San Francisco, April 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Golden Gate Park’s 150th virtual concert series will bring music, reading and the arts to kids and families with three upcoming livestream concerts that celebrate the park and provide entertainment and fun for families through an exciting virtual experience. The virtual concerts can be viewed on the park’s website at GoldenGatePark150.com.
On Saturday, April 25 @9am PT, Latin GRAMMY Award-Winning musician, author, activist, and educator, MISTER G, will unite children and families around the world as part of a special Earth Day and 150th anniversary of Golden Gate Park concert. This live streaming event will incorporate musical performances and tributes by notable Bay Area musicians, including Michael Franti and Narada Michael Walden. The concert will feature MISTER G’s “Mundo Verde/Green World” kids music video. Viewers will also embark on a virtual exploration of the park to discover the iconic windmills, bison paddock, dinosaur forest, Conservatory of Flowers, and more.
“In this era of social distancing, it’s more important than ever to spark imagination and open children’s eyes to the wide world around them,” said Ben Gundersheimer (a.k.a. MISTER G). “Celebrating Golden Gate Park and Earth Day together through this virtual concert is a fun and exciting way for us honor one of the world’s most iconic parks.”
On Tuesday, May 5 @ 12pm PT and Saturday, May 9 @10am PT, Golden Gate Park, An A to Z Adventure children’s book author Marta Lindsey will host two livestream concerts that feature special musical guests, book readings, trivia games and art for kids and families to enjoy. The book’s illustrator Michael Wertz, who produced Golden Gate Park’s 150th anniversary children’s theme song, will also unveil a new song “B is Bison” during the concerts. The concert coincides with the official release of Marta’s new Golden Gate Park An A to Z Adventure book; a portion of the sale of each book supports the park. A weekly A to Z kids art contest will inspire young artists, with winning entries being awarded copies of the book and specially-designed GGP150 kids bison plushies.
“There is truly no park in the world like Golden Gate Park,” said author Marta Lindsey. “My book looks at some of the things that make our park so unique, and I can’t wait for kids and grownups to discover new sides of our incredible 1,017 acres. Now more than ever, I’m so grateful Golden Gate Park was created.”
The Golden Gate Park Virtual Concert series launched on April 4, 2020 – the park’s 150th birthday. A parkwide anniversary celebration had been planned for that day, but was postponed. Golden Gate Park 150th organizers, led by the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department and the San Francisco Parks Alliance, announced the concert series as a way to bring the park directly to people who still want to enjoy it, particularly during these difficult times.
The concerts series has so far featured performances from artists Boz Scaggs and Joan Osborne from Hardly Strictly Bluegrass and Metallica from Outside Lands. In addition to the children’s concerts, upcoming virtual concerts that will be announced include Comedy Day classics, Summer Solstice and more from Outside Lands and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, among others.
The concerts can be watched for free at GoldenGatePark150.com and many of them will remain on the website for people to view. The concerts are part of a larger virtual Golden Gate Park experience that brings some of the iconic park’s nature, art, history and music to park lovers regardless of location.
Working together with its more than 150 cultural institutions, community groups and partners, free content is added regularly on the website and includes:
- Webcams and videos for visitors to explore and discover the park, including virtual tours throughout the park, live streams of penguins and coral reefs, yoga at the Botanical Gardens, and more.
- Special podcasts and playlists with audio stories about the park and favorite music selections.
- Photo albums and news stories about the history and beauty of the park, along with free books to download about the park and San Francisco.
- A kids page with coloring books, fun activities and more to keep kids busy and learning about the park
“We have had a tremendous, very positive response to the virtual Golden Gate Park experience,” said Phil Ginsburg, General Manager of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department. “We are so thankful to our many partners, the artists and supporters who are helping us bring these amazing concerts and interesting content to the website for so many people to enjoy and help us honor the park, particularly during these difficult times.”
“This virtual experience provides just a small glimpse into all that Golden Gate Park has to offer,” added Drew Becher, CEO of the San Francisco Parks Alliance. “Our hope is that people continue to explore and experience the park virtually and learn more about this treasured, iconic landmark.”
Learn more about the virtual Golden Gate Park experience and the concert series at GoldenGatePark150.com.
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