Suffolk Parks and Recreation will once again host its free TGIF Summer Concert Series every Friday beginning on June 8.

“The concert offers live music and a fun atmosphere, and it gives them a chance to get out with others in the community,” said Special Events Coordinator Emily Upton. “They can meet people in their neighborhood.”

The concert series will start with four shows at Constant’s Wharf Park and Marina, 110 E. Constance Road, and the final five shows will be held at Bennett’s Creek Park, 3000 Bennetts Creek Park Road.

They split the concerts between two parks to make the concerts more accessible to those all over Suffolk.

“We try and divide it up. Suffolk is large, and we want to be able to have easy access for everyone,” Upton said. “We wanted something in downtown and northern Suffolk, because it makes it accessible for everyone.”

All nine bands performing this summer are exclusively cover bands, and they cover a variety of genres and decades.

“All the cover bands are covering the hits, and some are more decade-centric,” Upton said. “We make sure to play a little bit of everything.”

Along with music, there are other activities for those attending. There will be games, like cornhole, and a bounce house for kids attending. Patrons will even have the option to do a little shopping during the concerts.

“There will be food vendors and some retail vendors,” Upton said. “Clothes trucks will be there,  and they even have dressing rooms inside. They will have the chance to meet some of the local businesses.”

Both of the parks have water access, and those who choose can kayak or canoe between both parks before the concerts begin.

Parks and Recreation anticipate large turnouts for the concert series.

“We have had concerts with 500 to 750 people, but we have had as many as 3,000 at our concerts,” Upton said. “Typically, Bennett’s Creek Park has a bigger turnout, because it has easier access and more space.”

The Summer Concert Series is sponsored by Suffolk companies — Barton Ford, Pender and Coward, Harbour View Lifestyle Apartments, Suffolk Insurance and Blair Brothers.

The concerts will begin on June 8 and continue every Friday through Aug. 17, except July 6 and 13. The parks open at 6 p.m. for the concerts. Music starts at 6:30 p.m., and the event ends at 9:30 p.m.