SPRINGFIELD – The Springfield Business Improvement District kicked off their “Live @ 5” music series in May to help restaurants rebuild and local artists get back to work after the coronavirus pandemic.

With summer quickly approaching, the weekly events are aiming to be the perfect “post-work happy hour” every Wednesday beginning at 5 p.m.

Local artists will perform at just under a dozen restaurants and breweries across Downtown Springfield until the end of August. According to Michelle Grout, assistant director of the Springfield Business Improvement District, there is also a chance the series could be extended into fall.

Grout said that this initiative was created with the help of Berkshire Bank and their sponsors Westfield Bank, Springfield Center, Good Diggin’ and Mass Live. The featured restaurants will pay no extra expenses to host the live music.

“We designed the program as a way to further support the restaurants as they’re rebuilding their business by adding live music and getting our local artists and entertainers back to work,” she said. “It’s just another layer to add to the atmosphere and help these businesses, another reason to come out. You’re not just coming out for a nice dinner, you’re getting dinner and music.”

Upcoming performers for the “Live @ 5” music series include Floyd Patterson at White Lion Brewing Company on June 26 and Jake Manzi at 350 Grill on June 30. A full list of performers and restaurants can be found on the Springfield Downtown website at https://springfielddowntown.com/live-5-music-series/.

Grout said that the response from the community so far has been great and that it has only increased with capacity limits lifting.

“The attendance has ticked up week over week. When we initially launched the program the guidance was different, we had two weeks where we were still under the restrictions of limited capacity, but as we roll into week three and four we’ve definitely seen a boost in attendance,” she said.

In addition to the scheduled “Live @ 5” performances, Grout said that the Springfield Business Improvement District and their sponsors will also be supporting live music at The Fort and Pizzeria Uno every Wednesday night.

Grout said that she is most excited for the opportunity to connect with the community through these events.

“Seeing the people gathering, just the foot traffic in the downtown, when you walk by the restaurants and you actually see that they’re busy, it’s so nice to see that. Things are coming alive again. It’s just a nice feeling,” she said. “It’s a really nice sense of community to see everyone coming back together again and enjoying time together when we’ve been apart for so long.”