Paramount Music Festival

Labor Day Weekend 2019 in Port Washington featured another Paramount Music Festival, staged at the band shell in Lower Lake Park.

From the late 19th to mid-20th centuries, Port Washington was the home of the Wisconsin Chair Company, a furniture manufacturer. The factory was formerly located at the north end of Port’s inner harbor. The company was in business until 1954. The building was demolished in 1959.

The Wisconsin Chair Company once made oak cabinets for wind-up Victrola record players. They also owned Paramount Records, which had recording studios in neighboring Grafton, WI.

The Paramount music heritage of Port Washington and Grafton is little-known, but gaining a broader understanding with the advent of the Paramount Music Festival, which attracts many performers every year.

The gallery below gives you a sense of what the grounds and surrounding area are like. I chose to visit before the crowds showed up. While the musical stage was silent, I had unobstructed views for my photography, which I share with you below.