The Start of the Annual First Thursday Festivals in Canton

On the first Thursday of the month during the summer, there is a free concert at the Canton Waterfront Park in Baltimore, Maryland. There are several local bands who play on the main stage and there are also food trucks and vendors selling a variety of arts, crafts, and other goods. Last year was our first time going to the festival, which can get very busy, so it was interesting to see and enjoy some of the live music. The concert goes on rain or shine and on this day, rain was in the forecast, which caused the crowds to gather later than normal, but the rain held off making it a wonderful evening. This evening is the start the 2023 edition of the concert series, so it is expected to be quite busy once again.

Main Stage
Water in the Background
Colorful Bus Used as a Stall
One of the Bands
People Sitting on the Lawn

Since the concert is located at the Waterfront Park, the backdrop to the concert is the water of the bay and the large trees of the park provide a place to find some shade. People come with blankets or chairs and sit on the lawn to listen to the variety of bands that play throughout the evening. The music starts at 6:00 pm and the bands play until almost 10:00 pm. Last year was the first year since the start of the pandemic that the concerts have been held, so the excitement in the area for their return was very obvious. We are definitely looking forward to enjoying the concerts over the next few months.

Vendors Selling Items
Crowds Gathering

Lawn Chairs on the Grass
Entering Into the Park

Free Music at the First Thursday Festivals in Canton

On the first Thursday of the month from May through September, there is a free concert at the Canton Waterfront Park in Baltimore, Maryland. There are several local bands who play on the main stage and there are also food trucks and vendors selling a variety of arts, crafts, and other goods. This was our first time going to the festival, which can get very busy, so it was interesting to see and enjoy some of the live music. The concert goes on rain or shine and on this day, rain was in the forecast, which caused the crowds to gather later than normal, but the rain held off making it a wonderful evening.

Main Stage
Water in the Background
Colorful Bus Used as a Stall
One of the Bands
People Sitting on the Lawn

Since the concert is located at the waterfront park, the backdrop to the concert is the water of the bay and the large trees of the park provide a place to find some shade. People come with blankets or chairs and sit on the lawn to listen to the variety of bands that play throughout the evening. The music starts at 6:00 pm and the bands play until almost 10:00 pm. This is the first year since the start of the pandemic that the concerts have been held, so the excitement in the area for their return was very obvious. With three more concerts to be held this summer, we look forward to enjoying them in the coming months.

Vendors Selling Items
Crowds Gathering

Lawn Chairs on the Grass
Entering Into the Park

Red Rocks Amphitheatre

We’ve been fortunate enough to see several shows at Red Rocks, but even if you don’t get a chance to see a concert there, it is definitely worth checking out if you’re in the Denver area.  It is the 75th anniversary of the amphitheater this year, so they are doing some special celebrations, so it seemed fitting to put out a post describing this iconic landmark.  Long before we moved to Colorado, we’d seen the video of U2 playing at Red Rocks and knew that it was a magical place and seems to bring something special out of every artist who plays there.  Most of these pictures are from a concert that we went to several years ago with our youngest daughter and one of her very good friends, but they don’t do justice to how incredible the place is.  There are a couple of pictures from a long time ago when we first moved to Colorado.  We won’t bore you with any actual concert footage, this is all about the amphitheater itself.

The Two of Us Waiting for the Concert to Start

View from Red Rocks

Crowd Surrounded by Rock Formations

Stage Surrounded by Rocks

In addition to going to see a live music event at Red Rocks, there are some great hiking trails in the area as well.  In some ways it reminds us of Garden of the Gods, here in Colorado Springs, but obviously they are each unique in what they offer.  A lot of fitness enthusiasts will also run the steps in the amphitheater, which are quite steep and would definitely be an excellent workout.  Red Rocks is located just outside of Denver and is nestled in the foothills of the Rockies, which makes it easy to get to.  The rock formations are beautiful, but there are also great views of Denver as well.

Crowd at Red Rocks

Climbing the Stairs of the Amphitheater

View of the Stage

Shot of Dusk at Concert

Whether going to a concert or just visiting the park for some hiking, you should definitely make the Red Rocks Amphitheatre a destination on your list if you’re visiting Denver.  Clearly, if you can go to a concert, it will be an experience that you’ll never forget.  From the incredible sound that the amphitheater offers, to the beauty of the rock formations, to the normally clear blue skies of the Front Range, the music is only part of the overall experience.

Rock Formations

Crowd at Dusk

One of the Giant Screens

Dusk at Red Rocks