Buda kicks off their summer event series

BUDA — The city of Buda began Arts in the Park — a series of family activities, concerts and musicals that will occur every weekend through July. This past Friday, the city hosted an array of family-friendly activities such as a foam machine that delighted kids and adults alike, as well as arts and crafts and a train.

LeDea Harris, program coordinator, and Anthony Host, Parks and Recreation director, started at the beginning of 2023, and wanted to create an event this summer for the community.

“I [was hired by] the city in February and [Anthony] came in January, so we’re both fairly new. We don’t necessarily know when these events started, but I do know that they didn’t do anything last summer, so we’re just trying to get some community outreach events that families could go to,” said Harris.

The intention behind the series is to focus on embracing various cultures of the city, as well as letting the residents visit local parks to understand what the Parks and Recreation Department does.

“It’s kind of a way to get people out and about, seeing our parks, seeing what we do. We’re trying to reach out to different communities. Our first concert is going to be Amanda Solis and she is a Tejano singer … We don’t have the rest of our concerts [lined up] yet, but we’re trying to have a variety [of artists],” said Harris.

Other activities such as Movies in the Park are planned for later in the year.

The series is meant to provide a local entertainment option for residents without traveling to Austin or San Antonio.

“I think it’s important for residents to feel like they don’t need to leave Buda to get entertainment,” stressed Harris. “That’s big for the residents of Buda, they want to keep the small-town vibe, so we’re trying to keep everything pretty local.”

Arts in the Park is hosted at 7 p.m. every Friday at the Buda Amphitheater and City Park. For more information, visit www.budaamphitheater.com/artsinthepark.