The city of Fairbury has a new downtown bandshell, and now there are early plans to officially debut the new structure later this year. 

Fairbury mayor Kelly Davis announced at the city council meeting Tuesday night the city is in the planning stages for an event to formally break in the city’s new bandshell later this year. 

"We'd like to have kind of a grand opening type of thing for the new band shelter downtown," he said. "Tooley's would like to be involved... They want to make a day event of it, family event, like a road rally. Have dunk tanks, a bounce house, a bunch of different stuff for kids, and a couple bands."

Part of the event would be designed as a fundraiser for the band program at Fairbury Public Schools, with proceeds from an event supporting adult musicians going back to support local youth who play instruments. 

"Whatever they do to raise any kind of money, they want to donate that to the high school band, to help buy instruments for families who can't afford to buy their kids one, or maybe rent them out."

The bandshell has been constructed - somewhat ironically - without much fanfare over the last few months, with progress even being made over winter. Now, it's done, standing on the southwest corner of the downtown square near the courthouse and across from Tooley's Bar - so now all the bandshell needs is some bands to play in it. And evidently, this debut event would serve as the new shelter's official grand unveiling.

Mayor Davis said this event is very much still in the planning stages, but they have set a tentative initial date of August 2.