By Daily Press staff
The city’s celebration where art, culture and environment come alive is returning once again.
The Santa Monica Festival, with a focus on the performing and visual arts, will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 13, at Clover Park, 2600 Ocean Park Blvd.
Powered entirely by renewable energy, the festival also will feature two completely solar-powered stages.
Highlights this year will include: Quetzal: This celebrated LA band combines Mexican and Cuban rhythms, jazz, and rock, embodying the soul and struggle of the Mexican-American legacy with an exciting grassroots spirit that picks up where Los Lobos left off.
Bucovina Klezmer: Music for the simchas or joyous occasions that are part and parcel of Jewish cultural and religious life. Bucovina often reaches beyond its traditional repertoire to incorporate jazz and Latin melodies for a truly unique world music experience.
Viver Brasil Dance Company: A fusion of passionate Afro-Brazilian dance, stunning costumes, and exuberant live percussion and vocals. The dances are inspired by the Candomblé orixas, the Bahian carnival dances of samba reggae and samba.
Also taking place throughout the day will be “Downbeat Showdown,” a high-spirited talent competition along the lines of “American Idol,” showcasing talented local high school youth; and traditional dances of Grupo Folklórico Herencia Mexicana.
Craft demonstrations will be held by local artists, and hands-on art and environmental workshops for all ages led by the 18th Street Arts Center, Santa Monica Public Library, and Santa Monica Museum of Art. Attendees can also indulge in international cuisine and shop for crafts from around the block and around the world.
There will be free parking and admission. The festival is scheduled rain or shine. Something to contemplate: Yoga as embodied prayer
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 9, 2006. Read the original PDF.