The Freeman Arts Pavilion: A Delmarvalous Delight

August 20, 2021

 There is so much to love about living on the Eastern Shore. I’ve never lived anywhere that offers such a sheer amount of things to do through most of the year between festivals, special events, parades and various other things.

But one thing I particularly enjoy is live music and concerts. Lucky for us on the Shore, we have the Freeman Arts Pavilion (formerly known as the Freeman Stage). Located in Selbyville, Delaware, the Freeman Pavilion is an outdoor space dedicated to bringing the community national recording artists, local artists, tribute bands, performing arts and free family and children’s programming.

The space was remodeled/reorganized over the past year and is in the midst of a major expansion that will include a new pavilion. From their website:

Construction of the new pavilion will be done gradually over the coming four to six years, limiting construction to the off-season (October through May). When complete, the new facility (see illustration on their site) will accommodate 4,000 patrons, with 1,100 under roof, and feature state-of-the-art sound, lighting and video capabilities, an expanded concession and dining area, and artists’ dressing room and production space.

Currently in 2021, the outdoor space allows for acts to be held while patrons buy “pods” or a seat in a pod. A pod is simply a spray-painted circle in the grass that accommodates four people generously and allows patrons to attend acts without rubbing elbow to elbow with their fellow attendees. Patrons byoc (bring your own chair) and can situation however they wish within their designated space. The outdoor space allows for easy viewing of the stage, large screens so attendees further back are brought into the on-stage experience, and an excellent sound experience. In my multiple visits to the Freeman Pavilion over the past few years, including before Covid and the restructure in progress, bugs have never been a problem and it’s obvious that they keep the area well maintained.

The acts, as noted above, range from large national acts such as Train, the Beach Boys, the Indigo Girls, the Commodores and more, to regional and local acts, as well as free children’s and family-specific events.

The outdoor venue is a welcome venue, especially during Covid-times when indoor activities have been postponed or cancelled.

During the larger acts, food trucks are on site to provide meals to hungry fans, there is an assortment of beer, wine and cocktails in a can offered, and there is always someone to approach for assistance, if assistance is needed. I always saw an abundance of helpful ushers, staff and possibly volunteers as I walked around the area.

If you haven’t had a chance to visit the Freeman Arts Pavilion, there’s still opportunity to get tickets for some of the 2021 performances such as Foreigner, Harry Connick Jr, The Beach Boys, Melissa Etheridge, Steve Earle & The Dukes and Los Lobos, The Commodores, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Earth, Wind & Fire. There are also still free family events this season like Cascading Carlos—The Juggler. As a fun aside, Foreigner will showcase local teen musicians from Salisbury's AMP Studio: Academy of Music Performance as an opening act!

And if you’re a golfer, you may want to check out their annual golf tournament scheduled for October: The Annual Joshua M. Freeman Foundation Golf Tournament.

It’s clear from browsing their website that the Freeman Arts Pavilion is not only dedicated to providing our area with musical, cultural and fun events, but that their plans for expansion mean that attendees can continue to look forward to a top notch experience unparalleled in other small town areas. 

Note: the pictures shown in the slider were taken at the Train and Vertical Horizon concert August 15th, 2021.

This business is a Shop Local Delmarvalous Delight and I highly recommend it! 

Business Details:

Freeman Arts Pavilion

31806 Lakeview Drive

Selbyville, DE 19975

www.freemanarts.org

https://www.facebook.com/FreemanArtsPavilion

Angela James is a resident of Salisbury, MD and active in the Delmarva community through volunteer work for organizations such as National Folk Festival, Humane Society of Wicomico, Salisbury Pride Parade and more. A fiction editor, author career consultant and public speaker, she’s a small business owner who understands the power of word of mouth and customer reviews.

Delmarvalous Delights highlights the best of Delmarva, along with hidden gems, and shines a spotlight on those businesses that stand out consistently as Delmarvalous Delights.

If you’d like to invite Angela to visit your business, or try your products, please email angie@delmarvalousdelights.com