Farmington Valley Band, The Substitutes to Perform in Canton

By late August, the town’s summer concert series is generally a thing of the past. Due to rescheduling, however, this week will feature two very special shows from groups that have deep community ties.

Weather permitting, The Substitutes play Mills Pond Park at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 20 and on Thursday, Aug. 22, the Farmington Valley Band takes the stage for a special "Ole Time Bandstand Concert" at the Canton Town Green at 6:30 p.m.

The Substitutes show has been canceled twice now due to weather but both the town and the band wanted to give it another shot.

At the core of the Substitutes are Cherry Brook Primary School principal Andy Robbin and Canton sixth-grader Teacher Patrick Allen.

“As mentioned last time and the time before that, we are thrilled to make this show more of a community event by including some special guests through Canton,” Robbin wrote in an e-mail. “In particular, ‘Turning Skyz,’ a talented group of 12 and 13 year old Canton kids will be opening for us and we’ll play a few songs together. Come to Mills Pond to see our other special guests!”

As it turns out, Tuesday is also the date of the rescheduled pool party for the Canton Public Library’s reading program. Those who earned a summer reading bracelet are invited to the 6 to 8 p.m. festivities.  

“This is going to be a back-to-school blowout,” said Parks and Recreation Director Brian Wilson. “I expect to have a busy park that night.”

Thursday’s show, also rescheduled, with the Farmington Valley Band also promises to be a very special. 

In 2012 the Canton Lions Club, with help from a town and the Cherry Brook Garden Club, revamped the bandstand at the Town Green on the corner of Route 44 and Dowd Avenue.

For many years, the band appeared at the bandstand every Thursday night in July. They later moved to Mills Pond and now play more shows throughout the area. 

This year, with all the changes, organizers decided to once again use the bandstand. 

The thought was, "let's commemorate the work and the history of the bandstand," said band member and secretary Eric Sondergeld, adding that he and others are grateful for the restoration. 

The “Ole Time Bandstand Concert” will feature the many older tunes and some members will even break out vintage instruments for the performance.

“We plan to play only older music in keeping with a traditional bandstand concert and will be asking as many band members who have older instruments to play them that day,” Sondergeld said.

Wilson said the concert, which will feature some special guests and presentations, will be a fitting tribute to the people who worked so hard on the bandstand. 

"It will be a nice way to celebrate and show some appreciation," he said. 

Parking for that show will be on Canton Springs Road. 

The Canton Lions Club will cook out for the Mills Pond show and sell snacks at the Farmington Valley Band Concert.