Winter has officially arrived. I've been following the heavy, heavy snowstorms back east. Isn't it a bit early for all this? Here in the Bay Area, we don't have it nearly as bad as they do, but the cold and rain has come. This week was a particularly wet one, and while I sit at home nursing a head cold, I've found myself daydreaming a lot about summer.
Yes, yes, I know we need the rain. Don't get my wrong, I am grateful for it. That doesn't mean I have to enjoy it. I might have been born in the spring, but I am true summer baby. There's nothing better than sun on my face, sundresses, flip flops, and festivals. Ahhh...festivals. They are by far my favorite part of summer.
When the whether is warm, Oakland and San Francisco come alive with outdoor celebrations of music, dance and art. Some of my cherished family memories are watching my children run around barefoot in the grass, mouth stained with popsicle juice, as jazz musicians jam nearby. Dancing and singing and mingling with the beautiful people of my community is my definition of a perfect summer's day.
Each in May, the Malcolm X Jazz Festival is held at the San Antonio Park in the heart of Oakland. It's a culture mecca of culture. All the beautiful people come out after hiding inside for the winter. The jazz acts of amazing and is the food. It's an event we never miss, and you'll see why from the images below.
