NORTH COAST, Calif. – It finally feels like summer, and one sure sign of summer is that the music festival season is in full swing.

If you haven't been to a festival in a while, now is a great time. The weather is perfect this weekend, and the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival – one of the premier world music festivals in the country – is just over the hill, in Boonville.

The festival takes place Friday, June 17, through Sunday, June 19, at the Mendocino County Fairgrounds.

This year's lineup includes reggae legends Toots and The Maytals, and Steel Pulse, Latino hip-hop superstars Ozomatli, and African “chimurenga music” innovator Thomas Mapfumo – just to name a few.

The Sierra Nevada World Music Festival is not only environmentally conscious, it is family-friendly, too. Children 12 and under may attend for free when accompanied by an adult.

The festival offers a family camp area and an extensive program of children's activities throughout the weekend – including dance and music workshops, songfests, storytelling, arts and crafts, sports and other entertainment.

Complete with a festival village featuring foods, crafts, and fine art from such exotic places as Indonesia, West Africa, Jamaica, Ethiopia and India, the festival.

The world is literally right around the corner, waiting for you. Pack the camping gear, grab the kids (no pets allowed) and head over to Boonville for a world class cultural experience that the whole family will love.

For more information visit www.snwmf.com/index2.html or call the festival hotline, 916-777-5550.