Whether you’re new to Central Oregon or a longtime local, you should know that one of the area’s great summer events — the Munch & Music concert series in Bend’s Drake Park — will return for its 33rd season on Thursday, July 4.

Who’s on first?

The first headliner in the six-show series is Ron Artis II, the Hawaiian singer-songwriter who plays a deeply soulful mix of pop, folk, blues and rock.

Artis II comes to Munch & Music with a fast-growing fan base — including famous musicians like Jack Johnson and G. Love — drawn to his dazzling guitar skills, his engaging voice and the positive, inspiring messages that permeate his songs.

“It’s easy to feel completely helpless and worthless as far as finding a solution right now,” he told SPIN magazine earlier this year. “But maybe the solution is all of us just walking in the direction of love and somehow collectively making a big shift. I can take two steps. He’s taking four. She’s taking one. It magnifies and multiples.”

Hunger for music

As for Munch & Music, it’s a weekly series of concerts at the bandshell in Drake Park, and it’s an affordable delight in an increasingly expensive world. Attendance is free, which aligns with the original mission of the event, which was started in the early 1990s, when local promoter Cameron Clark found himself among a large crowd sitting outside a ticketed concert in Drake Park, listening to the music even if he couldn’t see the stage.

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So he launched Munch & Music, which over the past three decades has drawn thousands of people downtown, not only for concerts by high-quality local and nationally touring artists, but also a multitude of food and drink vendors, local artisans selling their wares and the family friendly Kids Zone. (Leave your dogs at home, by the way.)

The music starts around 5:30 p.m.

Who else is playing?

In addition to Artis II, here’s who’s on the Munch & Music slate this summer:

July 11: Ozomatli — Eclectic rock ‘n’ roll with touches of jazz, funk, reggae, hip-hop and Latin music. Opener: The Rumpeppers.

July 18: The Dandy Warhols — Classic psychedelic pop-rock from Portland, best known for the 2000 hit “Bohemian Like You.” Opener: Not Your Ex Lover.

July 25: Kalimba — Soul, funk and R&B from Seattle’s finest Earth, Wind and Fire tribute act. Opener: That 90’s Band.

Aug. 1: Fruition — Bluegrass, blues, roots music, rock ‘n’ roll and pop sensibility, and a longtime local favorite. Opener: Toast & Jam.

Aug. 8: Precious Byrd — High-energy covers and originals from a busy local band that knows how to fill dance

floors. Openers: Dad Bods and Hella

Shy.

If You Go

Who: Munch & Music with Ron Artis II, Miles Harris Trio

When: 5:30 p.m. Thursday, July 4

Where: Drake Park, 777 NW Riverside Blvd., Bend

Cost: free

Contact: munchandmusic.com