Windstream Party in the Park

The space is cool — open, with a paved area off to the side with steps to host the side stage. That is also where most of the food trucks are — which includes Rochester’s favorite grilled cheeses and Thai food on wheels.
The city brings in BIG TIME acts, which makes it really cool! The crowd is a mix of serious fans of the bands playing and people just going to hang out. The people watching is usually excellent. The way the park is set up makes it difficult to see the stage from most places. I think the overall atmosphere and price outweighs this concern, however. It costs 5 dollars to get in, and beers are 5 dollars (or 7 in a green ‘City of Rochester’ mug with 5 or 6 dollar refills).
The security is pretty good about no smoking and no lawn chairs. Find street parking on Monroe (or pay 5 dollars), pay 5 bucks to get in, 5 to have a beer, and have an AWESOME Thursday night!

Last week was my first party in the park experience ever. How I’ve lived in Rochester so long and had yet to go to one is beyond me. This is their first year doing it right back downtown at Manhattan Square park, and I really enjoy the venue. I hadn’t been to the previous ones though for this type of show, so not much to compare to.
Shows start at about 5 every Thursday, and there’s usually three bands (one headliner and two smaller, usually local, groups). The lineup for the summer is pretty good, nice variety. I really like that they have two stages and alternate, so there’s no «dead air» time between bands.
I got there just as the last band was starting though, and was a little wary because the line looked pretty long. Didn’t take long at all though, and after a mild bag check, and paying our 5 to get in, we were good.
Again, love the setup of the park. My only qualm, and reason this is getting four stars is because of the VIP area they have set up. It’s about 50 feet from the stage and in the middle of everything. Now, it wouldn’t be so bad if EVERYONE got the opportunity to enjoy it. But that’s not the case here, in order to be let in, you either have to work at, or know someone that works at, wind stream. I get that they’re sponsoring and all, but it just sucks that people who couldn’t care less about the music are getting up close and personal, while true fans don’t get that chance. Have a VIP area, but let everyone have the option to enjoy it.
All in all, party in the park is a lot of fun. I highly recommend hitting up at least one.