Beat your Monday blues at Music Mondays in Wheaton

Mondays usually mean the setting of another alarm and the start of another workweek. But with the Wheaton Park District's Music Mondays, it also means some hot tunes will be coming throughout July.

The family friendly music events will be 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Mondays at Memorial Park, 208 W. Union Ave.

"People like to enjoy their dinners and sit on the lawn or the benches and just take in the evening," Marketing and Events Coordinator Nicole Kapala said. "Each week, we try to offer a different music genre to appeal to as many audiences as we can."

First up is The Chicago Experience on July 11, inviting guests to relive generations of rock 'n' roll hits by the band Chicago. The catalog is extensive, as Chicago is still touring, marking almost 50 years of music since its first album as The Chicago Transit Authority in 1967.

The Chicago Experience is one of the leading tribute bands capturing the original's unique sound, self-described as "rock 'n' roll with horns," which can be heard on selections like "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" and "Questions 67 and 68."

On July 18, Sistah Beth hits the stage with Twist and the Groove Machine. In the R&B, blues, and jazz traditions, each member sports a nickname, from Timothy "Twist" Ferguson on vocals and Al "Hurricane" Spears on guitar to Jeff "Muffinman" Ruffin on drums. Elizabeth Wray, a Geneva-based wedding florist, will show off her alter ego as Sistah Beth, lending her voice to the evening's easy listening.

On July 25, Libido Funk Circus offers a mix of different tunes from the 1960s through today, from the hits of Motown to the bass-thumping beats of modern dance music.

Sherry Krajelis, assistant to the director of special facilities, books the bands for Music Mondays.

"I look for a good amount of energy on stage and something I feel will be enjoyed across a wide range of ages and suitable for the families who often enjoy a picnic in the park before the entertainment," she said. "When the audience sings along or claps to the music or gets up on their feet to dance, I know they've enjoyed the band."

Each year Music Mondays is organized by the district's summer interns, giving them opportunities to develop professional skills in marketing, event management and sponsorship.

"Usually Music Mondays is the big project for our marketing and special events intern," Kapala said

Each summer, there's at least one marketing intern who starts work in June after the school year ends and continues through the busy events season until August.

"They help coordinate sponsorships, run the concessions stand, facilitate the bands each week, and take charge of the event," Kapala said. "It's a nice opportunity for students to get real-world marketing and event planning experience."

Past concerts have attracted several hundred people. Guests may bring a blanket or lawn chairs for a picnic, have some ice cream, and enjoy the ambience of Memorial Park.

Ice cream, popcorn, brownies and other refreshments will be for sale. T-shirts from previous district events will also be on sale for $5 each, or two for $8.

To learn more, visit wheatonparkdistrict.com/events or contact Lauren Rodman, Wheaton Park District marketing and events intern, at mintern@wheatonparks.org.

If you go

What: Music Mondays concerts

When: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Mondays; The Chicago Experience on July 11, Sistah Beth with Twist and the Groove Machine on July 18, Libido Funk Circus on July 25

Where: Memorial Park, 208 W. Union Ave., Wheaton

Cost: Free

Info: wheatonparkdistrict.com/events