Downtown Durham’s popular summer music series is moving across the street – from American Tobacco lawn to Diamond View Park – to accommodate bigger crowds, longer concerts and added attractions this year.

The series formerly known as Music on the Lawn also gets a new name – Center Stage – to reflect a partnership with both American Tobacco and the nearby Durham Performing Arts Center.
Concerts begin May 17, 2013. Here’s the lineup:

• May 17: Solas with the Freighthoppers
• June 7: Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band w/ Ironing Board Sam
• July 4: Art of Cool featuring The Beast + Big Band
• Sept. 20: TBD
• Oct. 4: IIIrd Tyme Out

Concerts will begin at 6 p.m. each evening and the party lasts until 9 p.m. New this year are more fun activities for people of all ages. Kids can play in the bounce house or with available hula hoops. Adults can relax in the beer tent and browse arts and crafts vendors. And everyone can play custom corn hole and grab a snack from a food truck.

Fans packed the greenway on a mild summer day during Back Porch Music on the Lawn Series at American Tobacco Campus.

Sponsors Bull City Bucks, FOX 50 and WUNC will also be on hand.

“The move to Center Stage means we’ll have more room to deliver more of what has made our music series so popular,” said Michael Goodmon, vice president of real estate for Capitol Broadcasting Company, which owns American Tobacco Campus. “We are immensely grateful to the fans who’ve made our concerts such a success, and look forward to giving them an even bigger and better experience in 2013.”

Thanks to WRAL.com’s Jodi Glusco for this capcom story & to Justin Cook for this capcom photo.

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