On Friday night, the Square at Old Town was filled with activity; from children running around dancing to families enjoying live music under the stars, the Spring Music Series transformed the field into an area of community and camaraderie.

The Special Edition Band played covers from all different eras, including classics such as “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire and more recent hits like “Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars. Kids danced in front of the stage, cartwheeling and twirling. Their parents would watch from afar, lounging in chairs or blankets provided by Coppell Parks and Recreation and enjoying snacks from the available food trucks.

This event appealed to almost everybody it seemed, as the Square was full with Coppell citizens of all ages enjoying the free music and complimentary popcorn.

Coppell city manager Mike Land was one of many at the Spring Music Series, enjoying the relaxed atmosphere with his wife.

“It’s great to see the full spectrum of families come out and enjoy themselves,” Land said. “The music variety we have gets across to all generations, so you have people of all ages out here dancing.”

Among the numerous people attending was Coppell High School junior Alyssa Roemer. After finishing her last day of school before spring break only hours prior to the event, the Spring Music Series was an opportunity to relax and enjoy the fresh air with her friends and family.

“I decided to come because it’s a great way to kick off spring break,” Roemer said. “I saw the kids I babysit here and my neighbors, and I just get to see my friends and listen to some music with them.”

The planning for this successful event rested on the Coppell Parks and Recreation department, led by special events supervisor Sunday Smith. The three months of work she and her team put in culminated to a gathering where people of all ages, cultures and backgrounds could enjoy themselves.

“You come out and see people of all walks of life,” Smith said. “Music is the universal language in my opinion, so it doesn’t matter what kind of music you like. You come out and you just have a good time getting together.”

A love of music wasn’t the only thing tying the city together on Friday night; the overwhelming sense of community and spirit within Coppell seemed to be the underlying reason for the event.

“Our foundation is building community and Coppell spirit—that feeling of neighbors helping neighbors,” Coppell marketing coordinator Lilia Gans said. “This event just fosters that atmosphere and that feel of the community, so this really is a representation of Coppell and what we’re trying to achieve.”

Even onlookers could feel the uniqueness of the event, and for Coppell police officer Joe Boyd, it was no different. While events like these can often be found in other cities, the free admission is something special to almost only Coppell.

“There’s a lot of communities that are our size that don’t do things like this,” Boyd said. “This just shows that the city itself has put a lot of thought and time and effort into making sure there’s events the citizens can enjoy that they don’t have to pay extra for.”

For Coppell citizens, this sense of community has been an integral part of Coppell since its establishment and can still be seen within citywide events such as the Spring Music Series.

“Coppell is a town that’s getting bigger but still has that same small town feel,” Smith said. “When you see everybody coming out and having a good time, that to me is just Coppell.”

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