Summer in the City

The second Saturday in August, the Laurel Business District in Oakland hosts a street party called the World Music Festival.

Arches at each end of the six blocks of MacArthur Boulevard known as the Laurel define its boundaries and give a sense that you're entering a special space.

Over the past couple of years, the local businesses have been able to secure funding from the Oakland City Council to put in other improvements, such as this distinctive streetware.

Oakland is one of the edgiest cities in the States in terms of urban art and music, and one of its most recent ventures is a news website called Novo Metro, (now Oakbook), which has borrowed some of Downtown Oakland's iconic architecture for the graphic in this poster.

The business with my favorite name of all in the Laurel is Scissor Haynz. Eddie, Dwight, Chaney and an unknown gentleman standing in the doorway strike their best pose.
 

  The source of Chaney's corn is this rotisserie set up just outside the barbershop in the festival area.

Victory Outreach church is housed in what used to a be a cinema, but may soon need to move to a new home as the building is for sale. Across from the church is 1st Class Boutique, and the owners' two daughters Kashawna and Kentisha Williams are minding the tent they've set up to catch some of the festival-goers.

There are several churches just in the six blocks of MacArthur Boulevard that comprises the Laurel District, so Tammy's Bible Book Store does pretty substantial business. Here the store's franchise owner, Virginia Chestnut, poses with her son Gary Reynolds, who was handing out fliers to the passers-by.

Doug MacNeil, of Recover Your Thoughts, holds the journal I'd just bought. His journals are made from the covers of books that libraries throw out, and recycled paper. When I said that perhaps more people would come over if they realized he wasn't just selling old, old books, he said, No, he preferred to talk to people about them.

Nopal Apparel brought its wares to the Laurel, too. The motto under their logo says, "Bearing fruit in the harshest climates". Nopal is the prickly pear, a staple of Mexican cuisine, but also a symbol of the ability of flourish despite hard times.

A children's area had been set up in the parking lot of a local video store, and one of the attractions was the pony ride. In the background, someone practises yoga. Funny what you don't notice until after you've taken the photo!

Typical of Oakland, where 96 languages are spoken, the mix of folks who live near The Laurel is reflected in this photo of people seated on the sidewalk listening to one of the bands that played, CV1.

Listen to CV1 play Sleek Rhythm, an original composition: