AUBURN – Milt Simon and the Auburn Community Band will kick off the annual series of summer evening concerts in downtown Auburn on Wednesday, June 18.

The band has announced a permanent change in location for the outdoor concerts. Moving one block south of the former venue next to the Dunlap building, performances will take place at Auburn’s new Festival Plaza on Main Street.

The 7 p.m. performance on Wednesday will be the first of 10 program at the site. The free concerts will continue each Wednesday through Aug. 20, weather permitting. Ample free parking is available in the new parking garage across the street from the plaza.

This year marks the 22nd season for band conductor Simon. Simon, a long-time resident of Durham, first organized the Auburn Community Band in the fall of 1981. This year’s group of 49 volunteer musicians range in age from 12 to 78 and together represents a total of 14 central and southern Maine communities.

“This organization gives individuals a chance to utilize musical talents neglected since their high school days, and the entire community benefits,” said Simon, who was named Auburn’s Volunteer of the Year in 1999. He added, “The Auburn group is one of the larger community bands in the state of Maine and commonly attracts an unrivaled number of people to its weekly concerts.

Simon said that before construction began at Great Falls Plaza last year, 500 to 700 people commonly attended the band’s weekly concerts. “Our new home at Festival Plaza will provide easier access and more parking, and may eventually result in even larger audiences for us,” he said.

The opening night performance will feature the new songs added to the band’s repertoire during winter rehearsals. The program includes a big band tribute, a medley of tunes which pay tribute to Louis Armstrong, songs from two recent Broadway shows, “Mamma Mia” and “Smokey Joe’s Cafe,” along with several of the community band’s greatest hits.

As done in past seasons, the band will present a different musical theme and selection of songs each week. The entire concert program is as follows: June 18, “Opening Night Preview”; June 25, “Show Tunes and Marches, Part 1”; July 2, “An Evening of Patriotic Music”; July 9, “Music of Famous Composers”; July 16, “Big Band and Dance Music”; July 23, “Show Tunes and Marches, Part 2”; July 30, “Spotlight on Famous Performers”; Aug. 6, “Auburn Community Band’s Greatest Hits”; Aug. 13, “America’s Favorite Songs”; Aug. 20, “Season In Review.”

People planning to attend should bring a lawn chair and are advised to arrive well before the 7 p.m. concert time.

The band is co-sponsored by the Auburn Parks and Recreation Department and the Dunlap Corp. For more information, call the APRD at 784-0191, or visit the band’s Web site at www.auburncommunityband.org.