Two enthusiastic and familiar hometown favorites are joining the line-up of this year’s Beckwith Park Summer Concert Series, which opens Thursday — though not as vocalists or instrumentalists.

Chemical Bank and Honor Credit Union have stepped forward to ensure the continuation of one of Dowagiac’s favorite fine arts programs, said Vickie Phillipson, program director for the Dowagiac Downtown Development Authority and Greater Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce.

Phillipson, who has coordinated the 11-week fine arts series for more than 20 years, said Huntington Bank, which had underwritten the performance schedule for the past nine years, is redistributing its philanthropic resources to other areas.

Fortunately for followers of the concert series, Huntington is staying on as the host of the much anticipated July 20 concert by Jared Knox, which kicks off this year’s Summer in the City Festival.

“We are grateful the concert series could be saved by two of this community’s largest supporters, Chemical Bank and Honor Credit Union,” Phillipson said.   “Chemical’s Joe Silvia and Honor’s Janie Reifenberg took the DDA’s request for corporate funding straight to their main offices, and literally saved the day for us.”

Both financial institutions are active in the Chamber of Commerce, as corporate sponsors of everything from Summer in the City, to the holiday and Easter programming, the Rod & Roll Classic Auto Show, Ice Time and the Miss Dowagiac Scholarship Pageant.

“We were so excited to be approached by the DDA to become a sponsor of such an awesome event that symbolizes summertime in Dowagiac,” Reifenberg said.  “The Beckwith Park Concert Series is always much anticipated and well-attended.  We are thrilled to become a part of it.”

Silvia echoed Reifenberg’s sentiments.

“We stepped forward as a new underwriter because the community had a need and we were able to help,” he said. “When you are part of a community, you do everything you can to help that community and the people in it.”

A hometown favorite, Southwestern Michigan College Brass Band kicks off the performance schedule beginning at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Similar to a British-style ensemble and a member of the North American Brass Band Association, SMC’s brass band was founded in January of 1992 by its current director, Dr. Jonathan Korzun, who also serves as the director of bands at Southwestern Michigan College.

“One of three bands at Southwestern Michigan College, the brass band is composed of community members, who are both amateur and professional musicians; SMC students; and talented area high school students,” Korzun said.  “The band is a British-style ensemble, which was modeled after the brass bands that are so popular throughout Europe.”

The Southwestern Michigan College Brass Band gives regular performances both on and off-campus, including concerts at the John E.N. Howard Band Shell in St. Joseph, and the Niles Riverfront Amphitheater. Due to the size of the band, instrumentalists will be situated on Beeson Street rather than beneath the Haggin-Wimberley Memorial Bandstand.

Phillipson said arrangements have been made to close Beeson Street to motorists Thursday afternoon in preparation for that evening’s concert.

Performing this summer will be:

• The Mike Struwin Duo

• Big Boss & Joe Ferguson

• The Erika Sherry Band

• Lighthouse Chorus

• Chameleon

• Tony Fields & Doug Deck

• The Jared Knox Band

• Rum Boogie

• Schiltz Creek

• A Touch of Country

Performance schedules are available from the Dowagiac DDA by calling 782-8212.