Heritage Museum of Orange County Adds Celebrity Bands to Annual Festival

Like an old-fashioned country hoedown, the Heritage Museum of Orange County's second annual Music and Arts Festival Saturday, June 2, promises to trigger plenty of handclapping and foot-stomping as some of America's most prominent bluegrass, folk and Americana bands take to the stage during the day-long event.

The newest talent to sign up are California country rock and bluegrass legends Chris Hillman (www.chrishillman.com) and Herb Pedersen (www.herbpedersen.com), and guitarist, composer and humorist Toulouse Engelhardt (www.toulousemusic.com).

Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame guitarist and mandolin player Hillman has played everything from bluegrass to jazz as a member of The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers and the Desert Rose Band. Pedersen has worked with Johnny Rivers, Dan Fogelberg, James Taylor and many other well-known artists.

Engelhardt, known for his Segovia surf and Americana stylings, has been a part of Southern California beach culture since the 60s. He was the last original member of the "Takoma Seven," innovators of finger-style guitar.

Both bands will join the Dennis Roger Reed Band (www.dennisrogerreed.com) that will play traditional bluegrass music, and the "A Wing and a Prayer" band (www.wingandaprayer.org) to appeal to Big Band Era fans.

Arts Festival activities include a contest for students who can win cash prizes for submitting paintings, pen and ink or charcoal sketches or 500-word essays about an Orange County historical location.

Family activities include a barbeque, food chuckwagon, Craft Brew Beer Garden, storytellers and art classes for children, tours of the museum's working blacksmith shop, demonstrations on adobe brickmaking, tours of the Victorian Kellogg House and more.

Gates open at 11 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. General admission ticket prices are $20 for adults ($15 pre-sale), $10 for students with I.D. cards, and children under 12 are free. Tickets are being sold at www.heritagemuseumoc.org. Corporate and individual sponsorships are encouraged to help the non-profit museum continue with its popular educational programs.

The Heritage Museum of Orange County is centrally located at 3101 W. Harvard St. in Santa Ana, just west of Fairview and one block south of Edinger. More information about the museum can be found at www.heritagemuseumoc.org, or by calling (714) 540-0404.