from “le détroit” · the strait
The Detroit Symphony Orchestra plays a free afternoon festival at Clark Park on Saturday, June 27, with folklorico dance, student violinists, and food.
The Detroit Symphony Orchestra returns to Southwest Detroit this Saturday for the Clark Park Culture and Arts Festival, a free outdoor afternoon of music, dance, and food at one of the neighborhood's most active parks.
The festival runs Saturday, June 27, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Clark Park, 1130 Clark Ave. The DSO lists it as free, with no tickets required to attend, and free food available while supplies last. Community resource booths and local food vendors round out the grounds.
The lineup leans into the neighborhood. A DSO string quartet plays selections by Central and Latin American composers. Young violinists from the Sphinx Overture program at Cesar Chavez Academy perform, as does the senior Ballet Folklorico Moyocoyani Izel group from the LA SED Youth and Senior Center. Detroit rock band Mondo Kane closes out the mix. "It is an honor to present our music and showcase rare oldies and doo-wop exactly as it was performed back then," Mondo Kane's Joe Ramon told BridgeDetroit.
The festival is part of the DSO's neighborhood programming, the orchestra's effort to bring live performance into parks and community spaces rather than asking residents to come downtown. On site, the DSO runs its Detroit Harmony program, with hands-on instrument exploration for kids and staff connecting families to local music programs in the neighborhood.
The orchestra built the event with Southwest Detroit residents rather than dropping in. Clare Valenti, the DSO's director of community engagement, described monthly planning meetings with residents and local organizations. "It was less about us sort of coming into a place and saying, 'This is what we're going to do,' but really wanting to work together," she told BridgeDetroit. "Especially given the climate that we're in right now, we need these moments for joy."
Clark Park sits in one of the most ethnically diverse parts of the city, and its stage on Clark Avenue, between Christiancy Street and Vernor Highway, has hosted DSO gatherings before. The setup gives the afternoon a block-party feel that a concert hall cannot match, with longtime park regulars showing up alongside young families whose kids may be hearing the orchestra live for the first time.
The festival begins at 1 p.m. Saturday at 1130 Clark Ave. Admission is free.
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