A day of music rocks Fullerton – at hair salons, bookstores, pubs and more – Orange County Register

Pour Co attendees listen to Ashton Livesay’s performance at the Day of Music in Fullerton, Calif., on Friday, June 21, 2024. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

They rocked in barbershops and pubs, they grooved in breweries and church. They headlined at the local Elks Lodge and the library.

More than 140 musical performances will take place at about three dozen locations around Fullerton on Friday for the annual Day of Music, with concerts lasting late into the evening.

Now in its ninth year, Day of Music Fullerton is the largest World Music Day celebration in Southern California. According to organizers, it features the most performances and venues, including performances at the Big Bowl in Hillcrest Park, skateboard shops, a comic book store, restaurants and many other local businesses.

World Music Day is a celebration that has been around for over 40 years and was created in France. It takes place every year on June 21, around the time of the summer solstice.

Day of Music Fullerton was started by a nonprofit organization in 2015 and grew steadily in the years that followed. In 2023, the Fullerton Historic Theatre Foundation took over planning of the event, with the Day of Music organization continuing as volunteers.

According to Todd Huffman, a member of the Day of Music Fullerton committee, this year’s event took nearly five months to prepare.

“We started working with the city in February. Everyone has worked hard and we learn something new every year,” he said.

All venues, musicians and volunteers are free to attend and all shows are free.

Chris Jones, who has been volunteering for four years, said it was “nice to see how many volunteers and musicians are willing to get involved.”

New to this year’s festival was the historic Fox Fullerton Theater, which completed another phase of restoration work in time for the event and reopened to the public after being closed for five years.

Brian Newell, president of the Fullerton Historic Theater Foundation, spoke about ongoing efforts to restore the theater.

“We are excited about the idea of ​​preserving this theater. It was saved by the hard work of the citizens. I can’t think of a better way to showcase the theater and get everyone listening to music,” he said.

At 2 p.m., the Troy High School Jazz and Orchestra, the largest orchestra to play the theater since it opened in 1925, played for an hour before hundreds of spectators.

Four more performances by the music groups Snappy Tappers, Chimera Band, Tragic Radicals and Jessica’s Kaczmarek Band were scheduled to take place at the Fox Theater during the course of the day.

“Fullerton is known for its great nightlife and downtown scene, so it’s great to have Music Day here,” Huffman said. “We’re proud to celebrate music with the rest of the world on this day.”