Spokane Symphony to host free concert in Comstock Park as ‘thank you to Spokane’

For those who’ve always wanted to take a trip to the symphony but never wanted to shoulder the price, Monday is your day.

On Labor Day, the Spokane Symphony is playing at Comstock Park for its 40th annual free concert in the park. Concertgoers should expect a lot of fun, symphony communications director Kathy Gustafson said, as the symphony will deliver a sampling of what’s to come in its upcoming season. The setlist for Monday night includes 1980s music and the scores from movie series such as “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Harry Potter.”

“We like this to be a preview of our season,” Gustafson said.

The setlist seeks to appeal to a wide audience with family favorites that kids and parents know. It’s a popular event, Gustafson said, expecting around 7,000 people to turn out in the park with lawn chairs and picnic blankets.

The symphony recently expanded its free concert offerings with a performance at Liberty Lake’s Pavillion Park this past Saturday. Roughly 2,000 people came to the event, Gustafson estimated.

“There were a lot of little kids running around dancing, doing gymnastics, it was really fun to watch the kids and watch the crowds,” Gustafson said, adding that many lined up their golf carts to watch the show.

Opening for the symphony will be duo Jason Garrett Evans and Ruth Engeda, performing neo-soul, R&B music that Gustafson described as “funky jazz groovy soul,” she said. The duo will later join the symphony for a surprise song from the ’80s.

Openers are scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m. and the symphony is set for 6 p.m.

Expecting a large turnout, Gustafson advises people to arrive early to secure a spot close to the stage. At past concerts, many seasoned concertgoers show early in the morning to claim their spot with a blanket or chair.

In addition to the tunes, attendees can expect booths and tables from other arts groups in Spokane advertising their upcoming seasons. Players from Spokane’s professional soccer leagues, Zephyr and Velocity, will be in attendance, as well as a number of sports mascots around the region. Monday will be the debut of the symphony’s new mascot Figaro the fox.

“I’m really excited for the community to meet Figaro,” Gustafson said.

Musicians will also host a sort of “petting zoo” at the event, swapping the typical goats and rabbits with violins and flutes, for example. With the aid of a musician, kids can experiment with different instruments.

“It’s so little kids can try out an instrument for size, see how it feels on their fingers,” Gustafson said. “The instrument petting zoo is really fun for families.”

The weather is expected to be hot on Labor Day. The National Weather Service forecasts a high near 97, setting in around 5 p.m. It’ll begin to cool as the sun sets, dropping to mid-80s by 8 p.m.

The symphony has planned for this, Gustafson said, supplying a tent with a mister to cool attendees if needed.

“It’s really a beloved tradition for the community, it’s free and we really want to make the symphony accessible for the community and this is just one of the ways we want to thank the community for their support of us,” Gustafson said. “It’s our thank you to Spokane.”