Strike up the band — the Red Dirt Concert Series is celebrating its 10th anniversary with free concerts every Friday in May from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Posse Grounds Pavilion, 525 Posse Ground Road. The series, which draws about 500 attendees a show, kicks off May 1 with headliners Runaway Fire and opening act Satellite Eclipse.

“The progression of the event as a whole is what I’m most proud of,” Sedona Special Events Coordinator Jason Vargo said. “The fact that every year we’ve been able to have more shows, the eventual feedback from the community that resulted in us being able to extend the length of the shows, and even further, the number of shows that we do, leading to this 10th year celebration, which includes nine total — regular concert dates which is every Friday in May and September.”

There will also be a full festival day on Saturday, May 30, from 1 to 8 p.m., featuring Doyle Figueroa, Cameron Jameson, JAM NOW, Santa Pachita and Low Poly Cactus, complete with food trucks and a beer garden. An additional free full-day festival is planned for the fall as well.

“We’re also better equipped to put on shows since the Public Works department just completed stadium-style seating in the upper level of the pavilion, which looks amazing,” Vargo said. “It’s going to suit the space beautifully.”

The Red Dirt Concert Series will have a Riders Raffle to encourage public transit use. Attendees who arrive by shuttle, Transit Connect or bike will receive a free raffle ticket for a chance to win branded prizes including chairs, coolers and blankets.
Runaway Fire, a four-piece original rock band from Southern Utah, is jumping the state line to ignite the season on Friday, May 1.

“Mike Wilson, he’s the lead, and he has played music and performed music his whole life. In 2022 he’s like, what am I doing having a job? I need to just start a rock band and go for it. So he found Ian Shaw, our drummer, and Runaway Fire started as a three piece. I went to one of their first shows and said, you guys need a keyboard player, and I want to be that keyboard player. I was eight months pregnant, and I’m like, this is nuts, but here we go. And so I joined the band and got hooked to performing, and we’ve just been rocking out ever since,” said Marci Allen, the band’s keyboardist.

Runaway Fire performs exclusively original material across two albums. Allen recommends first-timers check out “Wool Socks” and “Drummer Girl” from their debut “Frozen in Time,” along with “Electricity” and “Beings in Space” from their latest release, “Day Dream” — songs she says will make the Red Dirt setlist.

“Their opening act is Satellite Eclipse, and they are a group of teenagers from Prescott who are also rocking super hard, and they’re going to open the show,” Vargo said. “That’s going to be our introduction to an awesome spring season.”

For more information visit the Parks and Recreation website at sedonaaz.gov/concerts.