I'm not sure who sent it to me, but I received an article titled "15 Best Things to Do in Hutchinson, Minnesota," published by viatravelers.com. It had all the usual Hutchinson highlights, among them listed were: Crow river Winery, Bobbing Bobber Brewing Co., Clay Coyote Gallery and Pottery, Fishing the South Fork of the Crow River, the Luce Line State Trail, McLeod County Veterans Memorial Park, Wheel & Cog Children's Museum of Hutchinson and Arts and Culture.

There was a time when Hutchinson was a desert when it came to arts and culture, but that's all changed. The article mentioned a walking tour, living history cemetery tour and Hutchinson Theatre Company productions. I'd like to add to the list the Hutchinson Center for the Arts, which offers everything from classes and exhibits to meeting space and the Hutchinson Public Arts Commission, which this reporter is a member. This city commission is responsible for the annual Hutchinson Sculpture Stroll. The outdoor artworks are changed up each May and will be on display for one year throughout the city. It's an opportunity to mix art with the outdoors and vote for the People's Choice Award. The winning artist has bragging rights plus $500 award.

If music is your thing, the best deal around is the Hutchinson Concert Association. It should be listed as one of Hutchinson's cultural assets. Memberships for the 2022-23 season are now on sale and available at hutchinsonconcert.weebly.com.

A membership provides entry to three concerts, which features:

  • 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15: B2wins: Led by charismatic twin brothers from Rio de Janeiro, the duo combines a variety of genres into a live show that is equal parts rock concert, jam session, dance party and house party. Expect to hear modern music played on violins and other instruments.
  • 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 6: The Holy Rocka Rollaz: Using vintage instruments and having spent years studying the styles of all the early rock ‘n’ rollers, this band knows how to deliver the spirit and sound of those 1950s music pioneers.
  • 7 p.m. Thursday, April 13:The String Showdown: Multi-instrumentalists Mike Lauer (George Maurer, Bobby Vee) and Greg Byers (Kat Perkins, Trans-Siberian Orchestra) collide in The String Showdown. As a dueling string duo, they rock you with your favorite hits from radio, TV, and movies welcoming the audience to clap, dance and sing along.

According to Ross Jurek, president of the Hutchinson Concert Association, when it comes to choosing entertainers, the board looks for a couple of key things: If the performance is good and is it different from previous years?

"We try to get a mixture of instrumental and vocal," he said. "We look for unique performances that we have not had before. We also look for the artist(s) to interact with the audience. Our members like to hear about the artist(s), they like to be oohed and awed. In general we look for an artist to entertain our members for the full show. We do have a budget to stay within as we are nonprofit, so that also figures into the discussion."

The best part of an HCA membership is that you get double the music for half the price. Thanks to a reciprocal agreement with Glencoe, HCA members can attend the three Glencoe concerts at no additional cost, which means six concerts for the price of 3.
2022-23 Glencoe Concert Association season:
  • 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 11: How Sweet It is: Nashville-based Steve Leslie is an awarded singer/songwriter/guitarist. With “How Sweet It Is”, he turns to playing the music of James Taylor. Steve’s songs have been recorded by Kenny Rogers, Mark Chesnutt, George Strait, Darryl Worley, Rhonda Vincent, Neal McCoy, Darius Rucker and others. He won the Grammy award for penning the title cut for Ricky Skaggs’ 2004 Best Bluegrass Album. Steve has played the Grand Ole Opry, the Ryman Auditorium, and can be seen regularly at the world famous Bluebird Cafe.
  • 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23: Dan Miller and his Cowboy Music Revue have been entertaining audiences from around the world for 17 years. More than 170,000 people from 68 foreign countries have enjoyed the first-class musicianship and family-friendly production.
  • Tuesday, March 28: Backtrack Vocals: This five-person professional a cappella singing group that transforms familiar pop, funk, Motown, standards, and Broadway songs with all-new vocal (and beatbox) arrangements. The group regularly performs on stages throughout the nation at performing arts centers, music festivals, and schools.
The Hutchinson Concert Association has stood the test of time. It was started in the early 1980s to bring cultural events to town and has stayed true to its mission for more than 35 years. If you’re not sure about buying a membership, purchase a ticket at the door and check out the music.

"This is a chance to take a break from your daily routine and be entertained for the evening or afternoon," Jurek said. "We also make sure the performance is family appropriate, as some of the artists do preform a master class for the students, which is an opportunity for the students to see what it takes to become a professional artist. Another bonus for our concerts are that they are hosted locally, allowing for limited traveling. We try to bring in a variety of artists that hopefully are new or familiar sound for our members."

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