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Affordable live music since 2014!
The first live streamed full-length concert in the season of COVID-19 shutdowns took place Saturday evening, July 18 at Spring Creek United Church of Christ. If our 2020 season could have happened with live audiences filling the room, this would have been the date that Jodi Beach performed with Jim McDowell on strings, Tim Austin on drums, and Tony Vecchio on sax. Instead, we broadcast from our empty sanctuary direct to faithful fans' phones and laptops. Here is the complete concert video shared from Jodi's own Facebook page. We hope to attract more musicians who want to try this "new normal" of live stream broadcasting so we can keep music alive in our community during these crazy times.
We are deeply grateful for Jodi's support of this Concerts on the Creek initiative and hope our viewers will be as generous contributing to her virtual "tip jar" as they have always been when the orange buckets get passed around just before intermission at our normal live concerts. This is the only compensation received by these outstanding musicians.
Cash App: $JodiLynnBeach
PayPay: PayPal.Me/JodiBeach3
COVID-19 UPDATES
Please continue to monitor this page for our church's response as the pandemic evolves.
When Concerts On The Creek returns, our pay-what-you-can-afford live concert events and refreshments will happen every Saturday evening from mid-May to mid-September. All funding is by free will donation. Contributions pay the musicians, cover our expenses, and support the ministries of Spring Creek United Church of Christ. Our doors are open to all who wish to attend these summer events.
Three or four additional off-season Saturday events are also entirely free-will donation funded. Our doors are open to all who wish to attend these events.
TICKETED EVENTS have varying admission fees, limited seating, and online ticket sales. If not sold out in advance, tickets will be available at the door. Ticketed events are scheduled during our off-season, late Sept to May.
Doors open one hour before the performance. Come early for best parking and seats. All concerts are indoor and climate-controlled.
Use the Event subscription form located at top of this page to be included on our emailing list.
Check back often for updates!
All performances are subject to change without notice.
Our 2020 season of weekly Saturday evening concerts is on hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In response to the extension of Illinois restrictions on large group gatherings through the end of May, we are rescheduling our entire 2020 summer season to 2021. When public safety restrictions change for the better, we will reevaluate the feasibility of resuming worship services and other events in our sanctuary. For now, we want everyone to stay safe.
Highlights from our 2019 concert series:
Live music performed by world-class artists, many with roots right here in Rockford and the Midwest
Mark your calendar for family-friendly concerts in our beautiful indoor temperature-controlled music sanctuary at Spring Creek United Church of Christ. Our grounds are gorgeous year-round so come early and do some exploring. Summer concerts are scheduled EVERY Saturday evening mid-May through early September, plus a variety of monthly concert dates and times in the off-season. Performances feature Jazz, Bluegrass, Dixieland, Folk, Gospel, Country, R&B, Celtic, and more.
Saturday seating is generally limited to approximately 300 guests. We have space in our lot for about 95 vehicles plus overflow lawn parking if weather permits. Many of our concerts draw audiences of 150 or more, so it's a good idea to arrive early. Doors open one hour before the concert unless otherwise noted. Use caution if parking along busy Spring Brook Road. Please avoid blocking any of our neighbors' driveways and watch out for bicycles in the bike lanes.
For ALL weekly Saturday concerts during our May-Sept summer season, musicians are compensated by funds in a basket collection before intermission, minus a modest percentage retained by the church to cover expenses. Because there are no tickets or admission fees, we hope the audience will donate generously when the baskets are passed. For those who can afford it, we suggest a minimum of $10-$15 per person, but all are welcome to attend regardless of ability to contribute financially.
All of our summer Saturday concerts include pizza from Mamma Mia's, canned soda, bottled water, fresh popcorn, coffee, and often feature homemade desserts. 100% of the funding for these Saturday Concerts On The Creek events comes from FREE WILL DONATIONS. Concession funds are used to grow our church initiatives and are not included in performer compensation.
PLEASE NOTE that any concerts taking place on Sunday will not offer pizza or fresh popcorn. Sunday concessions are limited to light refreshments and beverages unless otherwise advertised. Concessions at ticketed events will vary.
These concerts are offered by Spring Creek United Church of Christ as a community outreach initiative. We're committed to making Rockford a great place to live, one concert at a time.
Musicians wishing to inquire about future bookings are encouraged to contact us via this email form.
Concert coordinators will do our best to acknowledge your inquiry promptly but be aware that our schedule fills up quickly and very few openings are available in the next 24 months.
PLEASE do not leave time-sensitive phone inquiries about our concerts on the church answering machine. A live person is usually available to answer the phone during our office hours of 10-2 on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.