A FREE Summer Concert Celebration Like No Other

Featuring Sawyer Brown

Watertown, S.D. – Get ready for this…a FREE summer concert event like no other in the region, featuring Sawyer Brown! The Redlin Art Center, in Watertown, will host their Annual Summer Celebration August 8-9, 2009. Other musical entertainment includes Phil Baker and Fly By Night, as well as Greg Hanson and The Backroads band.

"Each year, we work to make this celebration bigger and better for the community," said Julie Ranum, Executive Director of the Redlin Art Center. "The event is free and Watertown is certainly a friendly, affordable and family-oriented destination. We encourage everyone to come out and enjoy themselves, listen to great entertainers and make a weekend out of it."

In 2004, the Redlin family and the Redlin Art Center started a tradition of a summer concert celebration with an outdoor concert by Mannheim Steamroller. In 2005, Lee Greenwood brought the crowd of thousands to their feet as he sang "God Bless the USA". In addition to a featured headliner, the Redlin Art Center brings in other musical entertainers, artists, performers and vendors. In previous years, the Watertown Regional Library has partnered with the Redlin Art Center to bring in recognizable children's characters like Winnie the Pooh, Curious George and Madeline. This year, Clifford the Big Red Dog will be appearing.

The 30-acre park surrounding the Redlin Art Center is where the event will take place, starting at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 8, 2009. Activities include:

• Story time with Clifford the Big Red Dog
• Outdoor concerts where guests are invited to bring a lawn chair or blanket.
• Food and beverage vendors.
• Park and ride shuttle service from the Watertown Mall begins at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday.
• Question and answer session in Redlin Amphitheater hosted by Charles Redlin, son of the artist and designer of the Redlin Art Center.
• Complimentary coffee served during DVD presentation of "A Conversation with Terry Redlin" in Redlin Amphitheater
• Terry Redlin KIDS CLUB scavenger hunt/crisscross puzzle games

For a more detailed schedule, please visit the links below.

"This truly is an affordable family event where there is something for everyone. The Redlin Art Center and the Watertown community look forward to hosting this year's event and hope to continue the celebration for years to come," concluded Ranum.

Fast Facts:

• Watertown offers several amenities for a weekend adventure: accommodating hotels and camping areas, Bramble Park Zoo, Lakes Pelican and Kampeska, the historic Mellette House, bike trails, downtown shops, several restaurant options to choose from, museums, parks and more!
• Watertown is a short drive from the following communities:
  • Aberdeen, South Dakota = 76 miles
  • Sioux Falls, South Dakota = 90 miles
  • Pierre, South Dakota = 190 miles
  • Fargo, North Dakota = 140 miles
  • Sioux City, Iowa = 170 miles
  • Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota = 196 miles
• The Redlin Art Center funds most of the Summer Celebration event with help from Home Federal Bank and Schwan Financial Group.
• Past event concerts include:
  • 2004 – Mannheim Steamroller
  • 2005 – Lee Greenwood
  • 2006 – Ronnie Milsap
  • 2007 – Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers
  • 2008 – Oakridge Boys
• Over 150 of Terry Redlin's original oil paintings hang in the Redlin Art Center at the junction of U.S. Highway 212 and Interstate 29 in Watertown. The Gallery and Gift Shops are open year round. Admission is free.

Links:

• Terry Redlin Art Center
• Summer Celebration Event Schedule
• Visit Watertown
• South Dakota Office of Tourism

Contacts:

Julie Ranum, (605) 882-3877, redlinac@redlinart.com

Wanda Goodman, (605) 773-3301, wanda.goodman@state.sd.us