NORWOOD – The Norwood Village Green Concert Series will open its 50th Anniversary Season on Thursday, June 1 with a SLCMEA Music Education Event, featuring The Phoenix Jazz Collective, at 6 p.m.

The Phoenix Jazz Collective (featuring Scott LaVine, Sam Bailey, Larry Baycura & Steve Bird), will perform with soloists and groups from various St. Lawrence County Schools, giving students the opportunity to perform with local professional musicians.

Series organizers credited SLCMEA (St. Lawrence County Music Educators Association) for helping coordinate and fund this special event to kick off the series.

Conceived and co-founded by Joseph and Harriet Liotta in 1974, the Norwood Village Green Concert Series is the oldest continuous outdoor series in Northern New York state.

The series has presented over 800 performances and 26 Grammy Award Winners, as well as National Medal of Arts recipients, National Heritage recipients, MacArthur Genius Fellows, National Fiddle Champions, a National Dulcimer Champion, a National Flatpicking Guitar Champion, a Helen Hayes Performing Artist of the Year, Juno recipients, International Bluegrass Music Association winners, Blues Foundation Awards recipients, a Living Blues Award winner, Maple Blues awardees and an Americana Music Association Lifetime Trailblazer Award recipient.

This year, the 50th Anniversary season will feature diverse performances from various parts of the world, along with traditional and Americana concerts, and more than 100 local performers this year, organizers said.

All concerts begin at 7 p.m. except as noted. Here is the full schedule:

Thursday, June 1, 6 p.m.: St. Lawrence County Music Educators Event with The Phoenix Jazz Collective

Thursday, June 8th, 1 p.m.: Galumpha- Imagine Released at NNCS and at 7 p.m. for general public

Thursday, June 15, The Goddard Girls and The Dotys

Sunday, June 18, Annie and the Hedonists

Thursday, June 22, Northern Symphonic Winds

Sunday, June 25, The John Jorgenson Bluegrass Band

Thursday, June 29, Nicole White & Maria Tartaglia, and Theresa “Bear” Fox

Sunday, July 2, 6 p.m., Dan Duggan public dance, followed by 7 p.m., Magpie

Thursday, July 6, The All Star Big Band under the direction of Wally Siebel with guest artist Mike Dubaniewicz, saxophone

Sunday, July 9, 4 p.m., La Banda Morisca Workshop, and 7 p.m., La Banda Morisca Concert

Sunday, July 16, Phil Hurley

Thursday, July 20, Paul Meyers and Phoebe Hunt

Sunday, July 23, 6 p.m. Ursa and the Major Key

7:30 p.m. Divided Roads

Thursday, July 27, Tres Souls

Sunday, July 30, Ustad Shaffat Khan

Thursday, August 3, “Norwoodstock” curated by Andy Van Duyne

Sunday, August 6, Brad Byrd and The Ray Lambiase Group

Thursday, August 10, The Brass Firemen

Sunday, August 13, Ranky Tanky

The series is supported in part by the Northern New York Community Foundation helping to establish and maintain the series endowment fund.

Public monies from the Town of Potsdam and the Village of Norwood also support the series, along with funding from the New York State Council on the Arts.

The acoustic concerts are supported by The Sweetgrass Foundation, and North Country Public Radio is a media sponsor for the La Banda Morisca concert.

The series primary support for the series programming is from many local organizations, businesses, and individuals. This support accounts for 55% of all income.The series continues to solicit much needed donations by check. Checks can be mailed to: Norwood Village Green Concert Series, 3 Bicknell Street, Norwood, NY 13668. All contributions are tax deductible.

Norwood Village Green Concert Series concerts are free but there is a “pass the bucket”. Donations are encouraged and needed, as it is the foundation to all of the series’ other support.

Info: nvgcs.org, 315-261-2866.