Summer ends on a high note

Through a tumultuous year and uncertain summer, it wasn't easy to make plans and actually keep those plans.

But Chris Guggemos had it in his head to bring concerts to North Idaho for another season of the Handshake Productions Free Summer Concert Series, and by golly, he made it happen.

"I started out with 24 concerts planned. There was some rescheduling and bands replaced, but I still ended up with 24 concerts,” Guggemos said Wednesday. "I had to be flexible."

Since 1992, Guggemos, owner of Handshake Productions, has rubbed elbows with local and regional talent and coordinated with city officials to provide free, family-friendly concerts at outdoor venues. The Downtown Coeur d'Alene Concert Series in Sherman Square Park has been going since the start, with concerts in Coeur d'Alene City Park beginning in 1995 and the Hayden Concert Series held in McIntire Family Park starting in 2000.

Guggemos has seen a lot of summers, but none quite like the COVID-19 summer of '20.

"Each location for several weeks was a week-by-week decision if there would be a concert," Guggemos said. "After three weeks at all three locations, it was certain the concerts were going to go on unless the state government or county government told me not to."

When bands canceled because of coronavirus concerns, Guggemos pivoted, moved dates around and found other acts to fill the slots.

"That kept me on my toes,” he said. "It made my job interesting to just be prepared, because the phone would ring and I just didn’t know what was going to be on the other end of the phone."

When other abrupt changes happened, Guggemos made announcements at concerts and directed concert-goers to his website, www.handshakeproductions.net, to keep up on event news.

Audiences were noticeably smaller, even at big shows like the Kelly Hughes Band, Guggemos said.

For those who did attend the shows, they made it all worthwhile.

"They were just so happy, so grateful to be able to be out there," Guggemos said. "The bands did a good job every night."

The season will end with a closing performance by a high-energy local fave, the Rhythm Dawgs, from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday in Coeur d'Alene City Park.

"It's been a rewarding summer to be able to provide the music," Guggemos said. "And how grateful the audiences were was very rewarding.”