On a pleasantly warm and sunny June 18th, the Urbana Park District hosted its annual Strawberry Jam in Meadowbrook Park. Guests were treated to an evening of several bluegrass and string bands, free ice cream with fresh strawberries, and a variety of activities ranging from face painting to hay rack rides. The crowd was steady through the night, with some people coming and going as the bands changed out while others stayed the whole night, taking opportunities at the breaks to enjoy social time with friends or grab another ice cream… the messier the tastier.
Two of the bands from last year made a return, with Wildwood String Band kicking off the music at 4 p.m. and High Cotton taking over at 5:30 p.m. New to the lineup this time around was Burr Oak String Band, hailing from Springfield, Illinois and closing the night out from 7 p.m. until dusk began to arrive around 8 p.m. When the music ended, Judy Miller from the Urbana Park District invited guests to stick around as dark settled in to see the spectacular show of fireflies in the park (and it definitely is an awesome sight right now!).
Look below for more photos from the night, and don’t forget to check out other upcoming events hosted by the Urbana Park District at their website or on their Facebook page!
Below, Wildwood String Band.
Below, High Cotton.
Below, Judy Miller from the Urbana Park District discusses Strawberry Jam.
Below, Burr Oak String Band.
About the author: Stephen N. Kemp
Stephen is an IT manager for the University of Illinois and has been a photographer for Smile Politely since 2015. Find his photography on Facebook, his website, or contact him directly via email.
About the author: Stephen N. Kemp