There’s no place like a blanket under the spreading oak trees to soak up a little culture, and the Santa Clarita Shakespeare Festival is launching its 2011 season Saturday night with a performance of “As You Like It.”

As always, the Bard’s work is open to interpretation and this version takes us back to groovin’ Northern California in the’60s.

Adapted by directors Kelly and Mark Petrie, their vision of the play involves characters inspired by Allen Ginsburg, Hunter S. Thompson and the hippie generation. Come sing along with us as we celebrate one of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies.

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Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. and are scheduled Saturdays and Sundays through July: 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24.

“As You Like It” will be performed at the Festival’s home amphitheater in Towsley Canyon Park on The Old Road near Calgrove. For directions, click here.

All performances are free and promise great fun for the entire family. Bring a blanket and picnic dinner for a magical performance under the stars you’ll never forget.

Wine will be available for purchase to benefit the Festival at every show and a very special vendor booth will also be open selling lemonade during Sunday performances.

The lemonade girls are second graders from Meadows Elementary School and they are raising money to support Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, which benefits the search for a cure for cancer.

One of the girls mixing and serving the citrusy concoction is Madison Stears, daughter of the festival’s founder. All donations for the lemonade are donated to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. Get more information about the foundation here.

For more information and directions, check out the Festival website here