There are several opportunities for Richmond County residents to attend outdoor concerts within the next 10 days.
The Embers return to Cole Plaza Thursday evening to kick off the 2026 season of Plaza Jam, making up for the show originally scheduled earlier this month. That show was postponed due to the threat of rain.
Rockingham’s Plaza Jam concerts are held the first Thursday of each month from May-October. Other acts scheduled for this year are: Chocolate Chip & Company; Gary Lowder and Smokin’ Hot; the Blackwater Band; the Tams; and Too Much Sylvia.
The shows run from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
On Friday, local band Vagabond takes the stage in the second installment of Hamlet’s Boxcar Concert Series.
The band — comprising guitarist/vocalist John Baker, bassist/vocalist Patrick Razon, drummer Anakin White and guitarist Logan Watts — was scheduled to play the Boxcar series in 2024, but the show was canceled due to Hurricane Helene. However, Vagabond did perform in September 2025.
The band has also played at Norton Farms and several other local and regional venues.
Vagabond’s set list includes a variety of covers over several decades of rock music, ranging from Jackson Brown and Steely Dan to Green Day and the Foo Fighters.
Concerts are held from 6-8 p.m. in Main Street Park on the fourth Friday of each month, coinciding with TGIFood Truck Fridays at the Depot. This week’s food trucks are: Mama Blair’s; Max’s Millstone BBQ; SeaSoul Melody; The Bean and Cheese; Puckered Up Lemonade; and Kandy ShaK.
The 2026 season started in April with a performance by the Low Down Dirty Heathens. Other bands on the schedule are: Beach Fever in June; Good Company in July; the Jonathan Robinson Band in August; Erik Hawks and the Hard Luck Band in September; and The Radio in October, the night before the Seaboard Festival.
Pickin’ in the Park starts back up in Ellerbe on Friday, May 29 with the Luke Vuncannon Band playing from 7-9 p.m. There will also be food trucks on site.
Plaza Jam, the Boxcar Concert Series and Pickin’ in the Park are all free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs.
