WEST SUFFIELD, Conn. – The summer is shaping up at Babb’s Park and the Citizens restoring Congamond (CRC) are looking for volunteers.
Members of the CRC will be at the former roller skating rink Saturday, June 28, finishing up siding the building and performing general yard work in preparation for the fourth annual Concerts on Congamond series at Babb’s Park.
CRC member Jerry Crane said this season should be an exciting one at the park.
“The Babb family has always supported us, and this year they have given us a sponsorship to attract regional and national touring acts,” said Crane.
The first Concert on Congamond in the Nelson W. Babb Memorial Music Series is Eight to the Bar July 6. Drawing its musical influences from American roots music – swing, boogie woogie, rhythm & blues, soul, Motown, – Eight to the Bar is known for its outstanding instrumentalists and sophisticated musical and vocal arrangements, highlighted by female vocals.
All shows are Sundays from 2-5 p.m. at Babb’s Park, 433 Babb’s Road, West Suffield, Conn. Cost is a $10 donation at the gate, with the exception of Aug. 10, which is $20 at door for the Dave “Biscuit” Miller blues show.
The CRC is responsible for the rink’s renovation. CRC is a citizen-based, volunteer, nonprofit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to the betterment of the Congamond Lakes. The membership is comprised of concerned citizens, primarily from the towns of Southwick and Suffield but also from bordering towns and even neighboring states. CRC is involved in lake monitoring, invasive weed control, clean-up days, and various social and recreational events. For more information on CRC visit www.congamond.org.
Crane said the group has made much progress over the years, but still has more to go.
“We got the rink on the national register of historic places, which wasn’t an easy task,” he said. “We hope to finish siding this weekend and keep working on the inside.”
The next major project, said Crane, is bringing water into the building, which was built as a dance hall in 1930.
“We need to bring in the water, put in sprinklers, put in a new septic, and build ADA-compliant bathrooms,” Crane said. “It will cost a couple hundred thousand dollars.”
In the meantime, Crane said the CRC is keeping Babb’s alive with the concert series.
“We just want to keep people coming to the park,” he said.
Anyone who would like to join the efforts can visit the park today, or contact the CRC through its web site. A full list of summer concerts is available at babbspark.org.
