May 7, 2010 --Musical entertainment, dancing, educational workshops and other fun activities are scheduled to take place as part of the 19th annual Santa Monica Festival at Clover Park on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Among the features of this year’s festival will be the “Living Library.” It will work like a traditional library, but rather than books, patrons can “check out” real people who will answer questions, share personal viewpoints and discuss controversial issues.

Among the performances that will take place are the elementary school youth orchestra Elemental Strings; the Living Sisters, who perform country, soul, gospel, jazz and other traditional music; Clarita and the Arte Flamenco Dance Theatre and Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca, who will perform “a Southern California synthesis of Latin American and African musical styles.”

There will also be several workshops, including SmART Schools’ “The Green Cordel: Art Under the Microscope.” This will feature a gallery of student work inspired by electron-microscope images from nature. Visitors will have an opportunity to create and display art pieces of their own and to add comments to the work on display.

Admission and parking are free. Festival-goers are encouraged to ride their bicycles to the event, which will have a free valet service. Those who arrive at the festival on bicycles will be entered into a raffle to win a new bike.

For more information on the event, go to www.smgov.net/arts.