To add to your calendar

Great events this summer!

It Takes a Village: Three free concerts highlighting the art of collaboration will take place at Western Michigan University's Dalton Recital Center. They are part of the SEMINAR summer music camp series featuring WMU faculty and guest artists.

7:30 p.m., Monday, July 9: YU-LIEN THE & FRIENDS: Contemporary music featuring piano, saxophone, cello and voice.

7:30 p.m., Thursday, July 12: CHRISTOPHER LAUGHLIN, Guitar: Classical guitar and others.

7:30 p.m., Monday, July 16: THE MERLING TRIO

More WMU listings, including concerts by SEMINAR students, may be found on WMU's website.

5th Annual Diversity Celebration of Kalamazoo: A festival of different cultures, featuring entertainment, booths, ethnic food for sale, and activities for children.
Noon - 8 p.m., Saturday, July 14, at Mayor's Riverfront Park (251 Mills St. in Kalamazoo). Again, admission is free!

Food vendors include: Dragon Inn, Rasa Ria, Las Juanitas, Gallagher's, Cynthia Tyson, Shawarma King, and others. Activities: YMCA-sponsored games for children, children's reading corner, henna tattoos, cultural booths featuring many nations, world trade booth featuring items for sale from around the globe, etc.

Performances throughout the day by: Mike & The Elastic Waste Band, Chinese Lion Dance, Dunuya Drum & Dance, Intercontinental Dance Troupe (Polynesian), Muslim Children's Choir, tap dancers, Bhangra Dance Troupe (Punjabi), mariachi singer, Native American storyteller, Salsa Dancers, Ujima Drum & Dance, Indo-American Dance Team, Geno Hinton Band, Yoroka SimbaJahi Reggae Band, Cathay Dance Group, Irish Dance, Dai Dance, and more. Come out for a great day of multi-cultural arts!


And don't forget the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra concert at Sherman Lake YMCA, Wednesday, July 11, at 8:15 p.m. Lawn seating is free and fun!

Meanwhile, happy Fourth of July to all! The Richland parade steps off at 11 a.m. on Wednesday.

Concert under the stars

Here's one of the great things about summertime: the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra concert at the Sherman Lake YMCA Performance Shell, presented by Sherman Lake Y and the Gull Lake Area Rotary Club.

At 8:15 p.m. on Wednesday, July 11, 2007 (rain date Thursday, July 12), the maestro's baton will rise and we'll all be treated to an evening of Sousa, Sondheim, and more, as we enjoy the summer evening. Jerry Dixon will be the orchestra's guest artist.

Lawn seating admission is always free, but if you love to support the arts, you can help to sponsor the evening and get a VIP seat and parking with a donation of $50--or more. (Checks should be made payable to Sherman Lake YMCA and mailed to 6225 North 39th Street, Augusta, MI 49012; see the Y's website for more info.)

Hope to see you there on a beautiful summer evening in July!