Balsam Range and Atlanta Pops Orchestra Ensemble set to headline TEF’s free Pops in the Park concert May 2. 

Thomasville Entertainment Foundation’s Family Series concludes its reconfigured 2020-21 season on Sunday afternoon with a free outdoor Pops in the Park performance at the Thomasville Center for the Arts.

Featuring the Atlanta Pops Orchestra Ensemble and 2018 International Bluegrass Music Association Entertainers of the Year Balsam Range, the concert will feature a diverse repertoire of lively music under the Center’s oak canopy.

“We’re excited to be able to bring the Atlanta Pops back to the TEF Family Series and to feature Balsam Range, a wonderful Southern bluegrass group, in concert with them,” said TEF Executive and Artistic Director Rick Ivey. “We’re encouraging folks to bring lawn chairs or spread a blanket and enjoy an entertaining afternoon concert outdoors in a casual atmosphere with family and friends.”

The concert begins at 3:30 p.m., and ample parking will be available in the Jackson Street parking lot between Scott Elementary School and Veterans Memorial Stadium, as well as in the Jefferson Street circle and, if necessary, along Washington Street. The Center’s Washington Street circle driveway will be closed to accommodate the stage.

Sunday’s concert will be the third TEF Family Series appearance for the Atlanta Pops, and they are very popular locally for their fun, energetic performance of songs from the Great American Songbook, movies and Broadway. The addition of Balsam Range brings another flair and style, as the North Carolina-based musicians and recording artists are highly sought after for concerts and music festivals across the country.

Balsam Range has collaborated with the Atlanta Pops to record two albums which had long runs on both the Billboard Bluegrass Chart and Classical Crossover Chart.

The Pops in the Park performance was set originally for September at another location, but had to be postponed and relocated as the pandemic continued. COVID-19 precautions will be in place. Audience members are encouraged to consider facial coverings and social distancing, TEF will have hand-sanitizing stations and disposable masks available, and audience capacity may be limited for safety. The concert will be presented in one act without an intermission.

“It’s been a challenging year for us, but we’ve been fortunate to be able to present all of our free family programming as outdoor events this season,” Ivey added.  

TEF’s Family Series also included a successful outdoor Shakespeare in the Park performance of “A Mini-Midsummer Night’s Dream” in October and a children’s production of “The Fairy Tales of Grimm” in March.

As of now, Sunday’s weather forecast looks ideal for an outdoor concert, Ivey said, but there is always a backup plan. In case the weather changes, calling for rain or storms, the Center for the Arts’ intimate auditorium will be standing by.

Presented with support from Thomasville Center for the Arts, Thomasville Entertainment Foundation’s 2020-21 Family Series is offered free and open to the public, made possible by generous donations in honor of Janice Faircloth from The Parker Poe Charitable Trust, The Emily and Bill Searcy Charitable Trust, Dr. and Mrs. Douglas C. McPherson, Diane Williams Parker and other friends of TEF.