors from all over town. Many families set up blankets on the lawn and brought snacks so everyone could enjoy it in their own way. Under the purple beech, small children with a bit of energy ran around, and some weeks there were improvised dances when the older children were especially moved by the music. Adults set up folding chairs and met their friends, enjoying the very obliging weather for most Wednesdays this summer.

On August 9, the Ditto Band surprised me by playing “Happy Birthday” after a friend secretly tipped them off. This past Wednesday, August 23, the band Headlands from Rockport performed. Over 150 people gathered most weeks, and most are feeling a bit melancholy to see the summer come to a close. The concerts lasted from 6 to 8, and as the summer winds down the sun has been noticeably lower in the sky as people pack up to return home.

This coming Wednesday, August 30, will be the final concert of the season, appropriately performed by the popular band Memorylaners.

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