Peacetown to present 10 free weekly concerts this summer

Peacetown, a Sebastopol-based nonprofit, will present its 11th annual free summer concert series in Sebastopol’s Barlow center, with performances every Wednesday for 10 weeks, beginning in June.

The series was founded a decade ago by Jim “Mr. Music” Corbett, a popular local musician, music teacher and concert promoter. Organizers estimate it attracts anywhere from 2,500 to 4,500 visitors a week.

Already with a loyal following, Peacetown was incorporated as a nonprofit in 2019 to support local music, peace and community involvement. One of the founding board members, Elizabeth Smith, was appointed Peacetown’s first executive director in January.

“I see Peacetown growing considerably. We’ve talked about expanding, maybe having pop-up concerts in other towns,” Smith said. “We want offer a curriculum about peace and community to the schools.”

At each concert, five bands perform simultaneously at different spots in the Barlow shopping center. After-hours music follows at the HopMonk Tavern and Gravenstein Grill. The band lineup will be announced this month.

The events also include the Family Village, introduced in 2019 by Smith as a space for children and families to come together to play, socialize, listen to music at the School of Rock stage and access local resources from participating local organizations.

The Peacetown program awarded two scholarships for the School of Rock music school in Santa Rosa, Smith said.

Smith said she discovered the Peacetown concerts after moving to Sebastopol with her family in 2018. She was impressed by the positive atmosphere.

“I remember looking around and seeing people with big smiles,” Smith said. “The whole vibe was peace, love and togetherness.”

Smith also serves as a trustee for Sebastopol Union School District and is the founding president for Soroptimist International of West Sonoma County.

For four years, she served as the community manager for Sonoma County PACES (Positive and Adverse Childhood Experiences) Connection. She is also the founder of Project Whole Child, a program that focuses on creating changes in the community that support children, families and communities.

In 2021, she was recognized as Sebastopol's Local Who Makes a Difference. In 2022, she was named the Sebastopol Chamber of Commerce Volunteer of the Year.

To learn more about Peacetown, visit peacetown.org. You can contact Smith at elizabeth@peacetown.org or visit the Peacetown office inside the Sebastopol Chamber of Commerce at 265 S. Main St., Sebastopol.

You can reach Staff Writer Dan Taylor at dan.taylor@pressdemocrat.com or 707-521-5243. On Twitter @danarts.