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CASS COUNTY, Mich. — Four years ago, when event organizers were forced to get creative to find ways to entertain masses amid pandemic shutdowns, a tradition was born at Dr. TK Lawless Park.

That fall, the Connecting Chords Music Festival invited music lovers out to the Cass County Park, where they could safely enjoy music in the spacious outdoor venue.

“After hosting our first event at Lawless in 2020, it became pretty obvious the park should be a regular venue,” said Elizabeth Start, Executive Director of the Connecting Chords Music Festival.

“The atmosphere for music is absolutely amazing.”

The event returns to Dr. TK Lawless Park at 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 9, featuring Selkie, a trio of Celtic musicians — Jim Spalink, Michele Venegas, and Cara Lieurance — who play traditional and original music. The sounds of flute, fiddle, bouzouki, banjo, guitar, accordion, and harp are woven into Selkie’s music, along with the vocal harmonies they use for their songs.

The Connecting Chords Music Festival is an annual fall music series, with additional events and projects held throughout the year. Organized by the Michigan Festival of Sacred Music, a diverse array of artists, genres and venues are presented each year – celebrating and supporting area musicians while also bringing in unique artists from all over the world.

“Our Dark Sky Park events have served an as unofficial kickoff for our fall Festival for the past few years,” Start said. “We love celebrating our area musicians in one of the most unique venues in west Michigan!”

This year’s festival comes at an exciting time for Dr. TK Lawless Park, as it aligns with the Perseid Meteor Shower, which is predicted to be visible as soon as Aug. 8, and will peak around Aug. 11 and 12. Dr. TK Lawless Park is an internationally designated Dark Sky Park, meaning it is an optimal place to see the night sky. Earlier this year, hundreds of people traveled to the park to view the Northern Lights.

“Visitors can look forward to a relaxing, peaceful setting to view the meteor shower with food, educational sessions and music available on the 9th,” said Cass County Parks Director Scott Wyman. “I would encourage folks to come early and take advantage of 7 miles of some of the most scenic hiking trails in Southwest Michigan with beautiful wildflowers and plenty of wildlife encounters.”

There is a $5 cash admission fee per vehicle attending the festival. The park entrance is located at 15122 Monkey Run St., Jones, MI. More information about the Connecting Chords Music Festival, including a listing of future concerts, can be found at connectingchordsmusicfestival.com.

A rain date for the music festival is set for Aug. 10. To find out if the event is still scheduled as planned, call (269) 445-4456.