Day in the Park

Event Timeline

11:30am Epicurean Ensemble

Gourmet Food, Wine, Beer & Beverage Tastings, Festa del Vino, Premium Auction, Camp Tour

2:30pm Seating for Live Auction

2:45pm Opening Ceremony

3:30pm Send a Kid to Camp and Live Auction

Festive Snacks & Camp Treats, Wine & Beverage Service

4:00pm Live Performance by Brian Culbertson

Brian Culbertson

Brian Culbertson is an award-winning multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer known for his distinct brand of genre-crossing contemporary jazz, R&B and funk. Mining the urban sounds of musically-rich Chicago, he began his musical studies on piano at age eight and quickly picked up several other instruments by the time he was twelve, including drums, trombone, bass and euphonium. Inspired by the iconic R&B-jazz-pop artists of the 1970s like Earth, Wind & Fire, Tower of Power, Chicago, David Sanborn and others, Culbertson started composing original music for his seventh grade piano recital and hasn't stopped since, amassing 30 Billboard No. 1 singles (and counting!) and a deep catalogue of 18 albums, most of which have topped the Billboard contemporary jazz charts.

Having worked and performed with countless industry all-stars such as Michael McDonald, Chris Botti, Ledisi, Barry Manilow, Herb Alpert, Natalie Cole, Maurice White (EWF), Chuck Brown and Bootsy Collins just to name a few, Culbertson has won numerous awards and accolades along with nominations from the NAACP Image Awards and Soul Train Awards. In 2012, he founded the Napa Valley Jazz Getaway, a flourishing wine, music and lifestyle experience for which he also serves as artistic director.

DawnMarie Kotsonis - The Gavel Girl

Come see firsthand how our dear friend, DawnMarie Kotsonis, helps to change the lives of so many children within a matter of minutes. Day in the Park is our one day to make it and we are proud to have her advocate for all that we do. DawnMarie has helped us navigate some tough years which have allowed us to keep our programs in place. You won't want to miss seeing her in action.

About The Taylor Family Foundation

The Taylor Family Foundation (TTFF), founded by Elaine and Barry Taylor in 1990, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission serves children in Northern California living with life-threatening and chronic illnesses, developmental disabilities and youth at-risk. TTFF offers an incomparable opportunity to children and their families by providing therapeutic recreation, specialized support and resources. Located on 138 acres of beautiful land nestled in Livermore, CA, TTFF's Camp Arroyo hosts a racially and socio-economically diverse group of 3,000 campers with chronic medical, developmental disabilities and youth at-risk for over 30 camp sessions throughout the year-at no charge. In addition to camp, TTFF brings music therapy to children who are homebound or patients in Northern CA hospitals and hospice homes.

Owned by the East Bay Regional Park District, Camp Arroyo is operated in partnership with The Taylor Family Foundation (TTFF). During the summer months and several weekends throughout the year, camp is a haven for children and their families to enjoy together. From September to June camp is utilized as an outdoor educational experience that introduces 4th, 5th and 6th graders to important concepts about science, nature, and sustainable living.