CENTRAL SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Acacia Park's Thursday night summer music series drew more than 12,000 attendees this summer, according to the Downtown Partnership, and foot traffic through the park and downtown on concert nights was up 57% compared to the same time last year.
According to the Downtown Partnership, nearly 800 concert-goers attended on average, and the highest-attended concert drew more than 1,200 visitors.
See how the Summer Music Series came to be:
Nearby businesses felt the boost as well. Luke Travins, owner of Jose Muldoon's — located directly across from Acacia Park — said his restaurant staffed up and promoted the series from the start. He said he would tell people about the concert all week long and on the night of.
"When we first heard the news that the downtown partnership and the city and the collaboration of people that brought this to us was going to schedule this, we were so excited. We staffed up right away. We put posters up right away," Travins said.
The results were immediate.
"The first month, we probably doubled our Thursday night sales," Travins said.
Travins said the series is part of a larger effort to build the kind of downtown energy found in other Colorado communities.
"When you travel around Colorado, places like Boulder, Breckenridge, the mountains, their downtowns are so vibrant. There's so much excitement as soon as you set foot. We're trying to get that momentum down here," Travins said.
He said the concert series is something he is looking forward to for years to come.
"It's things like this that just keep Colorado Springs thriving and we're so happy to have it downtown in Acacia Park," Travins said.
Michelle Winchell, the Director of Creative Economy for Downtown, said the partnership is committed to bringing the series back.
"We're really dedicated to this partnership. It's such an important tool for community building. I love seeing people dancing together and making friends with the people sitting around them at the summer concerts," Winchell said.
The Downtown Development Authority has a three-year grant to fund the summer music series, meaning concerts are planned for the next few summers as well.
"Our fundraising goal for next year is $50,000 to $60,000. We're kind of still crunching numbers from this year, but we definitely rely on sponsorships and then the DDA grant was $15,000. Significant for a big amount of the budget for the year," Winchell said, "We're pursuing other sources as well because I think it's important that you do have these free community events. Having things that are really accessible to people, especially with some of the economic pressures right now, is really important."
The bandshell itself could also see changes in the coming years. Trevor Dierdorff, chairman of the bandshell committee, said a new construction timeline is taking shape.
"If we can have half the money raised by April we might be able to break ground in October of 2027," Dierdorff said.
In the meantime, a new addition to Acacia Park is already in the works. The Rotary Club's butterflies will soon be installed in the park — and they serve a practical purpose beyond decoration.
"They will have updating information on things like the band shell concert schedule and things like that in the future," Dierdorff said.
And local spots can sponsor the butterflies.
