Summer Solstice Celebration is excited to host its annual festival again, LIVE and IN PERSON at Alameda Park on Friday, June 21, 4 PM to 9 PM, Saturday, June 22, 12 PM to 8 PM, and Sunday, June 23, 1:30 PM to 6 PM. As in past years, there will be a stellar musical lineup for you to enjoy. All performances are free and open to the public, so come on down and join us and this amazing group of musicians for a little folk, reggae, pop, soul, rock, metal, and progressive electronica that is sure to get you in the summer solstice celebration groove! This year there will be performances on two stages, the Alameda Main Stage and the Santa Barbara Bowl CommUnity Stage in the Children's FUNtopia Zone across Santa Barbara Street. Sunday is KJEE's Solstice Reggae Sunday!
- CommUnity Zone -
Proudly Sponsored by the Santa Barbara Bowl
Saturday, June 22 - SB BOWL CommUnity Stage
1:15 PM - Brasscals
Brasscals! is a lively group made up of 14+ members, ages 20 to 87, from the Santa Barbara community. The band boasts a wide roster of talent – including woodwinds, brass, a banjo, a washboard, and one bullhorn. United by a shared love of music, the diverse, multigenerational membership of Brasscals! is what makes this band so special. We are a very portable band; we can play while on the move, have minimal set-up, and don't need electricity. Our high-energy shows encourage crowd participation to increase the fun factor and break down the barrier between “performer” and “audience”. We include activities such as merch giveaways, limbo, conga lines, and more. We welcome your ideas, and we can easily adapt to your needs.
1:30 PM - Sudama & Joss
Sudama Mark Kennedy is an intuitive healer/musician/poet who grew up around the world in a diplomat family. His music is currently featured on Be Why Music and Bandcamp. He is a multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter who performs on guitar, as well as sitar, shakuhachi flute, and didjeridu. He is the recipient of a United Nations Award called 'Lifting Up the World with Oneness Heart". You might have seen him with his band Dreamtime Continuum over the years in Santa Barbara at SOhO, Earth Day, Solstice events, the Courthouse Sunken Garden, and other venues.
2:15 PM - Rhythm Industrial Complex
The Rhythm Industrial Complex (TRIC) is a local Santa Barbara band founded in 2023 by lead singer and bandleader Nicholas Ragheb. Upon returning to the US after several years living in the Cape Verde Islands in West Africa, Nicholas formed TRIC in collaboration with percussionists from the local West African drum and dance community, and other long established Santa Barbara musicians, with the goal of performing irresistible dance music from genres and music cultures rarely experienced in the Santa Barbara music scene, including Brazilian and Nigerian afrobeat, Cape Verdean coladeira and South African amapiano.
3:00 PM - Latin Dance with Yulia Maluta
Yulia Maluta is a professional dance teacher, choreographer, film maker and performing artist. Her backgrounds are inclusive of studying and teaching Performing Arts, Acting, Argentine Tango, Yoga, Latin, Ballroom, Belly dance, Pilates, improvisational and healing movement. After years of competing professionally in Ballroom and Latin dance and complete break down in her life, she discovered Tango, her teaching method of Tango became as a metaphor for life and relationships. Her teaching method of dance integrates different modalities of healing, movement, meditation and awareness together to help people to break free from their limitations to embody self love, communion with life, loved ones and present moment.
3:30 PM - Klein Arts Dancers
KleinDance Arts (Klein means “Small” in German) is an intimate learning environment that provides students the opportunity for: Physical Movement, Self-Expression, Confidence, Discipline, Focus, Respect, Creativity, Knowledge of the Arts, Having Fun! We are primarily a recreational performing arts studio, as well as offer the option to train at an elite level. Multiple lessons per week and private lessons are advised to provide an accelerated level of training for a student and artists that wants to dedicate their time to the performing arts. Ultimately, we aim to provide high-quality classes, with a feeling of home.
3:50 PM - Adriana Reyna
Adriana is a Santa Barbara-based singer and songwriter, performing originals and Latin cover songs.
4:00 PM - Ewe Drummers
We are the Ewe (pronounced A-Way) drummers of Santa Barbara. We play the rhythms and music of the Ewe people from Ghana and Togo.
4:30 - Santa Barbara Ratha Yatra
We are a group of Southern California ISKCON devotees that are bringing for the second time ever the ancient tradition of Lord Jagannath Ratha-yatra to the streets of Santa Barbara. Some of us have been living in Santa Barbara for 25 years, and some of us have family roots that go back 125 years! What we all have in common is a sincere desire to serve Srila Prabhupada, who brought and taught this practice of bhakti-yoga throughout the U.S. and world, in his mission to spread the chanting of the holy names to every town and village.
Saturday, June 22 - Story Stage
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2:00 PM - Michele Padrón aka Micaela del Mar
I have been performing music in one way or another my entire life; in the Bay Area in the 1970s with a female trio, Honey Creek, as a solo artist in Cancun, Mexico and more recently as one-half of the duo Sweet Strings Sisters. In between, my guitar and I spent 20 years teaching young children, using song as a vehicle for literacy and joy. It is that joy I try to bring to each musical encounter by encouraging participation, whether by singing along, tapping toe, or just a smile. I can tailor a performance for an occasion and have a repertoire that ranges from campfire songs to more recent favorites and classics from the 30’s to the present as well as many beloved Spanish-language Canciones.
3:00 PM - Nicole Sophia
Singer-songwriter Nicole Sophia's lyrically driven brand of indie pop/rock radiates joy, bad-assery, and vulnerability. Inspired by artists like Hozier, Sara Bareilles, Maggie Rogers, and Florence And The Machine, Nicole Sophia gravitated to songwriting at a very young age, despite not hailing from a musical family. As a sensitive child with a curious, impassioned heart and an overactive mind, “the girl of a thousand questions” turned to music and songwriting as a way to make sense of the beautiful messiness of being human. After years of playing live and gaining loyal fans in the process, Nicole Sophia is thrilled to have released her debut record “Reveal Your Heart” in January 2024. Nicole Sophia is ambitiously looking forward to touring nationally and internationally, playing everywhere from her fans’ favorite dives to Red Rocks, Madison Square Garden and beyond. High on her list of goals is headlining her hometown venue of the Santa Barbara Bowl.
4:00 PM - James Kapicka
James Kapicka is a somatic-based movement facilitator, Thai massage practitioner and stand-up comic with a passion for bringing people together to laugh, learn and play. His mission is to inspire personal freedom and support community connection. He leads embodiment retreats, offers yin yoga trainings and recently produced Moksha™️ the Yoga Board Game! Through sincere and heartfelt guidance, James creates an environment that empowers students to trust their intuition and listen to their heart. His approach promotes curiosity, creative play and authentic expression, and allows for a deeply resonant relationship with self, others and our planet.
Sunday, June 23 - SB BOWL CommUnity Stage
1:15 PM - Harpist Chai Lee
Chai recently earned his master’s degree at Yale School of Music studying with Nancy Allen and June Han. He has appeared with the Pittsburgh Symphony, Buffalo Symphony, and the United Nations Chamber Music Society. He also took first prize in the 26th Soka International Harp Competition in 2014.
1:45 PM - Penny Little (with Special Guest Brandon Statner)
Executive Director, Penny Little will teach and perform a CommUnity Song, accompanied by special guest guitarist, Brandon Statner.
In the 80's Penny performed solo on piano and vocals in coffeehouses and small venues. On her way back from touring Japan, Penny met up with guitarist Ben Hurley, in Hawaii. There, they recorded the album "In a Light Garden" released on Global Pacific/CBS. They made their way to the UK, where their band "White Feather" was signed to Warner Brothers with Tony Bodene on drums. Upon returning to the US, she met Nik Green, keyboardist with the Geffen band Blue Murder, and they formed the Away Team in 1994. The Away Team was featured in Unconventional Tour 2008, a mashup of media, music and politics performing in major cities in the USA, and continues to perform primarily at festivals, small theaters, and special events. In addition to writing and performing in the Away Team, Penny has produced several documentary films which have been in film festivals and independent theaters. Penny also produced rap, thrash, punk & country with teens as part of Gang Prevention through the Arts.
3:30 PM - Doug Giordani
Singer and songwriter invites everyone to sing along!
3:45 PM - Mother Knights
Mother Knights is a blend of original composition and covers ranging from the 60s til now. Maya on vocals, Russ on acoustic guitar, and Amos on drums. They are located in the Los Angeles area and gig frequently out there! Maya is excited to be back in her “true home” of Santa Barbara as she likes to call it. Maya lived in Santa Barbara for 5 years before moving back to the South Bay of Los Angeles, but she’ll be back in Santa Barbara in no time! Come out and join Mother Knights for a rockin’-good time!
4:15 PM - La Dosis Perfecta
Spanish Rock!
Sunday, June 23 - Story Stage
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Darren Marc Levene
Join Darren Marc Levene for a set of soulful singer/songwriter music. Be uplifted by Darren's unique blend of catchy melodies and inspiring lyrics. As a singer/songwriter, Darren has performed all around the world and has had his songs featured as background music on TV shows on MTV, VH1, and ETV. Darren is also well known for his monthly kirtan call and response singing events at Yoga Soup. He will be accompanied by Jayananda on percussion.
3:00 PM - Kids' Talent Show
Join us in closing the Summer Solstice Celebration with an exciting Talent Show just for Kids!
If you'd like your teen or child to be part of this talent show, please sign up with our FUNtopia & CommUnity Zone Coordinator, Tiffini Lopez at tiffinilopez@hotmail.com.
Please submit your name, contact, name of child, and talent to perform.
We can't wait to see your child's talent on stage!
