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Despite rumor Stearns Square ‘Bike Night’ is on

Date: 3/19/2015

SPRINGFIELD – A rumor circulating on social media that the Stearns Square concert series – also known to many as “Bike Night” – has been cancelled is false, according to Chris Russell, the executive director of the Springfield Business Improvement District (SBID).

Russell told Reminder Publications the event is actually growing.

The SBID is using a different promotion company, Get a Grip Productions, to book the entertainment. The booking company had been responsible for bringing the acts to the concert series at its beginning.

Russell said the line-up would be very diverse this year. “We broadening our horizons a bit,” he added

While he could not release any names of performers at this point, the amount of entertainment offerings for the free event have increased. Instead of starting the show at 7 or 7:30 p.m. with a preliminary act, Russell said that the entertainment would now start at 4 or 4:30 p.m.

The concept is to give people who are getting out of work a reason to stay downtown longer, Russell said, which could be an advantage to eating and drinking establishments.

He believes the move will “only be adding to the strengths of the series” and added “we just trying to take what we’ve done and expand it.”

He expects to announce the line-up in late May or early June. The concert series will begin July 2 and be presented every Thursday through July and August.

He also expects the expansion of the entertainment to be a boon to food vendors interested in being at the shows. He explained than some vendors believed under the previous format they didn’t have enough time to make the money they needed.

Russell also said this year’s series will be even more collaborative that in previous years, with the SBID partnering with various businesses.

“People who come to Stearns Square won’t have to look elsewhere for entertainment,” Russell said.