Celebrate the Music festival set for April 27; resident urges more visits to Belmont History Room

Alan Sarver, representing SchoolForce (the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District education foundation), briefed the City Council on Belmont’s Celebrate the Music festival, scheduled for Sunday, April 27 at Twin Pines Park and City Hall. Sarver described the festival as the district’s signature annual event, featuring elementary, middle- and high-school performances, a marching-band “battle of the bands,” instrument clinics for younger students and a volunteer-run beer garden and food vendors.

Sarver said the festival runs from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., is entirely volunteer-run, and typically depends on more than 200 volunteers to staff stages, activities and logistics. He encouraged residents to volunteer and pointed to schoolforce.org for maps, schedules, volunteer signups and event information. Sarver highlighted appearances by local ensembles including the Peninsula Youth Orchestra, the West Bay Community Band and Carlmont High School student groups.

During public comment, Belmont resident Eric Dentler encouraged the council to promote the Belmont History Room and increase foot traffic to the museum, noting local music-history connections related to the 1960s counterculture and urging the History Room and Celebrate the Music attendees to partner during the festival. Staff confirmed the History Room would be open during the festival, giving residents an opportunity to visit.

The council did not take formal action; staff and SchoolForce representatives encouraged the public to attend and volunteer.