By Anna Skinner
Although lots of free concerts tend to pop up around Hamilton County, Noblesville residents will have a unique opportunity come Aug. 29.
At the Rootbeer Garden in Noblesville, the Schipper’s Family Reunion Band will be performing 1950s and modern bluegrass music from 7 to 9 p.m. The music choice isn’t the only unique portion of the concert, though.
Back in 1965, Robert Arbuckle, owner of Arbuckle’s Railroad Place and the sponsor and site of the event, wanted to encourage having Saturday night become an active time in Noblesville.
“At that time Noblesville was a pretty dead place, so we had a rinky-dink piano player come in and play and we would give free root beer and pretzels for the people who came in,” Arbuckle said.
The event was eventually discontinued, but starts up again with the Schipper’s Family Reunion Band, with hopes for more events in the future.
The concert is free, and to bring back the old-time feel, Arbuckle said root beer and pretzels will also be distributed to concert goers free of charge.
“We are doing this to encourage people to come to Noblesville and make some things happen that are historic,” Arbuckle said. “This is kind of a down home type of thing that we would like to encourage in our Root Beer Garden.”
Arbuckle, a Noblesville Veteran Street Dancer, said dancing of all kinds is also encouraged at the concert.
“We are opening the door and making it possible for some wonderful things to happen in the area of music and the area of dancing,” Arbuckle said.