Some people pay $100 or more to attend a classical music orchestra, according to Marion resident Ed Hoffer.
Hoffer, an unofficial spokesperson of the Buzzards Bay Musicfest, says people along the South Coast can attend a live orchestra performance for free during one week in July.
“It is one of the better kept secrets on the South Coast. You have world-class musicians and it is totally free, and you expect it to be standing room only (at Tabor Academy’s Performing Arts Center),” Hoffer said.
Hoffer said the event has happened almost every year since 1997, but the auditorium at Tabor Academy never gets completely filled.
Hoffer says the festival is well known in Marion, but it lacks publicity beyond the town’s borders.
Hoffer said that he attended a symphony in New Bedford and talked to a few people who had never even heard of the annual festival, which has consistently occurred, except during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
Hoffer is one of many Marion residents who help house the musicians during their stay.
Hoffer said the event is funded through donations, and musicians take less money to perform. After all, they get to go to the beach during the day or bike along the picturesque roads of Marion and then perform in the evening, Hoffer added.
“In summer, there is a dearth of music … unless you go to Tanglewood (in Lenox). Now you have five solid days of great music in an air-conditioned auditorium,” Hoffer added.
Hoffer said that it once only offered classical music. This year, on Friday evenings, there will be a swing band, and on Thursday, there will be chamber music.
The event runs from Wednesday, July 10, to Sunday, July 14. All concerts start at 7:30 pm, except for the 2:00 pm performance on Sunday.
In addition to offering five free concerts, Tabor Academy offers plenty of parking for concert goers.
For a full list of the headlining acts and other details, log on to buzzardsbaymusicfest.com.
By Jeffrey D. Wagner