PORTLAND, Maine — Jason Mraz one of several national acts that are booked at Thompson's Point this summer. It’s a much-anticipated return to bigger events after the past year of the coronavirus pandemic.
But Thompson's Point fared better than many venues. Its outdoor setting allowed it to continue with smaller shows.
“We never stopped,” Elissa English with Northern Hospitality Group, the management company for Thompson’s Point and various other venues and entities around the state, said. “We just brought everything down to a smaller scale, increased distance between people, put all of the regulations into place, and then we just plowed forward.”
English said they’ve kept performances and events going because they realize how important the arts are to the community, which she said people were grateful for.
Thompson Point’s community-focused “Summer Sunsets LIVE!” events featuring live music, food trucks returned this May, bringing with it “enormous numbers,” higher than even before the pandemic, English said. That trend is expected to continue into the summer and fall as national acts stop at the scenic Point.
Shows include:
- Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats (July 30)
- Lake Street Dive (August 21)
- Jason Mraz (August 24)
- Wilco & Sleater-Kinney (August 25)
- 311 (August 26)
- St. Vincent (September 3)
- Ghostland featuring The Ghost of Paul Revere, Deer Tick, The Mallett Brothers Band, and Karina Rykman (September 4)
- Dirty Heads and Sublime with Rome (September 21)
Shows will be a little different from pre-pandemic, with things like increased cleaning and sanitizing remaining. But organizers say they'll be happy to fill the pavilion again with all the excitement that a full crowd can bring.
Click here for a full list of events at Thompson's Point.