Concerts in the Park a Family Tradition
By Jake Davies - West Carleton Online
FITZROY HARBOUR – The crowds and the organizers got the weather last Thursday (July 23), and it was a perfect night for the penultimate edition of the 2026 Concerts in the Park series.
While the debut of the 29th edition had a brand new performer in The Front Porch Sitters, and not a drop of rain fell during their concert, the daylong drizzle of July 9 kept the crowds away with only a couple dozen in attendance.
A good sized crown of more than 100 (based on the eye test) enjoyed Jamie McMunn and Family Tradition under clear skies and a beautiful evening for live music.
West Carleton Disaster Relief (WCDR) are the hosts of this year’s (and the past few years) concerts series.
Not only is it an opportunity to raise some funds, it’s a great opportunity to meet the West Carleton community in a much more relaxed atmosphere, as opposed to when WCDR is responding to an emergency.
With a full house (or lawn as the case may be), it was a great night to do both.
WCDR director Judy Makin reported to the crowd after the concert, attendees donated $884 at the gate, which will be evenly split with the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO).
“This is an important fundraiser for us,” Makin told the crowd.
The WCDR has also been hosting a raffle each week. Thursday, the WCDR was raffling off a heated vest from Carp’s Rona centre valued at $279 referred to as a Heat Technology System from Milwaukee.
“I think we had a record breaking number of raffle tickets bought,” Makin told West Carleton Online from their booth at the concert.
Sue Ringette was the lucky winner of the vest.
Next week the 2026 Concerts in the Park series wraps up with crowd pleasers Ambush on Thursday, July 30.
The Concerts in the Park series is presented by Waste Management and Coun. Clarke Kelly and is held in Fitzroy Provincial Park (5201 Canon Smith Dr.). Concerts run from 7 to 8:30 p.m. with the gate opening at 6 p.m.
A cash-only barbecue is hosted each week by a local community youth group serving hamburgers and refreshments starting at 6 p.m.
