Three free summer concerts at South Park

WAUPACA — The Waupaca Community Arts Board (WCAB) is bringing three free, family-friendly concerts to South Park this summer and the lineup is as diverse as it is impressive. All three concerts run from 6:30–8:45 p.m. (with the final show starting at 6:45), with free family arts activities beginning at 5:30 p.m. Admission is free.

June 24 — Angela Puerta and Her Band
Colombian-born singer-songwriter and guitarist Angela Puerta is one of Wisconsin’s most decorated performing artists — a seven-time MAMA Award winner, Wisconsin’s Most Influential Latino Leader, and Best of Madison Latin Artist two years running. Her dynamic four-piece band blends Afro-Colombian rhythms — cumbia, bambuco, salsa, vallenato — with rock, pop, and reggae influences into a genre-spanning style she calls Latin Rock.

July 15 — Chicken Wire Empire
Wisconsin’s own Chicken Wire Empire has spent a decade becoming one of the Upper Midwest’s most respected forces in contemporary bluegrass — and their resume backs it up. The band has collaborated with artists from all corners of the genre, from Sam Bush and Peter Rowan to Vince Herman and Keller Williams, and their latest album has drawn praise from both sides of the Atlantic, with Americana UK calling it “a variety which transcends genre and rewards careful listening.” Isthmus put it more bluntly: CWE “bridges traditional bluegrass with aggressive jam band tendencies.”

July 22 — TAE & The Neighborly
The series closes with one of Wisconsin’s most exciting live acts. Hailing from Green Bay, TAE & The Neighborly blend soul, R&B, pop, and rock through vibrant instrumentation and TAE’s unforgettable powerhouse vocals — a voice that moves from smoky speakeasy allure to gut-punching climactic peaks. Their 2024 debut album Self Help announced them to a wider world, and they’ve been on the road ever since — logging stages from Wisconsin all the way to the Kennedy Center for the Arts in Washington, D.C.

More than just music
Each concert evening includes free family arts activities beginning at 5:30 p.m. This year’s project — building whimsical cardboard hats for adults and kids — celebrates the theme “Hats Off to Arts on the Square,” a nod to the upcoming 20th anniversary of Arts on the Square in August. The Waupaca Historical Society will also host Hutchinson House Tours from 5:30–6:30 p.m.
Rounding out each evening: food trucks, a beer bar, a 50/50 raffle, and a special raffle for an electric bike courtesy of Adventure Outfitters. At the Angela Puerta concert on June 24, food will be served by local nonprofit Unidos Together to help support local immigrant families in our area.