The Center’s Latino/a Services Latin GLBT Pride music fest, “Pachanga de Orgullo,” will take place on Saturday, Aug. 26.

The event will take place on the lawn of the Auto Museum in Balboa Park from 6:00 to 11:00 p.m. and will feature dancing, live music and guest DJs spinning salsa, meringue and other Latin dance music.

“This Latin music fest is a tremendous opportunity to celebrate the diversity and influence of San Diego’s international LGBT Latino/a community,” said Carolina Ramos, coordinator of The Center’s Latino/a Services. “I hope everyone will join us for this amazing and welcoming event that we are certain will be an evening to remember.”

A limited number of tickets are available for Pachanga de Orgullo. Tickets are $15 and are available online at http://latinpride06.kintera.org through Aug. 25 and will also be available for purchase at the door. Food and beverage tickets will be sold separately.

Proceeds will support The Center’s Latino/a Services Program, which provides coordinated case management, counseling and support groups to help hundreds of individuals and families each year.

For more information, call Sarafina Scapicchio at (619) 692-2077 ext. 247 or e-mail sscapicchio@thecentersd.org.

Family Matters and The Center’s Health Services have joined forces to offer a forum for GLBT parents who are struggling to find time for themselves and their relationships. The discussion will take place on Thursday, July 27, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at The Center, located at 3909 Centre St.

“Certainly, LGBT parents face some unique challenges in raising their children, but they also struggle with some of the same issues all parents face, mainly having time for themselves and each other,” said Marylupe Flores, LCSW, of The Center’s Health Services. “We are proud to partner with Family Matters to offer parents some tools to better take care of themselves and nurture their relationships.”

The meeting is free and open to the public. Child care will be provided with confirmation by Monday, July 24.

For more information, contact Flores at (619) 260-6380 ext. 120, e-mail mflores@thecentersd.org or Marci Bair of Family Matters at (619) 298-5431, e-mail marci@sdfamilymatters.org.

The Asylum of the Tortured Heart in San Diego, an official mission of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, is holding their Sister Secondhand Sale on Saturday, July 22. It will take place in the parking lot of The Center, located at 3909 Centre St., from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Half of all proceeds will go to the Queen Eddie Conlon Youth Fund. There is a $1 suggested donation.

For more information, call Sister Skagnolia at (619) 255-9021 or e-mail sdsistersale2006@yahoo.com.

Four GLBT city commissioners will speak at The Center’s monthly Community Coalition Breakfast, which takes place this month on Friday, July 21, from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m.

Newly-appointed San Diego Fire Chief Tracy Jarman will also attend the breakfast.

Guest speakers will include Jennifer LeSar, chair of the Centre City Development Corporation; Nicole Murray-Ramirez, San Diego Human Relations Commission; Todd Gloria, San Diego Housing Commission; and Aida Mancillas, Commission for Arts and Culture.

The Community Coalition Breakfast takes place on the third Friday of each month. Its mission is to bring together fair-minded individuals to network, educate and discuss the diverse issues of concern to GLBT and allied neighbors and citizens of San Diego.

A full breakfast is available for a $10 donation; coffee and tea are complimentary. RSVPs are not required. Call (619) 692-2077 for further information.

Works from the popular juried exhibit Art of Pride, scheduled for display at the two-day San Diego LGBT Pride festival at the end of the month, will be pre-exhibited starting in mid-July at Out Mall in Hillcrest, located at 3828 Fifth Ave.

A total of 20 artists are taking part this year and each will offer a select piece from their collections for auction on eBay, beginning July 21 and closing July 31. The auction site can be directly accessed from the San Diego LGBT Pride Web site, www.sdpride.org. Proceeds will benefit the San Diego Pride Art of Pride program, which supports local artists and their works.

The 2006 exhibit can also be previewed at this year’s Spirit of Stonewall Rally site, beginning at 6:00 p.m. The rally is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on July 28 at Marston Point in Balboa Park.

All works will remain on display at the Pride festival on July 29 and 30.

For more information, call the Pride office at (619) 297-7683 or visit www.sdpride.org.

The Hillcrest Wind Ensemble will present a concert celebrating Western song on Saturday, July 22. The event will take place at 7:30 p.m. at the First Unitarian Universalist Church, located at 4190 Front St.

“The Streets of La-Re-Do!” will feature a selection of Western songs, including “Oklahoma,” “Suite Of Old American Dances” and “Saturday Night Waltz & Hoe Down,” as well as pieces from Dances with Wolves and The Magnificent Seven.

Tickets are $10. For more information, call (619) 692-2077 ext. 814 or visit www.thecentersd.org.

A free screening of the new film Meth by director Todd Ahlberg will take place on Friday, July 21, at Kung Food at 8:00 p.m. as the official launch event for www.knowcrystal.org, “Information without Judgment,” a community-based Web site targeting gay male crystal methamphetamine users and their families.

The evening will include a DJ spinning downtempo music and special live performances in addition to the screening. Wine and beer will be available for purchase. Each guest will recieve a free knowcrystal.org T-shirt. There will also be computers connected to the Internet to view the knowcrystal.org Web site.

The trailer for the movie can be viewed at www.methmovie.com. Kung Food is located at 2949 Fifth Ave. Call (619) 298-7302 for more information.

The Gay Men’s Chorus of San Diego (GMCSD) will perform two summer concerts bringing together traditional Americana and French romance.

Entitled “An American in Paris,” the pair of concerts will take place at the First Unitarian Universalist Church in Hillcrest on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 5-6.

“Since returning last year to serve again as GMCSD’s conductor, I have brought our audiences a great deal of the fun, popular, and ‘campy’ music that the chorus loves to perform,” artistic director Gary Holt said.

“But the Gay Men’s Chorus also strives for diversity and balance in our programming,” he continued. “…GMCSD has an obligation to sing new music, old music, classical music and – as always – great music.”

Performances of “An American in Paris” will take place Saturday, Aug. 5, at 8:00 p.m., and Sunday, Aug. 6, at 7:00 p.m.

The First Unitarian Universalist Church is located at 4190 Front St. in Hillcrest. General admission is $25 with discounts for students, seniors, military and groups. Tickets are available from any GMCSD member, at Obelisk the Bookstore and also on the chorus’ Web site, www.gmcsd.com.

Pacto Latino will host a dinner to celebrate 15 years of service on Thursday, July 20, at the Bamboo Lounge, located at 1475 University Ave. The dinner takes place from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., and a $50 donation is suggested.

Since 1991, Pacto Latino has provided housing and skill building services to individuals with HIV and AIDS. The agency has kept a low profile to protect the confidentiality of its residents in its two homes in North Park and Bankers Hill. Despite a Latino focus, the agency welcomes everyone.

“Despite its low profile, Pacto has a great reputation,” said Carolina Ramos, Latino Services coordinator for The Center. “Its transitional homes have really impacted the community and helped the clients get on their feet and become productive members of the community.”

Pacto Latino serves the community primarily through its transitional housing program. This program prevents homelessness of HIV infected clients and lets them stabilize their lives. Pacto arranges housing and placement for families with an HIV infected member as well.

For more information about Pacto Latino, visit www.pactolatino.com or to RSVP for the dinner call (619) 795-0946.