Join Zumix in celebrating 35 years of empowering young musicians with its 2026 Walk for Music. The walk will start at 4 p.m. in front of the Zumix Firehouse, then make its way around the neighborhood before reaching Piers Park to kick off the Zumix Summer Concert Series at 6 p.m.

“Walk for Music is always a wonderful day for the ZUMIX community,” said Madeleine Steczynski, co-founder and executive director of ZUMIX. “As we continue to celebrate our 35th anniversary, we’re thrilled to showcase great local talent, including our student musicians and sound techs. ”

The concert series will showcase a wide array of genres and highlight student and professional musicians from around the neighborhood.

Zumix Rock Ed vocalist Andrea Leonarte said she is excited to see the different kinds of music showcased and enjoy the calmness of Piers Park with her friends. She added that having opportunities to play music live for the neighborhood is an important way for young people to express themselves.

“Music is a way that I really listen to different ideas, and it’s really important because it brings the community together and brings us away from violence and other bad stuff in our community,” she said.

Rock Ed violinist Maria Antonia Suarez Bustamante added that she is excited to show the neighborhood the skills she has been building in her first summer with Zumix.

“Through my music I can tell a story about how I feel about things and how I want people to see me,” she said. “Something that excites me is to see people’s reaction. To see, ‘Oh my Gosh! This band and these people are so good! They’re tough!’”

This year’s lineup also includes Latin jazz and folk artist Manuela Sanchez Goubert, Zoe Knight and Mythical Beasts, and alumni alt-country noise rock band Opaline.

Opaline guitarist Brandon Angora said he was super excited to bring his bandmates home from UMass Lowell to perform in front of his hometown. Angora joined Zumix in the seventh grade to learn how to play a guitar his grandfather had handed down to him. He began co-teaching a ukulele ensemble for elementary school students his freshman year of high school, putting him on the trajectory to pursue a degree in music education.

“It’s such a supportive community and just the chance to be able to do it at such a young age is so, so helpful for any musician,” he said. “I think it’s super important to support those who are working really hard that don’t have a lot of opportunities to put themselves out there.”

The free concert series will take place every Sunday at 6 p.m. in Piers Park between July 12 and August 23. Local band Don’t Be Denied will headline the July 12 show, with an opening set by youth ensemble Zukix.