Brookhaven residents, especially those new to the community, areinvited to kick back and relax at lunch time Thursday at the secondannual “Music in the Park,” sponsored by the Brookhaven-LincolnCounty Chamber of Commerce.

Chamber Program Director Kay Burton said the event, held inRailroad Park Thursday at noon, is open to all members of theBrookhaven community.

“We started this last year as a community event,” she said.”Also the retiree committee wanted to find a way to not only meetnewcomers to the community but to identify them.”

The McCall Creek Band will play country and bluegrass musicstarting around noon and will play for about 45 minutes, Burtonsaid.

“They played last year and did a wonderful job,” she said. “Wewant to encourage people to come and just enjoy the music.”

Burton said attendees are invited to bring a lunch and a chairor blanket and relax on the grass in the park.

“It’s just about helping people feel like a part of thecommunity,” said Burton. “That’s the biggest goal, plus it’s agreat time of year to have a fun event in the park.”

Burton said the log cabin will be open and people are invited towander through, and the chamber’s retiree committee will be servinglemonade inside.

She said the retiree committee is a group that works onretaining new residents as well as keeping Brookhaven’scertification as a retirement community.

“It’s a volunteer group,” she said. “Not just of retirees, butbusiness and chamber leaders as well, that help us retaincertification as a retirement community by putting on events. Theyalso help us with following up with people we send information toafter they have responded to our Web site or an advertisingcampaign about Mississippi’s retirement communities.”

And as much as the event is a time for fun and relaxation,Burton said it’s also supposed to be a meet-and-greet for newmembers of the Brookhaven family.

“They can meet people and be a part of the community,” she said.”And we want to meet them and put them on our mailing list sothey’ll know about events we put on here in the area.”