Dirty Modine headlines free Friday concert at Ashley Pond Park

Free live music returns to Ashley Pond Park on Friday, when Dirty Modine headlines the June 26 stop in the Los Alamos Summer Concert Series. The county-run series is free, non-ticketed and family-friendly, with entertainment beginning at 6:30 p.m. and headliners taking the stage at 7:30 p.m.

That matters in a town where one of the most visible public spaces becomes a shared summer gathering place without a ticket barrier. The 2026 series runs every Friday from May 22 through Aug. 28, giving residents a regular downtown option for music, food, games and an evening outside without leaving Los Alamos.

Dirty Modine brings a familiar, crowd-friendly sound to that setting. Event listings describe the band as an established 2002 classic rock group from the Rio Rancho and Albuquerque area that has been igniting New Mexico stages for more than 20 years. The band’s résumé includes festivals, private parties, rallies, casinos and nightclubs, signaling a set built around recognizable songs rather than a niche draw.

The concert series itself is produced by Los Alamos County and Sancre Productions, and the county’s event page emphasizes the public-facing nature of the program. Along with the music, the site lists a food court, games and a beer garden, making the Friday-night schedule less like a single performance and more like a countywide summer outing centered on a shared civic space.

Ashley Pond Park gives that role added weight. The county describes it as a downtown landmark dating back to ranch-school days, originally a natural depression and now a cherished place for walks, picnics, concerts, events and more. Historical accounts tie the site to the Los Alamos Ranch School, founded in 1917 next to the pond, and the U.S. National Park Service says the land was later acquired for military purposes in 1942 as part of the Manhattan Project era.

That history makes the free concert series more than weekend entertainment. At Ashley Pond, the county is using one of Los Alamos’ most recognizable public spaces to deliver an accessible summer tradition, and Friday’s Dirty Modine show is another test of how well that formula can keep drawing families, regular concert-goers and anyone looking for a no-cost night in the center of town.