Families, friends and neighbors will gather at the first annual Birdstock event on Saturday, Sept. 11 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Bird Rock Elementary School (BRES) park. The Bird Rock Community Council (BRCC) and the Bird Rock Parent Teacher Association have joined forces for the event, which will celebrate the community and welcome the incoming kindergarten class. Local bands will provide live music, and food and drinks will be available for purchase. District 1 City Councilwoman Sherri Lightner will make a special appearance to dedicate the Waverly Gate Entrance, which provides an access point between BRES and Bird Rock Park. Local residents and community leaders worked for years to gather sufficient funding and meet planning guidelines before the gate could be installed. Janet Wheeler, a Bird Rock resident who has been involved with the neighborhood’s mosaic benches and other local art projects, said the BRCC is organizing a community art project in the form of a “Bird Rock Community Wall” at the Waverly Gate Entrance. Families may purchase commemorative tiles with custom dedications to be embedded in the wall, and guests will be invited to create fused glass tiles to adorn the ramp leading up to the park. In addition, a special plaque will be presented to former BRCC president and community leader Joe LaCava. The plaque will also be embedded into the community wall. “Joe got the ball rolling for the Waverly Gate Entrance and he really helped get the BRCC off the ground,” Wheeler said. Guests are also invited to bring flower petals, twigs, leaves and other elements of nature for an additional “temporary” community art installation on the BRES blacktop, Wheeler said. “All the items will be formed into a giant peace sign that will stay there for that day, then be removed later the same day,” Wheeler said. The project is “A Tribute to Andy Goldsworthy,” a British artist who constructed the egg-shaped installation in front of the Museum of Contemporary Art on Prospect Street. Admission to Birdstock is free, but donations are welcomed. Fused glass tiles may be purchased at a cost of $20 for five. Commemorative tiles for the Bird Rock Community Wall may be ordered with custom dedications. Small tiles, which are 3-inch-by-3inch, are $100 each, and large tiles at 6-inch-by-6-inch are $250 each. All proceeds will benefit BRES. To order a commemorative tile in advance, contact Pamela Garvey at (619) 723-3886.