From July 7 to Aug. 25, Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort will present its free summer concert series, "Performances at the Passage." It's the series' 11th consecutive year, and shows will be held Thursdays at 7 p.m.

The eight-week run will feature a diverse mix of genres ranging from country and pop to Latin and classic rock.

"Every year,  the concert series gets a little bit bigger," said Curtis Patnode, concert promoter at Clearwater. "It's really cool to come out. It's a great venue right off the water. You can't help but feel relaxed. We welcome all ages and families."

Opening the series this year on July 7 will be emerging country artist Jackson Michelson. Born and raised in Corvallis, Oregon, Michelson now calls Nashville home. He's currently working on the release of a six-song EP that will come out in late May on Curb Records.

Michelson describes his music as a "fresh take on country, with a Pacific Northwest flair." Concertgoers July 7 can expect to leave the show with a smile on their face.

"We like to engage with the crowd," Michelson said. "We're all about creating an experience to share with the crowd. They will leave happy and inspired. It will be high energy."

Michelson said he likes to write songs that make him feel good. Many are about relationships and good times. Two years ago, he released the single "The Good Life", which he wrote about sunshine and good times following a long bout of rain in Oregon.

"That is the song that got me a lot of visibility," he said.

On July 21, Kelsea Ballerini will return to the stage at Clearwater. Patnode said the pop/country artist brought in 3,000 attendees last year, more than the usual 600.

"It was hard to find parking," Patnode said. He recommends people come early for her show.

"A lot of people came over from Tacoma," he said. "About forty of them in one section caravanned over here from Joint Base Lewis-McChord. They heard the promotion on the radio. (Ballerini) asked to come back this year because she had such a good time."

Other highlights of the series include Sanjaya Malakar (July 14), a Federal Way native and finalist on the sixth season of American Idol; Lobo Del Mar (Aug. 4), a family run Celtic band and dance troupe; and Journey Revisited (Aug. 18), a concert re-creation of Journey's smash hits from 1978-1996.

The concerts are held rain or shine, Patnode said, and are located on the event lawn on the backside of the resort overlooking Agate Pass. Beach access is close to where people sit.

"We will have five to twenty boats from the Poulsbo marina out there listening," he said.

Food concessions will include hot dogs, grilled salmon, pulled pork sandwiches and teriyaki chicken with rice. Proceeds from the sale of ice cream and sandwiches will support Relay for Life. There will also be a full bar featuring beer, wine and cocktails.

"It has a festival kind of feel to it," Patnode said.

Performances at the Passage, 7 p.m., Thursdays July 7 to Aug. 25, Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort, 15347 Suquamish Way NE, Suquamish, clearwatercasino.com