Concerts and Events

Spring marks the return of many of my favorite things: from April flowers in the Park to chasing baseballs at Morley Field. But most of all, I look forward to the resumption of the weekly smorgasbords, a.k.a. Lawn Programs, at the House of Pacific Relations International Cottages.

To celebrate its 75th year, the cottages are adding a Saturday Lawn Program series to complement the long running Sunday afternoon programs. Scheduled for the first Saturday of the month, the free Saturday @ The Lawn series will feature dancers, musicians, and other performers from a wide range of cultural traditions.

For instance, kicking off the series this Saturday, March 5, will be Polish singer and musician Krzysztof Wiszniewski, the keyboard prodigies the Pizarro Brothers, Flamenco dances courtesy of Sabor Andaluz (pictured), Flamenco guitar music by NovaMenco, a Chinese Lion Dance, and much more.

These performances will set the stage, if you will, for the spectacular annual fiesta, a.k.a. Lawn Program, hosted by the House of Mexico on Sunday, March 6. Honoring next month’s Dia de los Niños (Day of the Children), the festival will serve up plenty of additional cultural entertainment, traditional costumes and crafts, and of course the usual assortment of Mexican delicacies fit for Cosmos consumption, including enchiladas, tostadas, and carne asada.

If you’re unable to take in this weekend’s cultural double header, don’t despair. Saturday @ The Lawn returns monthly while the Sunday Lawn Programs continue through October, featuring a different cultural host, and menu, each week.

Camden writes: Dear Cosmos, My family loves the holidays, I mean really loves them, so believe it or not, they actually need more things to do to celebrate the season than Balboa Park December Nights provides. What do you suggest?

Cosmos: Surprisingly this is not an uncommon problem that is actually caused by December Nights itself. Let me explain: the excitement generated both before and after the event whips many folks into such a frenzy, they need more and more holiday-themed activities to keep them going the whole season long. And it’s never too early to start making plans.

In the interests of full disclosure, let me say right from the start that I, too, experience this condition. Fortunately, us four-legged friends are always welcome at the many holiday concerts in the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. For instance, on Sunday, November 28, there will be a Thanksgiving concert featuring San Diego’s Civic Organist Carol Williams and two guest organists, followed by additional concerts with Dr. Williams and the San Diego Children’s Choir on December 5, and another with the Choir of St. Paul’s Cathedral of San Diego on December 12. The series will be capped off with a holiday sing/bark-along concert on December 19.

For the rest of your family, I suggest they check out the many indoor performances going on throughout the season, including the Old Globe’s annual presentation of Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the San Diego Youth Ballet’s performance of The Nutcracker, and a number of Christmas-themed shows at the Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater.

And if this still isn’t enough, a daily walk in Balboa Park, which will be decked out in all its holiday glory through New Year’s Day, should satisfy even the most hardcore holiday junkies of any species. I know it works for me.

Though this year’s International Summer Organ Festival may be winding down, things are really heating up—as in making-me-pant heat up. Dennis James is coming to town next Monday, August 23, to present his multimedia Silent Movie Night extravaganza in Spreckels Organ Pavilion!

Dennis James has been an instrumental figure (pun intended) in the revival of screening old silent films to live musical accompaniment. And over the past 30 years he has perfected the art, performing on piano, theater organs, as well as with chamber ensembles and full symphony orchestras.

As fun and entertaining as that is, now imagine him providing the music to a classic silent film like The Yankee Clipper, with all its high seas adventure and intrigue, on one of the world’s largest outdoor pipe organs in an historic setting. Hence, my effusive panting!

Now if that isn’t enough, Civic Organist Carol Williams closes this summer’s festival on August 30, with what promises to be an equally hot night of jazz. She’s invited local celebrity Dave Scott to join her on trombone, Bill Shreeve on sax, Mark Hunter on electric bass, and Kevin Koch on drums.

They will present several jazz standards like “Moonlight Serenade,” “Take the ‘A’ Train,” and “Misty,” along with original compositions by Carol Williams and Dave Scott, who in addition to being that dapper meteorologist on KUSI-TV is a well-respected songwriter and performer.

Photo Contest Deadline Reminder

Not to take your eye off the ball (and the prize) by highlighting some exciting events coming up, I would also like to remind all my shutter bug friends that this Friday, August 20, is the last day you can send in your entry to the Top Dog Photo Contest.

Please be sure to first bone up on the contest rules as I’m seeing way too many entries with multiple dogs in the picture frame, more than one photo attached to the email, or pictures of pooches taken in someone’s living room or back yard! This is Balboa Park’s Top Dog, not HGTV’s, after all!

Covering the Balboa Park beat is quite the full-time job that often includes working weekends—not that I mind. While the diverse array of cultural institutions keeps the Central Mesa hopping all summer long, Balboa Park’s neighborhood nooks serve up their own brand of community spirit to keep me busier than a dog chasing her own tail.

A perfect example is Bird Park, located just east of Morley Field in the quaint craftsman-style enclave of North Park. Since 2002, the North Park Community Association has presented a free summer concert series on select Saturday evenings from 5:30 to 7:30pm, featuring local festival favorites for family-friendly dancing ‘til dusk. While the music is the main attraction, the event provides the perfect opportunity for an early evening picnic, mingling with neighbors, and watching the sun set over the downtown skyline.

As with past summer line ups, the remaining concerts in this year’s series represent a wide range of danceable music genres, including this Saturday’s (July 10) performer, Billy Lee & The Swamp Critters, who present Cajun Zydeco music in the manner it should be—fun.

Next up, on July 24, the Cathryn Beeks Ordeal will take listeners on a musical journey with her unique blend of country-inflected groove-laden folk rock. The series closes on August 7 when Scott Martin, formerly of the Grammy-winning Poncho Sanchez Latin Band, keeps the beat going with his own Latin Soul Band.

Oh, and just in case you’re wondering, I work for bones.