Arts Council happy to be back in action

Walter Sprague
Art and Culture Reporter
 
“2020 was bleak for the arts and everyone else,” said Tom Voss, president of the Weston County Arts Council, “but we are so happy to be back!” 
With that sentiment, WCAC has a full schedule of activities to make summer fun and entertaining and to provide the area with great family diversions. 
First up is Warm Summer Nights, three different events that will span four nights. 
“We are glad to bring these concerts back to full vigor,” said Walter Sprague, treasurer for WCAC. “It feels like we are back.”
The first Warm Summer Nights event will be on Friday, June 25. The normal fun begins at 5 p.m. in the parking lot of First State Bank on North Sumner Avenue. Nate Smith and the Caddywhompus Band will take the stage from 6 to 9 p.m. Main Street will be closed from Sumner Avenue to Seneca Avenue, and North Sumner will be closed in front of First State Bank. Street closure starts at 4:30 pm until the end of the event. Bring your lawn chairs to enjoy the concert. Seating will be along Sumner between the bank and the Weston County Library, with additional seating on the library’s lawn. There will also be vendors and fun activities. One added activity will be a special chalk drawing contest for children. It will take place at 5 p.m. in front of the library and the courthouse along Main Street. This contest is open to children 12 and younger with two age classes — 8 to 12 years and 7 and younger. Each contestant will receive a small gift for participation, with special prizes given for the first-, second- and third-place winners in each age category. Registration for the event will take place in front of the library starting at 4 p.m., with judging beginning at 5:40 p.m. and awards handed out immediately before the concert. All participants must have parent/guardian consent.
The second Warm Summer Nights will take place on Friday, July 23. The band Kim & the Cue Balls will be the main event from 6 to 9 p.m. The vendors, fun and chalk drawing contest will take place at the same time as the first concert.
On Aug. 27 and 28, instead of the normal Warm Summer Nights, a special two-day musical event will take place at the Weston County Fairgrounds Event Center. Friday, Aug. 27 will feature a singer/songwriter showcase at 5:30 p.m., with food and concession from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday. Sunday, Aug. 28 will feature the Battle of the Bands beginning at 11 a.m., with food and concession available all day.
Other diversions will be outdoor movie nights, where people can come out and see family-friendly movies at Washington Skate Park behind Loaf ’N Jug. There will be vendors starting around 8 p.m. The movies begin right after sundown. This event is free to the public. Additional parking will be available at the armory and the Anna Miller Museum.
The first movie will be “Flipper” on Tuesday, June 22, sponsored by Hometown Medical. The second movie will be “The Little Rascals”
on Friday, July 2. The sponsor for this movie is Team Properties. Other movie nights are being planned and will be announced later.
Also, since COVID-19 canceled these events last year, the arts council is happy to bring back reenactments of two historical events in Newcastle. These dramas are part of the Western Heritage Series. They take place on Saturday, July 3. 
First is a reenactment of President Teddy Roosevelt’s speech, when he visited Newcastle on April 25, 1903. The speech will take place on the steps of The Antlers Hotel in the morning, right after the All School Reunion parade. 
That evening will be a reenactment of the Hanging of Diamond Slim featuring an all-star cast of locals. It will start around 8 p.m.
in the parking lot of Isabella’s Restaurant. It will culminate at Railroad Park across from Frontier Hardware, where Diamond L. Slim will meet
his fate.
For more information about upcoming events or the Weston County Arts Council, contact Walter Sprague at (210) 396-9227. So come on out this summer — bring the kids and lawn chairs, and be prepared to have the fun we’ve had in the past. The Weston County Arts Council is excited to be back and looks forward to seeing you there.