NORWALK, Conn. — With Outdoor Summer Movies beginning this Friday and the 2025 Summer Concert Series kicking off five days later, Calf Pasture Beach is the place to be this season for free family-friendly entertainment.
Four Outdoor Summer Movies begin this Friday, June 20, with “Despicable Me 4” being shown on the large inflatable screen. The films—which will also include “Inside Out 2” on July 11, “IF” on Aug. 8, and “Kung Fu Panda 4” on Sept. 12—start at dusk.
On Wednesday, June 25, at 7 p.m., the eight-show 2025 Summer Concert Series debuts with Tangled Vine, which will perform “swampy rock/pop/R&B covers,” according to a flyer from Norwalk Recreation and Parks, which is behind both the concerts and outdoor films.
According to Superintendent of Recreation Elsa Mekonen, 250 to 300 people typically attend the concerts, which draw a larger crowd the week of July 4th, when fireworks coincide with the event.
Though the seven other summer concerts will take place on Wednesdays at Calf Pasture Beach, the July 4th festivities will be held on Thursday, July 3 (rain date: Saturday, July 5), at 7 p.m. at Shady Beach.
Performing that evening will be Connecticut’s own Soul Amazing with DJ Jimmy Nuzzo.
“Soul Amazing is a seven-piece pop cover band,” said Mekonen, adding that Nuzzo, a Norwalk native, “does a lot of programs with us; he is a joy to work with.”
Along with the opening show on June 25 (which has a rain date of Wednesday, Aug. 27) and the July 3 holiday extravaganza, the concert series will feature the Larry Stevens Band (rock/pop/covers) on July 9 (rain date: Thursday, July 10) and Back to Garden 1969 (a Woodstock tribute) on July 16 (rain date: Thursday, July 17).
Other performers will include Funk Salsa Urban (Latin funk/salsa) on July 23 (rain date: Thursday, July 24); Epicsoul (Motown/R&B/soul) on July 30 (rain date: Thursday, July 31); the Captain Jack Tribute Band (Billy Joel tribute) on Aug. 6 (rain date: Thursday, Aug. 7); and One Hot Night with Tommy Lynn (Neil Diamond tribute) on Aug. 13 (rain date: Thursday, Aug. 14).
With the concerts starting at 7 p.m., city social media accounts will let residents know by 2 p.m. on the day of a show regarding any weather postponements.
“I’m really excited about all the variety we are offering this year,” said Mekonen. “We try to be very mindful of giving bands a chance to perform who may not have performed before.”
She added, “This year, what we are really excited about is we have a Motown band coming, a Woodstock tribute, and we have a very popular Neil Diamond tribute and Billy Joel tribute at the end of the summer.”
Last year, “We had our first Latin artist perform and attendance was amazing … and it was a really great opportunity to provide this program for all parts of our community,” said Mekonen, who added that the music “transcended language.”
According to Mekonen, “a very diverse demographic” of Norwalkers attend summer concerts.
“The summer concerts don’t start until 7, but we have people come as early as 4 just because the weather is beautiful and the vibe is right,” said Mekonen. “Then, once the concert kicks off, people get out of their lawn chairs and they’re dancing and really enjoying it.”
The Outdoor Summer Movies series also has a family-friendly vibe, according to Recreation Supervisor Diane Campbell.
“It’s a lot of fun—not just for the kids,” said Campbell. “It’s a nice family thing on a Friday night. They start around 8:30/8:45—as soon as it gets dark enough—and they’re usually an hour and a half to two hours max.”
Usually, the films draw between 50 and 150 people, according to Campbell. “The movies are a big hit as long as the weather is nice,” she said.
Like with summer concerts, Rec and Parks will make any announcement regarding movies being postponed on the day of the show—usually around 3 or 4 p.m., according to Campbell.
“We would postpone it to the following Friday,” said Campbell, adding any announcement would be made on Rec and Parks’ website.
Residents should bring their own lawn chairs and/or blankets to both the concerts and outdoor films.
Anyone interested in purchasing food during the concerts or films can stop by Ripka’s Beach Café. “We don’t permit food trucks because Ripka’s is our vendor at the beach,” said Mekonen.
However, for the Independence Day celebration on July 3, “There might be two or three food trucks coordinated with Ripka’s so we can serve everyone who comes to visit. But normally, there are no food trucks permitted.”
Despite budget constraints, Mekonen said Rec and Parks is “really excited” to continue to offer regular summer concerts.
“I think we went from 10 shows to eight shows, but it’s still a great amount of shows to offer, especially for free,” she said. “And, next year, we are hoping to bring in some bigger sponsors to help us be able to sustain this long term; we don’t want to take away something that is beloved by our residents.”
Mekonen said Rec and Parks will post pertinent information on social media about the upcoming Independence Day celebration at Shady Beach, so she advised residents to be on the lookout for that.
Though the summer concerts and films are free, beach parking rules will be enforced, according to Rec and Parks.
For more information, contact Rec and Parks at 203-854-7806 or recreation@norwalkct.gov.
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