CHIRP concerts in Ballard Park can draw as many as a thousand people. Here is CJ Chenier, who enjoys leaving the stage and walking among the audience. —Press photo
Parking’s tough on concert nights.
Construction projects at the north end of the Main Street commercial district have made for a parking squeeze on evenings when there’s a free concert in Ballard Park.
“Concerts started, and all of a sudden it hit me: We’re down 100 parking spaces,” Barbara Manners told the Board of Selectmen.
Selectwoman Manners was updating her fellow selectmen on a situation she’d run into as the primary organizer of free outdoor musical performances in Ballard Park that are known by the acronym CHIRP (Concert Happenings in Ridgefield’s Parks).
Tuesday evening concerts began on at the end of May, and will run all summer. Starting next week with concerts July 2 and 4, there’ll be two concerts most weeks, with music in the park on Thursdays, as well as Tuesdays.
There’s less parking due to construction projects at the Ridgefield Library and the Prospector Theater at the corner of Prospect and Main streets, across from Ballard Park.
Parking at both buildings was used on concert nights, and is now completely closed off.
With concerts starting at 7 there are usually a good number parking spaces available at other public lots in the village commercial district — off Bailey Avenue, and Governor Street. But most of those require a longer walk than the library, right across from the park.
At the June 5 discussion Di Masters, who in addition to being on the Board of Selectmen is the director of the community center, said parking was usually available there — at the other end of the village.
“If you park at the community center you walk all the way through town and see all the businesses,” she said.
“Some of the businesses have said they’ll stay open,” Ms. Manners added.
She said more parking is also available at St. Mary’s off High Ridge.
Ms. Manners also said that the June 4 concert was the first one at which the golf cart donated by John Katz was used to take senior citizens and handicapped concert goers from the parking area by Ballard Green to the lawn area of the park where music is played.
“Thank you, John,” she said to Mr. Katz, who in addition to serving on the Planning and Zoning Commission is a regular in the audience of selectmen’s meetings.
“I had a young man standing there telling people ‘This parking lot is reserved for residents of Ballard Green, the handicapped, and the elderly’ so we don’t get the nimble parking there,” Ms. Manners said.
Mr. Katz said he felt the free concerts in the park “make this a town in a way few other things do.”
Mr. Katz said the golf cart had storage room and should be able to carry six people with their chairs.
“And their coolers,” added Selectman Andy Bodner.
This week there are two concerts. Tuesday, July 2, at 7 is Matuto, which blends Bluegrass with Brazilian Farro music. And on Thursday, July 4, in an early show at 5 p.m. so concert goers have time to get to the high school for the fireworks, Texas singer-songwriter Slaid Cleaves will perform.