Lynda Trang Dai, The “Vietnamese Madonna,” to Perform at Garden Grove Park

The free Summer Concert Series, hosted by the Garden Grove Community Foundation (GGCF), concludes with a performance by Lynda Trang Dai, known as the “Vietnamese Madonna,” on Thursday, August 5, at Garden Grove Park, 9301 Westminster Boulevard, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The international pop star is reprising her New Wave Tour and bringing it to the stage, which will feature several acclaimed Vietnamese musical acts, including Elvis impersonator, Elvis Phuong, and The Otis Band.

After fleeing Vietnam as a child in 1979 with her family, Lynda began singing in high school, performing in small venues in the Little Saigon area of Westminster and throughout Orange County. After being discovered by a producer and appearing on the popular Vietnamese variety show, Paris By Night, Lynda quickly rose to stardom -- on stage and in videos. Singing and recording in both English and Vietnamese, she toured the world, and became a household name in the 1990’s.

During her nearly three decades of traveling and performing, Lynda continued to seek out Vietnamese cuisine. This love of her homeland dishes led her to open up her own restaurant in Westminster, called Lynda Sandwich, which showcases her family recipes.

At the Garden Grove Park concert, local food trucks will offer specialty menus for purchase, along with a kettle corn and lemonade vendor. In addition, the GGCF will host a fundraising beer and wine garden.

For the enjoyment of all, canopies and golf carts are not allowed. Parking is free.

The annual free Summer Concert Series, sponsored by the GGCF, is part of their mission to improve the quality of life for local residents by offering fun, family-friendly events and programming. For more information, visit www.ggcf.com, follow the series at www.facebook.com/GGCF1998, or call (714) 741-5291.

Garden Grove High School Student Named "The Voice of Garden Grove 2018"

          “The Voice of Garden Grove 2018” title was awarded on August 16th, the last show of the Free Summer Concert Series at Eastgate Park, to Aiga Fuimaono of Garden Grove High School. Fuimaono treated the crowd of concert-goers to a performance of “Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)” by Hillsong United, and was awarded a $500 scholarship, along with an additional $500 for her school’s choir program.

          Jessica Torres was announced as runner-up after performing “You Say” by Lauren Daigle. Torres received a $250 scholarship, along with another $250 for Garden Grove High School’s choir program. Choir director Kari Galeener was on hand to support her students, and accept the two scholarships. 

          A total of 18 students competed in this year’s singing competition, which is held every summer during the Free Summer Concert Series in July and August. Among the finalists were Ellen Bui, also from Garden Grove High School, and Makaila Mabry from Pacifica High School. Annika Chavez from Rancho Alamitos High School was chosen as this year’s wild card, and competed alongside the rest of the finalists.

The students were scored on a 100-point scale by four volunteer judges, including professional singers and vocal trainers.

          Sponsored by the Garden Grove Community Foundation, The Voice of Garden Grove is a singing competition for local high school students. Over the past seven years, the Foundation has provided over $6,000 in scholarships to students and choir programs.

          For more information, visit www.ggcf.com/thevoice or contact the Garden Grove Community Foundation at (714) 741-5168. To view photos and videos of this year’s performances, visit www.facebook.com/GGCF1998 or search for #voiceofgg.

Family Fun Takes Center Stage at Free Summer Concert Series

Summertime in Garden Grove means it’s free concert series time, and this year’s line-up offers genres sure to please every music lover in the family. A total of six concerts will be held at Eastgate Park, 12001 St. Mark Street, every Thursday, starting July 12 through August 16, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The first concert will have Journey fans dancing for joy, as the always-popular tribute band, DSB takes the stage.

The community is invited to come to the Park an hour earlier to the July 12 opening concert to celebrate July as Parks and Recreation month, and enjoy free activities, including carnival games, face painting, and bounce houses. Vendors will be selling food, beverages, and dessert, but if concert goers are hungry for more, popular Orange County food trucks will be on-site as well, offering specialty menus.

Beginning July 19, a pre-show to the concerts will have top vocalists from the Garden Grove Unified School District compete in The Voice of Garden Grove 2018, a singing competition for local high school students. One lucky student will win a $500 cash prize, the title, The Voice of Garden Grove 2018, and another $500 for their high school choir program. The 20 students to compete will be listed online at the Garden Grove Community Foundation website.

For the safety and enjoyment of all, no canopies, golf carts, or alcohol is permitted in the park.

A special kick-off concert, featuring Stone Soul performing the iconic sounds of Motown, will be held on Wednesday, June 27, at the Garden Grove Elks Lodge #1952, located at 11551 Trask Avenue. Food, non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase. No outside food or drinks will be allowed.

The 2018 Free Summer Concert Series is brought to you by the Garden Grove Community Foundation and sponsored by the City of Garden Grove, AT&T Services, GKN Aerospace, and Republic Services.

The 2018 line-up is as follows:

ELKS LODGE

• June 27, Stone Soul (Motown)

EASTGATE PARK

• July 12, DSB (Journey Tribute)
• July 19, The Answer (Classic Rock)
• July 26, The Funky Hippeez (70’s Funk)
• August 2, Arnie Newman’s Country Club (Country)
• August 9, Flashback Heart Attack (New Wave 80’s)
• August 16, L.A.vation (U2 Tribute)

For more information on the Free Summer Concert Series, please call (714) 741-5291 or visit www.ggcf.com. Follow the Series at www.facebook.com/GGCF.1998 or search for #ggsummerconcerts on Twitter or Instagram.

Garden Grove Community Foundation Celebrating 20th Anniversary

The Garden Grove Community Foundation (GGCF), invites the community to celebrate its 20th Anniversary of service to the city of Garden Grove. Over the past two decades, the GGCF has supported popular community programs such as the Free Summer Concert Series and Christmas Tree Lighting Celebration. In addition to these programs, the Foundation has also focused on improving the city through public art projects, such as the iconic Tower on the Green landmark at Village Green Park.

To mark this milestone, the Foundation has created a new logo and a newly redesigned website, reflecting a more modern approach the organization will be taking to showcase its accomplishments.

The site also includes a page titled “Support the Foundation”, that provides information on how the community can contribute to Foundation events and projects.

In addition to sponsorship opportunities and direct donations, members of the community can now donate to the Foundation by shopping online through AmazonSmile, a site operated by, and featuring many of the same products found on Amazon. When customers make purchases through AmazonSmile, a portion of their purchase is donated back to the GGCF.

For more information about the GGCF, to view the new logo and website, or to check out the AmazonSmile page, visit www.ggcf.com.

R&B Dance Band, SOTO, To Close Out Free Summer Concert Series

The Garden Grove Community Foundation closes out this summer’s concert series on Wednesday, August 23, with a dance party -- courtesy of R&B, Latin-Funk band, SOTO.

The free concert will be held at the Garden Grove Elks Lodge #1952, located at 11551 Trask Avenue, starting at 6:30 p.m.

SOTO blends Latin rhythms with dance grooves, delivering a high-energy, choreographed stage show. The Soto brothers founded the group, starting out
playing school dances and fundraisers, eventually working their way to tour with musical icons like Whitney Houston, Patti LaBelle and Marc Anthony. SOTO has performed all over the world, including the Middle East for U.S. troops, and was the first Latin American band to play in Beijing, China.

When gates open at 5:00 p.m., the Garden Grove Elks Lodge will have tacos, burgers, and hot dogs for sale, along with drinks, including alcoholic beverages.

Also, free activities for kids including games, crafts, and airbrush tattoos. For the enjoyment of all attending, no easy-ups, umbrellas or coolers are
permitted. Parking is free.

For more information, please call (714) 741-5200.

Garden Grove High School Student Named The Voice of Garden Grove 2017

In front of approximately 3,500 concert goers, The Voice of Garden Grove 2017 was named at last Thursday’s free summer concert, held at Eastgate Park, 12001 St. Mark Street. The winner was Althessa Jones, a recent graduate from Garden Grove High School. Jones was awarded a $500 cash prize and earned $500 for Garden Grove High School’s choir department, led by Kari Galeener. Jones performed “We Don’t Have to Take Our Clothes Off” by Ella Eyre.

Mya Shimizu, a fellow Argonaut from Garden Grove High School, was announced runner-up and received a $250 prize. Another $250 was donated to Garden Grove High School’s choir department. Shimizu performed “P.Y.T.” by Michael Jackson.

For the first time in The Voice of Garden Grove history, both winners were from the same school.

A total of 20 students competed in this year’s singing competition, which is held during the free Summer Concert Series, during the months of July and August. Among the finalists were Sandra Zavala, Ian Decock, and Caitlyn Luong from Pacifica High School.

Jones was selected as the wild card contestant after a solid performance during the semi-finals.

The students were scored on a 100-point scale by five volunteer judges, including professional singers and vocal trainers.

The Voice of Garden Grove is a singing competition for local high school students and is sponsored by the Garden Grove Community Foundation, a supporter of education and arts in the community. For the past six years, through the local singing competition, the Foundation has provided $4,500 in scholarships to Garden Grove Unified School District students and choral programs.

For more information, visit www.ggcf.com or call (714) 741-5200.

For more photos and videos of this year’s performances, visit the Garden Grove Community Foundation Facebook or search for #voiceofgg.

Thursday's Summer Concert Has “The Answer”

Get “The Answer” to classic rock at this Thursday’s free summer concert, starting at 7:00 p.m. This will be the last summer concert of the year at Eastgate Park, located at 12001 St. Mark Street.

Come early, at 6:30 p.m., to watch the finale of The Voice of Garden Grove 2017. Five students will compete for a chance to win a $1,000 prize, half of which goes to their school’s choir program. The five finalists are Mya Shimizu and Althessa Jones, from Garden Grove High School. Representing Pacifica High School are Caitlyn Luong, Ian Decock, and Sandra Zavala.

Various vendors will be selling food and beverages. For the safety and enjoyment of all, no canopies or golf carts are permitted in the park.

Concert goers who have the Garden Grove mobile app will receive a unique giveaway, while supplies last. In addition, giveaways for the City’s new image campaign, Garden Grove is Your Market, will also be handed out.

Closing out the 2017 free Summer Concert Series is Latin R&B/funk group, SOTO. The last concert is on Wednesday, August 23, at the Elks Lodge, at 11551 Trask Avenue.

Sponsors for this year’s concert series are the Garden Grove Community Foundation, City of Garden Grove, AT&T, GKN Aerospace, and Republic Services.

Country Singer Kellye Huff Performs in Garden Grove

Giddy-up to the free Summer Concert Series this Thursday, August 3, 2017, at Eastgate Park, 12001 St. Mark Street. Taking the stage at 6:30 p.m. is the country music group, The Kellye Huff Band.

Bring your own dinner, or enjoy food and beverages from one of the various vendors. For the safety and enjoyment of all, no canopies or golf carts.

Opening the event, at 6:00 p.m., are five local high school students competing in The Voice of Garden Grove. This week’s students are from Garden Grove, Santiago, and Pacifica High Schools.

Download the City’s free Garden Grove mobile app to receive a unique giveaway during the concert, while supplies last. The free app is available on iOS and Android devices. Look for “Garden Grove” in the phone’s app store.

The last concert at Eastgate Park is on Thursday, August 10, featuring classic rock by The Answer, as well as the final round of The Voice of Garden Grove.

The series closes out at the Elks Lodge, located at 11551 Trask Avenue, on Wednesday, August 23, with Latin R&B/funk band, Soto.

The 2017 free Summer Concert Series is sponsored by the Garden Grove Community Foundation, City of Garden Grove, AT&T, GKN Aerospace, and Republic Services.

The Suffragettes Play Today’s Top Hits at Thursday’s Summer Concert

Playing today’s top 40’s hits at Garden Grove’s free Summer Concert Series is an all-female band, The Suffragettes. The band takes the stage at 6:30 p.m. this Thursday, at Eastgate Park, 12001 St. Mark Street.

Opening the event, at 6:00 p.m., are five local high school students competing in The Voice of Garden Grove. The students come from Garden Grove, Pacifica, and Santiago High Schools.

Download the City’s free Garden Grove mobile app to receive a unique giveaway during the concert, while supplies last. The free app is available on iOS and Android devices. Look for “Garden Grove” in the phone’s app store.

Various vendors will be selling food, beverages, and dessert. Food trucks at this week’s concert include Burger Monster and Dogzilla.

For the safety and enjoyment of all, no canopies or golf carts.

The 2017 free Summer Concert Series is sponsored by the Garden Grove Community Foundation, City of Garden Grove, AT&T, GKN Aerospace, and Republic Services.

A complete listing of the 2017 Summer Concert Series follows:

• July 27, The Suffragettes (Today’s Top 40’s Hits)
• August 3, The Kellye Huff Band (Modern Country)
• August 10, The Answer (Classic Rock)

For more information about the free Summer Concert Series, visit www.ggcf.com or www.facebook.com/GGCF.1998(link is external).

Kickoff the Summer with Free Concerts in the Park

The community is invited to attend the free Summer Concert Series, starting July 6 through August 10, at Eastgate Park, 12001 St. Mark Street. A total of six concerts will be held Thursday nights, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Kicking-off the series is Stone Soul, playing classic Motown hits.

The first concert also celebrates July as Parks Make Life Better Month. Concert goers are encouraged to arrive at 5:30 p.m. to participate in free activities, hosted by the City’s Community Services Department. The activities include carnival games, air brush tattoos, bouncers, blow-up obstacle courses, and giveaways. Attendees can also get a sneak peek at some of the fun recreational classes offered this summer through the Garden Grove Parks and Recreation Guide.

Various vendors will be selling food, beverages, and dessert. Food trucks will also be on site, including OC Burger Monster and 3 In 1, who specialize in popcorn chicken, ice cream, churros, and other delicacy foods.

Beginning July 13, a pre-show to the concerts will have top vocalists from the Garden Grove Unified School District compete in The Voice of Garden Grove 2017, a singing competition for local high school students. One lucky student will win a $500 cash prize, the title, The Voice of Garden Grove 2017, and another $500 for their high school choir program. The 20 students to compete are listed online at the Garden Grove Community Foundation website

For the safety and enjoyment of all, no canopies or golf carts permitted in the park.

The 2017 free Summer Concert Series is sponsored by the Garden Grove Community Foundation, City of Garden Grove, AT&T, GKN Aerospace, and Republic Services.

A complete listing of the 2017 Summer Concert Series follows:

• July 6, Stone Soul (Classic Soul and Motown Tribute)
• July 13, L.A.Vation (Tribute to U2)
• July 20, Jeri Curl (80’s Funk with tributes to Michael Jackson and Prince)
• July 27, The Suffragettes (Today’s Top 40’s Hits)
• August 3, The Kellye Huff Band (Modern Country)
• August 10, The Answer (Classic Rock)

For more information about the free Summer Concert Series, call (714) 741-5200.

For photos and live footage of the series, visit the Garden Grove Community Foundation on Facebook or search for #ggsummerconcerts.

Local Talent Search Begins for The Voice of Garden Grove

The Garden Grove Community Foundation is looking for vocally-talented, local high school students to compete in the 6th annual The Voice of Garden Grove singing competition. One lucky student will have the opportunity to win $500 and the title, “The Voice of Garden Grove 2017.” Another $500 will be donated towards the winning student’s high school choir.

The competition is open to high school students that are residents of Garden Grove or students of the Garden Grove Unified School District.

Auditions are being held in May and June. To sign up for free, visit the Garden Grove Community Foundation website or email thevoice@garden-grove.org(link sends e-mail)no later than May 31, 2017.

The Voice of Garden Grove is a pre-show to the free Summer Concert Series at Eastgate Park, 12001 St. Mark Street, every Thursday, starting July 13 to August 10.

Through The Voice of Garden Grove, the Garden Grove Community Foundation provides performance and scholarship opportunities for local high school students and supports music and the arts in the community.

For more information, visit the Garden Grove Community Foundation website or call (714) 741-5280. To view photos from previous singing competitions, visit @GGCF.1988 or @GardenGroveCityHall on Facebook.