The old adage, You get what you pay for, doesn't apply to Arlington's newest downtown addition, the Levitt Pavilion. It opened October 10, 2008 and will have featured 16 different free events by the end of the month. Yes I said Free! So your thought processes are probably doing what mine did, "OK if the concerts are free they have to be no-name entry level artists, right? " Wrong! The array of artists on the schedule are top notch.
The Levitt Organization partially funds outdoor performance venues with the mission "to enrich communities by presenting professional, free concert series that are musically diverse, family friendly and staged in an open lawn setting." It is a requirement of their sponsorship that the venue must offer 50 free performances annually. So not everything at the pavilion will be free throughout the year. However, the Levitt series will always be during key periods ie. when the weather is the most favorable.
Last night our family had its first of many visits to this great civic space. On the stage were the Texas Gypsies offering up their acoustic swing, Texas Style. The audience could not sit still during their performance. From the elderly couple sitting in their portable lawn chairs tapping their feet, to the toddlers twirling around at their mommas feet everyone was moved by the rhythm.
If you decide to visit the Levitt in downtown Arlington here is some advice to make the most of your outing.
- If you are going in October, the evenings are dipping into the 40's, I would suggest wearing layers.
- Either bring a blanket to spread out on the lawn, portable lawn chairs to sit in or both.
- Bring food for a picnic or some beverages and snacks. (We brought a thermos of hot chocolate and that was perfect for keeping us warm.)
- The Sanford House will pack you a picnic basket to take if you make arrangements ahead of time.
- Bring a few bucks for the tip jar
I could not find anything on the Levitt website about alcoholic beverages being permissible, although the site did say glass containers were not allowed. I saw several people at the concert with beer in cans so I am going to assume alcohol is permissible. I would have enjoyed having some nice spiced wine last night as we sat under the stars. If you do have toddlers in tow make a potty stop before getting there (we could not find any restrooms) and watch the water fountain at the back of the plaza. The fountain was turned off a few songs into the concert but Mr. Mason was able to dash into it prior to the concert starting. This would have been fine in the summer but it was a little chilly last night. Fortunately we had hot chocolate and blankets to warm him up.
If you visit the Levitt in downtown Arlington drop us a comment and share your experience. I am excited to see how Arlington is growing. There are many more great things to come from their recent revitalization efforts.
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