Irvine Barclay Theatre

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Celebrate Irvine’s 2020 Global Village Festival with Three Weeks of Interactive Online Experiences and Two Drive-In Concerts!

Join us for three weeks of unique, interactive online experiences and two socially distanced drive-in concerts that will highlight memories of festivals past and create new memories uniting the community.

My favorite event of the year is the Irvine Global Village Festival, founded in 1998 by a group of Irvine residents to help promote understanding and build harmony within Irvine’s many diverse cultures.  Over the years, the Global Village Festival has expanded from one day to two days, and moved from Col. Bill Barber Park across from Irvine City Hall to the much larger Orange County Great Park.

Because of COVID-19, this year’s festival will be somewhat different.  While we can’t gather in person this year, we look forward to celebrating Orange County’s premier multicultural event in innovative ways that keep the public safe, connected, and engaged.

The 2020 Global Village Festival will consist of a series of responsibly planned events that adhere to social distancing guidelines as we navigate these unusual times.

From September 21-October 10, 2020, you’re invited to celebrate Irvine’s multicultural community through music, art, food, and fun:

  • Browse photo albums and videos exploring the history of the Irvine Global Village Festival. Share your own photos of favorite memories from past festivals to see them included on the City’s social media accounts.
  • Make new memories of Irvine Global Village Festival at home. Families can take part in weekly themed art activities and classes from home, including downloadable coloring sheets for kids.
  • Explore a list of multicultural restaurants in Irvine with outdoor dining or take-home options to dine globally and celebrate Irvine’s rich diversity while staying safe at home. Share photos of your festive meals with the City so we can share them online!
  • Enjoy entertaining videos featuring the international cuisine, dance, and musical performances of previous Irvine Global Village Festivals.

The Irvine Global Village Festival also includes two drive-in concerts at the Orange County Great Park, put on in partnership between the City and Irvine Barclay Theatre. On Friday, September 25, enjoy a live show by Willie Nelson tribute band True Willie and the Boys.

Round out the festival’s celebrations on Saturday, October 10, with a show by award-winning all-female mariachi band Mariachi Divas. Park your cars and enjoy a picnic to pay tribute to the rich musical history of the Irvine Global Village Festival, all while safely practicing social distancing.

Tickets for these concerts are $25 per car for general admission and $40 per car for VIP front-row access. Pre-registration is required.

Tickets will be on sale at yourirvine.org for three weeks prior to the start of each event; the first week of sales is open to Irvine residents only, and the remaining two weeks are open to all members of the public. A $5 non-resident fee will be applied.

For more information, visit irvinefestival.org or call 949-724-6600.

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Listen to Melissa Fox’s Interview on KUCI’s ‘Ask a Leader’

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Here is the interview I did on October 14 with Claudia Shambaugh on the program Ask a Leader on KUCI-FM about my campaign for Irvine City Council and the future of the City of Irvine.

We discussed development and over-development, traffic congestion, infrastructure, protecting Irvine’s villages and local businesses, the Irvine Barclay Theatre, improving our bikeways and the iShuttle,  environmental issues, losing one of farmers’ markets, my Irvine Food Tours, the OCTA’s irresponsible toll road decision, and more.

I hope you’ll listen and let me know what you think!

 

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Saving the Irvine Barclay Theatre is Up to You

One of the first things that Mayor Steven Choi and Councilmember Jeffrey Lalloway did when they captured the majority on the Irvine City Council was attempt to slash the City’s funding for the Irvine Barclay Theatre.

Choi and Lalloway asserted that the City’s contribution to the Irvine Barclay Theatre is “wasteful spending” and proposed to cut it by more than half, from $925,000 to $425,000.

Doug Rankin, president of the Irvine Barclay, warned that if the City’s contribution to the Barclay was cut as Choi and Lalloway wanted, the impact on the Barclay would be  “Somewhere between completely adverse and catastrophic.”

Diavolo Dance Theatre, Irvine Barclay Theatre, Melissa Fox, Melissa Fox for Irvine, Melissa Fox for Irvine City Council, melissajoifox, votemelissafox.com, melissafoxblog, Irvine Commissioner Melissa Fox

World Famous Diavolo Dance Theatre performing at the Irvine Barclay Theatre

Founded in 1990, the Irvine Barclay Theatre is a unique collaboration among the City of Irvine, the University of California, Irvine, and the private sector.  The Barclay has earned “a reputation for wide-ranging programming in the fields of contemporary dance, music, and theater arts . . .  The Barclay’s 750-seat Cheng Hall is now virtually in constant use.  The Irvine Barclay Theatre has gained a national reputation for its great acoustics, intimate feel, and the high quality of its production facilities. Among artists, it is a venue of choice when performing in southern California.”

Choi’s and Lalloway’s attempt to impose “catastrophic” cuts in the Barclay’s funding failed when dozens of citizens – from across the political spectrum – including former Irvine Mayor Sally Anne Sheridan, UCI Claire Trevor School of the Arts Dean Joseph Lewis, Bluestone Communities President Michael Kerr, Arts Orange County Executive Director Richard Stein, and Philharmonic Society of Orange County President Dean Corey – showed up at the City Council chambers to protest.

Republican Councilmember Christina Shea then voted with Democratic Councilmembers Beth Krom and Larry Agran to restore the Barclay’s funding – to much audience applause.

Angry over losing the vote and undeterred by the overwhelming popular sentiment in favor of restoring the Barclay’s funding, Lalloway responded by publicly insulting Councilmember Christina Shea, saying she had deceived the voters when she claimed to be ‘fiscally responsible.”

China National Opera and Dance Company, Irvine Barclay Theatre, Melissa Fox, Melissa Fox for Irvine, Melissa Fox for Irvine City Council, melissajoifox, votemelissafox.com, melissafoxblog, Irvine Commissioner Melissa Fo

China National Opera and Dance Company performing this month at the Irvine Barclay Theatre

Now, the Barclay is again in danger.

If Choi and Lalloway are re-elected this November, they will again try to inflict catastrophic cuts in the City’s funding for the Barclay Theatre.

The result would be, in Doug Rankin’s words, “catastrophic” for the Barclay, as well as many other City of Irvine programs.

In contrast, if I am elected to the Irvine City Council, I will ensure that the City continues to support the Irvine Barclay Theatre – where I have seen numerous wonderful performances from both UC Irvine students and touring professionals from around the globe, most recently last week’s performance of the China National Opera and Dance Drama Company – so that it continues to be Irvine’s most treasured cultural center for at least another 25 years.

The fate of the Irvine Barclay Theatre depends on who the voters elect this coming November.

Whether the Barclay survives for another 25 wonderful years – and more – is up to you.

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Congratulations to Irvine — Selected as America’s “Best-Run City”

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Congratulations to us – the City of Irvine – for being selected as America’s “Best-Run City”!

Among the key factors cited by the online financial news and opinion publication 24/7 Wall St. in selecting Irvine as the best-run among America’s 100 most populous cities in its annual ranking of the “Best and Worst Run Cities in America,” are our high level of education, our high median income, our high home values, and our outstanding public safety record.

Here is what 24/7 Wall St. had to say:

1. Irvine, California
Population: 230,000 (86th largest)
Credit rating: not rated
Violent crime per 100,000: 51 (the lowest)
2012 Unemployment rate: 5.7% (tied-10th lowest)

Irvine has a very well-educated population.  Last year, 97% of Irvine adults had at least a high school diploma, and more than two-thirds had at least a bachelor’s degree.  The city is home of the University of California, Irvine, which is the top local employer.  The heavy concentration of well-educated adults has also led to higher incomes. Irvine’s median household income was around $96,000 last year, exceeding that of nearly every other large city.  The typical Irvine home cost about $630,400 last year, more than any other large U.S. city except San Francisco.  The city was also one of the safest in the nation, with only 51 violent crimes per 100,000 people.

While this is the first year that Irvine has been rated first in the 24/7 Wall St. rankings, Irvine was ranked third last year and second two years ago, demonstrating that Irvine’s success is the result of our long-term commitment to careful planning and our faithfulness to Irvine’s traditional long-range vision of promoting both economic growth and high quality-of-life.

In addition to the factors listed by 24/7 Wall St. as leading to Irvine’s number one ranking as the best-run city in America, I would add Irvine’s long-standing commitment to open spaces, parks, and bicycle paths; our support for the arts, such as the Irvine Barclay Theatre; our support for youth sports and recreation; our great cultural diversity; our services to seniors; our commitment to green technology and protecting our environment; our dynamic and thriving small business community; our dedicated and conscientious city employees and staff; our dedicated parents and community volunteers; our tradition of civic pride and civic engagement; and – of course – all the warm and friendly people who truly make Irvine the best city in America.