One of our favorite summer activities is packing a picnic and going to the TGIF Concerts in the Park sponsored by the City of Carlsbad. The concerts are free and they happen every Friday throughout the summer from 6-8pm.
We have been doing this since the turn of the century (literally!) We used to take our kids, meet up with a few neighbors and enjoy the evening listening to music while all of the kids ran around in the grass.
Today as empty-nesters, we do it a little bit differently.
At the beginning of the summer when Carlsbad announces the line-up, we break out our calendar and see which Fridays we have available that line up with the bands we are most interested in seeing. Then, we block off the time on our calendar and invite a few friends to join us.
We ride our bike when we can because they have a great bike valet service that makes it easy to park. Otherwise, we arrive a bit before 5pm to avoid any hassles with parking. The concerts rotate to different parks, but they are all very well-organized and easy to navigate.
Once we get seated, we make sure we buy some raffle tickets because they always have great giveaways and if you don’t win that night, you are still entered to win a grand prize at the end of the season. We have won a few great gifts over the years and we love supporting the foundation that puts on the concerts.
We always bring our low-back chairs and a cooler of good snacks – then we just kick back and relax. If you love dancing, you’ll enjoy joining everyone on the dance floor up by the stage.
It’s the perfect way to kick off a weekend or to meet up with friends. If you’ve never done it – put it on your calendar for next year. And, make sure you let us know you are going so we can say hi!
More Information About TGIF Concerts in the Park
- Website: TGIF Concerts in the Park – City of Carlsbad
- Location: Various parks in Carlsbad, CA (check the website for the current schedule)
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