The Carnival Concerts are the basis for all SDCO outreach activities. Each of the four concerts actively involves children ages 2 to 10 in the arts. Children are exposed to dance, drama, mime, music, and visual arts through a variety of pre-concert activities and through the performances of about 20 local soloists and groups that are incorporated into the program. The casual atmosphere of the Del Mar Fairgrounds Activity Center gives the concert series a unique setting. Families are encouraged to bring blankets and beach chairs and sit in the open space.
Children are free to move about, absorb their surroundings, dance, and sing along.
The SDCO offers open dress rehearsals of Carnival Concerts to local elementary school children, grades K-4. Nearly 2,000 elementary school students and teachers attended. The children observed the structure of an orchestra rehearsal and heard a final run-through of the concert, which included the same colorful variety of guest artists as the Carnival Concerts. The SDCO recently began Carnival in the Classroom , a new school program for grades K-4 in which musicians demonstrate and discuss works performed in the Carnival Concert series. The programs give groups of 50-80 students the opportunity to meet a real, live musician, experience live instrumental music, learn about orchestral pieces and composers, and ask questions.