Let The Free Fun Begin

When I think about all the reasons that I love living in the city, Dogwood Dell is top on my list. It’s a great use of my tax dollars (although I certainly wish more of them were sent that way). And the good news is that this series is open to everyone — even you guys way out in the ‘burbs. I love that the music/performance series exposes people to things that they otherwise might not have been exposed to. And parents, bring your kids along. Because it’s free, you’ve got nothing to lose.

Last year I heard opera music, tapped my toes to traditional Celtic tunes and saw a musical. And this year promises excitement, too. So load up the picnic basket with treats and bug spray, and make sure you go to at least one Dell event this summer. My family’s already planning on attending the annual Fourth of July festivities. A sampling of this season’s schedule follows. Dates and acts are subject to change; times vary. Call 646-1437 for more information.

June 8, Richmond Ballet; June 9, KOS; June 10, Richmond Boys Choir and Ban Caribe; June 17, Jonathan Austin; June 24, Barefoot Puppets and David Esleck Trio; June 30, Plunky and Oneness; July 1, Applause Unlimited; July 4, Bak N Da Day, Lawrence Robinson, Richmond Concert Band and fireworks; July 6, Charmaine Crowell White; July 7, The Concert Ballet of Virginia; July 15, Judy Pancoast; July 19, Ezibu Muntu African Dance; July 20, Los Gatos; July 21, The Celtibillies; July 22, Dylan Pritchett and Cora Armstrong & Full D; July 27, SPARC Summerstarz and Page Wilson & Reckless Abandon; July 28, Linda & Robin Williams. — Sarah K. McDonald