Save the date for Concert in the Park

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Save the date! After a five-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this cherished Concert in the Park, held by the Islip Arts Council, is back on Saturday, Aug. 10, at 8 p.m.

Long Islanders are invited to pack a picnic, grab a blanket, and bring the family to Heckscher Park to enjoy a free evening of spectacular music from Orchestra Long Island. The night of musical performances garners thousands of attendees each year and concludes with a breathtaking Grucci fireworks display that you do not want to miss.

The 46-year musical tradition commemorates two milestones this year: the 100th anniversary of New York State Parks and the 50th anniversary of the Islip Arts Council.

The concert will be especially sentimental for native Long Islander and guest soloist, Eddie Barbash. His grandmother, Lillian Barbash, founded the Islip Arts Council. She began the annual Concert in the Park when she first brought the New York Philharmonic to Heckscher State Park over 45 years ago.

“It is especially exciting for me because I grew up going to this concert every year. The whole family would always travel in and see the concert, which was a big part of my childhood—getting to see the concert and fireworks. So now, to be on the other side, to be on the stage, will be a surreal experience,” shared Eddie Barbash. “I wish she was alive to see it because she would be so proud.”

Eddie Barbash was a founding member of the house band for “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and is celebrated by Jon Batiste as “one of the world’s most important saxophonists.”

Concertgoers will also enjoy music from the talented Orchestra Long Island, conducted by the dignified David Stewart Wiley, who has performed around the world.

Attendees are invited to make the evening even more special by bringing a bag of nonperishable food for families struggling with food insecurity. Island Harvest volunteers will be on site to accept donations.

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Photos courtesy of Islip Arts Council