For more than three decades, a small group of volunteers has pulled off an impressive, summer-long concert series offering free music to Belmont and beyond — even during the COVID pandemic.
Now in its 34th season, the nonprofit Payson Park Music Festival (PPMF) will be held on the green above the pool on Underwood Hill this year while the park is under construction. Kicking off Wednesday, June 19, the Cheryl Arena Band will lead off the series, which runs every Wednesday through Sept. 4, with concerts starting between 6:30 and 6:45 p.m.
The event features 12 bands playing throughout the summer as well as children’s concerts held at 10:30 a.m. In case of rain, kids’ shows will take place inside the Belmont Public Library’s temporary location at 266 Beech St.
While residents look forward to relaxing outside and enjoying an array of talented musicians each summer, the festival started as a small, grassroots effort with only two performances in its first year. By the second summer, the PPMF had received donations from local businesses, allowing it to put on seven shows.
“This has grown organically,” said Tomi (Tommasina) Olson, the festival director.
She estimates that about 200 people attended each show post-COVID. However, during the pandemic, the nonprofit had to get creative to provide entertainment.
When health and safety restrictions were relaxed in the summer of 2020, the town’s Recreation Department created circles on the grass where small groups could sit separately from others, and the PPMF held eight concerts.
“It made us feel good that we did something during COVID to make people’s lives a little easier,” said Olson.
An Idea Grows Into a Tradition
Olson recalled that more than 34 years ago, a resident said he felt “the town could do so much more than it does” for its residents. After asking what he meant, the resident suggested Belmont hold a concert series and asked if she could help secure fields where performances could take place.
Although the Recreation Department initially was skeptical that anyone would attend, the PPMF moved forward.
That first year Olson spoke with the head of Belmont-based Powers Music School, which agreed to play a concert for free. She then secured donations for a second show, and the festival was born.
In the early days, Olson and her children would bring in a sound system for the musicians, but now bands usually bring their own along with lighting.
As the festival grew in popularity, Olson continued to seek support from local business owners to help defray costs.
The PPMF would “take whatever they could give us and make it work,” she said. “We were lucky for the generosity of the business community,” as the town does not finance the event.
In addition to businesses and individuals, other organizations like the Belmont Cultural Council have donated over the years and made the series a success.
“I’m very proud of this,” said Olson.
More information
To learn more about the Payson Park Music Festival, visit https://www.ppmf.org/
