She may be little at only 5 years old, but Leighton Zandan is a big Beatles fan. 

Zandan and her grandmother, Nancy Bedro, of Dartmouth, sat in colorful foldable chairs at Apponagansett Park Thursday, Aug. 1, snacking on chicken fingers while waiting for the concert to begin. 

As The Oh Nos!!, a Beatles tribute band, began to play “If I Need Someone,” Bedro said she has been coming to the Apponagansett Park Summer Concert series for “quite a few years.”

Her granddaughter's love for music, especially the Beatles, is what keeps her coming back, she said. 

“It’s so good,” Zandan said of the concert music, adding her favorite Beatle songs include “Strawberry Fields Forever,” “Hey Jude” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” Additionally, she said she loves “playing on the playground” during the concerts, particularly on the swings and seesaw. 

Bedro said, “I think they are great — gets the community together and it’s always a nice night.”

Dartmouth’s Brenda Connors and Denise Furtado said they’ve been coming to the concerts since they started back in 1999.

“My son used to give out the tickets when he was right out of high school and he’s 43 now — so a long time ago,” Connors said. 

Furtado said the concerts have always been a reliable “nice night out.”

Connors agreed, “It’s usually beautiful here. The band is usually really good.”

She added it has “one of the most beautiful sunsets you can see.”

Thinking back on the dozens of concerts they’ve seen over the years, Connors said the most memorable for her had to be the Funky White Honkies.

She recalled the band members leaving the stage and walking around the park still performing their instruments: “It was incredible.”

Connors and Frutado said they also appreciate that they can enjoy the music while their grandkids play on the playground. 

However, Leslie Lopes, of New Bedford, advised, “You got to dress them in neon or something bright so you can tell them apart from the rest of the kids.”

Laurie and Eric Dionisio, of Dartmouth, said they’ve been coming to the concerts for about a decade.

Laurie said, “I just love how it’s all ages. The kids get to play. The adults get to chill out. It’s a very family-friendly atmosphere.”

Eric said his favorite is when Wild Nites, a cover band that includes a brass section, play. 

“They always put on a good show,” he said. 

Though she didn’t have a favorite performance, Laurie said she recalls one particular night when a thunderstorm started mid-show and everyone had to leave really fast.

Luckily, Wednesday’s rain was caught and the attendees were able to enjoy their evening — and music — in the sun on Thursday instead.

Laurie said, “A nice summer night and some music, what’s better than that?”