Cold Shot kicks off Picnic in the Park on Wednesday

chairs and blankets for picnicking. Tables and chairs will no longer be provided.

returns on May 17.

The family-fun event will be every Wednesday from 4 to 8 p.m., May 17 through Sept. 13. A local band will play each night. There will be children’s entertainment, loads of food vendors, and plenty of opportunity to gather as a community. Late September through early May, Wednesdays swap back to a traditional farmers market, open 3 to 6 p.m.

Cold Shot, featuring René Martucci and Richard Urbino, brings together a dynamic selection of upbeat rock ’n’ roll, pop and dance party songs that span decades of iconic artists.

Other bands on the 2023

Picnic in the Park schedule are Julie and the Jukes on May 24, Pleasant Valley Boys on May 31, Odd Man Out on June 7, The Teds on June 14, They Hey-Nows on June 21, and According to Bazooka on June 28.

The Peter Franklin Band plays on July 5, The New Harmony Jazz Band is July 12, 5-Star Alcatraz plays on July 19, It’s About Time is on July 26, and Putah Creek Crawdads are Aug. 2.

The Geoffrey Miller Band is Aug. 9, Penny Lane is Aug. 16, Wealth of Nations is Aug. 23, Kindred Spirits is Aug. 30, Island Crew is Sept. 6, and The Kalapana Awa Band is Sept. 13. To see the calendar and band descriptions, visit https:// www.davisfarmersmarket. org/entertainment-schedule/.

The new layout Picnic in the Park is designed for success. Food trucks will fill the patio area, and the band will play from the top of the stairs, facing the lawn. Patrons are encouraged to bring their own

During operating hours, the market will have an open-container permit, allowing patrons to consume alcohol on the grassy area, whether it’s canned beer from one of the four Davis breweries rotating each week, a bottle of wine from Heringer Estates, or a beverage they brought from home.

Picnic in the Park will focus on family-friendly children’s activities and music, along with a wide range of food made from market ingredients. Plans call for a clown and facepainter but no pony rides or bounce houses.

Meanwhile, the Davis Downtown Business Association plans a fall concert series called Thursdays in The Davisphere, with five concerts planned between Aug. 31 and Oct. 26, in Central Park or on G Street, depending on the date. The music schedule and locations are being finalized.

Year-round in downtown Davis, thousands gather each week to shop for what is grown, raised and made locally. Since 1976, the Davis Farmers Market has connected and supported communities, area agriculture, farmers and artisan food producers. It educates the public about nutrition, sustainable agriculture, and the local economic value of buying food and products directly from the producer.

The Davis Farmers Market’s signature markets are Saturday mornings and Wednesday afternoons/ evenings in Central Park. It also manages farmers markets at UC Davis, Sutter Davis Hospital and Sutter Medical Center in Sacramento. Since 2000, its Davis Farm to School program has supported the Davis Joint Unified School District, providing farmand garden-based education, increasing farm-fresh foods in school meals, and reducing solid waste through recycling and composting. For more information, visit https// davisfarmersmarket.org or visit it on Facebook or Instagram.