Hello San Diego!

Yesterday, The Frontera Project opened at the Old Globe, and it is billed as an interactive, bilingual theatre experience created and performed by a company of Mexican and U.S. artists. Performances continue throughout the weekend.

Friday (today), at UCSD's Mandeville Art Gallery, Figure/Ground - Daumier's Refugees will be a talk about the art depictions of refugees in 19th-century Europe. Son Rompe Pera and La Diabla will perform at Corazon Del Barrio. Los Originales De San Juan & Dueto Los Armadillos will perform at La Sinaloense Bar & Grill. Oliver! opens at the Old Town Temecula Community Theater with performances running through mid-June.

Saturday, the annual Sam Hinton Folk Heritage Festival will take place in Poway Park and contain all sorts of folk music and some international performances. There will be a Kumeyaay - Critical Awareness, Critical Activation Workshop at the San Diego College of Continuing Education. At St. Demiana Church, there will be a Coptic Egyptian Festival. Queen Bee's will host a Beatles Fair. At the Mingei, the CWM Music on the Move series commences with the captivating tale of Ali Paris, however, the concert is now sold out. There are 2 more concerts in the series and you can learn all about them here. At the International Cottages, there will be a talk entitled A Journey to Palestine. At the Firehouse Museum in Little Italy, there will be an outdoor screening of the film Pane, Amore e Fantasia starring Gina Lollobrigida. Centro Cultural de la Raza will hold a Rumba Gala.

Sunday, Jimmy & Enrique will play at the Encinitas Library. The Quartyard will hold a Pos Mas Reggaeton. There will be a Japanese Cultural Bazaar at the Buddhist Temple of San Diego. Sammy Obeid will perform at Mic Drop Comedy. Latin American boy band CNCO will perform at the Civic Theatre.

Monday, at USD's Shiley Hall, best-selling author Abraham Verghese will discuss his new book, The Covenant of Water (which is also our Book of the Month!).

Wednesday, the month-long San Diego County Fair opens at the Del Mar Racetrack. Americana culture abounds, but there are a number of international performances as well. Sing Me a Story: Cántame un Cuento is an opera event for children and will take place at the Chula Vista Civic Center Library. The Coronado Public Library will screen the fabulous animated film Sita Sings the Blues.

Next Thursday, the seven-time All-Ireland Champion accordion player John Whelan will perform at Hooleys Public House in La Mesa. At the Coronado Community Center, Warwick's will host author Lisa See who will discuss and sign copies of her newest historical novel (based on a true story) Lady Tan’s Circle of Women.

Next Friday, Lisa See will also be at the Carlsbad Dove Library to talk about and sign copies of Lady Tan's Circle of Women. At the Coronado Library, Warwick's will host Mexican-American poet, novelist, and essayist Alberto Urrea who will sign copies of his new book, Goodnight Irene. Reggae star Pato Banton will perform at the Belly Up in Solana Beach.

Next Saturday, at MiraCosta College, there will be a Latino Book & Family Festival. The House of the Philippines will host their annual Lawn Program at the International Cottages in Balboa Park. The 2-day St. Spyridon Greek Festival will begin, featuring music, dance, Greek food, and more. At the Front Arte Cultura Gallery, the second CWM Music on the Move concert, Border Stories, will be held and feature Drummers Without Borders and Francisco Morales. At USD's Shiley Theatre, Warwick's and USD’s College of Arts and Sciences and Humanities Center will host acclaimed author Isabel Allende who will discuss her latest book, The Wind Knows My Name (which is, incidentally, the Worldview Project Book Club's book for June!). At Immaculate Conception Church Hall, the Comhaltas Summer Ceili (Irish dancing) will take place. Should be good craic! Mexican singing star Carlos Rivera will perform at Pechanga Arena.

Next Sunday, the House of Mexico will present their annual Lawn Program in Balboa Park. At La Jolla Riford Library, author Alka Joshi will discuss and sign copies of her book The Perfumist of Paris. The exhibition Exotic Wonders and Cultural Challenges at the Balboa Park Botanical Garden will feature several presenters who will speak about the spectacular landscapes and exotic flora of Ukraine and Armenia. The 3-day San Diego French Film Festival will get underway at the LOT. Super Bailazo with La Dinastia and Grupo Sendero will perform at La Sinaloense Bar & Grill. The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library will open its summer season with the program Femeninas created and directed by Venezuelan pianist-composer-arranger Edward Simon and special guests. The program spotlights "contributions of Latin American women songwriters, living and past, well-known and unknown." American conguero, Latin jazz band leader, and salsa singer Poncho Sánchez will perform at the Belly Up.

Local theatrical productions include Destiny of Desire at the Old Globe in Balboa Park, and Oliver! at the Old Town Temecula Community Theater.

Please note that after two weeks in the main calendar section, ongoing events (such as exhibitions and plays) can be found in Ongoing and Extended Events.

And if you are an avid and adventuresome reader, visit our www.multiculturalbooks.org site to browse our compendious collection.