2017 Marin County Fair Invites Visitors to 'Let the Funshine In!'
By: A.A. Cristi Jun. 26, 2017
This summer's Marin County Fair will celebrate that 1967 spirit with music, art, fashion and more featuring tie-dye and macramé competitions, Flower Power horticulture, Groovy/Psychedelic and Abstract art and photography, and daily 60s fashion parades. As always, there are carnival rides, free concerts and fireworks every night.
Director of Cultural Services Gabriella C. Calicchio says, "Marin County is, and continues to be, a nexus of creativity and innovation. Our Fair draws together, celebrates and inspires creativity and imagination across the county, regardless of socioeconomic and cultural differences. This year to celebrate the Summer of Love we'll feature events such as tie-dye competitions, zen gardens, pop art competitions and more. We'll also showcase Antenna Theater's Magic Bus alongside a special exhibition showcasing photographs and objects from the first Rock Festival on Mt Tam in 1967(the Fantasy Fair and Magic Music Festival). We can't wait to let the Funshine in!"
Highlights:
Fantasy Fair Special Exhibit
In Marin County, the Summer of Love was all about the music. The KFRC Fantasy Fair and Magic Mountain Music Festival, the first music festival of its kind, kicked off the counterculture explosion atop Mt. Tamalpais on June 10th and 11th, 1967. Local bands like Clover and Sons of Champlin regularly played throughout the county, at venues from San Rafael to Stinson Beach. Santa Venetia Armory, Pepperland, Lion's Share, Irwin St. Warehouse, Brown's Hall, and more hosted these hometown heroes alongside internationally renowned artists like Ike & Tina Turner, Pink Floyd, and Frank Zappa. Rock posters give a unique glimpse into the psychedelic art and music which defined the Summer of Love. These posters were handmade by local artists, as well as superstars like Stanley Mouse, Alton Kelley, and Rick Griffin.
The exhibit includes original photos of the concert by attendees and rock photographers including Elaine Mayes, original concert footage, over 100 rock posters, handbills and programs, an original cell by Sausalito artist Glenn McKay from a liquid light show, and more!
Psychedelic Liquid Light Show
At 6pm daily in the Showcase Theater, the Fair presents a live Psychedelic Liquid Light Show that celebrates the psychedelic art form of live light performance that pioneered in the rock clubs and happenings of the 1960s. Using vintage projection instruments and innovative techniques, these artists hand-animate painted slides, liquid mixes, and reflective materials to create a kaleidoscope of color and pattern. The performances feature members and archival materials from Glenn McKay and Jerry Abrams's original Headlights, joined by different performers including Dennis Keefe, James Baldocchi, Jay Moss, Denny Bales, and Marco Ferrero.
Virtual Reality and Hands On Art Making
The Summer of Love was noted for groundbreaking developments in art, fashion and music. It was a time of self-expression, exploration and creativity where the imagination knew no boundaries. Peace Love and happiness was The Mantra for a generation and the catalyst for the technology and ways our lives our led today.
Come experience state-of-the-art technology as we "transport" fairgoers to far-away places, exotic landscapes, surreal and psychedelic worlds, and more.
VRExpressions
Virtual Reality is the new computing medium where you can create, experience, and discover distant and fantasy worlds in immersive experiences. Come create art and music in virtual 3D worlds. Visit the Taj Mahal, swim with dolphins, and step back into time as you visit the Summer of Love.
Mellow Yellow Kaleidoscopes
Stop by and make a hand-made kaleidoscope filled with beads, colored paper and trinkets from the 60s.
Mandala Spin Art
Let centrifugal force spin-out your spiritual mandala with the all the colors of the rainbow.
Be a Hippie!
Step back in time and dress up to be a hippie for one moment captured in the photo time machine.
Competitive Exhibits
Calling all talented, artistic, technologically savvy, green-thumbed, and creative people: The exhibit categories are now open to the public for the 2017 Marin County Fair, Let the Funshine In!
Special contests include:
ü Tie Dye
ü Play-Doh
ü Flashback to the 60s
ü Macrame
ü Kaleidoscope Arts
ü Tangle Art
ü Spin Art
ü Flower Power Floral Arts
ü Zen Gardens
ü Let the Funshine In! themed contests
Concert lineup:
Friday, June 30, 7:30pm - Ann Wilson of Heart
As a songwriter and lyricist, Ann Wilson has created a truly impressive body of work ("Crazy on You," "Barracuda," "Magic Man," "Dog & Butterfly," "Straight On," "Even it Up," "Mistral Wind," and many, many more). However, her greatest gift, and first "calling" is singing. Her voice is considered to be among the best ever, with its vast range, amazing power and sheer musicality. It has inspired legions of great singers, across every genre of music. Witness the number of times "Alone" has been performed on American Idol! Ever since Dreamboat Annie, Ann has been performing with her equally talented sister, Nancy Wilson, as Heart, thrilling hundreds of thousands of concert fans annually. Now it's time for Ann to do something she's always dreamed of, and stretch out as a singer performing things not in the heart-shaped box.
Saturday, July 1, 7:30pm - The 5th Dimension
One of America's most celebrated vocal groups, THE 5TH DIMENSION leave crowds wanting more from their amazing treasure trove of hits. Garnering 7 Grammys, over 25 million in sales, 22 Top 40 hits, 5 No. 1 songs (including the mega hit, "Up, Up and Away," "Wedding Bell Blues," One Less Bell to Answer," "Last Night I Didn't Get To Sleep At All" and the iconic "Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In,"). THE 5TH DIMENSION is in the Grammy Hall of Fame, Vocal Group Hall of Fame, has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and has endeared millions of fans to its champagne soul sound. With her vocal prowess and stunning stage presence, lead-singer Florence LaRue is one of entertainment's classiest performers who rose to fame from her humble beginnings in Glenside, PA., to become a super star.
Saturday, July 1, 3pm - Willie K
Bring your aloha spirit and join us for one of Hawaii's most versatile talents, Willie K, an amazing guitar virtuoso who's been referred to as the Hawaiian Jimi Hendrix. Floating between beautiful Hawaiian music on the ukulele and sweet slack key guitar, to searing stratocaster-inspired rock music and smooth jazz, he truly is one of "da kine." Born Willie Kahaialii and known affectionately as Uncle Willie in the islands-he has built a reputation as one of the foremost practitioners of native Hawaiian music over the years.
Sunday, July 2, 7:30pm - The Commodores
For three decades, the Commodores have remained a force in the music industry. "The Legends of Motown," "Hit, After Hit, After Hit," "Grammy Award Winners," "All The Emotion, All the Excitement," "If You Haven't Seen Them Live, You Haven't Heard The Commodores." The Commodores aren't just any group. They have staying power. Just like their hit song "Brick House," the Commodores have created a foundation that just won't budge. After churning out hit after hit in the Motown days, the Commodores still hadn't achieved Grammy recognition. This wasn't to be until 1986, without Lionel Richie, when the Commodores released "Night Shift." In 1968 the group was formed while all the members were in college at Tuskeegee Institute. After being discovered by Berry Gordy, the Commodores went on to sell over 60 million records for Motown. With hits like "Machine Gun" and "Sail On", the Commodores became proven artists. They proved it then. They proved it in 1986 with "Night Shift," and now they are ready to prove it again.
Sunday, July 2, 3pm -The Liberators
In the 1980s and '90s, journalist Paul Liberatore's band, the Liberators, performed at the Marin County Fair-several times on small stages and, finally, as the opening act for Clarence Clemons and his Red Bank Rockers on the Fair's main stage. Liberatore revived the band in 2014 with guitarist-singer Jimmy Dillon, keyboardist-singer Austin deLone, drummer Kevin Hayes and bassist Erik McCann. The musicians continued to play occasionally, including gigs at Rancho Nicasio, Sweetwater Music Hall and other venues. With the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love, Liberatore and Dillon began putting together multi-media show celebrating what became known worldwide in 1967 as the San Francisco Sound. Fairgoers will hear contemporary interpretations of classic songs by the Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and other bands from the psychedelic era.
Monday, July 3, 7:30pm - UB40
As original members of UB40, Ali Campbell, Mickey Virtue and Astro helped to define reggae music for a generation. The multi-racial band, formed in 1979 in the Birmingham suburb of Moseley, pooled a diverse set of influences to put a fresh, indigenous slant on Jamaican reggae. After encouragement from Chrissie Hynde, who offered them support slots with her chart-topping band The Pretenders, they recorded their independently released debut album, Signing Off, on an eight-track tape machine in the home of producer Bob Lamb. An unexpected number two album, it gave them the conviction to chart their own course. UB40 went on to dominate charts around the world, not least with the hugely successful Labour Of Love series. The first Labour Of Love album, in 1983, yielded a cover of Neil Diamond's "Red Red Wine" that topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic. The band secured two further chart-topping singles at home in "(I Can't Help) Falling In Love With You" (also another US number one) and "I Got You Babe," a duet between Ali and the band's old friend Chrissie Hynde.
Tuesday, July 4, 7:30pm - The Happy Together Tour
Get ready for summer, when The Happy Together Tour comes to Marin performing the biggest hits of the era. The tour includes six headline artists with fifty-three Billboard hits amongst them. The incomparable lineup includes hosts, The Turtles Featuring Flo & Eddie, The Association, Chuck Negron formerly of Three Dog Night, The Box Tops, The Cowsills and The Archies starring Ron Dante. The Turtles featuring Flo & Eddie are the signature headliners of the Happy Together tour and act as the musical hosts with their crazy antics, satire and boatload of hits led by vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman, known as Flo & Eddie. The Turtles have sold over 40 million records worldwide. Their hits include: "Happy Together," "She'd Rather Be With Me," "Elenore," "It Ain't Me Babe" and "You Showed Me."
Tuesday, July 4, 3pm - Sons of Champlin
The Sons of Champlin started in 1965 in Marin County rising from the wreckage of the Opposite Six, a locally popular R&B band from the pre-Beatle era. "Six" members, Bill Champlin and Tim Cain, added Terry Haggerty and the first of a series of drummers and bass players. The new band was named for the "front" man, Bill Champlin. The Sons' first record release, on Verve Records, was a single called "Sing Me A Rainbow." In 1967 the Sons of Champlin became a seven-piece band, adding a trumpet and more importantly, Geoff Palmer on keyboards, alto sax, and vibraphone. By this time the San Francisco scene included the Fillmore and Avalon ballrooms, and as the Sons joined that rock circuit, they earned a reputation as a group of R&B and jazz musicians far above the caliber of the electrified folk-rockers who formed the core of the scene. Not only did the Sons boast a horn section, their philosophical themes, R&B and jazz tempos and arrangements were far ahead of any in rock music, and set the Sons apart from the guitar-dominated bands playing the San Francisco ballrooms.
Community Stage Concerts (Three Twins Stage)
Celebrate the Summer of Love with legendary rockers It's a Beautiful Day who sang the iconic song "White Bird (In a Golden Cage)." They're on stage with original member David Laflamme on violin/vocals, Linda Laflamme on vocals, original drummer Val Fuentes, 36 year veteran Toby Gray on bass, 16 year veteran Gary Thomas on keyboards, and Rob Cunningham on guitar. It's a performance not to be missed.
Also performing will be, CRYPTICAL, comprised of five local musicians with a collective resume that reads like a Who's Who of rock, blues, R&B, funk and jazz. CRYPTICAL bends all minds and bodies in its performance of-and expansions on-classic Dead songs.
Fair admission (concerts included) are:
Ages 13-64: $20 at gate, $15 in advance online
Seniors 65+: $15 at gate, $12 in advance online
Children 4-12: $15 at gate, $12 in advance online
Children under 4: FREE
If you are an individual with a disability and are unable to obtain tickets online, please contact our box office for assistance at 415.473.6800. For more information, go to www.marinfair.org
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