What a fantastic night to tailgate and take in a symphony under the stars! A $10,000 Bright Idea Fund grant from within the Community Foundation supported Friday’s “Brats, Beer & Beethoven” event at Fox Cities Stadium’s Neuroscience Group Field.

The annual free, family-friendly evening features a concert by the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra and guest musicians and fireworks. The Symphony also helped families and adults with special needs enjoy rehearsal in a sensory-friendly environment.

Photographers Paul Ristau and Graham Washatka have kindly allowed us to share their images from the night’s festivities in this slideshow. (Use the arrows to enjoy them all!)

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Photo courtesy of Graham Images

There was plenty of Beethoven music, familiar marches, and catchy theme tunes from television shows. This year’s featured artists were MacDowell Male Chorus and Fox Valleyaires Barbershop Chorus, along with violin, electric guitar, and saxophone solos with special guest Russell Peterson. Sponsors included Neuroscience Group, Plexus Corp., Jewelers Mutual Insurance, Janssen Law and Bergstrom Automotive.

“This is a special opportunity for kids and adults of all ages to come together in a fun, family-friendly venue to experience symphonic music,” said Tammy Geenen, vice president of Community Engagement for the Community Foundation. “For many, this is a first-time chance to listen to our incredibly talented local symphony musicians. It warms your heart to see so many children in the crowd and everyone clapping along together to the patriotic songs. It’s a wonderful evening for our community!”

You can make the Bright Ideas burn even brighter by adding your support.

Check out our current Bright Idea Fund results from 2018 – 2019!
See how our Bright Idea Fund impacted our community last year.