A summer staple for more than 20 years, the popular Concerts in the Park hosted by the Oakdale Chamber of Commerce return to the city’s Dorada Park this Friday.

The first of several summer concerts will feature the Highway 99 Party Band, starting at 6:30 p.m. and running until roughly 8:30 p.m.

“They’re a Modesto band and they play a mix of classic rhythm and blues, rock, and they feature a three-piece horn section,” said Oakdale Chamber assistant event coordinator Nicole Benbow.

She also outlined the rules for the summer series that brings in a park full of people.

“Bring your own lawn chair and picnic baskets, but no glass bottles in the park,” Benbow said.

The series is supported by a variety of sponsors throughout the summer, though there isn’t a specific one for the kickoff event, said Benbow.

Future performances in the series will include:

July 26 - Never 2 Late with a mix of country songs in a good ol’ boys style

Aug. 2 – Remedy, featuring classic rock and country western

Aug. 9 – Dale Himes with the California 99ers, offering jazz, boogie woogie, country, blues, and rock and roll

Aug. 16 – Oakdale Community Band

Aug. 23 – Dossi on the Rocks, from the Sonora area with a mix of blues and rock

Closing out the summer series on Friday, Aug. 30 will be Vintage, a larger group that grew out of the former Soul Heart duo of Alex Lucero and Johnny Shatswell.

“They are local, here from Oakdale, and they have a mix, usually of rock,” Benbow explained.

She added that the summer concert series began in 1991 and continues to go strong, offering residents a relaxing end to a summer day.

“The forecast, it’s supposed to be around 101 on Friday, but that’s in the hottest part of the day,” Benbow said. “It’ll cool down by 6:30.”