Despite the threat of rain, Mint Hill’s annual patriotic concert drew a large crowd to Town Hall’s lawn on Tuesday, July 3.
This year’s patriotic concert was part of Mint Hill’s series of summer Family Fun Nights. The outdoor event featured multiple bounce houses, family games like Jenga and Cornhole, and food vendors like Sugar Fix Ice Cream, Paradise Ice Shaved Ice, and Mint Hill favorite Yummy O’s Mini Donuts.
The main attraction, though, was the Queen City Brass Band. The Queen City Brass Band has presented an annual Patriotic Concert in Mint Hill to celebrate the 4th of July for over ten years. The Brass Band was what brought the Fleming and Raiano families, relative newcomers to Mint Hill, out to the Town Hall lawn as stormclouds rolled in. “We’re gonna give it our best shot!” said Ken Fleming.
The Queen City Brass Band is a “traditional British style brass band.” The band consists of entirely brass instruments with a percussion section. “The classic British brass band has a very constrained kind of repertoire,” says Music Director and Conductor William Penfield, “but we like to play anything at all – classic, modern, American, European – everything from the 16th century on up.”
The Queen City Brass Band opened Tuesday’s concert with our National Anthem as the Mint Hill Fire Department raised the American Flag over the crowd. The concert featured several well-known patriotic favorites like Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America” and the Carmen Dragon arrangement of “America the Beautiful.” The band also played some fun summer tunes like “Blue Moon” and “Manhattan Beach.”
With menacing storm clouds rolling in during intermission, the band returned for just one more song before concluding the concert early. The concert ended with “Stars and Stripes Forever” which featured a trumpet solo in place of the usual piccolo solo.
The rain didn’t keep the crowd that attended from enjoying the band and the other attractions. “It was great! We enjoyed it with many friends and kids!” said Jill Pereira. “The vendors were so sweet and friendly along with the guys running the bounce houses. Everyone had a blast!” Danielle Anson agreed: “Music was awesome. Perfect volume! My son thoroughly enjoyed the bounce houses!”
Mint Hill’s next Family Fun Night will be a Back to School Pep Rally on August 19 with Independence High School faculty, staff, boosters, marching band, athletes and families.
