A Summer of Music at Titus Sparrow Park

We concluded our 2026 Summer Concert Series last week on a beautiful note. The weather was perfect, the lawn was full, and many neighbors stayed well after the final song to catch up with one another. The sun set a little earlier and was a gentle reminder that fall is on its way and another summer at Titus Sparrow Park is coming to a close.

Each year, our Summer Concert Series brings neighbors together on Wednesday evenings from June through August. There is, of course, the music, but the series has become about much more than what happens on stage. Blankets cover the lawn, the basketball court is always lit up with activity, children run between friends, neighbors bring dinner (and drinks!), and familiar faces settle into their usual spots week after week.

June tends to bring some of our largest crowds, and this year we were lucky to start the season with beautiful weather. We kicked things off with Will Dailey, sponsored by The Advent School, and continued through a memorable month that included one of the biggest celebrations in our park’s history.

On June 17, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of Titus Sparrow Park. We paid tribute to Titus Sparrow himself and transformed the lawn along the brick wall with photographs, memories and milestones submitted by neighbors. Seeing five decades of park history displayed in the park itself made an already special summer evening even more meaningful.

July reminded us that outdoor concerts sometimes require a little flexibility. Smoke from the Canadian wildfires gave the park an unusual orange haze, one concert was rained out, and another followed a major rainstorm. Despite the unpredictable weather, neighbors continued to show up and enjoy Wednesday evenings together.

July also marked a major change in how we care for the park. On July 1, we took over responsibility for all lawn care from the City. With support from neighbor donations, we hired GreenOp Landscape Design to provide weekly mowing, fertilizer treatments and ongoing lawn maintenance. The transformation has been incredible. The lawn is one of the park’s most important gathering spaces, and investing in its care makes a meaningful difference for concerts and everyday use.

Our Garden Club, led by Anjali Iyengar, has also played an important role in keeping the park beautiful. The new pollinator garden beside the main lawn is thriving thanks to volunteers who regularly water, weed and care for the garden beds. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has contributed their time — and to the neighbors whose donations make these investments possible.

By August, we added a few new sounds to the series. Hilary Neville, who books our bands and consistently finds extraordinary talent to bring to the park, introduced Latin fusion and hip hop to this year’s lineup. Both were enthusiastically received and added even more variety to the lineup.

August also brought Neighborhood Association Night, when local neighborhood leaders and volunteers gathered at the park. It was a wonderful opportunity to introduce neighbors to the organizations working year-round in our neighborhood and to celebrate the people who quietly give so much of their time to our community.

Our youngest concertgoers had plenty to look forward to as well. Throughout the summer, pre-show programming included activities with Miss Lauren, Little Groove, Evan from Music at the Blissful, a performance by Castle of our Skins and opportunities to explore instruments with Boston Music Project before the bands took the stage.

And no recap of summer at Titus Sparrow Park would be complete without Carlos from The Cool Bus. For more than 15 years, he has been supplying neighbors with ice cream during the summer. His arrival is as much a sign of the season as the first concert, and generations of children — and plenty of parents — continue to be grateful for his very well-stocked selection.

Behind the Music

There is a tremendous amount of work that happens before anyone hears the first note.

For more than 25 years, Greg Hanawalt has served as the Sound Engineer for the Summer Concert Series and is one of the biggest reasons our concerts run so smoothly. Greg brings and sets up the sound equipment each week, works directly with every band and makes sure every instrument and voice can be heard properly. His experience, patience and commitment to the series are invaluable, and we are incredibly grateful for everything he does.

Hilary Neville with her husband John

For over a decade, Hilary Neville from our Board continues to find and book the extraordinary musicians who make each season feel fresh. Her ability to bring both longtime favorites and new sounds to the park has helped make the series what it is today.

This year, Hilary Bouvier also gave the Summer Concert Series a fresh visual identity by updating our marketing materials. Her designs helped bring the concerts to life and created a consistent look for the season across our flyers, website, email and social media.

Together, their work represents just some of what happens behind the scenes to make twelve Wednesday evenings feel effortless once neighbors arrive on the lawn.

Most importantly, none of this would be possible without our sponsors and support from neighbors. Their financial support allows the Friends of Titus Sparrow Park to offer the Summer Concert Series free to the community and to continue investing in programming that brings neighbors together. A special thank you to all of our 2026 sponsors for supporting another season in the park.

The Music Continues This September

The earlier sunsets may signal the end of summer, but they don’t mean the end of live music at Titus Sparrow Park.

This September, we’re introducing a new three-concert music series, September Sounds, featuring opera, classical music and jazz. Join us on the last three Sunday afternoons at 4 PM as we bring a different sound — and a slightly different feel to the park.