Members of the Lawrence City Band perform on the bandstand while children and their parents play in the South Park fountain in the distance in this 2006 file photo. The summer concert series begins again Wednesday.

A longtime Lawrence tradition continues tonight when the Lawrence City Band returns for another season of music in the park. The band, which traces its roots back to 1854, performs at 8 p.m. Wednesdays through July 15 in South Park. Tonight’s show, “A New Season, A New Beginning!,” features “Second Suite in F” by Gustav Holst, “Shield of Liberty March” by J.J. Richards and “Beguine for Band” by Glenn Osser, among other works. The concerts, which are free to the public, are sponsored by Lawrence Parks and Recreation and the Rice Foundation. Robert Foster is the conductor. Other concert titles for the season include:

• June 3, “The Year of the Bull.”

• June 10, “Children’s Concert,” featuring tuba soloist Dean Sommerville and an arrangement of songs from “The Wizard of Oz.”

• June 17, “Conductor’s Choice,” with guest conductors selecting their own literature.

• June 24, “Music for a Summer Night,” with music from “Porgy and Bess.”

• July 1, “Celebrate America,” a patriotic celebration including “Battle Hymn of the Republic” and “America the Beautiful.”

• July 8, “Around the World in 60 Minutes,” a musical travelogue from various regions of the globe.

• July 15, “The Season’s Grand Finale,” including “The 1812 Overture” and “The Stars and Stripes Forever.”