Laurel District Association News

by Helen Wyman

Laurel World Music Festival

The Laurel District Association (LDA) hosts the Second Annual Laurel World Music Festival Saturday, August 11, from noon to 6 p.m. The festivities will take place in the Laurel business district on MacArthur Blvd. between 35th Avenue and High Street. This free event features live entertainment, gourmet food, vendors and artisans, and games and activities for kids.

The World Music Stage, at 38th Avenue, will feature performances by CV-1, Johnny East Bay, Native Elements, Sila and the Afrofunk Experience, and Wadi Gad, a local reggae legend. DJ Kurious Sound will perform between sets. The Community Stage, sponsored by City Walk and located at 35th Avenue, is produced and hosted by Tres Santos, a multicultural, multigenerational, multigender poetry ensemble that speaks truth to power. This stage will feature spoken word and musical and dance performances that reflect the spirit of the Laurel community. Tres Santos also performs regularly at World Ground Café.

The street fair, with over 100 vendors and artisans, will showcase a variety of clothing, jewelry, toys, books, and tapestries, all available for sale, as well as gourmet food booths featuring ethnic cuisines. Kid's World Family Fun Area, sponsored by Oakland Veterinary Hospital, will be located in the Hollywood Video parking lot. It will be packed full of fun for children of all ages, with pony rides, carnival games, interactive games sponsored by Komodo Toys, the Golden State Warriors Kid's Zone an exhibit from Chabot Space & Science Center, exciting new interactive games sponsored by Komodo Toys, the Golden State Warrior's Kid's Zone, and an exhibit by Chabot Space & Science Center. Velvet sponsors the Beverage Tent.

The Laurel World Music Festival is hosted by the Laurel District Association and produced by Helen Wyman and the LDA District Identity Committee. Proceeds from the Beverage Tent will go towards promotion efforts in the Laurel business district.

Special thanks to our sponsors, those mentioned above, City Walk by Olson Homes, Laurel View Optometry, Holy Names University, Farmer Joe's, Laurel Jujitsu, the Oakland Tribune, Oakland Magazine, Councilmember Jean Quan, and the MacArthur Metro. The festival program is available in local stores and online at the LDA Web site, www.laureldistrictassociation.org.

Volunteers Needed for Festival

The LDA is seeking volunteers from the community to assist with set up, vendor check in, ticket sales, Kid's World activities, stages, and tear down. Volunteers are required to sign up for two-hour shifts beginning at 8 a.m. The last shift will start at 6 p.m. Lunch and refreshments will be provided. Volunteers will receive a free Festival T-shirt. To sign up, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Bernice Johnson (owner of 1st Class Boutique in the Laurel) by phone at 482-3274, by e-mail at 1stclassboutique\@sbcglobal.net, or at her store, 3815 MacArthur.

You can reach Helen Wyman, LDA Executive Director, at laureldistrictassociation\@yahoo.com.