Music, Art on Deck at This Week's Sunset Concert Series

The St. Charles Sunset Concert Festival this week welcomes Country Current, the U.S. Navy’s legendary country-bluegrass band, for a free waterfront concert on Friday evening, May 18th. Concert-goers will also be able to enjoy a special art event from 4 – 8 PM along the lakeside boardwalk hosted by the Westlake High School National Art Honor Society. The St. Charles Farmers Market will be open as well from 4 – 7:30 PM Friday evening and will feature, along with delicious produce, fresh flowers, desserts, baked goods, honey and hand-crafted soaps, the Maryland wines of family-owned Romano Vineyard and Winery.

OUTSTANDING SALSA BAND SIN MIEDO KICKS OFF 2012 SUNSET CONCERT FESTIVAL AND FARMERS MARKET

The St. Charles Companies today announced the kickoff of the 2012 Sunset Concert Festival and Farmers Market this Friday at O’Donnell Lake in St. Charles. A weekly producer’s only farmer’s market, featuring locally-grown produce from farmers throughout Southern Maryland, will be open from 4:00 to 7:30 p.m. on Fridays.  Concerts begin at 7 p.m. O’Donnell Lake is at the intersection of St. Patrick’s Drive and Smallwood Drive in St. Charles, and includes Boston’s restaurant and the Hilton Garden Inn.

Sunset Concert Series Returns on May 11

The Sunset Concert Series and Farmers Market returns to the St. Charles and Waldorf communities this May 11, marking the start of the fourth year of the outdoor music festival with a performance by the popular salsa band, Sin Miedo, and highlighted over the course of the summer by performances of three United States military bands and some of the regions' best singers and songwriters.

In addition, the farmers' market at O'Donnell Lake will expand to include Wednesday afternoons, Friday nights and Saturdays, with the market formerly held at Festival in Waldorf moving to the St. Patrick's and Smallwood Drive location, making the O'Donnell Lake area Charles County's must-stop location for buying local produce and supporting local farmers.

It's time to get excited, Charles County!

The AMC Lowes movie theater in St. Charles Towne Center is getting a much needed makeover!  AMC plans to spend $4.5 million to upgrade Charles County's only first-run movie theater.  Many people stopped going there the past few years, i fact I can't even recall the last time I actually sat through a movie in the old theater.

The changes include a complete redesign of the lobby, concessions, bathrooms, and theaters.  It's all scheduled to be completed sometime this summer, and plans include power leather reclining seats, Sony digital projectors and even perhaps an I-MAX!

Anyone who lives in St. Charles and the Waldorf area should be thrilled with the upcoming changes, I know I am!  I remember when the theater was built, and attending movies every month during my high school years, but it's difficult to justify the ticket prices in recent years when other theaters in the region were offering newer, cleaner theaters with reclining stadium seats and digital video quality.  Honestly, it's a pain in the you-know-what to drive 30 miles to another theater just for better amenities, but lots of people did it.  It's a huge relief to see that AMC has finally recognized this and is willing to spend millions of dollars so that we can enjoy great movies close to home!

~Jonathan Benya is a local Realtor with Keller Williams Preferred Properties in Waldorf, MD.  When he's not tinkering in the garage, he can be found writing on his local blog at http://www.somdexpert.com

Godspeed Praise Band Will Lift Spirits This Friday Night

Godspeed Praise Band is a Christian, non-denominational ensemble that plays contemporary praise music.  They have developed a unique rock gospel sound that mixes many genres. The band consists of acoustic and electric guitars, drums, bass, 4-piece horn section, vocalists and keyboards. The local favorite will be performing on this Friday, August 19th at 7:00pm.

Laissez les bons temps rouler St. Charles!

Washington, D.C. area band Squeeze Bayou Cajun Band, plays traditional Cajun and zydeco dance music from Southwestern Louisiana and will be performing at our Summer Concert Festival this Friday, August 12th at 7:00pm.

The band specializes in playing two steps and waltzes, however the music reflects a blend of many styles including country music, blues and Creole. Most of their material comes from traditional sources and the vocals are sung in Cajun French.  Squeeze Bayou Cajun Band lets the good times roll!