2012 Flights & Sounds Summer Festival to Feature a Brits and Celts Weekend August 17 and 18

The Great Park Hosts a British and Irish Invasion with performances from The Dunwells and Solas

IRVINE – It’s a Brits and Celts weekend August 17 and 18 when the Great Park’s Flights & Sounds Summer Festival hosts a British and Irish musical invasion featuring self-described “folk-rockers from Leeds,” The Dunwells and contemporary Irish Celtic music from Solas. The Brits and Celts Weekend, part of the Flights & Sounds Summer Festival musical tour around the world, will be presented in two unique venues at the Great Park this weekend.

“This weekend brings us world-class entertainment from across the pond,” said Beth Krom, Chair of the Orange County Great Park. “These talented performers provide a European stop on our Flights & Sounds Summer Festival musical world tour at the Great Park.”

Enjoy acoustic and electric folk rock under the stars from The Dunwells August 17 at 8:15 p.m. in the beautiful Palm Court Arts Complex. Formed in 2009 in Yorkshire, England, The Dunwells bring to mind the vocal harmonies of Crosby, Stills & Nash and Mumford and Sons.

The Brits and Celts Weekend continues Saturday, August 18 at 8:15 p.m. with Solas, a quintessential Irish-American band featuring Seamus Egan and traditional and contemporary Celtic music on the Runway Stage under the glow of the Great Park Balloon.

The annual Flights & Sounds Summer Festival originated in 2008 as part of the Great Park’s commitment to delivering top-quality arts and culture programs to Orange County. Curated in association with Irvine Barclay Theatre, the Festival has evolved into a signature event in the Southern California arts landscape.

The Hangar Café opens at 6:00 p.m. and will feature a fresh selection of delicious food and beverages. Admission is free. Parking is $10.00

Unforgettable Experience in Unique Venues

Beyond the varied and rich musical line up, the Great Park Flights & Sounds Summer Festival provides a unique setting that adds to the visitor experience. The musical performances take place in two specially-designed iconic venues at the Great Park this weekend.

• New this year, the Palm Court Arts Complex venue will feature a place to mix and mingle under 54 illuminated Canary Island Palm Trees delivering an outdoor club-like setting unequaled in Orange County.
• The Runway Stage venue will showcase the Festival headliners and offers concert seating and spacious lawns for those bringing their blankets and chairs.

Upcoming Festival Schedule and Featured Musicians

Made in America Weekend – Blues, Swing and Great Guitars – August 23-25

• Jim Washburn’s Guitar Picks: Thursday, August 23, Palm Court Arts Complex – A one-of-a-kind program curated by local critic Jim Washburn and featuring the John Jorgenson Quintet, legendary bluesman Junior Watson and Mark Turnbull
• Pete Jacobs Band: Friday, August 24, Dance Concourse - Swing music, Motown and classic rock, with dance instruction by Atomic Ballroom

• The Del McCoury Band: Saturday, August 25, Runway Stage – Back by popular demand, the Del McCoury Band returns to the Great Park with high, lonesome vocals and a knife-sharp band that keep the bluegrass flame alive

Summer’s End Weekend – Dance Your Way into Labor Day – August 30-31

• The Aquabats: Thursday, August 30, Palm Court Arts Complex –The first all-crime fighting all-surfing rock supergroup in history! High-energy New Wave and SKA for Rock ‘n Roll lovers of all ages.
• Lavay Smith and Her Red-Hot Skillet Lickers: Friday, August 31, Dance Concourse - Bay Area blues and swing, hot and sweet!

The Palm Court Arts Complex Open During Summer Festival

The Palm Court Arts Complex will be open during the Flights & Sounds Summer Festival with exciting and diverse opportunities to view exhibitions and engage with artists in the creative process. Be sure to check out the following on view at the festival:

• Farmers to Flyers Exhibition in the Great Park Gallery
• Artist-in-Residence Andre Woodward Open Studio Hours in the Artists Studios
• Artist-in-Residence Amy Catarina Fiber Art Installation in the Palm Court Plaza
• Contemporary Artists Depict 1942 Exhibition in the Artists Studios

The Orange County Great Park is located at Sand Canyon and Marine Way, and can easily be reached by the 5 or 405 freeways.

For more information, please visit www.ocgp.org or call 866-829-3829.

About the Orange County Great Park

Hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over Southern California enjoy the Orange County Great Park’s current array of recreational and educational opportunities, including views from the iconic Great Park Balloon that rises 400 feet in the air and provides a panoramic view of Orange County. Other Great Park features include the Carousel, Farm + Food Lab, Kids Rock Playground, Walkable Historical Timeline, Palm Court Arts Complex, North Lawn recreation area and historic Hangar 244. The Great Park also hosts a variety of special events that provide unique experiences for the entire family, including the Growing the Park: Anniversary Celebration, annual Pumpkin Harvest, Great Night! Family New Year’s Eve, Flights & Sounds Summer Festival, and the weekly Great Park Farmers Market. The Great Park, with its approximate 1,300-acre master plan, is the centerpiece of the redevelopment of the publicly-owned portion of the 4,700-acre former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro. For more information, please visit www.ocgp.org.