Hello San Diego!

Welcome to the latest monthly edition of the San Diego Participant Observer newsletter!

Our recipe of the month is for Portuguese Bolinhos de Bacalhau, a delicious fish croquette that can be found in homes, restaurants, and tapas cafes throughout Portugal. Our book of the month selection is Poukahangatus: Poems by acclaimed Maori poet, Tayi Tibble. And our International Music CD suggestion is Dieuf-dieul De Thiès by the Senegalese band of the same name.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: The Center for World Music will present the final concert of this year's concerts at the Mingei and La Jolla Community Center. Accomplished composer, performer, and scholar Münir Beken will perform classical Turkish music on the fretless string instrument known as an ud which is considered to be the ultimate Arab and Middle Eastern musical instrument. As with previous concerts, as a Participant Observer reader, you can get a $10 discount on either GA or VIP tickets if you use the code "WVP10" when ordering your tickets online! Hope to see you there!

Friday (today), the Digital Gym will screen Veselka; there will be additional screenings tomorrow. The Clinton Davis Stringband will play Americana music at Templar's Hall at Old Poway Park. Gabito Ballesteros who blends traditional Mexican sounds with more contemporary music will perform at The Magnolia.

Saturday and Sunday, the St. Spyridon Greek Festival will take place.

Saturday, at the Batiquitos Lagoon Nature Center, there will be a talk on the Cultural Resources of Batiquitos Lagoon. There will be a Thinking Shakespeare Live! presentation at the Old Globe Theatre. AleSmith Brewing will host an Anime Kawaii Mini Convention. At the FRONT Arte Cultura, the play Somos Aire will be performed.

Sunday, the House of the Philippines will hold their annual Lawn Program. At Coral Tree Tea House, author Jimin Han will discuss her book The Apology. Comedian Benji GarciaReyes will perform at Centro Cultural de la Raza.

Monday, Census and Censibility New Plays Reading by Local Asian Writers will take place at Diversionary Theatre. There will be a talk on Spain, Morocco, and Portugal at the Paradise Hills Library. The short-run Spanish language play La Obra will be performed at the Old Globe Theatre. There will be a repeat performance next Thursday.

Tuesday, another Census and Censibility New Plays Reading by Local Asian Writers will take place, but at the Malcolm X Library.

Next Wednesday, the month-long San Diego Country Fair kicks off at the Del Mar Racetrack. A cornucopia of Americana culture but there will no doubt be some international offerings as well. This year the theme is "retro" spanning the 1950s to the 1990s.

Next Thursday, the film Siccità (Dry) will be shown at the La Paloma Theatre courtesy of the San Diego Italian Film Festival.

Next Friday, the German film Alle Reden Übers Wetter (Talking About the Weather) will be shown at the Digital Gym. They will have repeat screenings the following Sunday and the Wednesday after that. The play The Color Purple will open at New Village Arts Theatre in Carlsbad. Performances will continue through to the 3rd week in July. At the La Jolla Community Center, the Center for World Music will present the Turkish composer, performer, and scholar Münir Beken, who "will take you on a musical journey through the unique sounds of the Turkish ud." Don't forget to use your discount code! Zambian group W.I.T.C.H. will perform at the Belly Up.

Next Saturday, the House of Puerto Rico will hold their annual Lawn Program at the International Cottages in Balboa Park. The annual AXIS Juneteenth event will also take place in Balboa Park. The Cooper Family Foundation Juneteenth Celebration will take place at Memorial Park on Ocean View Blvd. The Kinfolk Fest Juneteenth Celebration will take place at Waterfront Park. Mujeres Brewhouse (a lovely place) will host their 4th Anniversary Fundraiser benefiting Media Arts Center San Diego who produce the fabulous San Diego Latino Film Festival and who are home to the Digital Gym. There will be yet another Juneteenth Celebration at the Quartyard. The Mexican band Edición Especial will perform at the Civic Center downtown.

Next Sunday, the House of Israel will present their annual Lawn Program. There will be a Young Native Playwrights Festival at Handlery Hotel.

Local theatrical productions include Camelot at the North Coast Rep, Pásale Pásale at Bayfront Charter School, and Fat Ham at the Old Globe. The Color Purple will open at the New Village Arts Theatre next Friday.

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.