SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Levitt at the Falls is enjoying a strong start to the season. An estimated 3,800 people took in the first concert of the summer.

On Friday night, the fifth summer of music at Levitt at the Falls kicked off with saxophonist and songwriter Vanessa Collier.

“To have our first weekend be this successful and this kind of crowd come out was truly inspiring. I mean it really sets the tone for the rest of the summer,” Levitt Executive Director Nancy Halverson said.

“Sioux Falls is a special community, and a community that has embraced the idea that we can bring music to everyone and make it accessible, and bring people together and really build community,” Levitt Board Chair Rebecca Kiesow-Knudsen said.

This year that community could grow even more because, for the first time, the Levitt is bringing in local bands as opening acts.

“Because we were learning how to do this and because of COVID restrictions, we were limited to solos and duets, but this year with the full bands, it’s really exciting because our audience came early,” Halverson said.

Friday’s opening group was The Shamrockers with Mike Connor on guitar.

Connor and his band opened with the Beatle’s classic ‘Here Comes the Sun.’

“And we did that because we did have a long cold lonely winter, and we thought that was just a great way to start, and people were singing along with that right away I could see the words on people’s lips even though it was a little ways away,” Connor said.

“They have more traditional music, they’re more mature musicians, people know them and love them, and it was a really wonderful way to start things off,” Halverson said.

Now they’re looking forward to keeping the music going all summer long.

While Levitt thinks this was the largest opening weekend, it was not the largest attended concert. That record belongs to Brulé last year with around 10,000 people coming to that concert.