By Anthony Wagner

Grab your lawn chairs and picnic blankets and get ready to meet your neighbors while rocking out to some sublime music. AG First Fridays, the free community concert series, is just around the corner.

Mark your calendar for the following dates: June 5, July 3, August 7 and Sept. 4. All concerts will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. in Allied Gardens Community Park (5155 Greenbrier Ave.).

AG First Fridays is the result of a collaboration between the Allied Gardens – Grantville Community Council, our local Kiwanis Club and the publishers of the Mission Times Courier. Our mission is to provide our neighbors and friends of all ages a venue where we can congregate, enjoy local musical talent and celebrate the summer as valued members of our community. Our goal is to make this a neighborhood tradition.

Since permitting restrictions will prevent us from having any food or drink for sale, we will encourage families to bring picnics and get to know their neighbors.

Our first band on June 5 is none other than Y3K, San Diego’s premiere cover band that performs familiar and fun live dance hits from the ‘80s, ‘90s and today — not just the classic oldies. Y3K is the band for events where all ages will be present.

With three lead vocalists, four-part harmony, male and female vocalists, keyboards, guitar, bass and percussion, Y3K has the tools and talent to accurately cover hits from any decade, so everyone joins in the fun.

The members of Y3K thoroughly enjoy entertaining, a refreshing quality that is contagious to audiences. The most frequent comment they get is, “You are all so much fun!”

The total budget for this summer’s four concerts is approximately $16,000. We are very fortunate to have the support of San Diego City Councilmember Scott Sherman, who got us started with a $5,000 grant from his District 7 office budget. We are also thrilled to announce that the Teemsma family — owners of Ideal Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical — have made a generous donation to become the title sponsor for this series. Additional heavy lifting sponsors include Kaiser Permanente, Allied Gardens Shopping Center, Windmill Farms, Superior Ready Mix, Mission Trails Church and A-1 Self Storage. Please support our fine sponsors!

If you would like to sponsor this community event, please call me at the number listed at the end of this article. All sponsorships are 501(c)(3) tax-deductible contributions.

For updates and more information on the concert series, find AG First Fridays on Facebook and visit AlliedGardens.org.

On Tuesday, May 26 at 7 p.m., the Allied Gardens – Grantville Community Council will hold another Community Town Hall Forum at Ascension Church on Zion. Brian Elliott, campaign organizer with the Climate Action Campaign, will be our keynote speaker.

The goal at Climate Action Campaign is to engage and educate the public on the city of San Diego’s draft Climate Action Plan (CAP). The CAP is a legally enforceable document which sets out goals for the following: energy and water efficient buildings; clean and renewable energy; biking, walking and transit; zero waste; and climate resiliency. Our presentation will provide an overview of the CAP’s goals and action steps, highlighting an important part of the plan called Community Choice Energy, a mechanism the city is exploring to reach its renewable energy goals.

Brian is an environmental advocate dedicated to making San Diego the greenest city in America. After spending seven cold winters in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia, Brian returned to the West Coast in 2014. He dived headfirst into San Diego politics and work as the environmental organizer.

Brian attended the University of Portland and earned a bachelor’s degree in biology with minors in chemistry and political science. He also has a master’s degree in environmental studies from the University of Pennsylvania. During every spare moment he can find, Brian joins his wife Sheila to run trails throughout San Diego County.

—I’m Anthony Wagner, president of the Allied Gardens-Grantville Community Council. We represent the community interests of Allied Gardens and Grantville. Check out our new website at AlliedGardens.org. Feel free to call me at 619-253-4989 or write me a note at [email protected] or tweet @AnthonyWagnerSD.