A sure sign of summer in Howard County is the Columbia Festival of the Arts in June. The 28th annual festival occurs June 12-27 at the Lakefront, Jim Rouse Theatre and Howard Community College.
Although the Columbia Festival is undergoing what executive director Todd Olson called "a transitional year" and will place more emphasis on three-day mini-fests held four times a year, this June's edition will seem much the same as in years past.
At the heart of the June festival is the free opening weekend at the downtown Lakefront, which will remain in the years ahead.
"The Lakefront is something we did best and we want to keep it the same. There has been such affection for Lakefront weekend," Olson said.
This weekend's activities include live entertainment from the Columbia Jazz Band, U.S. Navy Band Commodores, Young Columbians, Glenelg Jazz Band, PigPen Theatre Company, Ocho de Bastos, and Speakers of the House.
Also look for a fine arts and crafts show and sale, strolling performers, children's entertainment and crafts, and a Maryland wine tasting and Brew Zone.
Hours for these outdoor events at the Lakefront are Friday, June 12, 5-11 p.m.; Saturday, June 13, noon-11 p.m.; and Sunday, June 14, noon-7 p.m.
There are also plenty of upcoming indoor events scheduled under the thematic banner of "Cross Currents." Surveying the overall offerings this June, Olson remarked: "Variety has always been our brand and we want to present different experiences."
The venerable gospel group the Blind Boys of Alabama will be joined by the Andy Poxon Band on June 19 at 8 p.m. at Jim Rouse Theatre.
Local and regional films will be screened in the first annual Maryland Student Film Festival on June 20 at 3 p.m. at Howard Community College's Monteabaro Hall.
The Hot Club of San Francisco does a "Cinema Vivant" program in which a gypsy swing band accompanies a program of silent films on June 20 at 8 p.m. at HCC's Smith Theatre.
Casey Wimpee's play "Butcher Holler Here We Come," which is set in West Virginia coal mining country, will be staged on June 20 at 8:15 p.m. and June 21 at 1:45 p.m. in HCC's Studio Theatre. Stick around after the first performance, because an "Afterparty" featuring Washington,. D.C.'s Opera on Tap takes place on June 20 at 9:30 p.m. in HCC's Horowitz Center Lobby.
Sundance Film Festival short films screen on June 21 at 1 p.m. and again that same afternoon at 5:15 p.m. in HCC's Monteabaro Hall.
Sprout Film Festival, presented in partnership with the Arc of Howard County and the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council, presents short films created by individuals with disabilities on June 21 at 3:30 p.m. in HCC's Monteabaro Hall.
A beloved part of the festival's history, the dance theater group Pilobolus returns on June 25 at 7:30 p.m. at Rouse Theatre.
The Baltimore-based "Stoop Storytelling Series: Kitchen Confidential" presents stories about food-related issues on June 26 at 7:30 p.m. in HCC's Smith Theatre.
Food writer and comedian Max Silvestri appears on June 26 at 9:30 p.m. in HCC's Smith Theatre. The Best of Second City returns to Columbia on June 27 at 8 p.m. in Rouse Theatre.
Free Partner events include the Howard County Arts Council Open Studios and Improv on June 19, ARTreach Arts Festival on June 20, ManneqART Madness on June 21, and World Poetry Party on June 26.
Olson said that while the free Lakefront events will remain in place in the future, the format for next year's indoor June events has not yet been decided. In any event, the festival essentially is replacing its 16-day June format with three-day mini-fests held four times a year.
What amounted to a preview of the new format was "American Routes," held April 16- 19 at Oliver's Carriage House, Belmont Manor, Historic Oakland, the Roger Carter Center, and the Gathering Place.
"We bounced around to different, more intimate venues and people discovered new places," Olson said, adding that "American Routes" drew 900 patrons to 12 events during its three-day run.
Olson is finalizing plans for the next mini-fest in October, so theColumbia Festival of the Arts promises to be a regular presence on the localcultural scene.
The Columbia Festival of the Arts' "Cross Currents" runs June 12-27 at the Lakefront, Jim Rouse Theatre and Howard Community College. Prices range from free to $60. For ticket information, call 410-715-3044 or go to columbiafestival.org.