A sold-out crowd packed the halls and Stage 1 of the Harris Center for the Arts Saturday evening as the Folsom community celebrated 15 years of a venue that has grown from an ambitious vision at Folsom Lake College into one of the Sacramento region’s premier destinations for arts, entertainment and culture.
The Crystal Affair: Celebrating 15 Years brought together longtime supporters, community leaders, artists and patrons for an evening that looked back on the Harris Center’s first decade and a half while also celebrating the partnerships and people who helped make that history possible.
Before the main celebration filled the Harris Center lobby, dignitaries from Folsom Lake College reflected on the past 15 years of the Harris Center during an intimate VIP reception in Stage 2. Leaders from presenting sponsor Sutter Health joined college representatives, supporters and other invited guests as they shared memories of the center’s beginnings, its growth and the role it has come to play in the cultural life of Folsom and the greater Sacramento region.
The milestone was also recognized by state leaders. Representatives from the offices of state Sen. Roger Niello and Assemblyman Josh Hoover presented the Harris Center with a legislative resolution recognizing its 15 years of service to the arts and the community.
From there, the celebration expanded throughout the Harris Center as guests gathered for an elegant pre-concert reception featuring food, wine and other beverages. The evening then moved into Stage 1, where the Folsom Lake Symphony performed The Best Movie Scores of John Williams before the sold-out audience.
The choice of orchestra for the anniversary celebration carried special significance. When the Harris Center first opened its doors in 2011, the Folsom Lake Symphony was the very first organization to perform on its stage. Fifteen years later, the orchestra returned to help celebrate the milestone, creating a full-circle moment for two organizations whose histories have been closely connected from the beginning.
Under the direction of Music Director and Conductor Peter Jaffe, the Folsom Lake Symphony turned the anniversary concert into a journey through the music of legendary film composer John Williams, whose scores have provided the soundtrack to generations of moviegoers. Throughout the evening, Jaffe introduced the selections with a mix of background, musical insight and his familiar sense of humor, adding context to the music before the orchestra brought each piece to life.
The program opened in grand fashion with Williams’ Olympic Fanfare and Theme, written for the 1984 Olympic Games, before moving into the soaring Flying Theme from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. The orchestra continued with the Overture to The Cowboys before taking the audience into considerably more ominous territory with the unmistakable Shark Theme from Jaws.
The first half continued with Devil’s Dance from The Witches of Eastwick and the sweeping Theme from Jurassic Park, allowing the symphony to move from playful and dramatic passages to one of Williams’ most majestic cinematic themes before intermission.
The second half opened with the heroic Superman March from the 1978 film Superman, followed by the Suite from Far and Away. The orchestra then performed the Raiders March from Raiders of the Lost Ark, another of Williams’ instantly recognizable works.
The mood shifted with the Theme from Schindler’s List, one of the composer’s most poignant and emotional works, before the program headed into the Star Wars universe for its finale. The Symphony performed The Asteroid Field from Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back before bringing the evening to a powerful close with the Main Title from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.
Together, the selections showcased the extraordinary range of Williams’ work — from suspense and adventure to tenderness, triumph and spectacle — while the Symphony’s performance and Jaffe’s introductions made the concert as much a celebration of the stories behind the music as the familiar melodies themselves. It was an especially fitting program for an evening celebrating a venue where the Folsom Lake Symphony made history as the first organization to perform 15 years earlier.
The Crystal Affair served as more than an anniversary party. Proceeds from the sold-out event supported essential Harris Center facility improvements benefiting both the venue and its resident orchestra, the Folsom Lake Symphony, as the center prepared to enter its next chapter of serving the region through the arts.
Saturday’s celebration also offered an opportunity to reflect on just how far the Harris Center has come since the idea for the facility first began taking shape.
Originally conceived as a visual and performing arts facility for Folsom Lake College students studying theater, music, dance, visual arts and technical production, the project expanded dramatically following a 2003 feasibility study that confirmed the need for a regional arts center capable of serving not only the college but the greater community as well.
Following approval by the Los Rios Community College District Board of Trustees, the project received state funding, and construction of the $50 million, 80,000-square-foot facility began in July 2008. Funding came through a combination of a State Educational Facilities General Obligation Bond, Measure A bond funding, district resources and private donations to the Folsom Lake College Foundation.
The venue officially opened in February 2011 as Three Stages at Folsom Lake College and quickly established itself as a regional destination for arts and entertainment. By the end of its second full season, the facility had already welcomed more than 300,000 patrons through its doors.
In August 2012, the Los Rios Community College District Board renamed the facility the Harris Center for the Arts, honoring Chancellor Emeritus Brice Harris, whose leadership helped oversee the growth of the district, including the development of Folsom Lake College and the realization of a regional performing arts center for the community.
Today, the Harris Center hosts more than 400 public events annually and welcomes approximately 150,000 patrons each year. Its mission extends beyond presenting performances by providing opportunities for audiences throughout California’s Capital Region to experience artistic works, celebrate cultural traditions and participate in the creative process through presentations, partnerships with local arts organizations and productions developed on site.
The Harris Center’s impact was recognized almost immediately after opening. It received the Sacramento Business Journal’s Community Impact Award for its role as an educational and economic catalyst, with the publication noting the venue’s ability to generate millions of dollars in economic activity while serving as a world-class teaching facility for Folsom Lake College students.
The center was also named Project of the Year by Region Builders for the Sacramento region, recognizing its architectural design, construction and lasting impact on the community. Its marketing campaign earned top Crystal Awards from the International Association of Business Communicators, while the Arts and Business Council of Sacramento presented the Harris Center with its Arts Management Excellence Award, recognizing the venue’s rapid emergence as a premier cultural destination in eastern Sacramento County.
Over the past 15 years, the Harris Center has welcomed internationally acclaimed musicians, Broadway productions, comedians, dance companies, educational programs, community performances and countless local arts organizations, becoming a cornerstone of Folsom’s cultural identity while drawing visitors from throughout Northern California.
Saturday night brought many of those threads together — the college where the vision began, community and regional partners who have supported it, the orchestra that first took its stage and a sold-out audience gathered to celebrate what the Harris Center has become.
As the final notes of the anniversary concert marked 15 years of performances on the Harris Center stage, the evening also looked toward what comes next for both the venue and the orchestra that has shared so much of its history.
Harris Center enters anniversary year with packed calendar
As Saturday’s celebration looked back on 15 years, the coming months offered another measure of what the Harris Center has become. Its 2026-27 calendar is packed with touring productions, nationally known performers, music, dance and comedy alongside performances by the local and regional arts organizations that have long called the venue home.
The new season gets underway in September with country music star Tracy Lawrence, followed by Mariachi Herencia de México honoring Juan Gabriel and a multi-day run of Menopause The Musical.
October brings American Landscapes from The Pops Chorale & Orchestra, Rock With You: The Michael Jackson Experience, The Papas & Mamas and a performance of Giselle by the Shanghai Ballet. Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Lyle Lovett will also return to Folsom with his Small Large Band.
Broadway takes a prominent place on the calendar beginning in November, when ELF The Musical arrives for a five-day run, followed days later by THE WIZ. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy also takes the stage in November, along with The Dreamboats, Sister’s Christmas Catechism: The Mystery of the Magi’s Gold and ONE OF THESE NIGHTS, celebrating the music of the Eagles.
The holidays will fill the Harris Center in December with The Carpenters Songbook: At Christmas, The Pops Chorale & Orchestra’s Toyland!, Cirque Musica and singer-songwriter Andy Grammer. Garrison Keillor will appear with Heather Masse and Richard Dworsky, while the Folsom Lake Symphony presents its annual Sounds of the Season concerts.
The calendar continues into 2027 with an especially strong January lineup. Lizzy & the Triggermen open the month before Broadway returns with multi-day engagements of BEETLEJUICE and Jersey Boys. Jazz at Lincoln Center follows later in the month, while the Folsom Lake Symphony will showcase emerging talent with its Young Artists Recital.
February brings Hyprov, the improvisational comedy and hypnosis production, followed by the international percussion sensation STOMP. The Folsom Lake Symphony returns with Music From the Heart, while the Folsom Concert Association presents Sounds of Georgia.
Spring brings another diverse stretch of performances. The Pops Chorale & Orchestra presents Jazz Tapestry in March, followed by legendary R&B group The Spinners. The Folsom Lake Symphony offers its family concert Dancin’ in Your Seat, and Burn The Floor brings Maks and Peta to the Harris Center stage.
April will feature one of the season’s biggest touring productions when Riverdance arrives for a four-day engagement. Classic Albums Live will perform the Eagles’ Greatest Hits, while the Folsom Concert Association presents CeCe Teneal’s Diva of Soul.
The season continues in May with The Pops Chorale & Orchestra’s Broadway Bound, followed by the internationally known dancer-illusionist company MOMIX and a multi-day engagement of the Broadway musical Waitress.
Fittingly, the season that follows the Harris Center’s 15th anniversary celebration will close in June with another major moment for the organization that first performed on its stage. The Folsom Lake Symphony will conclude its season with Ode to Joy, a performance centered around Beethoven’s monumental Symphony No. 9.
The breadth of the calendar — from Broadway and internationally touring artists to symphonic music and locally based performing arts organizations — illustrates the role the Harris Center has grown into during its first 15 years: both a destination for major touring entertainment and a home stage for the region’s arts community.
Additional performances and ticket information are available through the Harris Center’s official event calendar.
Event also was a prelude to new symphony season
The Crystal Affair also served as a fitting prelude to what promises to be another standout year for the Folsom Lake Symphony, which recently unveiled an ambitious 2026–27 concert season under the direction of Music Director and Conductor Peter Jaffe.
Now entering its 23rd season, the orchestra will present five concerts featuring celebrated masterworks, internationally acclaimed guest artists and festive holiday programming, continuing the musical tradition that has been intertwined with the Harris Center since opening night in 2011.
The season will feature internationally acclaimed violinist Joshua Brown performing Bruch’s Violin Concerto, one of the most beloved works in the violin repertoire. Acclaimed bass-baritone Jesús Vicente Murillo will headline the Symphony’s popular holiday concerts.
Another highlight will bring Grammy Award-winning guitarist Jason Vieaux to the Harris Center stage for Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez, one of the most celebrated works in the classical guitar repertoire.
Audiences will also experience one of the most demanding and emotionally powerful works in the piano repertoire when internationally recognized pianist Alexandre Moutouzkine performs Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3.
The season will conclude on a grand scale with Beethoven’s monumental Symphony No. 9, featuring soprano Bianca Orsi, mezzo-soprano Monica Danilov, tenor Ashley Faatoalia, bass-baritone Cedric Berry, the Sacramento Master Singers and the Stockton Chorale.
“We are thrilled to present a season that combines artistic excellence, audience favorites, and extraordinary guest performers,” Jaffe said. “From intimate musical expression to large-scale symphonic power, this season offers something for everyone.”
Season subscriptions are now available. Subscribers to the Symphony’s five-concert series receive exclusive early access to seating before tickets are released to the general public, along with savings of up to 20 percent.
Subscriptions can be purchased through the Harris Center Ticket Office at 916-608-6888 or in person. Additional information about the 2026–27 season is available through the Folsom Lake Symphony.
Saturday’s Crystal Affair was made possible with support from presenting sponsor Sutter Health and event partners and sponsors Brice W. Harris, Cummings Properties, Palladio, Christeen Reeg, Roseville Carpet One Floor & Home, the Los Rios Colleges Foundation and Folsom Times. Friends of the Harris Center supporting the celebration included Sally Boike, Jerry Case, Glen Cheron, Choose Folsom, Jolyon and Sharon Druce, Bob Hall, David and Tobey Mraz, Robert and Star Pepper, Ron and Diane Smith and Visit Folsom.
Winery partners helping make the evening’s sip-and-stroll celebration possible included Raven’s Ranch Winery, Rombauer Vineyards, Wofford Acres Vineyards, D’Agostini Wines, Starfield Vineyards, Holly’s Hill Vineyards, Willamette Valley Vineyards, Lava Cap Winery and Windwalker Vineyards. Restaurant and culinary partners included Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar, Fish & Things Poke Bar, Shake Shack, Journey to the Dumpling, Noah’s New York Bagels, Buckhorn BBQ + Grill, Marriott, Dumont Creamery & Cafe, Whole Foods Market, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Dave & Buster’s and Chicago Fire. Together, the businesses, organizations and individual supporters helped turn the Harris Center’s 15th anniversary into a community-wide celebration of the venue and its future.
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