Thursday afternoon in Van Buer Plaza means more than just DeKalb’s Farmers Market now that the Live Lunch Music Series is in full swing.

The event, produced by the Egyptian Theatre for the third year, provides the weekly farmers market with local entertainment. Patrons are advised to bring a lunch or buy one from a downtown store and enjoy the show with family and friends. 

“The series provides wonderful free entertainment for families and individuals of the community to enjoy,” said Alex Nerad, executive director of the Egyptian Theatre. “The music series brings together all types of musicians and performers from all over the DeKalb area.”

But the staple of live lunch is its variation. Some weeks feature musicians of all kinds, while others offer theater and dance performances.

“We try to make all the performances family-friendly and also create a nice variety,” Nerad said. “The variety is great because it provides something new and fresh every week. It also exposes people to different types of music that they might not have the opportunity to listen to or realize that they might like.”

On Thursday, Ballet Folklorico will be performed by Rayitos del Sol of Conexion Comunidad, which involves volunteer students from DeKalb, Genoa and Sycamore. The dance displays Mexican culture and tradition while acting as a symbol for Hispanic community members.

“We’re working to build positive influences, awareness and involvement in the communities we live in,” said Kristina Garcia, Conexion Comunidad board president. “This allows active members of the program to introduce community members to one another while learning who and what make up the community and what the community has to offer.”

The Conley Trio will return on June 30 for their second performance in the series. The group features the mother/daughters combination of Jen, Ellen and Nelle Conley. The trio looks forward to their return and appreciates opportunities such as this to help community-based musicians.

“The environment of a Farmers Market is a wonderful venue to add music,” said Jen Conley. “Music draws people together, gives all of us a common reference and typically inspires all sorts of responses from tapping one’s foot to singing along. Besides that, people tend to linger more with music, smile more readily and relax into the shared experience.”