WHITINSVILLE, Mass. – It would have been the tenth year for the ValleyCast Summer Concert Series last year, but COVID-19 eliminated any chance of live, in-person music in 2020. But Cristi Collari, the director of community outreach for Open Sky Community Service and ValleyCast, was dedicated to figuring out a solution.

“Last year, we had all the bands scheduled and the contracts were signed,” Collari said. “I didn’t want the bands to suffer. This is their livelihood and we needed to make sure they got paid.”

ValleyCast switched to virtual concerts and streamed them on Facebook Live and YouTube. “You can still go online and watch all those shows from last year and the bands still got paid. They’re great!”

Now that COVID-19 restrictions are loosening up, Collari was proud to announce the triumphant return of the Summer Concert Series to in-person shows.

“It’s wonderful to be able to have people come and enjoy the music here again,” she said.

 

Past show from the Rice Community Plaza. Courtesy photo.


ValleyCast welcomes a variety of musical genres this season including rock, big bands, country, folk, bluegrass, R&B, funk, reggae, and blues. The outside performances will be held in the Dennis H. Rice Community Plaza, a 4,000 square-foot space overlooking the Mumford River. The Plaza is at the center of the Whitin Mill Complex, which is located on a one-acre parcel abutting the Mumford River and the Ring Shop Dam. It includes five buildings totaling 32,000 square feet. Built in 1826, the Mill is believed to be one of the earliest cotton mills erected in New England and is considered by the National Park Service to be one of the finest examples of original, undisturbed Federalist architecture in the country.

Today, the building is home to artisan studio space and two-bedroom apartments for people with developmental disabilities served by Open Sky. Counselors help the residents connect with neighborhood services, enjoy recreational opportunities and build relationships in the community. The individuals who live in the Brick Mill apartments regularly participate in events happening at the site including the ValleyCast Summer Concert series.

ValleyCast is an offshoot of Open Sky Community Services and is dedicated to fostering a creative environment in the Blackstone Valley area. Collari said the event is inclusive and supportive of all people with and without disabilities.

“We are providing a place for all people to come and get together to enjoy a great event,” Collari said. “Whether they have developmental, physical or psychological disabilities, or if they have no disabilities at all. We are all inclusive and don’t want anyone stuck down the hall in a corner somewhere. We want everyone to come enjoy the shows together.”

The plaza is named after Dennis H. Rice, who co-founded Alternatives Unlimited Inc. in 1976 to help people of all abilities obtain homes, jobs and meaningful relationships. His vision led to the renovation of the Whitin Mill as headquarters for Alternatives and as a center for cultural events, the arts and community membership.

“There is one thing that Dennis Rice loves to say,” Collari said. “Differences just melt away when people sit together just enjoying a concert together.”

There is no need to call ahead to reserve a spot on the lawn.

“Just come,” Collari said. “We’ve never had a limit.”

Concertgoers are welcome to bring lawn chairs to the show, but ValleyCast will also provide people with chairs if needed. In case of rain, the concert moves indoors to the Singh Performance Center.

“After a year of isolation, the concert series is a great way for people of all abilities to get together to sing, dance, and just relax and have a good time,” Collari said.

 

The Blackstone Valley Bluegrass Band will kick the series off on Thursday, July 1, from 6 to 8 p.m. The band has been together since 1998 and consists of Dave Dick on banjo and guitar, Ken Taylor on bass and guitar, Tim St. Jean on mandolin and fiddle, and Bob Dick on guitar, Resophonic guitar and bass. All four members sing lead and harmony vocals. They are all multi-instrumentalists and play a wide range of bluegrass styles.


Upcoming Shows include:

July 8: The Promise is Hope

July 15: Knock on Wood

July 22: Chuck & Mud and the Hole in the Dam Band

July 29: Super Chief Trio

Aug. 5: Far from Eden 

Aug. 12: Clafflin Hill Summer Winds

Aug. 19: Le’Mixx Band

Aug. 26: Michelle Canning Band

Sept. 2: Changes in Latitudes