'Music on the Square' Draws Thousands to Downtown

Redwood City is doing its part to create a fun atmosphere downtown on Friday nights.

How? Music.

The city’s park and recreation department set out to bring a new, upbeat band to Courthouse Square every weekend when booking the lineup for this year’s “Music on the Square” concert series. And by doing so, the city has drawn thousands to the downtown area.

“We average 3,300 a night, definitely bigger on some nights,” Special Events Coordinator Lucas Wilder said. “Foreverland, a Michael Jackson tribute band, tends to be the biggest, probably about 5,000.”

The series is already two concerts in, and will run one show every Friday until Sept. 27. It was created as a way to draw people downtown after the construction of Courthouse Square in 2007.

“For 30 years, there really wasn’t anything there,” Wilder said. “We booked music that appeals to a fun, party atmosphere. Friday nights are definitely a really fun time.”

That atmosphere has helped itself in terms of booking. The series is picking up a reputation on the Peninsula, making it easier to bring bands in, Wilder said.

“We have a great lineup,” Wilder said. “If we give a band a call, word has kind of gotten around the Peninsula that this is a really great place to play.”

Click here to view a calendar of scheduled concerts.