LUMBERTON — And so it begins.

Thursday will mark the first night of the 2022 Alive After 5 concert series set to take over the Lumberton Downtown Plaza for seven nights over the course of seven weeks this spring/summer season.

Attendees will see the return of the concert series through the collaboration of Main Street Lumberton and the City of Lumberton.

This is the 17th year Alive After 5 will bring the community together with nights of music and fun. There will be seven concerts in the plaza, one every Thursday 7-9 p.m. through June 30. And it’s all free.

“We are thrilled to be able to have a healthy line-up of entertainment this year,’ said Sarah Beth Ward, Downtown Development coordinator. “We will have seven concerts to include non-local and local talents.”

“We are expecting healthy attendance and have implemented some new ideas to grow the event for our City. Exciting things are happening for downtown Lumberton. It really is a gem and a place to be enjoyed, Ward added.”

This year’s lineup will feature regional performers: The Entertainers, Thursday; Blackwater Band, May 26; The Band of Oz, June 2; Liquid Pleasure, June 9; Rivermist, June 16; Kendrix Singletary, June 23; and Hip Pocket on June 30.

In addition to entertainment, food trucks, and other vendors are on hand throughout the plaza, but the series is also geared toward bringing the Lumberton community downtown.

“I hope everyone will take the time to enjoy being downtown, Restaurants will be open along with some of our other retail stores,” Ward said.

The Entertainers

Beach Music has long been a tradition in the South, and the Entertainers are proud to have shared in that tradition for over 30 years.

The Entertainers were founded in 1980 and scored their first regional smash hit with “Living For The Summer” that same year. This song helped propel the group to the forefront of beach music, which led to their playing at the finest clubs along the grand strand of Myrtle Beach, corporate conventions, weddings and festivals from Washington, D.C. to Naples, Florida.

While staying true to their R&B and Beach Music roots, the group also satisfies the most diverse audiences by playing selections from the latest Top 40, Classic Rock & Roll and Country music. The group’s years of performing experience and recording prowess culminated in the release of their latest album entitled, “The Inside Story.”

A series of cancellations

In 2021, downtown leaders decided to move forward with the planning stages of city-sanctioned events, with the hope that COVID-19 restrictions imposed by the state government would be lifted. However, state restrictions led to the cancellation in April of Alive After 5. They later decided to bring back the series two months later but with just two performances.

“I’m thankful to be able to help organize an event that offers such a nice time for families and friends of our community and surrounding areas,” Ward said. “Lumberton has been through a lot in the last several years and it’s time to celebrate our perseverance. I look forward to seeing everyone there on Thursday.”

Ward extended thanks to sponsors, volunteers, and city staff for collaborating on the project.

“We would not be able to pull it off without them,” she said.

One by one the seven musical performances scheduled for the annual Alive After 5 concert series were canceled or postponed in 2020 because of government restrictions prohibiting large outdoor gatherings.