Music in the air: Hilliard's Celebration at the Station features variety of genres

A. Kevin Corvo, ThisWeek
·3 min read
Paul Francis, of Hilliard, dances with his daughter, Evie Francis, 2, as The Simba Jordan Band performs during the Celebration at the Station on June 9 in Hilliard.
Paul Francis, of Hilliard, dances with his daughter, Evie Francis, 2, as The Simba Jordan Band performs during the Celebration at the Station on June 9 in Hilliard.

Patrons showed enjoyment at Hilliard’s “Celebration at the Station” summer concert series at Hilliard’s Station Park at Center and Main streets in Old Hilliard on June 9.

Hilliard’s Station Park features live music from 6:30 to 9 p.m. each Thursday in conjunction with the daily DORA, or Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area, in Old Hilliard.

Ken and Shannon Capka, of Dublin, were enjoying listening to Simba Jordan on June 9, the second of 10 dates on the 2022 Celebration at the Station concert lineup.

It was the couple’s first visit to Hilliard’s Celebration at the Station since the onset of COVID-19.

Celebration at the Station launched in 2018. It was canceled in 2020 but resumed last year.

“This is how I remember it being. I’m glad it is back where it was before,” Ken Capka said about the crowd size.

The couple had dinner at Starliner Diner, 4121 Main St., before walking the short distance to Hilliard’s Station Park to enjoy listening to Simba Jordan, a Columbus native and Brookhaven High School graduate, whose original compositions and cover performances are in the country-music genre.

Guests listen to The Simba Jordan Band perform during the Celebration at the Station on June 9 in Hilliard.
Guests listen to The Simba Jordan Band perform during the Celebration at the Station on June 9 in Hilliard.

Thomas and Jacquelene Hayes, of Hilliard, attended several events last year but were attending their first this year, along with their friends Eric and Tiffany Robinson, of Hilliard.

“We came tonight to go the Crooked Can (Brewing Company) and listen to the live music,” Thomas Hayes said.

The Robinsons were also enjoying the evening with their children, a 4-year-old son and 1-year old daughter.

Others discovered the concert series by accident.

Josh Hunsberger and Jenna Greve, of West Columbus, and their 18-month-old son, came to Old Hilliard for dinner at the Center Street Market and discovered the live music.

“This is our first time here and we didn’t know about the concert (but) the weather is great for it (and) we're having a good time here tonight,” Hunsberger said.

Also, having an apparent good time were dogs that accompanied many owners and families at Celebration at the Station.

Kayla Morse, of Galloway, enjoyed the evening with her parents, Jim and Kristina Cintron, of Florida; two brothers, Lucky and Ty Cintron; her husband, Jake Morse; and their two dogs: a cockapoo, Sophie, and a black lab, Cruze.

“It’s such a pet-friendly place; there were even water bowls for dogs (on the patio at Center Street Market),” Morse said.

It was her first visit to Celebration at the Station.

“All the owners had really good pet etiquette too,” she said.

Maurice Alderson, 12, of Grove City,; Donivan Robertson, 9, of Hilliard, and Keaton Griffith, 10, of Hilliard, leap for the football during the Celebration at the Station on June 9.
Maurice Alderson, 12, of Grove City,; Donivan Robertson, 9, of Hilliard, and Keaton Griffith, 10, of Hilliard, leap for the football during the Celebration at the Station on June 9.

Celebration at the Station is to be held every Thursday at Hilliard’s Station Park, with the exception of June 30, through Aug. 11.

The concert lineup includes a variety of genres.

Kristan Turner, Hilliard's special-events coordinator, said the city has a two-phase process for booking bands.

A panel of five to seven members independently review performances, she said.

"Once we narrow the list down to about 20 to 30 (performers) our panel gets back together to review (the list) once again to make sure we have a good variety of genres to meet the expectations of the community," Turner said.

"We do our best to choose bands that appeal to a wide variety of residents. That means bringing back some crowd favorites, as well as trying out new bands," said Erin Duffee, deputy director of Hilliard's recreation and parks department.

Performers this season include The Reaganomics, Lt. Dan’s New Legs, Pete Kilpatrick Band and Bruce Springsteen and Dave Matthews tribute bands.

For further information and a complete concert schedule, visit hilliardohio.gov/summer-in-the-city/.

kcorvo@thisweeknews.com

@ThisWeekCorvo

This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Hilliard's Celebration at the Station features variety of genres