Free Concert, Truck Event For Kids at Oregon Coast's Newport This Month

Published 06/14/23 at 7:11 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Newport, Oregon) – There's a lot going on in the central Oregon coast town of Newport this summer, but some events are just now getting the word out. Newport Parks and Rec Department recently announced two happenin' shindigs around town in late June, with the Touch-a-Truck event for kids returning and a new bit of fun: a free concert in one of the town's largest parks.

Free Music in the Park in Newport

Break out the blankets lawn chairs and get ready to serenaded in the Oregon coast air. Newport Parks and Recreation has put together a free concert on June 25 at Betty Wheeler Memorial Field (just off Highway 101 on NW 9th St.).

There, the 2.8-acre ball field gets converted into a concert venue for the moment.

Onstage is the band Sturtz from Boulder, CO., a quartet performing a kind of Americana based on folk and soul music. The rig contains Andrew Sturtz on vocals and guitar, Jim Herlihy on banjo, Courtlyn Carpenter on cello, and Will Kuepper on bass. Sturtz's melodic vocals soar over the lower string instrumentals, with the ensemble achieving a woodsy vibe that's shimmering to moody.

Sturtz is based in Boulder, CO, and has toured across the US, opening for groups like the Eli Young Band, Trout Steak Revival, Lillie Mae, the Band of Heathens, and Smooth Hound Smith. NPR's All Songs Considered described the band as "a reassuring breath of fresh air that pulls me back to simpler times" in their April 2020 blog. Sturtz released their debut album You've Done this Before in August 2021, and now they are hard at work touring on this album and writing songs for their next album.

Touch a Truck Returns to Newport

The Newport Performing Arts Center is famous for bringing all kinds of entertainment to the central Oregon coast, often with top-flight jazz and classical on the musical menu. However, the venue goes a little more down-to-Earth on Friday, June 30 with Touch-a-Truck touching down in the center's parking lot. It runs from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., presenting all kinds of trucks for the kiddies to gawk at.

Newport Parks and Recreation has been busy this year bringing together a wide variety of large vehicles: big trucks, fast trucks, trucks that pick up things, trucks that dump things, trucks that have sirens, and more.

Trucks from local law enforcement will be on hand to check out. Also represented will be Newport Fire, Thompson’s Sanitary, Rowley’s Towing, National Guard,, trucks from the Parks department, First Student, Copeland Lumber and Lincoln County PUD. Newport Ready Mix will provide one of their cement trucks.

Food will be provided by – you guessed it – a food truck, namely Newport's Pat E Mac's and their rather famous barbecue.

This is a great community event,” said Recreation Program Specialist Jenni Remillard. “The location is perfect because it’s right next to Coast Park so you can come check out some cool trucks, eat some great food, and play at the park!”

The last half hour of the event will without sirens and horns for those with auditory sensitivities. Call Newport Parks and Recreation for more info: (541) 265-7783

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Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

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