Three bands will perform during Tulip Festival to kick off the Orange City Arts Council’s annual summer series, Onstage Orange City.
Orange City’s own Usual Suspects (pictured above: Steve Mason, John Hubers, Sam Martin, Gary Reinders & Joel Westerholm) will perform on Thursday night, May 14. The band plays a variety of musical styles, including classic acoustic-based pop and rock, blues, contemporary folk and original songs. The Usual Suspects will also perform during Tulip Festival’s ArtBurst event on Saturday, May 16, from 10 a.m. to noon and 4 to 6 p.m. in the Straatmarkt.
Now Serving 7 (right), a Christian electro-coustic pop/rock band based in Pella, Iowa, will take the stage on Friday night, May 15. 
They have performed with artists like Jeremy Camp and Superchick and at official NASCAR events. Making their third consecutive-year appearance at Tulip Festival, Now Serving 7 will perform songs from their debut album, “I Will Go.”
Damon Dotson (below left) is a singer-songwriter originally from Okoboji, Iowa. He performs in a variety of venues throughout the Midwest, including Minneapolis, Omaha and Chicago. He has opened for artists Willie Nelson and the Beach Boys, among others. Dotson and his band members will perform songs from their new and rising album, “Tumblin’,”on Saturday night, May 16.
“We’re excited to partner with the Orange City Arts Council to open their summer series during Tulip Festival,” says Juliana Pennings, Tulip Festival & Community Tourism Director. “We are grateful for the many ways the Orange City Arts Council continues to promote and bring the arts to our community.”
The concerts will take place at the band shell in Windmill Park at 7:30 p.m. each evening, and there is no cost to attend. Bring lawn chairs or blankets. The rain location for the concerts is the Orange City Town Hall.
Onstage Orange City is a program sponsored by the Orange City Arts Council, and brings in local, regional, national and international artists to perform throughout the summer. To view a full schedule for the 2015 season, visit orangecityarts.net. This summer will mark the sixth year of Onstage Orange City.
