ANDOVER – The Andover Summer Concert Series will enter its third year at 6 p.m. Friday, June 3, at the Town Common.

The series is held every other Friday throughout the summer and early fall. People are invited, free of charge, to watch regional musicians perform a variety of genres.

Pete Coolidge, who owns Pete’s Hardware with his wife, Wanda, said the idea for a free concert series stemmed from monthly jam sessions with his friends.

“The idea just kind of evolved over the years,” Coolidge said. “I get together with some friends a few times every month to play music, and at some point, we started talking about possibly doing a free concert for people in Andover.

“I’ve done a couple of benefits for people over the years, so I thought it would be neat to do something like this for the town. We’ve never really had anything like in Andover,” Coolidge said.

For the upcoming summer concert series, resident Ross Swain said a “preferred seating” option is being introduced to “help fund some of the bigger name performers,” and will “guarantee a seat, rain or shine.”

Swain said, “The series has grown immensely since Pete started it two years ago.”

“It started out mainly as a summer concert series for Andover talent to perform for the locals every other Friday, and is now including highly talented regional performers, and even some national talent in the way of David Mallett,” Swain said. “With these changes come more planning, and the need to focus a little more on cash flow, which was less of a concert two years ago.”

He said that “in keeping with the vision of the first year, all outdoor concerts will still be free,” with donations “appreciated and helpful.”

The preferred seating option will allow those who purchase it to be guaranteed a seat at the concert if it rains on the day of the event, and the concert is moved into the Andover Congregational Church.

If it does not rain and the concert is held outside, Swain said ticket holders will be guaranteed a seat directly in front of the bandstand.

Swain said the preferred seating tickets are available in advance, “and if they don’t sell out, remaining tickets will be available on a first come, first serve basis on the day of the concert.”

Residents are invited to bring chairs and blankets and are asked to leave their dogs at home unless they are service dogs.

“There are no food concessions on site, but there are two convenience stores, one restaurant, and an ice cream shop within easy walking distance,” Swain said.

For more information, visit the Andover Summer Concert Series on Facebook.

mdaigle@sunmediagroup.net