Mega-concert features family fun, food and more at Modesto park. When to be there

Children as young as 4 will perform in bands at the 15th annual Modstock concert at Modesto’s Graceada Park.

Ok, there will be only one 4-year-old, but many of the performers will be elementary age.

And it’s not just a few bands – about 100 will perform on five stages during the day-into-evening event set for Sunday, Aug. 10.

The family-friendly mega-concert is a chance for kids to hear music performed by their peers, and maybe even by some friends or schoolmates.

Modstock is our August highlight in a monthly feature that offers fresh ideas to parents for getting out and about with their children in the region.

Planned for 10 a.m. to around 8:15 p.m. Sunday, it’s free to attend at the park, located at 400 Needham St. in Modesto.

“Modstock is all about family,” said Darin Morris, who spearheads the concert through his music school, Valley Music Institute. “Family is our whole thing. ... It’s absolutely meant to be a family atmosphere and environment.”

Morris, owner and director of VMI, said that while 90% of the school’s bands performing will be made up of elementary age to teen students, there also will be some adult bands.

In addition, several local bands that play professionally at Modesto-area venues will perform.

There also will be plenty of vendors, including about 15 selling food and another 50 or so with arts, crafts and more, he said.

“It’s kind of like Earth Day with rock and roll,” Morris said.

And, don’t forget, parents, there’s a popular playground at the park, too.

The VMI stage will be at Graceada’s Mancini Bowl and will host about 60 student bands.

The other four stages — set up throughout the park — will feature the professional local bands playing country, rock, metal and other genres.

Closing out the event will be headliner Flying Blind, which will perform at 7:30 p.m. at Mancini Bowl, Morris said.

“Maybe one of the most remarkable things about Modstock for me is that these professional musicians from the area ... are willing to come perform,” he said.

VMI offers performance-based interactive group lessons. Students are grouped into bands based on similar age, experience and musical taste.

Morris said Modstock, sponsored annually by Roberts Auto Sales, draws a couple of thousand attendees over the course of the day and evening each year. For more on the concert, see www.facebook.com/ModstockMusicFest.

Modstock was inspired by Morris’ own childhood.

“I used to go to MoBand with my family as a kid. In 1978, I was in a band as a teenager and they (also) used to have rock music (at Mancini Bowl) back then,” he said. “I wanted to get that back. It seemed like a logical thing as my music school grew, we would do that.”