Cray’s blues to heat up Liberty Lake summer fest

The Friends of Pavillion Park in Liberty Lake are bringing in a smoking gun to help celebrate the summer.

Grammy-winning blues star Robert Cray will perform a free concert on Aug. 17, part of a diverse slate of summer entertainment that ranges from Hollywood hits to the Spokane Symphony to Shakespearean drama.

The 16th annual Summer Festival kicks off July 3 with a screening of the Pixar hit “Up,” followed on July 4 with a night of music by 6 Foot Swing and Tuxedo Junction and fireworks.

The financing for the free series comes from one fundraiser, the Holiday Ball held each December at the Davenport Hotel, said David Himebaugh, the Friends vice president.

“We have a very generous community,” he said. “I still get calls, I still get from people, ‘How do I get tickets?’ I tell them it’s free and they’re like ‘Well, what do I have to buy?’ No, it’s free.”

Back for a third year is the Montana Shakespeare Festival, which will be staging “Henry V.”

The Shakespeare performances have been well-received.

“That is very well attended,” Himebaugh said. “We were very pleased with the turnout we had last year and the previous year. They do a terrific job.”

The schedule follows. All events are at Pavillion Park unless noted:

July 3: “Up,” dusk

July 4: 6 Foot Swing, Tuxedo Junction, 6 p.m.

July 5: “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” dusk

July 13: Liberty Lake Loop, 8 a.m. (registration due Thursday)

July 19: “Pinocchio,” dusk, Rocky Hill Park

July 20: “Tangled,” dusk

July 26: “Hugo,” dusk, Half Moon Park

Aug. 3: “Mamma Mia,” dusk

Aug. 9: “Star Trek,” dusk, Half Moon Park

Aug. 10: “The Goonies,” dusk, Rocky Hill Park

Aug. 16: “Bolt,” dusk

Aug. 17: Robert Cray Band, 7 p.m.

Aug. 23: “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” dusk

Aug. 24: “The Wizard of Oz,” dusk

Aug. 25: Montana Shakespeare Festival’s “Henry V”

Aug. 31: Spokane Symphony