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• OUTSIDE at the Research Park begins three-part series

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Research Park on Oak Street. Photo by James Kyung

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3rd Annual Outside at the Research Park Concert Series »

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• Research Park at the University of Illinois »
  1816 South Oak Street Champaign, IL 61820
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For the third year in a row, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts and Fox/Atkins Development, LLC have come together to provide a three-part concert series at the University Research Park. An initiative providing free music and local food in an outdoor setting, OUTSIDE at the Research Park aims to bring the community together in celebration of the summer season and a green frame of mind.

As noted by Krannert Center for the Performing Arts Public Information Director Bridget Lee-Calfas, “The OUTSIDE series has provided an ideal opportunity to share [the sustainability] sensibility with our community.” With featured community partner Habitat for Humanity ReStore, sponsors Advantage Recycling and Marco Recycling, Divisions of Mervis Industries, Inc., an anonymous sponsor and with special thanks to the Illinois Natural History Survey, each event will feature biodegradable food materials and recycling bins, as well as the recent addition of bike racks and a stage powered by a biodeisel generator.

The first evening of OUTSIDE will be held Friday, July 17 and includes five-time Chicago Music Award winners Funkadesi as well as local brother-sister duo Hathaways. Performances begin at 6:30 p.m. and will be held just southwest of Assembly Hall in the Research Park. The Friday event will also feature catered food and wine from Biaggi’s. “The OUTSIDE venue was designed to be a relaxed, inviting and intimate space, providing a welcoming atmosphere for all-ages audiences to refresh in a casual setting,” Lee-Calfas said.

Future OUTSIDE at the Research Park events include performances from Kathy Mattea and Ryan Groff on Friday, Aug. 14 and Post Historic, The Duke of Uke and His Novelty Orchestra, High Cotton and Hot Buttered Rum on Friday, Aug. 28. The final evening in the series will also feature a green fair for local businesses and exhibits interested in supporting and demonstrating their involvement in the sustainability effort. For more information about the OUTSIDE at the Research Park series, please visit http://www.krannertcenter.com.

Though no specific plans are underway for the future of the series, Lee-Calfas said that “[We] certainly hope to continue the great relationships, quality performances and environmental commitments that we have developed through this series well into the future.”