West Palm's weekly concert takes third place in nation for 'Best Outdoor Concert Series'
West Palm Beach's beloved GreenMarket may have been recently bumped to second place after a three-year run as the top farmers market in the country in the USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice poll, but West Palm Beach has a new contender making a run at glory.
The USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Award has named Clematis by Night No. 3 in the nation in the Best Outdoor Concert Series category. The poll results were released Wednesday, May 22.
Though bested by first place winner Hot Summer Nights in Vail, Colorado and runner up Somers Point Beach Concert Series in Somers Point, New Jersey, third place is still pretty impressive.
More: It's back! Where to find West Palm Beach's award-winning GreenMarket this summer.
Ok, so maybe there's no podium or medal involved, but there are bragging rights. Not that Clematis By Night really needs them. Residents and visitors alike have been rocking out along the waterfront at Clematis By Night since it all began on June 8, 1995. Since then locals have known that it's the perfect way to blow off some mid-week steam or even just start the weekend a day early altogether.
We also know that in addition to great music and waterfront ambiance, plenty of great restaurants are within walking distance either before or after the music. In addition, as we head into summer, a scaled down version of the GreenMarket called The Mini runs simultaneously through June 27.
It all started nearly 30 years ago when mayor Nancy Graham approached the community events manager at the time, Mary Pinak, about organizing a weekly outdoor event that would take place in front of what was then the public library.
Pinak said she was given some fairly simple instructions, it had to have live music and it had to be free.
Though now rated the third best Outdoor Concert Series in the nation, it started out pretty humble, especially the first night.
“We had one pizza vendor, one keg of beer, and a stage that looked like an 8-foot table," Pinak recalled. Despite that, at least 300 people showed up, she said.
Since then, there have been hundreds of great bands and performances. Among those acts: Smashmouth, Randy Houser, Brooke Eden, Casadee Pope, Mickey Dolenz, Sister Hazel, The Spinners, The Romantics, Clarence Clemmons, Natasha Beddingfield, Lifehouse, Vince Neil, The Little River Band, Starship, Menudo, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Radio City Rockettes, Mat Kearney, Teddy Geiger, Otis Day and the Knights, J.T. Hodges, Ryan Cabrera, Evan & Jaron and Cornbread.
This Thursday, May 23, will feature The Tim Charron Band.
Clematis by Night in downtown West Palm Beach
Where: 100 N. Clematis St., West Palm Beach
When: 6 to 9 p.m. Thursdays
Information: wpb.org/community-events/clematis-by-night
Eddie Ritz is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at eritz@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: West Palm's Clematis by Night voted USA Today's Best Outdoor Concert
