The clouds will lift in Healdsburg on Tuesday with the final arrival of the first Concert in the Plaza, starting at 6 p.m. Taking the gazebo stage will be the West African Highlife Band. (See the full summer line-up here.)
Highlife music is infectious, poly-rhythmic dance music with jazzy horns and multiple guitars. The musicians in West African Highlife Band come from several West African countries and the United States. We can imagine no better place for the joyous, classic highlife dance hits of Ghana and Nigeria to find a welcome than in the Healdsburg Plaza on a sunny afternoon.
As in previous years, food vendors will line Plaza Street with a variety of local favorites. They open at 5 p.m., and will include some if not all of the following: Healdsburg Charcuterie, diVine Pizza, Mateo’s Cocina Latina, Mountain Mike’s Pizza, Sizzling Tandoor, Taverna Sofia and The Wurst.
Each Tuesday Concert in the Plaza has a featured sponsor, and for May 28 it’s Susan Graf Ltd & Scharffen Berger Chocolate.
For the concert series as a whole, Colby Red Wine is one of Premier Sponsors. The wine was inspired and initiated by Healdsburg resident Colby Groom who at the ages of 8 and 9 underwent back to back open heart surgeries.
The Colby Groom family recently asked 19 Healdsburg restaurants if they would support charities across the USA and Canada that promote heart health by pouring pour Colby Red Wine by the glass for the opening week of the concert series. All 19 restaurants agreed. “
Unheard of that so many restaurants would pour the same wine,” said winemaker Daryl Groom. “We are blessed to live in a really wonderful caring community.”
Groom said the money raised by selling Colby Red Wine this week will all be donated to our local American Heart Association. “This month we just reached a new milestone of $350,000 raised,” he added. “Quite unbelievable!”
Colby and his family would love to see everyone turn out for the opening concert wearing something red. Colby Red T-shirts will be available at the Colby Red Wine sponsor’s booth at the opening night concert.
In order to protect Plaza Park and ensure the enjoyment of the concert for everyone, the Healdsburg Parks and Recreation Department reminds everyone of the following rules:
• If you choose to set up chairs and blankets for the concert and leave them unattended, please do so after 4:00 p.m. on the day of the concert.
• Chairs and blankets left unattended prior to 4pm will be removed.
• Please leave pets at home.
"Thank you for your cooperation and enjoy the concert!"
