Concerts on the Square and Dining on the Street draws big numbers

WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) - It was a fun-filled evening in downtown Wausau with the first night of Concerts on the Square and Dining on the Street Wednesday night. More than a thousand people gathered to hear good music and grab a bite to eat. After a seemingly endless winter, the unofficial start to the Wausau summer has finally arrived.

“Oh I come every Wednesday for Concert on the Square, I just love coming out here and we grab dinner and have drinks, it’s an awesome thing to do,” Shelley Mueller said.

Wednesday’s first Concerts on the Square started at 6 p.m. Brass Differential out of Green Bay provided the music. The droves of people began lining up chairs as early as 8 a.m. It’s a night no one wants to miss.

“Come down here relax, kick back, it’s just a relaxing atmosphere. Everybody’s out here having a good time, you couldn’t get a better venue for a Wednesday night,” Bob Miller said.

Miller said he attends every year and plans to come each week this summer. He loves to run into new faces and connect with old friends. It’s become a tradition that he can’t shake.

“We pretty much come every Wednesday. It’s our typical Wednesday, once you do it once, it kind of becomes a habit,” said Miller.

For those with more of an appetite, Dining on the Street is also an option. 2022 marks its third year. According to the River district, the event offers community members a chance to enjoy live music while dining al fresco on the streets of downtown Wausau.

“It’s nice anywhere you live,” Malarky’s Pub Owner Tyler Vogt said.

The weekly event serves not only community members but also helps grow the businesses. According to Wausau River District, Dining on the Street had a $720,000 economic impact just last year.

“The added seats outside, we’ve literally hired more and more people to deal with all the extra business, we’ve been able to source local food from different meat markets and things and that’s been great too. It’s definitely felt throughout the community,” Vogt said.

A new band will be featured each week. Concerts on the Square go from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. each Wednesday until Aug. 17. Dining on the Street goes from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. each Wednesday until Aug. 23. A similar event to Dining on the Street, Summer Saturday Evenings, will run each Saturday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. beginning June 11 until Aug. 27.

Dining on the Street will be canceled if the temperatures fall below 50 degrees at the start of the event or if there is rain in the forecast.

Copyright 2022 WSAW. All rights reserved.