Park Rhythms to make Town Square debut
Annual outdoor music series unveils abbreviated lineup and new downtown Black Mountain venue
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
June 10, 2025
Colby T. Helms & The Virginia Creepers will kick off the 2025 Park Rhythms, which will debut a new venue, June 12, as the outdoor series opens
An annual summer tradition is returning to Black Mountain will unveil a new location, from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m., Thursday, June 12, when Park Rhythms opens its 2025 season in Town Square.
The outdoor concert series, most recently held at Veterans Park, will offer four free downtown shows through Thursday, July 24.
Organized by the Town of Black Mountain Recreation and Parks Department, the event began in 1997 at Lake Tomahawk, before relocating to Cherry Street and Sutton Avenue in 2020. Park Rhythms moved to Veterans Park in 2021, where it remained until Tropical Storm Helene caused extensive damage to the town-owned facility. To ensure the continuation of the series, organizers reduced the schedule from eight shows to four and relocated the event to Town Square.
The 2025 lineup opens with Colby T. Helms & The Virginia Creepers, as the band brings its characteristic blend of folk, bluegrass and country music to the Park Rhythms stage for the second straight year. Sluice & Fust, a collaboration between Durham-based artists Justin Morris and Aaron Dowdy, will perform their fusion of indie rock and alt-country, June 26.
The 2025 Park Rhythms lineup includes four free concerts from June 12 through July 24. Image courtesy of Black Mountain Recreation and Parks Department
The roster is rounded out by Lorg & Friends, July 10, and a series-closing show, July 24, by Tyler Ramsey.
A partnership with nearby White Horse Black Mountain, which will allow the shows to be moved to its indoor stage in the event of rain. Those attending the free concerts in Town Square are encouraged to bring lawn chairs of blankets to each show.
This year’s series is sponsored by Harvest Records, Pisgah AVL, Mark Kleive DDS, LEAF Global Arts, Acoustic Corner, 88.7 WNCW, White Horse Black Mountain and Judi Melton Mortgage Advisor.