Karaoke in the Park
Keney Park Pond House
Hartford
August 4, 2026
Believe it or not, it rained in Hartford most Tuesdays in July.
I know this because I’ve been eager to attend the Karaoke in the Park at the Keney Park Pond House ever since I learned about it early last month. The event was scheduled to end in July, but thankfully the Friends of Keney Park, the event’s organizers, decided to hold a makeup day in the first week of August.
It’s the first time that I’ve been to an outdoor karaoke event. The setup was rather clever, with a table set up near the pond house that had a television with the karaoke lyrics displayed next to the DJ equipment. It made for a unique experience. The view of the pond itself as the sun moved towards the horizon was quite nice.
But we weren’t there for the scenery; we were there to hear some people get down. And boy did they ever!
One thing I love about Keney Park Karaoke is that it’s not just singers who come out; it’s performers. Stage names were more common than family names, but that’s just par for the course when you’re a star.
Two of the stars of the night were New York and Sean Smooth. By the time Sean arrived at the park, New York had already performed once and was warming up for another song. She immediately drafted him into a duet performance of the classic by The Miracles, “Ooo Baby Baby.” I’d be shocked to learn that these two haven’t sung together before, because they easily fell into a groove that complimented each other’s talents.
Another fan favorite was Jimmy Harrison. Red Solo Cup in hand, Jimmy sang one of the most hilarious songs I’ve ever heard at karaoke, King George’s “Keep on Rollin.” I didn’t get the chance to record him, but I did talk to him afterward about why he likes to sing.
“I don’t know if I’m singing, but I am doing karaoke,” he said. He said that he’s been doing karaoke for about six years, and that he and the group he was with regularly come out to Keney Park to perform.
Someone who did come out to sing was Sexii Redd, choosing “Her Heart” by Anthony Hamilton. Ms. Redd and I went to high school together, so it was a fun little reunion before she took the stage. She’s been singing since before then, starting in the shower and moving onto the church choir before hitting it big at Keney Park. Aside from the singing, she said she enjoys the event because it brings the community together in a positive way.
Anywhere that you put people with a shared interest together, a community is going to develop. The Pond House is no exception. The crowd steadily grew as the evening went on. I overheard people wishing each other happy birthday, asking where each other had been last week, sharing gossip and catching up. Whether any of these people knew each other before karaoke started last month is unclear, but they certainly were acquainted by the end of the series.
I used to take my son to Keney Park when he was small. My grandfather, who was an avid golfer, asked to have his ashes spread at the Keney Park Golf Course. It’s a very important landmark in my life, and I’m proud that it played host to such a great event, with so many great people.
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Jamil goes to another rain-postponed event to celebrate West Indian culture.
