How to Do Opening Night Right: Your Game Plan for Saturday, May 23

Now it gets real.

Opening night of the Final Encore season is almost here, and on Saturday, May 23, the Tarara Summer Concert Series presented by Bruster's Ice Cream and the Bow Tie Fund begins its last run with So Fetch! - The DMV's Ultimate 2000s Dance Party taking the stage at 6:00 PM.

That matters for an obvious reason.

It is opening night.

But this year, it matters even more because it is not just the start of another season. It is the first chapter of the farewell.

Which means this is not the night to treat casually.

If you are coming, do it right.

Step One: Decide That You’re Actually Going

This sounds basic, but it is the step where people lose momentum.

They talk about opening night. They tell friends they should go. They vaguely assume they will make it happen.

Then they wait too long.

Do not do that here.

Opening night is not just another date on the schedule. It is the emotional beginning of the Final Encore. The first crowd. The first walk through the gates. The first time the lawn comes alive again. The first time the music hits and everybody realizes this season is really happening.

That is worth planning for now.

Step Two: Arrive Early

Gates open at 5:00 PM. The band starts at 6:00 PM.

Do not show up at 5:55 and think you did opening night correctly.

Tarara works best when you give the night time to build.

Opening night especially deserves that.

Arriving early means:

• easier entry

• better space on the lawn

• time to get settled

• time to grab food and drinks

• time to feel the atmosphere build before the music starts
  

That pre-show stretch is part of the experience. The crowd coming in. The conversations. The anticipation. The sense that everybody knows this is not just any Saturday.

If you rush that part, you miss something important.

If you are a Concert Club member, you get in even earlier—which is exactly the kind of advantage that makes opening night smoother and better.

Step Three: Bring What You Need to Stay Awhile

This is not a quick stop. This is not a “let’s just swing by for a bit” kind of night.

Bring your chairs. Bring your blanket. Bring your people. Come ready to settle in.

The best Tarara nights happen when you stop treating the evening like a moving target and let it become the plan.

Opening night is built for that mindset.

Once you are there, be there.

Step Four: Let Opening Night Be Bigger Than the Band

Yes, So Fetch! is going to bring the energy.

And yes, opening night needs a band that knows how to kick off a season with pace, fun, and a crowd-ready soundtrack.

But opening night is about more than the setlist.

It is about seeing the lawn fill up again. It is about the first cheers of the season. It is about the first songs bouncing off a crowd that has waited months for this. It is about the emotional jolt of realizing that this final season has officially begun.

That is why opening night carries weight.

It is not just entertainment.

It is the moment the farewell becomes real.

Step Five: Make This the Night That Sets the Tone for Your Summer

There are people who will come to opening night and leave saying: "That was amazing. We need to come back.”

And there are people who will come to opening night already knowing exactly when they are coming back, because they made those decisions early.

The second group always gets more out of Tarara.

That is especially true this year.

Opening night should not just be a one-off. It should be the night that locks in the rest of your season.

That could mean buying a few more dates immediately after. It could mean finally grabbing the Concert Club pass. It could mean reserving a private tent for your team, clients, family, or friend group before the best opportunities are gone.

The point is this: opening night should create momentum.

Let it.

This Is the First Chance to Be Part of the Final Encore

There will only be one opening night for the Final Encore.

One first walk through the gate. One first song of the season. One first look around the crowd and realization that this is the beginning of the end.

That kind of night should not be left to chance.

🎟️ Make your opening night plan now. Get your tickets for Saturday, May 23, secure your Concert Club pass, or reserve your private tent before the final season officially begins.

Because the last season deserves a strong start.

And opening night is where that starts.