Free Music, Museums and More Aug. 3-6

There are two free musical shows tonight, one very near, the longest-running muni band in America, and one about 25 minutes away, the latter featuring Shore students, and musicians from as far away as Texas, who've spent the week in a wonderful old church to polish their craft.

The last Municipal Band Concert of the 2012 season is tonight at El Dorado Park. They are truly memorable nights to throw down the blanket, throw back your head and gaze at the sky with live music from the oldest continuing municipal band in the country.

Atleast four Belmont Shore students are part of The Orange County High School of the Arts concert performance on at 5 p.m. Friday. The students are from its first-ever Summer Wind Studies Festival. The free performance by young wind-instrument players is in the Harrah Symphony Hall, 1010 N. Main Street, Santa Ana. (Disclosure: this is a shameless plug as the editor's son is among the musicians. Still, free is free).Youtube.

With free museum visits and concerts just around the corner, the beginning of August marks more than the end of summer -- it’s the start of a family entertainment free-for-all.  

This weekend, the Museum of Latin American Art of Long Beach and a dozen other museums in the L.A. area will open their doors to Bank of America and Merrill Lynch cardholders as they kick off Museums on Us August 3-4.

The national program is providing customers of either bank with gratis access to 150 institutions in more than 90 cities each first weekend of every month, with the next dates scheduled for September 1-2 and October 6-7. Simply present a photo ID and either BOA or Merrill plastic in lieu of payment.

Other participating museums include:  

• Autry National Center of the American West
• Discovery Science Center
• Hammer Museum
• Laguna Art Museum
• Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
• Skirball Cultural Center

But first, get a head start on culture at the Norton Simon Museum of Art in Pasadena as it hosts its free first Friday of the month and shows off its newest installation, Significant Objects: The Spell of Still Life.

Bringing the still life tradition to life through nearly 70 paintings, assemblage pieces, sculptures and more, Significant Objects features such famed names as Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Edward Weston, Paul Cézanne and Rembrandt van Rijn.
  
Wrap up the weekend by winding down with games, live music and free food at Summer Famiy Fun Night from 3 p.m. - 6 p.m. Sunday at Pan Am Park, located at 5157 East Centralia Street in Long Beach. Get a groove on with a laidback fusion of reggae, calypso, ska and Latin rhythms courtesy of Pan Jive and their signature instrument, the steel drum.

Hosted by Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske, Fifth District, the evening will also include fun for the kids with arts and crafts sponsored by the Long Beach Museum of Art, a moon bounce and face painting.

Complimentary hot dogs and snow cones will be doled out to guests who will also have an opportunity to win a free one-year family membership to the Long Beach Museum of Art, where Fridays are always free as well as Thursday evenings from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.