Spotlight shines on summer concerts
Every community plays host to concerts in the park, but Camarillo, which has some of the nicest weather in the United States (as we like to point out), seems perfectly suited to the task.

The Camarillo outdoor concerts take place on weekends at Constitution Park where the summertime setting is superb.

Before the show, the well-behaved fans settle on blankets and chairs and idle their time while a pleasant twilight descends. A family with small children finds tranquility under a large tree. Another couple unfolds a table, puts out a table cloth and begins to dine. There's no place they'd rather be.

The music is always fun and the audiences are polite and wellbehaved- even those at last weekend's raucous footstomping show featuring the "World Class Rockers," a collection of musicians who performed for super groups Journey, Eagles, Steppenwolf, Santana and Lynard Skynard.

At the end of the concert, while demanding an encore, did the baby boomers light a match or flick a lighter?

No, they held up illuminated cellphones. These aren't the 60s anymore.

In short, the concerts in the park are a blast. And the Camarillo Arts Council has done an excellent job putting them together.

The council is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 1983 and is run entirely by volunteers. Programs presented by the council- the summer concerts aren't their only endeavor- are funded by membership dues, corporate donations, grants and audience contributions.

Representatives passed the hat at last weekend's show and received a generous response.

This summer, support your Camarillo Arts Council and attend the concerts in the park. There are five shows left between now and September, including the popular 90s group, the Gin Blossoms, on Aug. 18.

For more information, visit the Arts Council website at www.camarilloartscouncil.org.