Willits Chamber of Commerce · Community
That’s a Wrap! Thank You for an Unforgettable First Fridays Summer Concert Series
Presented by the Willits Chamber of Commerce
Four free shows, three hours of live music a night, and a downtown full of neighbors. The 2026 season, by the music — and by the people who made it happen.
Live music under the string lights — the magic of a First Fridays summer evening.
What a Summer, Willits!
On Friday, September 4th, the final notes of La Onda rang out over Commercial Street, and just like that, the 2026 First Fridays Summer Concert Series came to a close.
And what a send-off it was.
From the first downbeat in May to the last dance in September, you showed up — with your friends, your families, your lawn chairs, and yes, your dancing shoes. You filled Commercial Street between Main and Humboldt, right in front of the historic Noyo Theater, and turned four Friday evenings into the kind of memories that make small-town summers special.
To everyone who came out: thank you.
This series only works because Willits shows up for Willits.
The 2026 Season, By the Music
Every show brought its own flavor to downtown. Here’s the lineup we grooved to this year:
Gas Money
May 1
Kicked off the season and set the bar high.
Fargo Brothers
June 5
Kept the energy rolling into early summer.
Audio Soul
August 7
Brought the soul to our summer nights.
La Onda
September 4
Closed us out with a season finale worth dancing to.
Four free shows. Three hours of live music each night, from 6 to 9 PM. Countless smiles. That’s a summer well spent.
Thank You to the People Who Made It Happen
Our Major Sponsors
Free, family-friendly events don’t happen by accident — they happen because local partners step up. A heartfelt thank-you to our 2026 major sponsors:
- Noyo Theater
- Adventist Health Howard Memorial
- Redwood Waste Solutions
- California Conservation Corps
- Granite
- MetalFx
- PG&E
- City of Willits
- Mendo Web Design
Your support kept every single show free for the community. That matters.
Our Vendors
To the food booths that kept us fed and the merchant vendors who filled the street with handcrafted art and local goods — you turned a concert into a festival. Shopping local never sounded so good.
Our Community
And most of all, to you — the neighbors, families, and visitors who danced, ate, shopped, and celebrated with us all season long. You lived out our motto: Shop Local, Listen Loud, and Help Willits Thrive!
Why First Fridays Matters
First Fridays is more than a concert series. It’s four evenings a summer when downtown Willits becomes exactly what a downtown should be:
Four evenings a summer, downtown becomes:
- A gathering place where neighbors catch up face-to-face
- A stage for live music spanning rock, blues, soul, salsa, and more
- A boost for local business as foot traffic fills our shops and restaurants
- A tradition that families look forward to all year
When we come together on Commercial Street, everybody wins — and that’s the whole point.
See You Next Summer
The stage is packed up, but the music isn’t over for long. Planning for next season starts soon, and we’d love to hear from you:
- Have feedback on this year’s series? Tell us what you loved.
- Want to perform, vend, or sponsor next year? Let’s talk early.
- Want to stay in the loop on all Chamber events? We’ve got you covered.
Thank you for an incredible summer, Willits. See you on Commercial Street next year.
Help Us Plan Next Summer
Share your feedback, or tell us you’d like to perform, vend, or sponsor in 2027 — visit our website or stop by the Chamber office.
Or stop by the Chamber office at 299 E. Commercial St., Willits