‘Live music is an economic driver’: Thursday Nights at the Bandstand returns to Unionville after overcoming roadblocks

Markham council approves funding after residents petition to reinstate cancelled event

Yorkregion.com
June 27, 2023
Yoyo Yan

A popular free summer music series is back at the heart of Unionville, but not without a hiccup.

Ashley Korey has been a Unionville resident since 2001, and for over a decade she would look forward to every summer that brings Thursday Nights at the Bandstand to Main Street Unionville.

But this year she had to fight for it.

Earlier in March, Korey learned that Thursday Nights had been cancelled, for the first time since being established in 2009 (except for 2020 and 2021 cancellations due to COVID-19).

That was a result of an influx of costs for road closure and public safety with the event's increased popularity, according to the organizing community volunteer group Unionville Presents.

Korey decided to start a petition asking the City of Markham to support the return of the event in 2023, and quickly garnered overwhelming support of over 800 people from near and far.

“The cancellation of Thursday Nights at the Bandstand would be a devastating loss to our community,” Korey told council May 17 when presenting her petition.

Korey believes that Newmarket and Aurora fully support their local bandstands and Markham can do the same.

Thursday Nights at the Bandstand has historically been a community-led and volunteer driven event that the city has supported through the Celebrate Markham Grant program, according to Chris Rickett, the city's director of economic growth, culture and entrepreneurship.

Annually, the event typically received $10,000 in funding and in 2022 it received $30,000 in city funding. In 2023, Thursday Nights at the Bandstand did not apply for funding from Celebrate Markham and had made the decision to discontinue the event, said Rickett.

After discussions with the organizers and the Unionville Business Improvement Area (BIA), they have agreed to work together to deliver six performances during the summer of 2023 at the Unionville Millennium Bandstand.

Unionville BIA then requested funding support in the amount of $20,000 toward the music series in 2023, which is aligned with what was approved for similar community festivals, including the Markham Main Street Music Festival, Taste of Asia, the Unionville Festival and the TD Markham Jazz Festival.

The city said it has worked with York Regional Police to reduce the cost of road closures for Thursday Nights at the Bandstand. And finally council approved the funding on June 14.

At one point, Mayor Frank Scarpitti suggested relocating the event that has outgrown the venue to Markham Civic Centre to eliminate the challenges related to costs and road closures. He said the revitalization program of Main Street Unionville for the next couple years would bring uncertainty to the event.

Event organizer Bill Dawson says relocating the event requires a significant amount of co-ordination, marketing and communication, while Korey believes moving the event out of Unionville is essentially killing it.

The episode of cancellation leads to a delayed start for Thursday Nights this year, but the return of the event is “a win for the local Unionville community,” said Korey.

“Live music is an economic driver,” said Deputy Mayor Michael Chan.

“It really strengthens the quality of life. At the same time, it really drives a lot of jobs and of course, tourism and arts,” said Chan, who himself attended and enjoyed Thursday Nights at the Bandstand before.

The city sees the outdoor concert that attracts thousands as a great community building event and a good economic development event that helps animate the street and ultimately support small businesses.

“This is a great event,” said Rickett. “It's a great economic driver. It adds to the quality of life and at the end of day, it's the quality of life that attracts people here.”

Thursday Nights at the Bandstand kicks off on Aug. 3 (ABBA Tribute), followed by Aug. 10 (Elton John Tribute), Aug. 24 (Eagles Tribute), Aug. 31 (Tina Turner Tribute), Sept. 7 (Bee Gees Tribute), and concludes on Sept. 14 (Motown Tribute).