Get a Discount to N.C. Symphony’s Summerfest
Duke employees receive 25 percent off lawn seating at the orchestra concert series
Mary Pat Duncan enjoys the outdoors at sunset. Her youngest daughter plays piano and cello and listens to classical music. Her oldest daughter loves show tunes and musical theater.
Combining all of their loves, the Duncans spend family time on a picnic blanket over the summer, listening to the violin concertos of Tchaikovsky and Broadway hits during North Carolina Symphony’s Summerfest.
Read More“It’s just a nice time to blend family, good food, being outside and good music,” said Duncan, associate director of subspecialty affiliations for Duke University Health System’s Network Services. “I really enjoy it, and so do my kids.”
As part of the Duke employee discount program, PERQS, employees receive up to 25 percent off lawn seating at the Symphony’s Summerfest series. Individual tickets and flex packages are now on sale for the 10-concert season, scheduled May 28 through July 9. Single tickets range from $22 to $27 for Duke staff and faculty. Children 12 and under are admitted for free.
Concerts are at the Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary, and concert-goers can bring blankets and lawn chairs, food, and beer and wine.
Some of the concert themes include Classics Under the Stars on June 4, which features music such as Vivaldi’s “Spring” and selections from Carmen; and the John Williams Festival June 10 and 11, which pays tribute to Williams’ Oscar-nominated scores.
On June 25, the symphony will present The Music of David Bowie: A Musical Odyssey, which will bring together a rock band and the orchestra onstage to perform hits such as “Space Oddity” and “Under Pressure.”
Before each concert begins, Whole Foods Market holds a “Picnic of the Week” contest with a roving judge who selects the best picnic spread. Winners receive Whole Foods gift cards. There is also an “instrument zoo” for children, where they can try out orchestra instruments such as the violin, trumpet and clarinet, said Kimberly Little, group sales and promotions coordinator for the North Carolina Symphony.
“Summerfest is a good way to enjoy the summer,” Little said. “It makes a great date, or if you have a bunch of kids, they get in for free, and it definitely helps in finding things to do for the whole family that works for your budget.”