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Over the next few years, downtown Cookeville's Dogwood Park will come to rival outdoor recreation and performance venues across the state in size, scope and audience capacity as the city continues with its ambitious expansion plans for the facility.



And while the Bryan Symphony Orchestra's season typically opens in mid-September with a free outdoor concert in Dogwood Park, this year's performance has been postponed while the current phase of renovations is underway. The BSO's annual free concert has always been one of the biggest events held in Dogwood Park; last year, in fact, the BSO broke attendance records, with an audience estimated at 1,500 to 2,000.



While programming continues in the park during renovations, the current phase limits seating to the area directly in front of the performance pavilion, which can accommodate approximately 500 people. Later in the season, once amphitheater seating is complete and the grassy areas surrounding that section re-open, the park will be able to hold larger audiences again.



"Dogwood Park is already the premier outdoor location for cultural programming in our area, and everyone in the arts community is excited about the park expansion," said Gail Luna, BSO executive director. "When more seating becomes available, we'll look at rescheduling our annual free performance. It's important to us, and to the sponsors who make the free concert possible, to share this experience with as many people as possible."



Those sponsors are long-time supporters Sam and Diane Glasgow and Louisa and Michael Self. Diane Glasgow may be familiar to audience members as the coordinator of our "Young at Heart" concert activities.



"I'm a teacher, so I know that music is fun, and it's especially fun if you understand it and understand the composers," she said.



Diane's husband, Sam, was the chief fund-raiser for the performance pavilion in Dogwood Park. The Glasgows are strong believers in sharing symphonic music with children early on, which is why they help sponsor the annual free outdoor concert.



"It started in honor of our parents because they introduced us to symphony music," said Diane. "I sat next to my parents at free concerts in Santa Monica where I grew up. So when I became an adult and moved around and saw that people couldn't always afford season tickets, I realized that half the population of our country is missing out on this beautiful experience. And if you don't get exposed to it when you're little, you might never get to enjoy it. That's why we thought supporting the outdoor concert was important. We did it so children could go to performances with their parents, like we did, and come to love symphonic music."



Louisa Self, past president of the BSOA board, is also intent on providing this experience for families.



"As a member of the board," she said, "I get a lot of comments from people who would like to bring their families to our regular concerts, but Sunday afternoons are often set aside for other activities. So I like the idea of having an outdoor concert in the early evening -- of bringing the music to an environment in which the kids are already comfortable. This park is going to be wonderful for the community."



Plans for the Dogwood Park expansion, which is anticipated to last several years, include an events pavilion for weddings and other gatherings, a playground between the amphitheater and the parking lot of the library, and the re-opening of the old town spring. The performance pavilion will face semi-circular tiered seating, and the sight lines from the surrounding grassy areas will improve.



The BSO's subscription concert season begins Sunday, Oct. 19, in Wattenbarger Auditorium. Reserve season tickets by calling 372-6088 or downloading a season ticket reservation form.