With summer on its way and the needle on the temperature gage rising from San Diego to Sacramento, you can feel summer coming on strong. Cities throughout California are lining up their free summer concert schedules and will soon begin the time honored tradition of providing concerts in the park.

If you haven't participated in one of these events in the past, it's not too late to plan to attend one this summer 2011. Among the cities that have already confirmed their concert schedules are Agoura Hills, Burlingame, Huntington Beach and Temecula. Like the Easter Bunny Hunt, 4th of July Fireworks & Parades, and the annual Tree Lighting or Santa Arrival, Summer Concerts are one of the programs that the 450 - 500 cities and towns throughout California try to keep in the parks and recreation division budget even during tough times. It is an amenity the public enjoys and gets them out into the parks.

While it is easy enough to just show up and stand to watch the concert, you can turn it into a picnic with chairs or blankets, food baskets, beverges, and an entire afternoon or evening of entertainment. For those who don't like to make sandwiches, nearly every grocery store or restaurant can put together a great meal for you to pick up on your way to the park. It makes a great date that may impress your love interest. Families with kids also love it. Children can run free while parents listen to the music, and maybe dance.

Summer concerts are a hot trend in California also providing jobs & gigs for bands. The most popular music genres are rock, pop, jazz, RB, and tribute music. It may not be the latest, greatest Indie music that you'll find, and it probably won't be Austin City Limits band quality, but the summer concert series provides free music in a beautiful atmosphere, and for most, that's good enough. In fact, when you check out the background of the musicians in bands appearing during the summer concert series throughout California, some have had succcessful careers in the music industry and may even be famous.

At one such event in Huntington Beach I learned that the director of a college jazz band appearing, Tom Kubis (pictured in photo,) was a well known composer who has written songs for many orchestrations and is highly sought after. Last year I also watched a free summer concert in Seal Beach, Calif. and learned that the musicians in band called Robby Armstrong Band (his wife is Cameron Diaz's sister,) had performed in platinum seller, famous rock & blues bands. These summer concerts got them out into jam sessions with friends, a reprieve from their studio work and world tours. Most the time you wouldn't know-until you hear them perform some amazing sounds!