Bringing world-class music to the town of Golden

The sounds of music filled Parfet Park as dusk fell in Golden on Aug. 21.

The weather provided a perfect temperature –; not too hot and not chilly –; for a free concert by the Jefferson Symphony Orchestra.

At least a couple hundred people filled the park, sitting on blankets or low-back chairs. The audience consisted of people of all ages and some well-behaved, music-loving dogs that sat faithfully next to their owners.

The free Summer Concert in the Park happens every year following the Golden Fine Arts Festival, but this year’s turnout might be the largest audience the orchestra has seen in a long time, said Steve Mallinson, the orchestra’s conductor.

It was a wonderful and enthusiastic crowd, he said. Which got the musicians excited, he added.

It’s a thrill to perform in front of so many people, Mallinson said. “The orchestra performs well when they have a big crowd.”

Audience members enjoyed some light classical fare as opening songs. Then the orchestra played some crowd favorites –; show tunes from “Mary Poppins,” “Chicago” and “Cats.”

Then, special guests the Ultraphonic Jazz Orchestra got a few couples on their feet dance.

“I loved it,” said Sierra Farrar whose father Rodney plays the cello in the symphony orchestra. But, she added, “I’ve always loved park concerts. They’re so inviting and family-oriented.”

Wandering among the crowd was Popsicle the Polar Bear, the mascot for the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD). Popsicle, aka David Mejia, took pictures with children and passed out informational fliers on the organization’s upcoming ballot issue to parents.

There are so many families in the Denver-metro area that would not be able to be involved with cultural and arts activities and facilities if free days were not offered, Mejia said.

All free days are sponsored by the SCFD, he said, which supports thousands of organizations.

“We have such a vibrant arts community” in the Front Range, Mejia said. “We need the arts.”

Three-year-old Charles Mickey is a big symphony orchestra fan, his dad David said. The two have seen the Jefferson Symphony Orchestra perform a number of times, but this was their first time attending the outdoor concert in Parfet Park.

“So that was cool,” David Mickey said.

The concert was a phenomenal event, he said. “It was world-class music in the town of Golden.”

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