By Larry Clinton
In addition to 2017 being the 75th anniversary of Marinship, this is also the 50th anniversary of San Francisco’s fabled Summer of Love. The kickoff of that months-long celebration was the KFRC Fantasy Fair and Magic Mountain Music Festival on June 10 and 11, 1967 at the Amphitheatre on Mount Tam. According to Wikipedia, at least 36,000 people attended the two-day concert and fair that would become a prototype for large-scale rock festivals.
The Hippie Voices performing at a recent Jazz and Blues by the Bay event.
Photo by Bruce Forrester
The colorful and eclectic line-up featured local bands such as the Charlatans (starring Dan Hicks), the Sons of Champlin, and such nationally famous acts as Canned Heat, Dionne Warwick, Blues Magoos, Country Joe and the Fish, Captain Beefheart, The Byrds with Hugh Masekela on trumpet, The 5th Dimension, Jefferson Airplane and The Doors.
Stanley Mouse, legendary poster artist for Bill Graham, the Fillmore Auditorium and Grateful Dead, created a poster for the event.
The Sausalito Foundation and Antenna Theater will present “Sausalito Celebrates Varda & the Summer of Love” on Sunday, May 21 at Marinship Park from noon to 4:00 p.m. This admission-free celebration kicks off a fundraising drive to restore a mosaic in the park designed by artist Jean Varda, a luminary of the 1960s Sausalito arts scene.
The mosaic will form the backdrop for the May 21 festivities. Jonathan Westerling of Radio Sausalito will spin ’60s music, and Joe Tate & The Hippie Voices will perform. Drinks and eats will be available. Prizes will be awarded for the best Summer of Love looks. Early birds will form a human peace sign at 12:15 p.m.
Event-day volunteers are needed; please contact varda.volunteer@gmail.com if you’re interested.