ESCANABA — Summer concerts by The Escanaba City Band will include some new faces stepping up to the podium. Nine well-known members of the community will have the unique opportunity to conduct the city band during their Wednesday night concerts which run from June 19 to August 14 in Ludington Park. Taking a cue from baseball’s ceremonial “first pitch,” the first song following the national anthem at each Wednesday concert will be conducted by someone other than City Band Director Bruce Cassell.

“For our centennial season, we wanted to find creative ways to invite the community to participate with us and think this is going to be a lot of fun,” Cassell said.

Guest conductors include:

— Sarah Maki, Publisher and Advertising Director of The Daily Press (June 19)

— Will Carne, Sr., well-known business leader and community icon (June 26)

— Ed McBroom, state senator of Michigan’s 38th district (July 3)

— Erik Karas, great-grandson of Frank Karas for whom the band shell in Ludington Park is named (July 10)

— John Economopoulos, Judge, 47th Circuit Court  (July 17)

— Mark Ammel, Mayor of Escanaba (July 24)

— JL Hyde, best-selling author (July 31)

— Vickie Micheau, executive director of the Delta Chamber of Commerce (August 7)

— A member of the Escanaba City Band (August 14)

Concerts begin each Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Karas Band Shell in Ludington Park. In case of rain, concerts move to Thursday.