The Levitt AMP Soldotna Music Series is set to kick off 6 p.m. Wednesday at Soldotna Creek Park, with performers Zen Trembles and Shona Thin Hoskins performing.

Shanon Davis, the executive director of the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce, said she has been looking forward to the return of the concert series after last year’s concerts were canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s phenomenal having everyone come together,” she said.

The summer concert series, also known as Music in the Park, follows last week’s opening of the Soldotna Wednesday Market.

Davis said there was a great turnout for the event, which featured food and artisan vendors, multiple COVID-19 walk-in vaccine clinics, live music and a beer and wine garden.

“The great weather helped,” Davis said.

During the market, the City of Soldotna encouraged people with proof of vaccination to enter a raffle for a chance to win a pair of sea kayaks, a Traeger grill, Yeti coolers and $2,500 in Alaska Airlines vouchers. The prizes were made possible by CARES grant funding from the City of Soldotna and the Alaska Chamber through a vaccine incentive program. The Soldotna Chamber received $17,500 for vaccine incentive programs from the Alaska Chamber.

Additionally, the Soldotna Chamber distributed $25 restaurant gift certificates last Wednesday for people who got their vaccine at the park. Davis said there are still some certificates left over that she plans to distribute at this week’s Wednesday Market walk-in clinic.

In an interview with the Clarion, Davis thanked everyone for getting “creative” with their parking around Soldotna Creek Park on Wednesday, and encouraged the public to be mindful of any businesses that only permit customer parking.

She estimated around 2,000 people stayed for last week’s live music. She said she expects that the turnout for Wednesday’s music series launch is “going to be pretty much exactly what we saw last week.”

The Soldotna Wednesday Market is held in Soldotna Creek Park weekly from June though August from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. The Levitt AMP free music series is scheduled to perform a concert every Wednesday night from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Soldotna Creek Park through Aug. 25.

Reach reporter Camille Botello at camille.botello@peninsulaclarion.com.