Downs Park is gearing up for a busy summer season.
From the annual concert series to the May 31st’s Family Fun Day, The Friends Of Downs Park recently revealed all of the park’s exciting plans for 2025.
To kick off the season, the park will hold Family Day On The Bay on Saturday, May 31st from 12-4pm. Featured will be live music, vendors, food trucks, pony rides, a moon bounce, and more. Family Day is open to the public and offers free admission.
Then, on Sunday, June 8, the park’s ever-popular concert series begins, with a special performance by country-artist Dean Crawford and The Dunn River Band. “He was voted Maryland’s top country performer,” said Friends Of Downs Park’s President, Cheryl Schwabline. “He opens for us every year and brings a heck of a crowd. He once brought so many people, we ran out of space in the parking lot.”
As president of The Friends Of Downs Park organization, Schwabline regularly meets with the group to discuss different ideas to involve the community with the park. “I have a wonderful team. There are about 15 of us on the board, and we work our butts off. There are a lot of things in the works right now,” said Schwabline.
However, planning events is not the only type of work done by The Friends Of Downs Park. Fundraising and maintaining the Visitor’s Center are two significant jobs that the group has taken on over the years. “We do a tremendous amount of fundraising. I stress to everyone that every penny you give us goes back to this park,” she said. The organization exercises many different methods of fundraising, from selling benches in the park, to offering memorial leaves for sale on the tribute tree inside the Visitor’s Center, to accepting a percentage of sales from food truck vendors that come to the park, or simply getting up on stage at the concerts and asking for donations.
There’s also the maintenance of the Visitor’s Center, which has been completely re-done by The Friends Of Downs Park. “We re-did the displays and they are really spectacular,” said Schwabline.
Schwabline has been actively involved with Downs Park for around 25 years, starting off as secretary before becoming president of The Friends Of Downs Park. “My husband loved the park, we’ve always been big fans,” she said. “Every day we’d pack a lunch, go down there and sit by the water. Everything I do for that park is in memory of him,” she said.
To stay up-to-date on park events and information, visit the Friends Of Downs Park Facebook page.
2025 DOWNS PARK SUMMER CONCERT SCHEDULE
- SUNDAY, JUNE 8, 5:00PM-7:00PM: Dean Crawford and The Dunn River Band [Country]
- SUNDAY, JUNE 15, 5:00PM-7:00PM: The Roadducks
- SUNDAY, JUNE 22, 5:00PM-7:00PM: Fast Eddie & The Slowpokes
- SUNDAY, JUNE 29, 5:00PM-7:00PM: Kaleidoscope [Variety]
- SUNDAY, JULY 13, 5:00PM-7:00PM: Chossen Music [R&B/Classic Rock]
- SUNDAY, JULY 20, 5:00PM-7:00PM: The Patuxent Jazz Band
- SUNDAY, JULY 27, 5:00PM-7:00PM: Haymaker Entertainment
- SUNDAY, AUGUST 10, 5:00PM-7:00PM: Ain’t Misbehavin’
- SUNDAY, AUGUST 17, 5:00PM-7:00PM: Miggs
