Plagued by unrequited dreams of a quick summer getaway? You may find the antidote via an upcoming concert series set to transport listeners to the big city and beachfront shores.

Hosted by The Arts Council, Concerts Under the Stars is an ongoing series brandishing an eclectic array of local and nationally-renowned talent.

Former Screamin’ Cheetah Wheelies frontman Mike Farris kickstarts the series Saturday, June 18, digging into his rock and soul-singer roots.

Tickets are $35 for adults, $32 for those 65 and older and $30 for students.

For $360, patrons can secure a table with eight front-row seats.

Doubling as The Arts Council’s annual Patriotic Pops Concert, the second performance — slated for Saturday, July 3 — features North Georgia’s own Northwinds Symphonic Band and the spirit of American independence.

Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for seniors and $15 for students and veterans and their immediate family members. A table for eight is $240.

According to The Arts Council’s executive director Pamela Williams-Lime, Northwinds’ presence in the Patriotic Pops performance is a longstanding tradition spanning a full decade or more.

“It’s something the community looks forward to on an annual basis, and we’re happy to have them back,” Williams-Lime said.

A “mixture of down-home laughs with big city music” is set to take the stage with 3 Redneck Tenors on Saturday, July 16. The musical comics’ repertoire runs the gamut from gospel and country to Broadway, classical and pop.

Tickets are $35 for adults, $32 for seniors and $30 for students. A table for eight is $360.

On Saturday, Aug. 6, Gainesville’s Riverstreet Band sets an upbeat, danceable tempo with the rhythm of classic rock. 

The final performance on the books thus far is set for Saturday, Aug. 27, when Back in Time, an 11-piece rock and roll band with a four-piece horn section, conjures the era of classic rock and roll, soul and East Coast beach music.

Tickets for both the Aug. 6 and Aug. 27 concerts are $26 for adults, $24 for seniors and $20 for students. A table for eight is $288.

Each performance is slated for 8 p.m. at the Gladys Wyant Performing Arts Pavilion, with gates opening at 7 p.m.

For tickets, visit theartscouncil.net/tickets or call 770-534-2787. Tickets can also be purchased at the gate on the night of each performance.

According to Williams-Lime, The Arts Council is in the process of securing an online ticketing platform that would allow patrons to purchase and download tickets directly from their smartphone. The new mechanism would also boost the organization’s capacity to host larger audiences and a greater variety of performing artists.

The Arts Council plans to extend the Concerts Under the Stars series into September or October, adding more performances — delivered by both homegrown and farther flung artists — as the year rolls on. 

“As an organization, we think it’s really important to showcase our local talent and then bring in some different groups from outside that people might not otherwise have an opportunity to see,” Williams-Lime said. “As we add performances, you’ll begin to notice there’s more diversity in the programming. Hopefully the appeal to the audience will be diversified as well.”

Because more events will join the series over time, ticket packages are not available; instead, tickets can be secured individually on a concert-by-concert basis.

Concertgoers are encouraged to bring a chair or blanket and spread out across the lawn and unwind as the daylight wanes.

“We’re very open and friendly, relaxed and casual under the stars,” Williams-Lime said. 

Those who’d like to bring their own food and beverages to snack and sip on throughout the performances are welcome to do so. 

Though outdoors, pet owners should be advised the series is limited to human listeners only.