Mason salutes veterans with ‘America the Beautiful’ concert

Recent ‘American Idol’ contestant Michael Williams will perform, as will multiple orchestras.
Mason will soon host an "America the Beautiful" concert, free and open to the public, in honor of veterans. It will be Sept. 29, 2023 Corwin M. Nixon Park in Mason. CONTRIBUTED

Mason will soon host an "America the Beautiful" concert, free and open to the public, in honor of veterans. It will be Sept. 29, 2023 Corwin M. Nixon Park in Mason. CONTRIBUTED

The City of Mason’s salute to veterans continues with “America the Beautiful,” a free patriotic concert on Sept. 29, as part of an ongoing 2023 celebration of the Mason Veterans Memorial’s 20th anniversary.

The concert features the Southwest Ohio Philharmonic conducted by Michael Chertock and begins at 6 p.m. at Corwin M. Nixon Park. The evening starts with a 5 p.m. performance by the Northern Cincinnati Youth Orchestra, and food trucks and American Legion Post 194 will begin offering food and drinks at that time.

Concertgoers will hear American classic and patriotic songs as well as familiar music from “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “Superman” and more. Mason resident and recent “American Idol” contestant Michael Williams will be a guest vocalist.

Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets; parking is available at Corwin M. Nixon Park at 6349 Mason Montgomery Road and at the adjacent Mason Municipal Aquatic Center. In the event of inclement weather, the concert will be held at the Mason Middle School Auditorium at 6370 Mason Montgomery Road.

“The City of Mason is proud to honor the men and women who served our country in the Armed Forces every day through the Mason Veterans Memorial. 2023 marks a special year as the city celebrates the 20th anniversary of the original dedication” of the site, said Mason Mayor Barbara Spaeth. “The ‘America the Beautiful’ patriotic concert on Sept. 29 is just one of the many events and initiatives taking place this year that provide us the opportunity to celebrate the memorial and show gratitude to the men and women who served our nation.”

Other activities and remembrances lead up to the Nov. 11 Rededication Ceremony of the memorial in front of the Mason Municipal Center.

Banners can be seen along major thoroughfares honoring Mason’s veterans and active military, and residents can also have yard signs made to honor their own friends and family members who have served or are serving in any of the branches of the military. The banners and yard signs are created in partnership with American Legion Post 194 and VFW Post 9622.

The Veterans Memorial will also include commemorative bricks as well as Gold Star stones recognizing those military members who passed away during times of conflict.

The Rededication Ceremony is in partnership with the American Legion Post 194 and the VFW Post 9622 and will honor the traditions of the annual Veterans Day Ceremony hosted by the American Legion. In addition to the traditional ceremony, the program will feature keynote speaker Eric Armstrong, son of American astronaut Neil Armstrong, who was keynote speaker at the original dedication of the Mason Veterans Memorial in November 2003.

Also Nov. 11, there will be a second keynote speaker — Shiloh Harris, a US Army veteran who served in the Iraq War. The program also includes music by the Mason Symphony Orchestra and a skydiving exhibition by Team Fastrax.


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For more information about these programs, visit the City of Mason website at https://imaginemason.org.

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