As the weather gets warmer and the days get longer, South End community groups are preparing to fill our summer with music, dancing, foo the sunset longer and outdoor fun in our many open spaces. All events in these listings are free, open to the public and all-ages except where indicated. Enjoy!

Childe Hassam Park at Columbus Avenue near Dartmouth Street launches its summer schedule with a festive Park Opening on Thursday, May 25 at 5:00 PM with free wine tasting from Urban Grape, music by musician and composer Yoshi Kodate and a silent auction offering works by local artists and gifts from Flour, Delux, Equinox and other South End businesses.

In the South End, nothing says "summer is on the way" like the return of the Wednesday night Titus Sparrow Park Summer Concert Series. This year's calendar kicks off on a multi-cultural note with the May 31 opener, the Hot Tamale Brass Band, which will bring the sounds of New Orleans to the South End. On June 7, Fifth Season Jazz Quartet will offer a unique mix or jazz, classical and Bulgarian folkloric musical influences. On Wednesday, July 12, Grupo Fantasia will bring the sounds of Latin America and the Caribbean, from Mexican mariachi and Colombian cumbia to Puerto Rican bomba and plena to Titus Sparrow Park. The concert series is free and open to the public, and the fun starts at 6:30 PM unless otherwise noted. The concert calendar normally winds up in early September. Please see www.titussparrowpark.org or check the Titus Sparrow Park Facebook page, www.facebook.com/titussparrowpark.

The Friends of Titus Sparrow Park also provide weekday entertainment for kids at the Titus Sparrow Park Children's Concerts on Tuesday at 10:00 AM from June 21 through August 16. Upcoming acts include African drummer Joh Camara kicking off the series on June 21, returning favorite Wayne Potash on July 19 and Rolie Polie Guacamole on August 16. Refreshments will be provided by Whole Foods. For more details, see titussparrowpark.org.

On Saturday, June 17 from 10:00 AM-4:00 PM, this year's South End Garden Tour will wend through the Eight Streets, Union Park, Old Dover and SoWa areas, showcasing the beauty of public and private green spaces including community gardens, pocket parks, and private backyard, front yard and rooftop gardens. Tour-goers will once again be able to watch creation happening as plein-aire artists from United South End Artists (USEA) paint in many of the tour's locations. The tour concludes with a reception at City Year headquarters, 287 Columbus Avenue, at which participants can purchase the day's plein-aire paintings. The Trustees of Reservations, sponsors of the tour, promise special deals in honor of Father's Day. Ticket prices for Trustees of Reservations members cost $24 in advance or $28 at the door, and tickets for non-members are priced at $30 in advance or $35 at the door. For more information, please visit www.facebook.com/events/733419526820850

The Worcester Square Area Neighborhood Association (WSANA) reprises its monthly summer concert series, Music on the Square, on June 15, July 20 and August 15, the third Thursday of each month at 7:00 PM. Bring a blanket and a picnic and relax among the roses and the picturesque fountain to a variety of sounds to be announced. As of press time, only the July 20 act, Opera on Tap, is confirmed, but details on the June and August will be posted on WSANA's Facebook page as soon as they are confirmed. For more information, consultwww.facebook.com/WorcesterSquare. (Disclosure: this reporter is a WSANA board member).


Getting a jump on celebration of the summer solstice, Fęte de la Musique returns this year on Saturday, June 17 in a special edition, Lapin Fęte de la Musique, honoring the departure of Community Music Center of Boston executive director David Lapin. In addition to concerts in Ringgold, Childe Hassam, Frieda Garcia and Union Parks, there will be a block party on Warren Avenue between Berkeley and Clarendon Streets with Ben & Jerry's ice cream, Blackbird Doughnuts, face painting and other family-friendly activities as well as a New Orleans-style brass band. The concerts run from 3:00-5:00 PM and the block party is scheduled from 3:00-6:00 PM. Please visit https://cmcb.org/events/fete-de-la-musique/ for details on entertainment and locations.

For the fifth year in a row, Washington Gateway Main Street celebrates the longest day of the year at its Summer Soulstice party in Blackstone Square on Wednesday, June 21 from 6:00-9:00 PM with plenty of good music, food and friendly neighbors, with adult beverages in the beer garden to quench your thirst. Admission to the party is free and all ages.

Childe Hassam Park will host a Children's Music Program offering free music classes on Wednesday mornings, June 28 through August 9 at 9:00 AM.

IBA Arts, the Boston Parks and Recreation Department (BPRD) and Berklee College of Music put the caliente into O'Day Playground, 85 W. Newton Street, starting on Thursday, July 6 at 7:00 PM when the Tito Puente Latin Music Series returns with salsa from timbalero (timbales player) Eric Germán y su Orquesta. The fun continues on Thursday, July 13 with singer/timbales player Zayra Pola brings the dance rhythms of Puerto Rico to O'Day. The Tito Puente concerts at O'Day conclude on Thursday, August 3 with Jesús Pagán y Conjunto Barrio, a percussion duo who blend hip-hop with the traditional genres from Cuba and Brazil. They will be joined by Afro-Cuban drummers aNova Brazil for a performance designed to get the crowd participating as well as dancing. See www.titopuentelatinmusicseries.com for further details.

On Monday, July 10, the city-sponsored ParkARTS program brings music to Blackstone Square at the ParkARTS Neighborhood Concert. Get ready to dance to the sounds of the Soul City Band from 7:00-8:30 PM.

BPRD hopes to bring out your creative side with free events in South End Parks. Peters Park will host Artist in Residence Workshops on Thursdays, July 13, 20 and 27 from 10:00 AM-1:00 PM, and a Watercolor Painting Workshop on Sunday, September 10 from 12:00-2:00 PM. For complete details on BPRD's Summer in the Parks events, see www.boston.gov/sites/default/files/document-file-05-2017/2017_summer_guide.pdf.

Villa Victoria throws a party for the neighborhood the third weekend of July with Festival Betances, July 15 and 16 from 10:00 AM-8:00 PM in Plaza Betances, 100 W. Dedham Street. There will be live music and dance in a variety of genres representing Puerto Rico and Latin America as well as food and craft vendors, the traditional Puerto Rican greased pole competition, and family friendly activities. Visit www.ibaboston.org/festivalbetances for details on the stellar lineup of talent and other activities.

The South End Branch Library's popular Family Concerts in Library Park with jazz by Pat Loomis and Friends resume on Tuesdays, July 18 and August 1, 15 and 29 at 6:30 PM at 685 Tremont Street. The library's summer calendar also includes Story Dance with Susan Paino on Wednesdays, June 14 and 21 at 10:30 AM; music programs with Little Groove on Mondays, July 10 and August 14 at 10:30 AM, Watercolor Classes with Elisa Solignac on Thursday, July 13 at 2:00 PM and a concert with the Community Music Center on Wednesday, August 23 at 10:30 AM.

The official last day of summer is September 4, but summer in the South End isn't over until the finale of the Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival on Saturday, September 30. Party all afternoon at three musical stages from Mass. Ave. and Columbus Avenue to Ramsay Park, Columbus Avenue at Burke Street; the KidsJam early education music workshop; an instrument petting zoo, where kids and grown-ups can try out musical instruments; food, craft and information booths along Columbus Avenue and face-painting, bounce houses and kids' attractions. Check www.berklee.edu/beantownjazz/kidsjam for developing details on the music schedule and more.

Here's to a summer filled with sunshine, friends and lots of South End fun.