The city of Alachua is aiming to become one of 50 finalists in the running for a grant from the Levitt Foundation that could bring a free, outdoor concert series to its downtown next year. But first, it needs votes.
The application process for the grant has been a months-long collective effort between the city, the Alachua Business League (ABL) and Josh’s Place.
If a winning number of votes during the Sept. 5-15 public voting window is secured, Alachua will be considered alongside 50 other cities that could receive up to $120,000 over three years to use towards a free concert series.
To vote for Alachua to become a Levitt Music Series grant finalist, visit levitt.org/vote or text 877-409-5525 with the keyword ALACHUA.
Public voting online and through text begins Sept. 5 at 1 p.m. and ends at 11 p.m. on Sept. 15.
“The number of online and text votes received will be one of the key factors used when the Levitt Foundation determines the grant recipients this November,” said Alachua business owner and chair of ABL’s concert grant initiative, Mandy Bucci, in a press release. “[It’s] considered by the Levitt Foundation as an important way to measure community support.”
According to its website, the Levitt Foundation was founded in 1966 as a private family foundation aiming to support the arts, culture and education.
It started growing its mission to transform underused public spaces into free concert venues in 1974 when it opened the Levitt Pavilion at an old landfill in Westport, Connecticut.
Today, Levitt offers grants for cities and towns of various sizes to kickstart their own concert spaces. Alachua applied for Levitt’s AMP Music Series grant, which is geared towards populations under 250,000.
Levitt grant winners will present over 650 free concerts in more than 50 towns and cities across the U.S. this year, with a total of nearly one million people in attendance.
The city of Ocala has run the Levitt AMP Ocala Music Series since winning the grant in 2017.
“With funding from the Levitt Foundation, we hope to qualify as a finalist for the up to $120,000 Levitt Music Series Grant,” Bucci said. “We urge the public to support Josh’s Place’s proposal for a Levitt AMP Alachua Music Series by participating in the public voting process.”
Levitt accepted applications for its 2026-28 grant cycle from May to June this year. The finalists will be announced Sept. 16 and grant recipients announced Nov. 18.
For advancing to the public voting period, Alachua will receive a mini-grant of $1,500 and a Levitt Voting Toolkit to support its efforts.
If Alachua wins the grant, the money would be given to local non-profit Josh’s Place for up to 10 free outdoor concerts annually between April 1 and Oct. 31 featuring a diverse lineup of genres and musicians.
Josh’s Place offers programs and community events in Alachua to help foster connections among youth and adults and believes the Levitt free concert series could be the spark that further unites Alachua and starts an economic revival in the downtown core, according to the press release.
ABL, which produces the Alachua Main Street Festival, would provide expertise in areas such as concert planning, talent selection, on-site operations and vendor coordination to help ensure the series’ success and long-term impact.
Alachua’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) would work to secure city approvals, coordinate site preparation and logistics, promote the concert series through its networks and provide additional financial support.
“The CRA’s support ensures alignment with downtown revitalization goals and enhances the series’ community impact by drawing diverse audiences, supporting local businesses and energizing public spaces,” said the press release. “In addition, the CRA will provide the required cash match for the series, further demonstrating its investment in the cultural and economic vibrancy of the community.”