Summerset 2007 to Benefit AIMM

Summerset 2007, to take place at the North Shore River Walk in North Little Rock, AR on Sunday, September 2^nd.

The event will begin at noon and end at 11:00pm. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased early at www.nlrsummerset.com or at the entrance. Kids ages 12 and under get in free. Sponsored by the Tennenbaum Family among others, attendees can enjoy the Pulaski Tech Kid Zone hosted by Radio Disney, the Art Zone hosted by The Art Scene, the Summerset Boat Parade, which will include the biggest yachts on the Arkansas River, the Beer Garden for those 21 and older, and the Main Stage, which will include many local bands and be headlined by the 1990’s favorite Spin Doctors. Vendors will be selling food and drinks at Summerset. Money raised will be reinvested in improvements in the Argenta area.

A portion of the proceeds will also benefit the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum.

For more information or interviews, please contact Ed Linck at edlinck@hotmail.com or (501) 733-4801. Also, you can learn more at www.nlrsummerset.com.

History

Since 1980, Summerset has been a household name in the North Little Rock community. Designed as a salute to the end of summer, Summerset featured family entertainment, concerts, Motocross races, a 5K race, art and crafts, commercial vending, a variety of food vendors and fireworks.

The purpose of Summerset was to assist in the development of the Parks & Recreation System of the City of North Little Rock. Funds raised by Summerset were donated to the Parks & Recreation System, as well as to other similar activities operating within the City of North Little Rock. Various charities including the North Little Rock Sertoma Club, North Little Rock Optimist Club, North Little Rock Lions Club and the Untied Way benefited from Summerset.

Attendance at Summerset would vary from 5,000 people to close to 100,000 people. Much of this depended on the entertainment. Past Summerset performers include the Arkansas Symphony String Quartet, Michael Martin Murphey, Vince Gill, Three Dog Night, Paul Rodgers (former lead singer of Bad Company), Georgia Satellites and Chuck Berry.

As a fundraiser, Summerset produced results. Improvements made in Burns Park include the construction of a new pavilion next to the softball complex, renovation of the Hospitality House, the addition of electric and water outlets throughout the park, electrical panel construction for use in all NLR park facilities, construction of a handicap accessible restroom at the Visitors Center in Burns Park and the construction of the soccer fields.

In April of 2002, the Summerset Board of Directors decided to not continue the annual event. The remaining funds were donated to Riverfest as a sponsorship of its 25th anniversary to assist in bringing the Memorial Day Weekend festival to North Little Rock. North Little Rock hasn’t celebrated a Summerset weekend since…

In early 2007, the members of Big Three Promotions felt like there was a void in central Arkansas during the Labor Day Weekend. After learning of the history of Summerset, the team decided to revive the annual event and make it bigger and better than ever. Now located at the North Shore River Walk, Summerset is BACK!