Music and dancing - you really can't have one without the other.

So the merchants and residents of Oakland's Laurel District are doubling up and celebrating both art forms with a pair of free events on June 25.

Held along MacArthur Avenue, a diverse array of performers - from a 12-year-old rapper to a female ukulele trio - will be playing during the sixth annual Laurel Summer Solstice Music Festival.

While musicians are taking over the streets, dancers will be facing off inside the Allendale Recreation Center for another round in the Turfin 247 All Styles Dance Tournament. The competition, part of the Laurel District Association's community-building efforts, is open to anyone willing to put their moves on the line.

Both events are intended to bring neighbors together and introduce outsiders to the Laurel, which residents proudly describe as a diverse cross-section of the city.

The neighborhood remains "unknown to a lot of people in the Bay Area, even people in Oakland," said Tim Sullivan, a resident who is on the Laurel Village Association's organizing committee for the music festival.

The festival began at the suggestion of resident Stella Lamb. A native of France, Lamb was visiting Paris during the summer solstice and observed the Fête de la Musique, an annual event, in which amateur and professional musicians are encouraged to take to the streets and perform.

"It was an amazing sight, with musicians everywhere," said Lamb, adding she thought some of that creative energy could benefit her own neighborhood.

"Music brings people together in ways they otherwise wouldn't, ... and we've seen that happen," said Sullivan, who also is performing with the soul band Miss Mix and the Superthicks.

About 25 acts - representing jazz, folk, rock, country, reggae and more - are scheduled to perform at six locations, including a main stage at MacArthur and Patterson avenues.

While Laurel residents are taking the lead in organizing the music festival, local businesses are responsible for the dance tournament. The competition was conceived by the merchant association's security team at Urban Shield Security Services.

"There's not a lot of opportunity for young people in our area, both from a jobs standpoint and a recreational standpoint, and a lot of kids hanging out makes people feel uncomfortable," said Laurel District Association Director Tommy Wong. "That's no fault of the young people. It's a lack of resources.

"We have to offer them things to do."

The association teamed up with Turfin 247 - a dance group devoted to turfing, the fluid, freestyle form of street dance that has been gaining national attention via viral videos. The group's Levi "I Dummy"  Allen was even featured on the recent "So You Think You Can Dance" audition episode taped in Oakland.

Turfing has deep roots in the Laurel neighborhood. It was influenced by such breakdancing precursors as boogaloo, which dancer William Randolph was performing on MacArthur Avenue back in the '70s.

"We feel it's a thing young people and the older generation can be very proud of and hopefully will bring the generations together," Wong said.

The winners from each of the monthly dance tournaments will face off in a championship during the Laurel Street Fair on Aug. 13.


Laurel Summer Solstice Music Festival

When: 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. June 25
Where: MacArthur Avenue between 35th Avenue and High Street
Cost: Free
Details: www.laurelvillage.org, Facebook or YouTube


Turfin 247 All Styles Dance Tournament

When: 2 to 6 p.m. June 25
Where: Allendale Recreation Center, 3711 Suter St.
Cost: Free
Details: YouTube