MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The City of Morgantown Department of Arts and Cultural Development wants the community to take part in a nationwide vote recognizing the Ruby Summer Concert Series.
City of Morgantown Arts and Cultural Development Director Vincent Kitch announced that voting is online to vote for the popular concert series hosted at Hazel Ruby McQuain Park in Downtown Morgantown as a nominee for the USA TODAY 10 BEST Reader’s Choice Awards Best Outdoor Concert Series. Voting will take place throughout the month of April and part of May, in which the Ruby Summer Concert Series will compete against dozens of similar event series hosted in parts of the United States.
“We’ve been nominated as one of the 10 Best Outdoor Concert Series in the U.S. by USA TODAY,” said Kitch. “They use their editors and a panel of experts who identify festivals, and they have all kinds of categories, and we were selected.”
The nomination of the Ruby Summer Concert Series for Best Outdoor Concert Series stems from a panel of travel experts, entertainment journalists, and industry professionals. The panel determined selections based on feedback from entertainment venue attendees and out-of-state respondents that spoke on the history of notable concerts and contributions made to local communities as a result of these events. With the Morgantown community being highlighted nationally, Kitch hopes that support can continue for the over 1,500-seat venue that has a history of hosting much larger crowds.
“It’s the great artist that we present and all the hard work that our staff does, but it’s our fans and our followers who vote for this, I think it means, to me at least, we’re making a difference in our communities,” said Kitch.
The Ruby Summer Concert Series has been presented at the Hazel Ruby McQuain Park Amphitheater since 2022 as part of a collaboration with a combination of local entities and businesses. The partnership is headed by the City of Morgantown and includes the Hazel Ruby McQuain Charitable Trust and a half dozen local businesses and organizations that set up kids activity booths during the events hosted as part of the concert series. Efforts that Kitch feels are a reflection of the City of Morgantown as a whole.
“If we can pull this off and people all over the country can learn more about Morgantown and the Ruby Summer Concert Series, then that’s a great thing,” Kitch said.
Voting for the USA TODAY 10 BEST Reader’s Choice Awards Best Outdoor Concert Series award will take place until Monday, May 12, at 11:59 a.m. According to Kitch, there are no limits to the number of people who vote on the national poll as well as the number of times a single person can cast a ballot. With just about a month until the polls close, Morgantown residents are encouraged to log on and support the Ruby Summer Concert Series.
“Now we need everyone to vote, every day, from multiple devices, until May 12 so we can bring home another recognition for our great city,” said Kitch.
The 2025 iteration of the Ruby Summer Concert Series will include appearances by Chase Matthew, Los Lonely Boys, and Hoobastank, among many others.