A crowd at Top of the Park last year.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com file photo

The Ann Arbor Summer Festival has released the schedule for this year's Top of the Park, the festival's free, outdoor component involving live music and movies.

The basic pattern follows previous years, especially recently: Free live bands every night, with free movies on a large inflatable screen closing out Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights; Fridays and Saturdays the music goes later, with a late-night DJ party (After Dark at Top of the Park) wrapping things up. "Wind Down Wednesday" wine-tasting parties return this year.

In all, this year’s Top of the Park season is anchored by 62 musical talents, eight guest DJs, and 13 feature films.

The festival also plans several new features. Most notably, six local teen bands will be showcased at Rock the Mall, a one-night music competition on the Rackham Stage a new teen music competition presented in partnership with the Neutral Zone teen center. The winner will receive an artist development prize package featuring services from some of the area’s leading creative professionals.

Also new this year, the Ann Arbor District Library presents Kids Rock, a new Sunday family concert series featuring some of the best indie rockers-turned-kindie rockers on the national kids music circuit. Circus arts performances are planned every Sunday by members from the Detroit Fire Guild, and a demonstration of daredevil acrobatics with the cast of Tom Tom Crew is scheduled July 6.

In what promises to be one of the more creative movie screenings of this season, the Baird Carillon in Burton Tower will accompany the 1925 silent film classic "Phantom of the Opera" starring Lon Chaney, with an original score written and performed live on the carillon by Steven Ball.

Mondays are again "dark" this year, but a new event is being introduced: 33 1/3 listening parties at Arbor Brewing Co., part of a new Fresh Ink literary arts series, most of which will be announced later this month. The 33 1/3 weekly reading-and-listening party will feature local writers, journalists, and music aficionados sharing excerpts from Continuum's 33 1/3 series of books about classic rock albums, followed by guest DJs mixing from the songbook of that evening’s celebrated artist. The 33 1/3 events are admission-free and take place on June 20, June 27, and July 4 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the Tap Room at Arbor Brewing Co. The event also provides the opportunity for attendees to sample the newly launched beer, Festival Saison, developed in partnership between the Ann Arbor Summer Festival and Arbor Brewing Company.

As previously announced, a four-day outdoor exhibition will feature the Amococo luminarium by the U.K.’s Architects of Air. The luminarium, an inflatable and walk-through sculpture of color and light, will make its Michigan premiere on Palmer Field, a short walk from the Top of the Park site, from June 23 through June 26. Admission is $5 per person, with children under 3 admitted free.

Returning features include KidZone, an activity tent for children and their parents with nightly hands-on activities; Retreat, a health and wellness program featuring mind-body sessions every weekend in the gardens and courtyards surrounding Ingalls Mall; Global Parties, a cultural celebration every Wednesday that features a night of world grooves and international beats; an opening weekend return engagement with extreme face painting troupe Body Masterpiece; and a 25-foot portable climbing wall on Ingalls Mall staffed by Planet Rock. The festival will again partner with the Ann Arbor Film Festival to show 15 minutes of shorts each Thursday night, prior to the evening’s feature film.

Besides an eclectic mix of entertainment and activities at Top of the Park, the festival features a variety of food offerings available for purchase. This year's participants include Frita Batidos, Noodles & Company, Rendez-Vous Café, Ray’s Red Hots, Stucci’s, Sugar Shack, Silvio’s Organic Pizza and Sweetwaters.

The Top of the Park lineup features 38 talents making a Top of the Park debut, as well as many returning local favorites, with the majority of the artists based in Ann Arbor and surrounding communities. Among the performers are many of the top local talents in the area.

A detailed schedule of Top of the Park and supporting events follows. For the latest updates on season information, visit www.annarborsummerfestival.org.

Friday, June 17 | First Friday (Opening Night)
5:00 PM Body Masterpiece Extreme Face Painters
5:00 PM Planet Rock Climbing Wall
5:00 PM Ryan Racine
6:00 PM Lucciana Costa
7:00 PM Detroit Party Marching Band
7:30 PM Superdot
9:00 PM The Sun Messengers
11:00 PM After Dark with DJ Hardy

Saturday, June 18
5:00 PM Body Masterpiece Extreme Face Painters
5:00 PM Planet Rock Climbing Wall
5:00 PM Retreat: Yoga
5:00 PM Abagail Stauffer
5:00 PM Theo Katzman
7:00 PM The Jill Jack Band
9:00 PM Orquesta Sensacional
11:00 PM After Dark with Sean Masters

Sunday, June 19
5:00 PM Body Masterpiece Extreme Face Painters
5:00 PM Planet Rock Climbing Wall
5:00 PM Retreat: Tai Chi
5:00 PM Deep Fried Pickle Project
6:00 PM Detroit Fire Guild
6:00 PM AADL’s Kids Rock Series: The Board of Education
8:00 PM Drivin’ Sideways
10:00 PM Movie: Despicable Me

Monday, June 20 (Top of the Park DARK)
7:00 PM 33 1/3 Reading/Listening Party at Arbor Brewing Company

Tuesday, June 21
7:000 PM Rock the Mall: Teen Music Competition
10:00 PM Movie: The Social Network

Wednesday, June 22
6:30 PM Wind Down Wednesday
6:30 PM Monsieur Guillame and His Zydeco Hepcats
8:00 PM October Babies
10:00 PM Movie: Back to the Future

Thursday, June 23
6:30 PM The Laith Al-Saadi Trio
8:00 PM Billy Brandt & Sarana VerLin
10:00 PM Movie: Top Gun

Friday, June 24
5:00 PM Nathan K.
6:00 PM Jim Roll
7:00 PM Delilah DeWylde and The Lost Boys
9:00 PM The Millionaires
11:00 PM After Dark with Body Rock and Wally Sparks

Saturday, June 25
5:00 PM Retreat: BollyFit
5:00 PM String Cheese
6:00 PM The Royal Garden Trio
7:00 PM Funktion
9:00 PM NOMO
11:00 PM After Dark with Subvader

Sunday, June 26
5:00 PM Retreat: Gyrokinesis
5:00 PM Patrick Elkins & the Rainbow Vomit Family Band
6:00 PM Detroit Fire Guild
6:00 PM AADL’s Kids Rock Series: The Boogers
8:00 PM Madcat, Kane, & Maxwell Street
10:00 PM Movie: How to Train Your Dragon

Monday, June 27 (Top of the Park DARK)
7:00 PM 33 1/3 Reading/Listening Party at Arbor Brewing Company

Tuesday, June 28
6:30 PM Lake Folk
8:00 PM The Cadillac Cowboys
10:00 PM Movie: The Phantom of the Opera (1925) with live carillon accompaniment

Wednesday, June 29
6:30 PM Wind Down Wednesday
6:30 PM Los Gatos
8:00 PM Zap Toro
10:00 PM Movie: Inception

Thursday, June 30
6:30 PM Nervous But Excited
8:00 PM Chris Bathgate
10:00 PM Movie: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

Friday, July 1
5:00 PM Hannah Winkler
6:00 PM Dave Boutette & John Latini
7:00 PM Lady Sunshine & the X Band
9:00 PM The Third Coast Kings
11:00 PM After Dark with DJ Special K

Saturday, July 2
5:00 PM Retreat: Capoeira
5:00 PM Hana Malhas
6:00 PM Joe Summers Gypsy Jazz Trio
7:00 PM The Rusty Wright Band
9:00 PM Thornetta Davis
10:30 PM After Dark with powdrblu

Sunday, July 3
4:30 PM Ariel & Zoey & Eli, Too
5:00 PM Retreat: Middle Eastern Dance
6:00 PM AADL’s Kids Rock Series: Recess Monkey
6:00 PM Detroit Fire Guild
8:00 PM The Ultrasounds
10:00 PM Movie: Megamind

Monday, July 4 (Top of the Park dark)
7:00 PM 33 1/3 Reading/Listening Party at Arbor Brewing Company

Tuesday, July 5
6:30 PM Tree City and the ContraBand
8:00 PM The Terraplanes
10:00 PM Movie: E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial

Wednesday, July 6
6:30 PM Wind Down Wednesday
6:30 PM One Love Reggae Band
7:30 PM Acrobatic Demo on the Lawn with Tom Tom Crew
8:00 PM Rupa & the April Fishes
10:00 PM Movie: An American in Paris

Thursday, July 7
6:30 PM The Carolyn Striho Group
8:00 PM The Juliets
10:00 PM Movie: Monty Python & the Holy Grail

Friday, July 8
5:00 PM Dixon’s Violin
6:00 PM Timothy Monger
7:00 PM Nadir
9:00 PM Foundation of Funk with Valerie Barrymore
10:30 PM After Dark with Teddy Ruck-Spin

Saturday, July 9
5:00 PM Retreat: Yoga
5:00 PM Jetty Rae
6:00 PM Stella!
7:00 PM The Saints of Soul
9:30 PM Ella Riot
10:30 PM After Dark with Professor Purple

Sunday, July 10 | So Long Sunday (Closing Night)
5:00 PM Retreat: Pilates
5:00 PM Mr. Seley & the Troublemakers
6:00 PM Detroit Fire Guild
6:00 PM Igor & Red Elvises
8:00 PM George Bedard & the Kingpins
10:00 PM Movie: Footloose

The Top of the Park activities are presented at Ingalls Mall, located directly in front of the Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies on Washington Street near Burton Memorial Tower. The festival opens at 6:30 p.m on Tuesday through Thursday, with expanded weekend hours on Friday through Sunday, opening at 5:00 p.m. Top of the Park is closed on Monday nights.

Although Top of the Park continues to be admission-free and open to all, the festival will once again encourage attendees to make a per visit donation of $3 per individual or $5 per family. All guests making an on-site donation will receive a sticker showing their financial contribution, which helps to support the 21 nights of free concerts, movies, and family attractions.

This year, the festival has set a goal of raising $55,000 from Give 3 donations, which is slightly higher than the $50,000 it raised last year from its on-site collections.

In addition to Top of the Park, the Ann Arbor Summer Festival presents a series of paid, ticketed performances at the Power Center and other locations. That lineup was announced last month; tickets are currently on sale through the festival ticket office at 734-764-2538 or online at www.annarborsummerfestival.org.

The Ann Arbor Summer Festival is made possible with support from the 2011 Series Sponsors: Bank of Ann Arbor, Benard L. Maas Foundation, Howard Cooper Imports, O&W, Inc., and Toyota. Additional support is provided by Ann Arbor State Bank, Arbor Brewing Company, Comerica Bank, Crazy Wisdom Bookstore & Tea Room, Dennis and Ellie Serras, Douglas J Companies, Edward Jones, Elastizell Corporation of America, Fifth Third Bank, First Martin Corporation, Greenhills School, Highlander Graphics, JJR, Miller Canfield, Ms. Green Construction, Phire Branding Company, State Street Area Association, Ulitho, U.S. Wine Imports, and Whole Foods Market. Media partners for the season include: AnnArbor.com, Ann Arbor Observer, ann arbor’s 107one, Current, Michigan Radio 91.7 FM, The Ann, WCBN 88.3 FM, and WEMU 89.1 FM. The Ann Arbor Summer Festival’s 2011 season is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.