By: Sharon Smith, Editor at Delaware State Parks

It’s that time of the year again for our Summer Concert Series! Every summer, Delaware State Parks offers free summer concerts throughout the state. Gather the family together and take a trip to any of these five concert locations for an evening of good vibes.  Check out below the different venues that Delaware State Parks has to offer!

1. Trap Pond

For music lovers, few things are better than sitting back on a summer evening and enjoying live music outdoors.  In Southern Delaware, the venues don’t get much better than Trap Pond State Park in Laurel. The park is remote and rustic, and home to the nation’s northernmost stand of naturally occurring bald cypress trees. Each summer, visitors can enjoy the park’s naturally occurring beauty while enjoying performances by bands such as Consumed by Fire, Second Chance Blues, and The Stone Jack Ballers. If you like reggae, the blues, country or Christian, the summer concert series at Trap Pond State Park is for you. The series kicks off at the end of May and his held every Saturday through the first week of September. The free concerts begin at 6 p.m. Concert-goers need only bring a blanket or some lawn chairs and their love of the outdoors. The only cost to you is the price of the park entrance fee. For more information, click here.

Family and friends enjoying a live performance at Trap Pond State Park.

2. White Clay Creek State Park

You don’t need to drive to Philadelphia or Camden to hear great music. Escape the hustle and bustle of urban life and enjoy one of the most beautiful spots in Northern Delaware, White Clay Creek State Park. The summer concert series at White Clay Creek State Park in Newark is free and it is fantastic! The series is held on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. beginning in June and ending in August. A special concert is held over Labor Day weekend. Pack a picnic, grab a blanket and enjoy a romantic evening under the stars listening to performers such as Karen Rodriguez & the Latin Jazz Ensemble perform songs like Adoro. Break out your old rock t-shirt and relive your youth as kRush plays a mean version of Tom Sawyer. The only cost to you is the park entrance fee. For more information, click here.

White Clay Creek State Park summer concert series.

3. Killens Pond State Park

After a day of swimming at Killens Water Park or canoeing on Killens Pond in Felton, rest on your blanket and enjoy performances by artists such as Celtic Harvest or Charlie and the Cool Tones as they cover songs such as Brown Sugar by The Rolling Stones. The concerts are free and are perfect for families. So forget the babysitter. Bring your folding chairs, glow sticks and enjoy a family-fun filled evening outdoors. The concert series at Killens Ponds are held on Fridays beginning in June and ending in August. Killens Pond is one of the best places to catch live music in Kent County. While the concerts are free, concert-goers still need to pay the park entrance fees. For more information, click here.

Families set up with their camping chairs enjoying live music at Killens Pond State Park.

4. Bellevue State Park

If you love music, Bellevue State Park is the place to be Sundays and Thursdays in the summer. The backdrop is one of Delaware’s most intriguing former DuPont estates. Bellevue Hall is fashioned after Monticello in Virginia, where one of its former residents just happened to live. The park offers lush greenery and panoramic views of the Delaware River. Add free concerts into the mix featuring artists such as Jimmy and the Parrots, Boys in Black, Re-Live the Beatles and Big Package and you have the makings for a perfect evening outdoors. What could be better? Not much, we think. The concerts begin at 6:30 p.m. On June 30 and August 25, Bellevue holds two concerts that begin at 6 p.m. The only cost to you is the price of the park entrance fee. It doesn’t get much better than that. For more information, click here.

Summer concert series presented by Bellevue State Park.

5. Wilmington State Parks

Why leave the city when you don’t have to? Wilmington State Parks has everything a music lover could want or need to get into the groove of summer. Rockford Park in Wilmington offers free summer concerts on Mondays, starting in June and ending in August. Rock, Indie Folk and Americana music all take center stage during one of Delaware State Park’s most popular series. Over at the Sugar Bowl in Brandywine Park, bands like The Bullbuckers known for their big Ska sound will make you feel like you have gone to the Caribbean or the beach without ever having to leave Wilmington. The concerts at both parks start at 6:30 p.m. The concerts at the Sugar Bowl in Brandywine Park are held on Wednesdays.  Pack a picnic and you are set for an enjoyable summer evening out with minimal costs and minimal effort. For more information, click here.

Family and friends gathered at the Sugar Bowl for a live performance.

For more information about upcoming shows, visit our Summer Concerts page!