Alan Bleiken, one of the Three Amigos behind Osoyoos Music in the Park, introduces local singer Diane Ball, who played the final concert in the series this summer. (Richard McGuire photo)

Osoyoos Music in the Park was getting ready for its wrap-up concert featuring local singer Diane Ball on Friday, but Janis St. Louis was already thinking about next year.

“In fact, I was composing a letter today,” St. Louis, one of the three organizers, said in an interview before Ball took to the stage.

“We’re going to ask the Air Force band to come back, Jet Stream from Winnipeg,” she continued. “Everybody just loved them.”

This year none of the performers at the Friday night free summer concert series had played Music in the Park before, though several had played other venues in Osoyoos on other occasions.

“I think next year we might do a couple of repeats just because people really enjoyed them,” she said.

Throughout this summer, the shows became more and more popular as people turned out with their collapsible chairs, sometimes well before the 6:30 p.m. starting time to grab a good spot.

“Our largest crowd was last week,” St. Louis said, referring to the Aug. 25 performance by Route 33, a top-40 oldies band. “Five hundred and fifty people. We’re in the 500s now.”

Calculating crowd sizes is not an exact science, she admits. One of the two people counting estimated 580 and the other 520 and so they split the difference.

But it’s a far cry from the 60 people who turned out for the very first concert when Music in the Park began in July 2015.

St. Louis said the weekly concerts draw a mix of people.

“I’ve asked before how many people are locals and maybe half of them put their hands up, or not even that,” she said. “We get tourists, we get locals, we get a lot of young people. It’s fun to see the young kids dancing in front.”

Along with fellow organizers Alan Bleiken and Roland Berg, dubbed “The Three Amigos,” St. Louis says they’ve figured out what the audience likes.

“I think we’ve found our audience,” she said. “We’ve got a little country, a little rock ‘n roll, a little bit of blues. Everybody seems to be quite pleased.”

Despite the smoke some nights, none of this year’s concerts were forced to go indoors due to rain.

There were a few hiccups. Three of the scheduled bands cancelled and had to be replaced before the poster was printed. In all cases, good alternatives were found.

One, Chase the Dragon, cancelled after the poster was made. The Three Amigos brought in Summerland duo, Timbre Wolves, a classic rock and acoustic band that was well received.

The main disappointment was that they booked a seven-member reggae band, Foundation Stone, from the Kootenays.

“Two days before, I got a phone call saying only two were showing up,” said St. Louis. “I gave them the benefit of the doubt, thinking they could handle it, but it didn’t go over well.”

Bands are required to bring their own sound systems, but theirs wasn’t up to the job and a crowd of 250 dwindled to just over 50 by the end of the evening.

But most of the concerts have been hugely successful and the series has become established, increasing the likelihood of another successful season in 2018.

To end the 2017 season last Friday evening, Diane Ball took the stage and belted out her mix of popular rock and country covers.

RICHARD McGUIRE

Osoyoos Times

Local singer Diane Ball appeared to be having fun as she performed the final concert for 2017 Osoyoos Music in the Park on Friday night at Gyro Park. She played popular country and rock covers. (Richard McGuire photo)