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The outdoor series Concerts on the Green held its last show featuring Pamela McNeill and her country/folk band July 30. (Photo by Alexandria Fisher/Winona360)

Guitar solos, folk vocals and rock tunes resonated throughout the Winona State University campus as the Great River Shakespeare Festival’s Concerts on the Green came to an end Saturday night.

The community concert series began in June and featured artists of a wide variety of musical genres throughout its course. The WSU Alumni Society and local coffeehouse Mugby Junction sponsored the overall series, with community members and organizations sponsoring each individual performance as well.

“It’s all about having fun,” said Kathleen Peterson, arts administrator at WSU and five-year Concerts on the Green committee member. “You sit under trees, eat good food and listen to good music.”

Each concert is held on the WSU campus and is accompanied with food and root beer floats.

“We love bringing people, especially community members, onto the campus,” said Peterson.

The unique atmosphere of the event attracts all kinds of audiences.

“It’s open, nice, not cluttered and I can see things,” said Jeff Kleinert, music major and senior at WSU. “I will definitely be coming again next year.”

The Concerts on the Green committee began organizing the series in November, but faced complications with its limited budget.

“The community really stepped up,” said Peterson. “They gave us some really nice donations that put us into next year.”

The festival features mainly local and regional artists from bluegrass and folk to rock, jazz and classical music. Native Winonan Pamela McNeill performed the last of 14 performances for the concert series with her soulful folk and country band.

“It’s amazing,” said McNeill. “I felt like I was at our family reunion.” 

McNeill, a singer-songwriter, spent five years pursuing her musical career in London before returning to Minneapolis, where she released her first CD and continued performing throughout the city. She has written songs for artists such as Yanni and Wynona Judd and will soon be performing her music in Nashville, Tenn.

“I was so lucky to grow up here,” said McNeill about Winona. “It’s nice to have so much support. I feel so blessed.”

The audience rewarded McNeill with a standing ovation as she wrapped up the last set of the festival.