Submitted photo Dunkirk’s popular Music on the Pier Summer Concert Series is returning with 12 dates this year.

The city of Dunkirk rolled out its summer events schedule, highlighted by a 12-date Music on the Pier series, this week.

City officials listed the numerous local businesses who sponsor the events, including Music on the Pier. It was clarified that the concert series itself is fully funded by the sponsors, though the city does pay police, fire and Department of Public Works employees for their work on it.

“We’re proud of filling your summer nights with music,” Mayor Kate Wdowiasz said.

She spoke of how people around here come together in the summer after the long, dreary winters. The city’s music festivals facilitate that togetherness “and showcase the pride we have in our community and people,” she said.

Dunkirk’s secondary concert series, Music on the Point, is also returning this year. There are eight concerts set for the stage at Point Gratiot Park.

Memorial Park will host three Music on the Pier events this year. Meanwhile, the nine Dunkirk Pier gatherings will feature something new in June: a Boater Night where mariners can tie down at the pier. Here is the full list of Music on the Pier concerts:

— June 4: Dance Night with Party McFly and The Funkensteins. Sponsored by the harborfront businesses of Spike Dailey’s Irish Pub, Off The Hook, Chadwick Bay Marina, 64 on the Pier, Clarion Hotel/Steelbound & Tim Hortons.

— June 11 (Memorial Park): Canadian Night with We Speak Canadian and Canada Rocks USA. Sponsored by Southern Chautauqua Federal Credit Union.

— June 18: Decades Night with Grungebox and AppleJack. Sponsored by KeyBank.

— June 25: 80’s Rewind & Boater Night with Ion Sky and Nerds Gone Wild. Sponsored by Community Bank. (Note: Boater guests can tie down at the pier or can moor out of the way of water traffic.)

— July 2 (Memorial Park): Country Night with Hintz of Thunder and Sean Patrick McGraw. Sponsored by Owl Homes of Fredonia.

— July 9: Power Rock Night with Black Widow and Hurricane ROCKS You Like The Scorpions. Sponsored by Brooks-TLC Hospital System, Inc./Lake Erie Medical Services.

— July 16: Hard Rock & Biker Night with Furious George and Appetite For Voltage. Sponsored by The Resource Center. (Note: Motorcycle guests will have a designated parking area.)

— July 23: Homegrown Night with The Midroom Drifters and Uncle Ben’s Remedy. Sponsored by Nestle Purina and Chautauqua Home Rehabilitation & Improvement Corp. (CHRIC).

— July 30: Ladies Night with Silver Xtreme and Midnight Recovery. Sponsored by Universal Stainless.

— Aug. 6: Party Night with Porcelain Busdrivers and Flipside. Sponsored by Lake Shore Bank.

— Aug. 13: 90s Night with DTO and The BroFish Band (Hootie & the Blowfish/Darius Rucker Tribute). Sponsored by Wells Enterprises and ImmunityBio Inc.

— Aug. 20 (Memorial Park): Arena Rock Night with Reset To Vinyl and Wanted: The Bon Jovi Tribute Band. Sponsored by DFT Communication.

Rain dates are Aug. 27 and Sept. 3. The pier will be closed to traffic at 2 p.m. on Thursday concert dates at that location. Guests are reminded to bring a folding chair.

Here is the Music at the Point series, to be held on Wednesday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m. at Point Gratiot Park: July 8 – FootSteps, July 15 – Backlog, July 22 – Two Towns (STEL VIP Night), July 29 – Ion Sky, Aug. 5 – Zen City, Aug. 12 – Astro Galaxy Sound, Aug. 19 – The Living Room Jam Band (Lawley Insurance VIP Night), and Aug. 26 – Furious George.

The concert series announcement was hosted by 64 on the Pier, which provided a tasty spread of cold cuts.

For further information about Dunkirk’s concert series and its slate of summer events, visit the Dunkirk Festivals and Special Events section of the city website (www.cityofdunkirkny.gov).