Picture this: An open-air concert series held in a grassy, open area in downtown Fairhope, where you and a thousand or more like-minded folks can bring in picnic coolers, blankets and chairs and settle in to enjoy an evening of music from nationally known artists, for a surprisingly low price.

It’s not a pipe dream. Welcome to Live at Five, a concert series that has been slowly snowballing since 2017 at Halstead Amphitheater on the campus of Coastal Alabama Community College. In the beginning it was free, so it was easy turnout of more than 1,000 people for granted. As organizers recount at the series’ website, they weren’t sure what to expect when they began charging $10 per person and selling tickets online in spring 2021 – but what they got was a string of sellouts, with more than 1,500 people attending.

They’ve raised the bar again. The price of admission is now $25, which still seems pretty close to nothing in an era of recurrent Ticketmaster rage. But the bang-for-the-buck factor is hard to argue with.

The fall series kicked off Sept. 15 with Johnny Hayes and Jenna McClelland opening for Drivin’ n’ Cryin’. Ben Jernigan, who’s helping book, produce and promote the series, said about 900 people showed up.

One of the things he saw at that show that he likes, he said, is the range of experiences the format offers attendees. Away from the stage, he said, “everybody’s got their little corner, spread out on the blanket, eating their cheese platter.” But others were there to feel some rock energy and there was “a big representation of people standing right in front of the stage,” Jernigan said.

It adds up to an experience that’s not quite like anything else in the area, he said. Music starts at 5 p.m. and is done by 9:30, making for “an early-ish evening on a Friday.”

“It’s very much a Fairhope thing to me,” Jernigan said. His goal is to book shows that will entertain the “social butterflies” in the crowd but also satisfy the serious listeners, all in a family-friendly environment.

Up next is Taylor Hicks, the early “American Idol” breakout success story who’s forged a lasting career for himself as a singer, restaurateur and all-around entertainer. He’ll headline a Sept. 29 show with opening sets by Kat Deal and John Hart.

Oct. 13 brings George Porter Jr. a legendary New Orleans bassist whose credits include co-founding The Meters. The show also will feature local favorite Grayson Capps along with a performance by Tedeschi Trucks Band drummer Isaac Eady and friends.

The last show of the fall series, on Oct. 27, again dips into the well of New Orleans music with a headline set by Dumpstaphunk. The night also will feature sets by Brooks Hubbert and The New Cahoots.

The series began through the efforts of The Friends of The Halstead, Impact 100 and Coastal Alabama Community College. It was intended in part to promote the legacy of the amphitheater’s namesake, Ottilie Halstead, “a fervent supporter of local arts who donated generously to the construction of the amphitheater and development of the open-air venue.”

Access is straightforward. Tickets are sold through www.liveatfivefairhope.com. Prices for the fall show are $25 for adults, $10 for children six and older. On-street parking is available throughout the surrounding area; patrons are asked to be mindful of private property. (Organizers also say that “Fairhope United Methodist Church at the corner of Morphy Ave. and Bancroft St. typically offers paid parking.”)

Patrons are free to bring in coolers and are encouraged to bring their own chairs and blankets but not umbrellas or tents. No alcohol is sold as part of the event. At least one food truck usually is on the scene. Well behaved dogs are allowed.

The series also supports another legacy by funding grants in the memory of Jacob Hall, a young musician who was active in the Mobile music scene until his untimely death in 2020 at age 23. A portion of the proceeds from Live at Five events fund Jacob Hall Memorial Music Grants, which support “musicians or aspiring musicians that have a specific musical need.”

“All the money we can afford to put back into the grant program, we do,” said Jernigan. At the Sept. 15 show, grants funded by proceeds from the spring series were announced. They paid for a range of needs: A year of lessons for a promising high-school musician, a new guitar for a church performer, recording sessions for two local songwriters working on albums, equipment for a podcaster who spotlights local artists.

For full information on the series, visit www.liveatfivefairhope.com.