14th Annual Sanford Parkapalooza Happens Sunday September 9th

The 14th Annual Sanford Lake Park Parkapalooza Festival is without doubt a musical swansong to Summer and one of the Great Lakes Bay Region’s most celebrated gatherings, largely because it allows fans, friends, and families an opportunity to bask in the sun and soak up a bountiful array of activities and top-notch musical nourishment, all staged on a half-mile of lakefront with 1000 feet of soft sandy beach.

Happening this year on Sunday, September 9th  from Noon to 8:00 PM at Midland County’s Sanford Lake Park, 415 Irish Street, park admission is only $6.00 per car, which goes to the Midland County Parks, while the concert and most activities are free. 

Presented by the DStreet Entertainment Foundation, the principle focus of the organization is centered upon two major programs: The Band Wagon, which takes donated used musical instruments and refurbishes them to allow economically challenged families with talented children  to further their musical explorations; and the  DStreet Musical Scholarship program, which allows talented and musically engaged children to further their education in either college or trade school endeavors.

Parkapalooza has hosted an estimated 30,000 visitors, showcased nearly 60 great musical acts and donated over $10,000 to a number of worthwhile charities.

This year’s musical line-up consists of Here After Six, Civil Infraction, Barbarossa Brothers, Kin Faux,  The Sinclairs, Peacemaker, Tweed & Dixie, and Slick Jimmy – an ‘A-List’ of entertainment that will run from Noon to 8 PM for a full-eight hours of musical bliss.

Both DStreet and Parkapalooza were honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award for their endeavors at this year’s 32nd Annual Review Music Awards back in April; and the musical line-up this year consists of our region’s most celebrated talent, with half of the featured groups also having received honors at this Awards Ceremony. (Kin Faux was voted ‘Best Country Band’ and Here After Six walked away with numerous honors, including ‘Best Rock Band’.

Additionally, a host of family oriented activities coalesce around this annual funfest, which include a beach volleyball tournament, sand sculpting, a ‘make & take’ woodcrafts set-up courtesy of Home Depot, a Silent Auction, food vendors, a human Bubble Ball and much more.  Beer and wine is allowed.

According to DStreet President Georgie Poprave,  “This is our FAB 14 Parkapalooza celebration and it will most definitely be FABulous!  We are fortunate that with each of our Parkapalooza events, the support of the community and its participants allows for it to just keep getting better and better.  We strive to provide the best in musical entertainment as well as a fun, family atmosphere.  Sanford Park is a perfect place to spend the day with music and activities that people of all ages can enjoy.” 

“The bands we have lined up for this year's Sanford Parkapalooza are simply amazing,” she continues.  “As our volunteer board sits down to make the line-up decision each year, we are often times overwhelmed at the local musical talent we have from which to choose.  This year was no different.”

Adds DStreet Board Member, Ed Kerns, “We are so grateful to have such a strong lineup. There is not a band on the list that needs Dstreet or Parkapalooza for ‘exposure’, yet all have agreed to volunteer their considerable talents in support of the Dstreet mission. That is humbling for our organization, and we take our responsibility to ‘pay it forward’ very seriously.”

“Along with music to feed the soul, we will also have several delicious food vendors on site to feed the hunger (from BBQ to pizza to hot dogs).  The entire family can enjoy make and take wood crafts, bounce houses, human bubble suits, sand-sculpting contest, a giant foot dart, a photo booth, and corn hole.  Our chief sponsor, Garber Chevrolet, will be at the park to give away t-shirts and other prizes. It's guaranteed to be a day full of entertainment!” enthuses Georgie.

“One of the legs of our mission statement is to produce low or no cost music events. We are very proud of the fact that a family can walk into either Palooza festival and enjoy an entire day of quality live music and activities, and not spend a dime. That is our service to the community.”

Indeed, the fundraising component of DStreet’s mission is rooted equally with the depth of commitment to consistently deliver these top-notch Parkapalooza celebrations to families and music lovers through the Tri-County community on an annual basis.

“Through our Parkapalooza festivals, we have raised enough money to consistently provide $3000 in scholarship money each year to music-minded individuals attending college or fine-arts academies,” explains Georgie.

“We've also been able to provide $500 per year in mini-grants to local music programs, as well as support the AMP (All Music is Power) program with a $3000 contribution.  Money raised at our events is also supports our Bandwagon Program.  We purchase band instruments, or refurbish donated instruments, which are then given to economically challenged children who wish to learn the beauty of playing a musical instrument.    

“One of the awkward things about working with a nonprofit organization is it seems like you always have your hand out for something,” admits Ed. “At DStreet we always need help. We need volunteers and we need auction donations. We need sponsors and we need volleyball players. We need musical instrument donations and sand sculptors. Mostly we need people who believe that music makes a positive difference in the quality of life and are willing to help – even if that help is only attending our shows and other live music events.”

In the final estimation, what makes the work of DStreet and this annual Parkapalooza celebration so special is the way these festival organizers have managed to so faithfully commit to the altruistic faith in music to not only heal and inspire, but to serve as a powerful agent for social change and improving the quality of life that we aspire towards.

“There is a moment at each Palooza event where I have a moment to step back and reflect,” concludes Ed. “I’ll look out and see a great band working the stage in the middle of the beach, thousands of people in front of them, a beautiful lake and an armada of boats behind them, framing the entire panorama; and that you feel flowing throughout and from the crowd is incredible.

“That’s what makes Parkapalooza special.”

People interested in becoming involved with the DStreet Music Foundation, or assisting with the Parkapalooza Festival are encouraged to check out their Facebook page or visit  www.dstreet.org”