Frequently Asked Questions about the Levitt Pavilion
Where do we sit?
Most people bring lawn chairs and blankets to use on the lawn for the free concerts. There is also seating on the low walls around the lawn. Once we have reached capacity on the lawn, you may sit in the Dream sculpture lot to the west of the Levitt and on Abram Street. For concerts that require tickets, chairs will be provided in rows. Please do not bring chairs or blankets to concerts that require a ticket purchase. What time do people start getting there?
Can we bring alcohol?
You can bring anything you would like to drink to the free concerts, as long as there are no glass containers. For concerts that require tickets, you cannot bring coolers or your own beverages — this is a requirement of the TABC regulations concerning alcohol sales at ticketed events.
Although it varies depending on the artist, most people start arriving about an hour before concert time. They arrive much earlier if we are having a really popular artist. The Levitt is located in an open public park, so people can come any time before concert time.
Are there bathrooms?
Restrooms are located underneath the new Levitt Center on the southwest corner of the Levitt lawn and include a family restroom and handicapped accessible facilities.
Where do we park?
There is plenty of free parking all around the Levitt Pavilion, even with construction. Concert parking is available in the Pinnacle Corp. lot on Abram Street just past Center Street, at First Baptist Church to the south and in the UTA College Park parking garage just south of First Baptist Church, and in the 101 Center parking garage at the corner of Abram and Center streets. We have agreements with all of these neighboring businesses to allow Levitt Pavilion parking during concerts. All of these parking areas have designated handicapped parking. Please see our Parking Map.
Can we bring the kids to the concerts?
Yes! All of the Levitt Pavilion concerts are family friendly.
Is the Levitt non-smoking?
An Arlington City Ordinance requires no smoking within 50 feet of a public park. The Levitt sits in Founders Plaza, which is an Arlington public park. Smokers are asked to move away from the Levitt to smoke. This includes e-cigarettes and vaping.
Is the Levitt wheelchair accessible?
Yes. The Levitt is completely wheelchair accessible with a ramp on the Abram Street side and ground level entrances on all four corners. There is sidewalk all around the lawn, and a concrete pad that can be used for wheelchairs whenever it’s not being used for VIP events.
Is there handicapped parking at the Levitt?
All of the parking lots surrounding the Levitt have designated handicapped parking spaces.
Are there concessions?
There are concessions for sale at the flag pole entrance to Founders Plaza on the corner of Abram and Pecan streets. J. Gilligan’s is at the pavilion grilling burgers, veggie burgers, chicken, quesadillas and their world-famous Irish nachos. Gilligan’s also sells beer and wine, including home town brew from Legal Draft. Rita’s Italian Ice and Frozen Custard has delicious frozen treats. From time to time, we also have gourmet popsicles from Steel City Pops and gourmet cotton candy from Spun. For concerts when we anticipate large crowds, there also may be food trucks.
Can we bring our dog to the concert?
You can bring your furry family member if it is on a leash and under your control at all times, well behaved, and you clean up after it. If a dog is disruptive or aggressive and spoils others’ enjoyment of the concert, you will be asked to come back another time. Please consider if the concert volume is suitable for your dog’s sensitive ears.
How much are tickets to the Levitt?
All of the Levitt Pavilion concerts are free except for some concerts each year that require tickets. Requiring a ticket purchase for a few concerts a year helps us pay for more than 50 free concerts plus adds to the music options at the Levitt.
Why are there concerts that require tickets? I thought all the concerts are free.
While 50 concerts at the Levitt Pavilion are free, producing the concerts is not. Requiring a ticket purchase for a few concerts a year helps us raise money to pay for more than 50 free concerts, plus adds to the music options at the Levitt.
Where does the money go that you collect from the audience during every concert?
It helps us pay the expenses to put on the concerts, including paying the musical artists and the technical crew to run the lights and sound.
What is that concrete pad for?
The concrete pad serves several purposes – sometimes all at the same time! It is a good spot for our wheelchair patrons. It also makes a nice dance floor. Sometimes we reserve it for our sponsors to host VIP parties on it.
Sometimes there is a roped off area down front. Who gets to sit there?
One of the benefits of being a season sponsor or a concert sponsor is being able to reserve an area to host a VIP party on the night of your concert. When that happens, we reserve an area down front.
Can you turn the fountain on/off?
The fountain is on a timer set by the Parks & Recreation Department that the Levitt Pavilion staff doesn’t have access to. During concert season, Parks & Rec sets the timer for the fountain to turn off before and during the concerts.
When do the surrounding streets get closed?
Arlington Police officers typically close Abram Street about an hour before concert time.
Will the band sign my CD/vinyl album/T-shirt after the concert?
Most of the musical artists we book at the Levitt are more than happy to meet their fans and sign autographs. They will come down to the merchandise tent that’s close to the stage after their concert to do that. No one is allowed backstage unless given special permission by the band’s management.
What happens if it rains on concert night?
Texas weather is unpredictable, and we may not know if we have to cancel a concert until the very last minute. We make every effort to have a concert as planned, but if there is lightning, rain or anything that would be dangerous to our crew, the performers or our audience, or will damage our equipment, we will cancel the concert.
How do we know if a concert has been cancelled?
We make every effort to communicate when a concert has been cancelled just as quickly as possible. The first place to check is the Levitt Arlington app on your phone. You can download the app from the App Store for your device and sign up for notifications, including a weather notification. The next place to check is the 24-hour Information Line at 817.543.4301, then Facebook and Twitter.
Why aren’t there concerts all summer?
Our Texas summers usually have incredibly hot temperatures in August that keep audiences home in the air-conditioning. We take a break from concerts during those weeks and come back for more free music in September.
Why aren’t there more concerts in April, when the Texas weather is so beautiful?
The spring weather is beautiful! It’s also when we get a lot of rain. When we cancel a concert because of the weather, we still have to pay the musical artists, plus we then have to place that night’s concert sponsor on a night in the following season, which is then a night we can’t sell. Also, we have found that when school is in session, our crowds are smaller. Speaking of school, we allow the AISD to use the pavilion for two weeks in April so that student bands, orchestras, choirs and dance teams can perform. Our board believes that the schedule we have allows us the most attendance and the least amount of weather cancellations.
How can my band play at the Levitt?
To play during a Levitt Pavilion concert season, musical artists must be original artists, which means that 80 percent of their performance must be original material, not cover songs. Artists also must have a commercially produced CD and a website. For detailed information about our criteria and how to submit your band, please see Perform.
How do you choose the bands that perform?
We get bands from several sources: attending music conferences, who’s playing in the area frequently, who has a significant fan following and buzz, recommendations from bands who play at the Levitt, submissions and audience suggestions. We have a Program Committee that listens to tons of music and bands and selects bands for our concert seasons. Our criteria and how to submit your band can be found on Perform.
I love the _____ band! They played last year … why aren’t they back this year?
There are so many bands and so much music available to us, it would be a shame to book the same artists every season, and eventually boring to our audiences. We make an effort to wait at least a year before repeating a musical artist. Sometimes we book them two years in a row, but not often.
I keep suggesting my favorite band, and you never book them. Why not?
We take every suggestion seriously and check into every band name given to us. But when it comes time to booking them, there are many factors considered. Do they fit our budget? Will their music draw a large enough crowd for our sponsors? Is their music likely to be enjoyed by a broad-based audience? Do they have a big enough following? Can they work within our concert schedule? If they are from outside Texas, can we afford to bring them in? In some cases, it may take a while to work all of these details out and actually book them, and sometimes, they just don’t have a large enough following or fit our budget or schedule.
Do the bands play for free?
No. Our musical artists are paid professional artists’ fees.
I have sound technician experience. Can I help out at the Levitt?
We hire professional sound technicians with experience, especially those who have experience with large bands and outdoor venues. Technician resumes can be submitted to our Production Manager, Richard Treat, at richard@levittarlington.org.
How do I volunteer at the Levitt?
We have volunteers at every concert to work at the information table, pass out concert calendars, distribute sponsor giveaways, answer patron questions, collect audience information and collect audience donations. It’s easy work that allows you to meet people and support free music under the stars. To volunteer, please visit Volunteer, and fill out the volunteer form. You must be at least 16 years old and have a driver’s license to volunteer. Before each concert season, volunteers are asked to sign up for which concerts they prefer to work.
Can the Levitt be rented for a fundraiser/battle of the bands/wedding?
Yes. The Levitt Pavilion is available for rent when it is not concert season. Rentals are coordinated through Parks & Recreation. Please contact Derek DeBusk at 817.515.8283 or derek.debusk@arlingtontx.gov
Can my group use the Levitt Pavilion for a picnic lunch or an informal gathering, or do we need permission?
The Levitt is located in a city park, Founders Plaza. People are welcome to use Founders Plaza any time you would use a city park.
Is the Levitt owned by the city?
The Levitt Pavilion structure was built through public and private donations, then donated to the city for Founders Plaza, which is a city park. A separate nonprofit, 501(c)3 organization, The Friends of the Levitt Pavilion Arlington, is the organization that programs more than 50 free concerts a year at the Levitt Pavilion. It is up to the Friends of the Levitt Pavilion to raise the funds necessary to produce more than 50 free concerts, which includes paying the musical artists and hiring a tech crew to run the lights and sound equipment, which is owned by Friends of the Levitt Pavilion.
Does the Levitt get money from the city?
The Friends of the Levitt Pavilion is not funded by the city. It is up to the Friends of the Levitt Pavilion to raise the funds necessary to produce more than 50 free concerts, which includes paying the musical artists and hiring a tech crew to run the lights and sound equipment.
How is the Levitt funded?
The Levitt is funded by sponsorships from businesses and organizations, grants, ticketed concerts, an annual giving campaign, passing the donation buckets at every concert, and sales from concessions and merchandise.
Can my organization pass out fliers or set up an information table during the concerts?
We reserve that privilege for those who are our season sponsors and concert sponsors.
How do you estimate crowd size for each concert?
We rely on the expertise of our friends in the Arlington Police Department, who are experienced in estimating crowds.
How many people can the pavilion hold?
Although it may not look like it, the Brock-Saxe Great Lawn can hold around 3,500 people. We have had as many as 12,000 all around the pavilion’s surrounding area. The audience can spill out into all of the areas outside of the main lawn.
