Dallas Nights - Sounds of Summer and the Farmers Market Reimagined

Show Notes

Today, we’re talking about Dallas Nights - a new name for a familiar Dallas event. Our guest today is Tara Townley, another familiar face from a previous episode here to tell us all about this exciting event. 

What is Dallas, Oregon Podcast?

Your source for city updates, behind-the-scenes stories, and conversations with the people shaping our community.

SPEAKER_01: Welcome to the
Dallas Oregon Podcast, your

quick and informative source of
what's happening in and around

our city.

I'm Alison Roberson, the
communication specialist, here

at the City of Dallas, stepping
in for your host.

Each episode, we bring together
city staff, local leaders, and

community members to discuss the
projects, the people, and

possibilities shaping Dallas.

Today we're talking about Dallas
Knights, a new name for a

familiar event.

Our guest today is Tara Townley,
another beautiful face from a

previous episode, here to tell
us everything about Dallas

Knights.

Welcome back, Tara.

SPEAKER_00: Thank you for having
me.

SPEAKER_01: Let's get right into
today's topic, Tara.

Can you tell us what Dallas
Knights is?

SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.

So Dallas Knights is a the
accumulation of three different

events kind of coming together.

One is brand new, the concept of
Dallas Knights is the umbrella.

But we are bringing our Sounds
of Summer concerts that used to

be on Thursdays and have been
previously hosted by the City of

Dallas and now by the Dallas
Downtown Association.

Shout out.

And uh so we are doing that, and
then we are trying to kind of

reinvigorate our farmers'
market.

Um, we had great things
happening, so on and so forth,

but you know, Saturdays are a
difficult day.

And uh, so we decided to bring
together the Sounds of Summer

event, which had an audience of
around 500 people, guaranteed.

So we're gonna partner with our
farmers market and make sure

that our vendors have an
opportunity to have an audience.

And also with the concept of
Dallas Nights, we are now doing

music, merchants, and um getting
people together in order to

highlight our downtown.

And so this is also an
opportunity for our local

businesses and downtown
businesses to get involved as

well.

SPEAKER_01: So this is gonna be
at the same location, and you're

just combining the farmers
market with Sounds of Summer,

correct?

SPEAKER_00: Absolutely, yes.

So it'll be located at the
Rotary Amphitheater there on the

corner of Main Street and
Academy.

Uh we will have, we will have,
like I said, merchants, and

we're gonna have the music,
we're gonna have food and all

kinds of things.

We'll have activities
beforehand.

It's gonna be fun.

SPEAKER_01: Amazing.

I know that's something that
like many community members at

least talk to me about, that
they really love um the Sounds

of Summer event.

So it's exciting that we're
still gonna have that.

Um, what are the dates this
year?

SPEAKER_00: So uh our first date
is May 1st, and um May 1st and

then May 22nd for May.

From there, it will be the first
and third Fridays going through,

and we end October 2nd.

So we are actually extending the
mark or the market and our

Sounds of Summer concerts to
meet our market um by gosh, I

think we added five additional
concerts this this year.

So we're really, really excited
and have a wide variety as well.

SPEAKER_01: So that's super
cool.

I know that um previously that
there's been food and drink

available.

Is that still gonna be an
option?

SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.

So we're really excited.

We always try to do local.

Um, so two wolves top room is
gonna be stepping in this year,

and they're gonna be doing food
and drink, uh, food and

alcoholic beverages, also
non-alcoholic, don't get us

wrong.

And then I think that we are
also gonna be excited to invite

um Mama Gorditas will be joining
us sometimes as well.

So a little bit of variety and
go in there.

And the way that I understand it
is two wolves is going to be

reaching out on their in in
their selections, they're going

to try to provide um local, um,
local libations, shall we say?

So Forest Pass, Salt Creek,
places like that.

Um, so highlighting our local
also through a local um

establishment.

SPEAKER_01: I heard that you
have expanded the variety of

music this year.

Can you tell us a little bit
about that?

SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so I can't
tell you everything because of

course, you know, our our music
director, shall we say, is Helen

Connolly with the DDA.

She's fantastic.

But I can say that through the
11 concerts, we have everything

from Irish music to classic rock
to we have a couple local bands

that are going to be doing some
uh some more punk type stuff.

Um, everything Blaine likes is
going to be um, I think it's

called they're called Pretty
Deadly.

And then um we've got um jazz
and RB, and we're just trying to

bring a wide variety.

The opening day will be a local,
local, uh-ish uh band from

Eugene called Sweet and Juicy,
and they dress up actually in

vegetable, fruit and vegetable
costumes, and so they will be

doing that, and we also that
first day will have a bouncy

castle and a face paint, face
painting and things like that.

So we're trying to do activities
that also tie in with the music

for that day as well.

So country day, we're looking at
line dancing, and uh Laura

Michelle will be out there again
with the dance floor.

Um, and so obviously that
opportunity is gonna be there as

well.

So, you know, people when they
want to come out and do their

little Irish jig, they'll be
able to do so.

SPEAKER_01: Yes, I love that
this event has kind of expanded

to more than just music and
people bringing their blankets

out.

It's kind of like you can bring
the whole family and there's

something for everyone.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah, no,
absolutely.

Um, we were lucky enough to
actually get a grant this year

to be able to do um pre-event
activities.

And so from four to six
pre-concert, concerts are six to

eight.

Um, we will have, like I said,
everything from face painting,

but we've got line dancing and
we've even will be working with

people um like the Soul Bridge,
and they're gonna be bringing

out doing some meditation and
you know, just all different

opportunities are gonna be out
there.

And so um, you know, some a
little something for everybody.

SPEAKER_01: Yes.

Okay, great.

Now, can you tell us a little
bit more about the market

portion and how that's kind of
gonna fit in and maybe a

highlight of some of the vendors
that you'll have?

SPEAKER_00: Yeah, absolutely.

So we'll have some returning
vendors, so like nourish bread

that everybody loves, the
sourdough.

They've got the jalapeno cheddar
and the rosemary and the and the

and the I may or may not be on
their, you know, now their um,

oh, what's it called?

They have the app that they can
send you information on.

And so, yeah, so like I just get
a, hey, would you like to order

your bread?

Um, so uh the market's gonna be
from four to six.

Our market vendors will do have
the opportunity to stay open

from six to eight as well.

Um, but they could also step out
and enjoy the concert and do

that type of thing.

Um yeah, it's gonna be from four
to six.

We're really hoping to have a
robust showing.

Um, we have limited as far as,
you know, local goods, vendors,

and things like that.

Um, really trying to also
highlight um local produce.

We're still looking for a major
produce vendor.

We know that that's a difficult
one because they're spread thin,

um, but looking for that.

Um, I think at this point we
either have 23 or 26 solid

vendors that have signed up to
be with us through the season.

So you should expect to see
them.

Um we've got a lemonade person,
we've got bread, we've got um

Sunstone coming back with their
clothes and candles and all of

that kind of stuff.

We've got Simply Joyful that'll
be joining us um with their

amazing cookies.

Um, I mean, just a little bit of
something for everybody.

And we're um we're we're just
excited about it, truthfully.

It's been so well received by
the community and we're

receiving messages daily of how
do we get involved.

And we really, we really like
that.

And then we also have the
opportunity also for our brick

and mortars that are already
downtown, they can also get

involved and they can line up
with the Explore Dallas calendar

and list the things that they're
doing.

Um, we will be looking on the
Explore Dallas calendar as far

as what we're highlighting for
that week.

So please list your stuff there.

And then we actually have some
signage that we can put out for

um businesses that are doing
Dallas Nights um participation,

whether it's specials or an
activity or whatever that is.

So you can reach out to myself
or the DDA and we can get you

connected with those.

SPEAKER_01: So, with all the fun
stuff that you're offering, is

there gonna be a cost to this
for community members?

SPEAKER_00: No.

Uh there is it's the Sounds of
Summer concerts, will still be

free.

We thank our sponsors so much
for making this possible.

I would love to list them all
off.

They are on the website and all
of the banners.

Um, so huge shout out to the
vendors and um sponsors that

have made this absolutely
possible.

Um, like I said, we got the
grant for activities uh

beforehand.

And so um we're really excited
to be offer uh free things

there.

Obviously, bring your dollars so
that you can support our local

vendors, don't get me wrong.

Um, but as far as just coming
in, setting up your chairs,

setting up a blanket, and
enjoying, come on down.

We're excited.

And also, you know, you're gonna
want to take advantage of

whatever two wolves is offering
for that night.

SPEAKER_01: So yeah, wonderful.

Thank you so much for sharing
about Dallas Nights, Tara.

Is there anything else with all
of the things happening that we

missed that you want to share?

SPEAKER_00: No, I I think the
biggest thing is get involved.

Uh, we continue to say, um, show
up, follow through.

You know, those are our favorite
things, but there are so many

opportunities right now for you
to list what you are doing and

then for your chamber visitor
center and also downtown

association to be able to pick
those up and share them and

highlight them.

Um, and then we have the
cross-collaboration that goes

along with it.

So just make sure we know about
what you're doing so that we can

highlight it and get people your
direction.

Once again, 500 plus people
attending each concert.

That's a pretty captive
audience.

SPEAKER_01: So Well, Tara, thank
you so much for joining us today

for another episode.

But before we go, to close out
our podcast, we ask all of our

guests the same question.

But since you've already
answered that question before,

I'm gonna ask you this instead.

What is your favorite event here
in Dallas?

SPEAKER_00: The one I didn't
plan.

Oh, I'm kidding.

Okay, that's a joke.

But no, I mean, in all honesty,
it's always nice to be able to

attend something that you don't
have to have a hand in.

There is that.

Um, my current favorite event, I
will be honest, is the now

rebranded Bigfoot stock.

So we are very excited for
hosting that September 26th in

the Dallas City Park.

It highlights one of our major
amenities within Dallas is our

city park.

So it highlights that.

But then there's also the whimsy
of the Bigfoot and highlighting

our local businesses, music, so
on and so forth.

We may be having a Bigfoot
officiated wedding and a Bigfoot

birthday party and all kinds of
stuff.

You'll already be married, but
you could renew.

Um, but we can figure this out.

So just really excited.

But truthfully, um, all of the
events in Dallas, I really feel

like we're kind of we're really
hitting our stride and finding

our niche, and people are coming
together and we're meeting the

needs of the community and
finding that joy.

SPEAKER_01: Yes, for sure.

Well, thank you again for
joining us today, and to

everyone for tuning in.

Be sure to follow us on YouTube,
Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

And thanks for listening to the
Dallas Oregon podcast.

We'll see you next time.