Started over 20 years ago by a local artist and mime, Summer Solstice is an annual celebration that draws over 100,000 spectators from around the world to Santa Barbara, CA. The single-day arts event is highlighted by the parade that makes its way down the city’s main thoroughfare, State Street. This year’s theme, Dream, will be highlighted as creative and wildly designed floats, music, and street performers progress from Upper State, towards the ocean, as they are cheered on by throngs of spectators that fill the sidewalks on both sides. If you come early enough, you can grab a seat at one of the many restaurants with outdoor seating, affording you a wonderful front row view of the festivities. After you finish your meal, head over to Alameda Park where you can enjoy live bands on stage, local radio contests and giveaways, and a true county fair environment with food vendors peddling everything from churros to chili dogs. Think of it as Mardi Gras meets Fantasy Fest but a whole lot more family friendly and with less beads. If you are anywhere in Southern California this weekend, you owe it to yourself to head up the 101 to Santa Barbara to check this incredible event out!

UK based onedotzero is the biggest digital film festival in the world– touring across the globe showcasing the best in cutting edge, contemporary digital film. It goes further in its dedication to push the digital film medium to the forefront through its production, distribution network, educational activities and consultancy work. They have a keen interest in promoting upcoming digital film talents and produced several DVDs on their own label as well as a book to promote them. The films aren’t all there are to the festivities either. In Singapore, onedotzero has also collaborated with local designers and artists, showcasing their work around the city and at the festival location itself. The next stop will be in Singapore from June 22nd to 25th and a one day show in Dublin on June 23rd. Check their schedule for a stop in a city near you and prepare yourself to be amazed by the ground breaking films made by some of the best independent filmmakers out there.

Best known for his “Man in a baby suit”, photographer Phillip Toledano has a depth of work which probes at social issues that affect today. As he puts it, he “subtracts things from his photos, using the framing and color to dramatize a shot. For example, a shot of a car salesman has the top of the head framed off, leaving just the grin, whilst the focus is the gold jewelry on the hands. In another, a man is chewing at a piece of bloody, red meat. There’s an uncomfortable quiet in some of his photos. From abandoned offices to shots of the arctic circle, a certain stillness pervades throughout each series of photographs, like some strange theatrical play frozen in time, each shot a tense moment in life where you pause and think. You’ll love Toledano’s work if you can appreciate a bit of sometimes twisted humor–but in his body of work (no pun intended) there’s sure to be something which will get you thinking.

Joshua Gajownik is a print designer experienced in, well, everything! His work includes screen printing, book binding , letter press, and laser cutting, oh, and he also does some design for the web, but I must add not web design. His site, RoyalRemarkable, shows numerous examples of his work, which takes brands like Ecko Red and infuses them with splashes of color and plenty of style. I really liked his LOMONOKIA Academic Project which merges lomographic photography style into Nokia cell phones as well as his Personal Illness Project, a vision of an ailment he created while sick. His hand drawn script faces are really great and each one reflects some of his influence and the idea that helped create it. Truly Remarkable, check this kids work out.

This coming August, Sydney, Australia will host WORKSHOPPED, a leading design exhibition aimed to help launch the careers of Australian product designers. Last year, the futuristic 1984 Fishbowl, (shown here) designed by Danny Cheung was launched and is now in production with back orders from across the globe. This year promises to be equally amazing as Eric Sui's Perspex Coffee Table, which was designed for last years exhibition, will be on display. “The 10 day event will be seen by 1,000's of people who will witness a mixture of edgy and functional product, lighting and furniture design” and best of all it is free! From prototype to production, WORKSHOPPED is fostering promising talent and helping designers to overcome the many hurdles it takes to bring their dreams to reality.