Here’s how to see the Village People for free
STAMFORD — At every sporting event, middle school dance, wedding and party, there is a statistically high probability that the crowd will break into raucous joy and scream the words to “YMCA” by the Village People.
“It’s fun to stay at the YMCA,” people yell without fail. So after three weeks of its Wednesday Nite Live concert series, the Downtown Special Services District wants to remind people that it’s fun to come down to Mill River Park, too.
The DSSD announced that the upcoming installment of Wednesday Nite Live, featuring none other than the Village People, will be free of charge for all attendees. Norwalk-based act The Juicy Grapes will open for the iconic disco band, famous for its ever-present costumes and ever-changing lineup, at the Sept. 22 concert.
DSSD called the decision to host the concert for free “a thank you to (its) community for being vaccinated.” Still, the move is also meant to boost attendance at the Wednesday evening shows, which moved this year after a long tenure at nearby Columbus Park.
In recent weeks, accommodations for the concerts have been altered due to the weather; the Wednesday Nite Live kickoff headlined by Blues Traveler was moved to the Palace Theatre just before Hurricane Ida struck the city. Though a blissfully sunny day followed Ida’s onslaught, Mill River Park was left muddy for the following evening’s Jon Batiste performance at Alive@Five.
But it’s not just the weather, according to DSSD President David Kooris.
“Alive@Five was always July,” he said. “It was always after work — it was really easy. Now, not everybody’s in the office. It’s in September. People haven’t been going out to stuff for a long time.”
The trick is building a new habit for people, Kooris added, and welcoming people to Mill River Park for free is part of that trick.
“We’ve had good crowds, they’ve had a great time, and we want as much of the community as possible to experience that,” Kooris continued, “So that next year, they’ll have a memory in their mind when they see the lineup.”
But for this year, the mission is even simpler: he wants people to come out and have fun. Plus, there is nothing better than screaming out the words to a song in the park that everybody knows.
All attendees at Wednesday Nite Live must present proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test taken within 72 hours to enter the venue, including minors under the age of 12 accompanying a ticketed adult. All previously purchased Village People tickets will be upgraded to “Preferred Seating tickets, which include access via the VIP Gate and Preferred Seats in close proximity to stage,” the DSSD said in a press release. Attendees can purchase preferred seats online via Eventbrite.