Area Man Tries to Revive Concert Series

A Marquette man is making a plea to the city to bring back a summer concert series.

Mike Beauchamp organized last year’s Local Music Performance Series, which took place on several Friday nights throughout the summer.

The free concerts at the Presque Isle Park Pavilion were paid for by grant money.

This year, the grants were not available.

And the city isn’t willing to waive its user and insurance fees.

The fees total about $130 per hour.

Beauchamp is asking the city to revive the concert series anyway because the pavilion is a taxpayer-funded, city-owned, city-maintained facility.

When he first asked that back in the spring, the city balked due to the potential precedent it might establish where more nonprofit organizations would ask for the fees to be waived.

Beauchamp is asking again tonight at the City Commission meeting, and he’s asking local musicians to show up in support.