Front Yard Fest is a small, independently run music and film festival that takes place annually in a lovely South Pasadena front yard across from Garfield Park. The yard in question is at the home of the festival’s founders: recording artist Shannon Curtis and her husband, music producer / mixer Jamie Hill of Secret Agent Audio Services.

The first Front Yard Fest was held on July 24, 2010, and had 100 thrilled people in attendance. Estimates for this year are for a crowd closer to 300 over the course of the day.

Front Yard Fest 2011 will feature live acoustic performances by 8 independent musical acts, and screenings of 7 independent short films. The focus is on talented, up-and-coming artists from LA and beyond who haven’t yet experienced widespread exposure.

The film portion of this year’s festival is being curated by Latha Duncan, co-founder of Esq. Productions, a non- profit dedicated to empowering creative artists with business and legal education.

Admission to Front Yard Fest is via a sliding scale “suggested donation” system; $10 for grownups, $5 for kids. Anyone not yet in grade school can come in for free with their grownups.

Admission includes all-you-can-eat hot dogs, pop, and water. Guests are welcome to bring their own items to grill. BYOB is fine (but underage drinking will not be tolerated!).

Doors are at 2pm, music starts at 3, and we switch over to films when it’s too dark to play music any more. Bring a blanket / lawn chair / cooler / jacket / whatever you need to get comfy for a magical afternoon and evening of music and movies on the lawn.

See you in the front yard!