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Welcome to the beginning of the busiest seasons of the year.

The Nederland EDC promotes Shop Local, Shop Often, Shop Nederland all year, but we have added a little twist for 2021.

We are excited to bring the Inaugural Nederland EDC and Jerry Diaz Concert Series to the community each Thursday evening in the month of October.

At the end of this article, you will find the schedule of the concerts that will be performed in front of the Nederland EDC Office on Boston Avenue and in the area around the Windmill and Acadian House Museum.

We have invited a variety of Nederland restaurants to be on hand each week to offer a choice of food for enjoyment during the concert.

This is our first attempt at a concert series for the community so we will learn as we go. We know the community more than deserves a family friendly event.

There was no perfect night for the concerts and but working with Jerry Diaz, who wanted to give back to the community he grew up in, helped to make Thursday the day of choice this year. If all goes well, we propose to offer more concerts in 2022.

We would love to host two concert series each year.

The streets will be barricaded from 4:30 to 10 p.m. to protect everyone attending the events. Boston Avenue and the grassy area surrounding the street will be the place to set up your lawn chairs.

So, mark your calendars for Thursday to attend the “Takin it To The Streets Concert Series.”

The lineup features Jag performing classic rock Oct. 7, country band Running On Credit performing Oct. 14, Jerry Diaz & Hanna’s Reef playing Oct. 21 and Cajun Harmony performing Cajun and oldies Oct. 28.

Also, during the month of October, the Nederland EDC will hand over the ARCH to The City of Nederland in a small dedication ceremony. This date is still to be determined.

The ARCH project was a huge undertaking but something else the NEDC Board thought would add to our community. The upside down N and other comments, whether good or bad, brought some new activity to Nederland.

We had fun with the mural paintings on the ARCH and the two murals painted in the courtyard area on Boston Avenue.

During the 2020 and 2021 years so far, the city has grossed the highest sales tax in its history. So with just little adjustments to what we do in the community, we can make huge impacts overall.

We are more than proud of all of our businesses who have survived a pandemic, multiple hurricanes and storms and yet still continue to expand their businesses. Many have moved to larger buildings due to their creativity and growth during tough times.

We thank everyone for supporting Local.

On Oct. 16 we will showcase our 7^th year of Old Town Nederland Market Day. We have more than 55 vendors ready to line Boston Avenue from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for your shopping pleasure.

Many of our stores will be ready to greet you with additional promotions. You will find some changes to Boston Avenue since last year’s Old Town Nederland Market Day. Only foot traffic will be allowed on Boston but plenty of parking will be available all around the downtown area.

There will be food vendors so plan for lunch during your busy day on the Avenue. Many non-profits will also be present for you to enjoy. There is still time to sign up to become a vendor. Call our office at 729-1020 or go to our Facebook page to print out the application.

We have many projects you will be reading about in the upcoming future. There are so many things going on throughout Nederland, Texas. We are excited to be a part of a growing town.

The Nederland Chamber will also be hosting Trunk or Treat this year, so check out their website for more details.

As we prepare for the busiest times of the year, we will be showcasing our great community that we proudly call NEDERLAND STRONG.

Always remember to SHOP LOCAL, SHOP OFTEN, SHOP NEDERLAND.

Kay DeCuir is the executive director of the Nederland Economic Development Corporation. She can be reached at kdecuir@nededc.com.