Lakehurst Concert in the Park

One of the highlights of summer for me is the local Concerts in the Park. I can’t think of anything more relaxing than setting up a camp chair or a blanket on the grass, then settling in for good music while munching on picnic fare.  When I saw the Lakehurst HOA was sponsoring their first ever concert in Lakehurst Park on July 22nd,  there was no question that I would go. This HOA is a voluntary organization so they run on a shoestring.  I try to support them whenever I can. If you’ve never been to Lakehurst Park, it borders Harriman Lake in Lakewood.

Around 6:30 that evening I wandered over to the Park.  I was delighted to see it was going to be a perfect evening weather-wise as there had been threats of rain the previous evenings.  We were blessed this evening with temperatures in the 80s, some clouds, and a soft breeze.

Once I got to the park, I saw the HOA was selling hot dogs, brats, chips, ice cream, and cookies.  Knowing this was a fundraiser and wanting to support the HOA, I bought a hot dog, chips and a drink.  Then I found a place to set up my camp chair so I’d have a good view of the stage.  While I waited for the concert to start, I watched young children running through the grass barefoot as they chased after puppies. Not far from me,  someone had set up a ring toss and a contest was in progress.  Neighbors were chatting. It felt good to just sit back and take it all in.

The concert’s featured performers were the Margarita Brothers, a group that sings a mix of music such as  Beach Boys, Jimmy Buffet, Reggae, and South of the Border Hits.  The concert started promptly at  7 p.m. and ran until 9 p.m. With the exception of a short break,  the Margarita Brothers kept the good music coming the whole time. The music was all my favorites so I don’t think the band had a bad number the whole evening. My very favorite was definitely the Starship hit “Sara”  performed by Mike Dane who also did saxophone. 

At one point during the concert, hula hoops were passed out to the kids.  It was so much fun to watch them hula hooping to the music and thinking back to when I could handle a hula hoop.  Keeping with the beach theme, the HOA also passed out leis to anyone that wanted one.

Toward the end of the concert, we were treated to an amazing kaleidoscope of colors as the sun set behind the mountains and reflected off the lake.  It was a perfect end to the evening.  As I walked home, I wondered if the HOA met their fundraising goals for this event.  I hope so as I would love to go next year and would recommend it to everyone.