On Saturday, September 5, the Decatur Youth Council (DYC), a local organization of teenagers who organize community events, hosted its third community Concert on the Square. The event was co-hosted in partnership with the Decatur Business Association (DBA), a conglomerate of businesses in Decatur. The DYC held the event to increase their level of community involvement and youth interest in their organization. The event featured the band Reggae Rock and a raffle for adults and children in attendance.

The concert was the DYC’s first concert to be held in September and was made possible by a partnership with the DBA, who holds Concerts in the Square every Saturday. After expressing their interest to DBA, Alix Wagener and Sydney Wagner, chair and vice chair of the DYC, were given a list of bands to choose for the concert. Alix and Sydney Wagner chose Reggae Rock for its “youth friendly” style, Alix Wagner said. The DYC also handled all advertisements and promotions for the event.

Planning the concert with the DBA was relatively easy, said Alix Wagner, and she feels the event was a success. These Concerts on the Square provide the DYC with the opportunity to get involved in the community, an essential part of the groups mission, Alix Wagner said.

“Part of the reason we are on DYC is to get more involved as younger people and future voters,” Alix Wagner said. “We were chartered because the city noticed a lack of events designed for people our age and that’s why we decided to host concerts.”

Sydney Wagner also hopes that events like these will increase youth interest in DYC and show young people how being engaged can affect their community. Wagner hopes that the events that DYC organizes can inspire young people around Decatur to make an impact in their community as well. 

“Even when you’re young and in high school, you can make an impact in the community where you live just by being involved,” Sydney said.