How time flies. Spring is half gone, the calendar barreling toward summer.

Spring won’t officially end until June 20, but we’ve long accepted Memorial Day weekend as the de facto start of summer. Among other reasons, the Downtown Smithfield Summer Concert Series debuts each year on the Friday before Memorial Day.

This year’s concert series, the 38th annual since John Edwards started it on a flatbed trailer in 1987, looks to be a dandy, thanks to the tireless organizational efforts of Elaine Dairo. The Isle of Wight Arts League volunteer learned the ropes from Edwards, the Times’ publisher emeritus who remains a staunch supporter of the concerts birthed by him and his wife, Anne.

2025 will bring a mix of new and old.

First, the new: After experimenting with a 7 p.m. start time for a few years, organizers have made the decision to start 30 minutes later, at 7:30, this year. 

Summer concerts began at 8 for several decades, but feedback from older patrons and from parents of little ones whose bedtimes were stretched guided the decision to start an hour earlier. There were advantages, for sure, but a huge disadvantage was the brutal direct sunlight on the Times Square stage for much of the season. Summer evenings with temperatures in the 90s are a challenge even in the shade. Allowing another 30 minutes for the sun to fall should make a big difference. And those who go to bed early should still be home comfortably by 9. 

The 2025 lineup has a mix of Summer Concert Series veterans and newcomers. Hometown favorites Clay and Nancy Griffin, whose Griffin Lane band has closed the season in recent years, will be this year’s lid-lifters on May 23. And FORTE jazz band, another favorite of longtime patrons, will close it out Aug. 29, the Friday before Labor Day. 

Here’s the full lineup:

May 23: Griffin Lane

May 30: Smithfield Little Theatre (Broadway tunes)

June 6: Bobby BlackHat

June 13: Jesse Burdick

June 20: Tidewater Concert Band

June 27: Slater Joel Johnson

July 4: Peninsula Concert Band

July 11: JUJU Drum

July 18: Smithfield Little Theatre – Youth

July 25: Open Door Praise Band

Aug. 1: Williamsburg Classic Swing Orchestra

Aug. 8: Hannah J Band

Aug. 15: Navy Fleet Forces Command combo

Aug. 22: Stan’s Big Band

Aug. 29: FORTE

As always, admission is free. Just bring a lawn chair or a blanket.