I knew I was headed in the right direction, following a guy toting a trombone case like an oblong backpack. It was a perfect day at Lake Harriet as a warm afternoon was giving way to a breezy evening. Off the walking path a mom and dad helped their daughter switch from swim to evening wear: a tulle dress the color of seafoam, a perfect dress to wear when sipping a summer cocktail or enjoying a frozen treat.

Like the family, many were heading to the bandshell to catch the season debut of the Minneapolis Pops Orchestra, a place that has been the orchestra’s summer home since 1950. That may seem like a long time but consider the fact that Lake Harriet has been putting on concerts on its shores since 1888. Five music venues have been built over that period, the latest in 1986 was recently refurbished in 2025.

For a while and before Covid I liked to bike to Lake Harriet, grab a bag of popcorn and an Arnie Palmer and read my current summer read in one of the dedicated benches in front of the bandshell. Sometimes I read long enough to catch a show and many times it was the Minneapolis Pops Orchestra.

The conductor at the time was Jere Lantz and I liked his style for he was engaging and casual and provided little musical nuggets between songs to help you feel a little more cultured even if you were trying to prevent ice cream from dripping down your arm.

Lantz stepped down in 2022 and Russel Gray stepped in as the current music director. Like Lantz he has a casual and self-effacing delivery. Like many of the musicians on stage, he also wears many hats, one being the conductor of the British Fodens Brass Band.

Gray didn’t take the stage wearing a kilt, but you knew right away he was from Scotland when he announced, “We’re back.” And to celebrate his adopted country’s 250th Anniversary, he started off with John Williams’ “Liberty Fanfare.”

The Minneapolis Pops Orchestra’s season runs through the month of July and their first concert was called Sneak Peek for it showcased music from the upcoming concerts.

Some highlights:

The first movement from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Symphony 40, which Gray relished considering he didn’t get many opportunities to conduct Mozart as a leader of a brass band.
Ted Ricketts’ “Satchmo: A Tribute to Louis Armstrong” which covered all of the great trumpeter’s hits and even got a few people out of their seats to dance.
Edvard Greig’s “Wedding Day at Troldhaugen” which was written as a gift to Grieg’s wife on their 25th Wedding Anniversary.
Then Gray and the orchestra returned to John Williams and sent everyone off into the night and possibly to another galaxy with “Star Wars.”

If you are looking for some free outdoor summer entertainment next month, you can do no wrong with an orchestra that is going on its 77th season at Lake Harriet Bandshell.