Southern Illinois University Carbondale announced on Apr. 17 that the 47th annual Sunset Concert Series will begin June 11, featuring six weeks of free musical performances at various locations in Carbondale.
The series is a long-standing tradition in Southern Illinois, offering diverse music to people of all ages. The concerts are held outdoors each Thursday evening through July 23, except for July 2, and rotate between the Shryock Auditorium lawn on campus, Turley Park on Carbondale’s west side, and a new venue this year—the New Era Events Plaza in downtown Carbondale.
Tena Bennett, assistant vice chancellor for auxiliary enterprises and student affairs at SIU, said: “We have some great new and different talent this year and I’m really excited about this lineup. SIU is pleased to again partner with the City of Carbondale and the Carbondale Park District to present entertaining summer nights enjoyable for everyone.”
Each concert starts at 7 p.m. and lasts about two hours. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets; food and drinks can be brought or purchased from vendors onsite. The series features acts such as Shane Guerrette (Americana/roots-rock), Shawn Holt and the Teardrops (blues), The Way Down Wanderers (alternative Americana), Funky Butt Brass Band (brass/funk/soul), Goldpine (Americana), and Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers (zydeco).
Organizers have established rules to keep events safe: glass bottles, kegs, smoking, grilling, solicitation, and underage drinking are not allowed; only single-serve containers may be brought; pets must be leashed.
SIU’s Office of Student Engagement is working with city partners to sponsor these events. More information is available at sunset.siu.edu or by calling SIU offices listed in their announcement.
