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Zumbathon Fundraiser October 25

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Central City Action Committee, which is a nonprofit organization here in Echo Park, is in dire need or repairing its facility’s broken elevator. The facility, which is the old fire station on Edgeware in Angelino Heights, is two stories and needs this elevator!

CCAC handles all the graffiti removal in the neighborhood and also organizes after school activities for our neighborhood youth. Funds are tight with city budget cuts, so now is the time to support this great program through their upcoming Zumbathon event.

Zumbathon FUNdraiser

Saturday, October 25, doors open at 9am
Tickets are just $10 each. Ages 12 and under are FREE
Good times, raffle prizes, smiles and encouragement
To purchase tickets, call Maryanne Hayashi at (213) 241-0908.

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Movie Night at Echo Park Lake

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Please join Council District 13, the Department of Recreation and Parks, and the Echo Park Historical Society for a free screening of the classic Hollywood film “Sunset Blvd.” compliments of Paramount Pictures.

The Echo Park Film Center will start the evening with a few of their student shorts and then the feature production.

Pack a picnic, bring a blanket and chairs, and enjoy the movie under the stars by the magical Echo Park Lake.

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Echo Park Lake Lotus Festival is back!

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This is very exciting for Echo Park… the Lotus Festival has returned!

The 34th Lotus Festival takes place this weekend, July 12 and 13. This year’s host country is the Philippines.

This is not only the first year since the park was closed and renovated, it’s been a few years since there have been actual Lotus flowers blossoming at the lake. There will also be the return of the Dragon Boat races, as well as some delicious food, entertainment, performances, music and dancing.

To kick off the festivities, Council District 13 is hosting Echo Park Night on Friday, July 11 with a film screening and live music. Picnic baskets and blankets encouraged!

Opening ceremony for the festival starts at noon on Saturday, July 12. Check back on this post for schedule updates as we get them!

UPDATE: Lotus Festival Schedule after the jump!

Echo Park Night at the Lotus Festival  10372972_10152087444751277_3429644353491145789_o

Read more

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Questions about city services? Ask Councilmember O’Farrell on Saturday

Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell presents:

“Councilmember in your corner – Echo Park”

Join business and community leaders, meet with neighbors and learn about city services.

Councilmember O’Farrell and will also walk the neighborhood, going door-to-door to speak with residents about important city services.

Saturday, April 26, 2014 from 9:30am-Noon
Echo Park Lake (Glendale Boulevard & Park Avenue)

Questions? Contact Silvan de la Cruz at sylvan.delacruz@lacity.org

Councilmember In Your Corner - Echo Park web

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Easter activities around Echo Park start this weekend

The Easter holiday is upon us, and there are some great family friendly activities happening around Echo Park. Although Sunday, April 20 is the official holiday itself, events start this weekend.

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Egg Hunt at Echo Park Rec Center

The Spring Egg Hunt takes place this Saturday, April 12 from 2-5:00 pm at the Echo Park Recreation Center playground (1632 Bellevue Avenue).

Egg Hunt start times are:

5 years & under: 3:00 pm
6-8 years: 3:30 pm
9 years & older: 4:00 pm

Activities include arts and crafts, face painting, music, egg hunts and a visit from The Spring Bunny (all are free).

For more information email echoparkrc@lacity.org

Echo Park Farmers’ Market Egg Hunt

The healthiest egg hunt in town! The annual Easter Egg Hunt at the Echo Park Farmers’ Market takes place on Friday, April 18 starting at 4:00 pm.

The craft table will be set up for Easter arts and crafts, and the Easter Bunny will be on hand to take photos (bring your cameras!).

Toddlers ages five and under will start at 5:00 pm, ages six and over at 6:00 pm.

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Festival of Childhood

Although not technically an Easter event, the Festival of Childhood on April 26 from 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm is a great spring event for families.

The annual event, hosted by Echo Parenting & Education, is a free outdoor community day of play and creativity for families from all over Los Angeles. There will be a rock climbing wall, face painting, crafts, story time, street painting, children’s dance groups and live musical performances. Reservoir street closure begins at the Echo Park Methodist Church, where the event is taking place.

Click here for more info or email aortiz@echoparenting.org

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Angel City Brewery hosting Echo Park street cleanup Saturday

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As part of a series of community events and cleanups, Angel City Brewery is organizing a cleanup in Echo Park this weekend on Saturday, February 8.

The cleanup area will focus on Sunset Boulevard and adjacent streets in the area around the Short Stop (toward the eastish end of Echo Park).

Want to help out? Meet at 1:00 pm at Sunset Beer Company to pick up trash bags, gloves, trash grabbers, and a volunteer t-shirt. Angel City staff members will also be providing Trash BINGO boards for you to mark off what you find on the streets – the winner gets an Angel City gift certificate and goodies.

The cleanup will go until 2:30 pm, at which time we’ll end up at the Short Stop for some post cleanup up beer and snacks.

Email Emily at Emily@angelcitybrewery.com to register, and let her know your t-shirt size.

See you Saturday!

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Rummage sale + fundraiser at CCAC Echo Park

Mark your calendars: The Central City Action Committee (in charge of that graffiti removal in our neighborhood as well as after school programs for kids) is having a rummage sale!

They get some awesome, I mean FANTASTIC donations to help raise money for its programs. We’ve heard of prizes that were not collected from The Price is Right get donated here. Vintage items, clothes, toys, furniture, books, household items, and more! A couple of new items include an electric fireplace, an “Abdominal Track System Exercise Machine” (will have to go to the sale to see what this thing is), and a child inflatable jumper.

Check it out on Thursday, February 13 and Friday, February 14 from 10:30 am – 5:30 pm.

Who knows, maybe the Abdominal Track System Exercise Machine will make a perfect V-day gift for your significant other!

The CCAC is located at the old fire station at 534 E Edgeware Road.

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Echo Park Lake Christmas Bird Count on Sunday

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Join fellow bird lovers on Sunday, December 29 for the annual Christmas Bird Count at Echo Park Lake!

Bird lovers in Echo Park have identified over 70 species of birds over the last ten years. You can expect to find species such as mallards, great-tailed grackles, robins, American coots, sparrows, finches, great egrets, black-crowned night herons, green herons, blackbirds, hawks and various gulls and doves, and more.

Beginning birders, including children, are welcome to the free bird walk. Binoculars are strongly recommended along with a bird guide if you have one.

Meet at the Boathouse at 8:00 am for the two-hour count.

Following the Echo Park Lake bird count, at about 11:00 am, is the Vista Hermosa bird count. Vista Hermosa is a small park just a little west of downtown Los Angeles. Meet at the parking lot at 100 Toluca Street, just north of First Street. Time about 1.5 hours. Terrain mostly level, some slight elevation.

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Holiday guide to parking, trash and street sweeping in Echo Park

Coming from someone who just paid a very expensive expired meter ticket (a rare thing in my household), there’s nothing better than finding those sweet, sweet parking spots. Since today is Christmas Eve, you can avoid some tickets by parking a little smarter over the holiday – just not today. Official observance is on Christmas DAY – so be aware!

Meters

Always look at the signs – certain city parking regulations (such as state parking laws) are not enforced on national holidays. However, consider yourself free and clear on Christmas Day when there’s noone working to give you that ticket. Since this year Christmas Day falls on Wednesday, the holiday is observed that day. More info here.

The parking regulations/signs that are not enforced are:

  • Time Limit (ie one hour, two hour, four hours, etc.)
  • Parking Meters (unless posted to include holidays). Exceptions include, but are not limited to, areas around Venice Beach and in West Los Angeles. In these areas, the signs reflect “Including Holidays.”
  • No Parking Signs with specific time limits (i.e. 9:00am to 4:00pm, 8:00am to 10:00am)
  • No Stopping signs with specified time limits (i.e. 7:00am to 9:00am, 4:00pm to 6:00pm). This includes Peak Hour parking restirionts.
  • Preferential Parking (unless posted to include holidays)

The following safety violations are enforced on all days, including National Holidays:

  • Red zones, including bus zones
  • Yellow/White zones (on request only)
  • Alleys
  • Sidewalks
  • Handicapped Zones (also known as Blue Zones)
  • “No Parking Anytime” zones (including “Tow Away” restrictions
  • “No Parking Anytime” zones
  • “No Stopping Anytime” zones
  • All temporary “No Stopping” or “No Parking” zones
  • Requests for service, including, but not limited to, blocked driveways

Trash

Trash service will not commence on Christmas Day (December 25), but there will be a one day delay. So, in essence, Wednesday collection day will now be on Thursday. If you’re throwing away your Christmas tree already, consider recycling it.

Street Sweeping

Once again, Christmas Day (not Eve!) is the name of the game – as long as the sign says “Holidays Exempt” or something along those lines.

 

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Snow Day in Echo Park Friday

WinterWonderland

Get your snow gear ready – winter is coming to Echo Park!

Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell is bringing Winter Wonderland to the Echo Park Farmers’ Market TOMORROW, Friday, December 20 from 3:00-5:00 pm. Free snow play area for the kids – and for the kid in you!

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35 trees slated for removal on Sunset Boulevard

Tree removals in Echo Park

Trees are indicated in the green are to be saved, if they have a yellow dot they are to be removed and replaced.

Sunset Boulevard along Echo Park is getting a makeover. As part of the $750,000 grant for the Echo Park Beautification Project, Sunset Boulevard from Rosemont Street to Everett Street will get some well-deserved attention when it comes to some much-needed sidewalk repairs, and more, including (but not limited to):

  • Removing and replacing trees along Sunset Boulevard
  • Improving sidewalks (including adding
  • Adding new trees
  • Adding Big Belly trash receptacles
  • Adding benches
  • Adding bike racks
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Ficus tree on Logan near Walgreens back in March 2013

For some, that “beautification” comes with a price – removal of the leafy green ficus trees that provide shade for the sidewalks along the main drag. So why remove the trees? The sidewalks.

Some of the larger trees that are being removed, the ficus in particular, are causing sidewalks to buckle and crack, making it difficult for pedestrian (especially handicap) use. Which is why two ficus trees on Echo Park Avenue were removed in March 2013 – which noone knew about (not even Council District 13) until it was done.

The board of public works is holding a public hearing on the removal of 35 trees along 1300 to 2100 West Sunset Boulevard (that’s from Alvarado to Elysian Park Drive) as part of this beautification grant. The hearing takes place tomorrow, on Wednesday, December 18 at 9:30 am (see below location). There are other items on the agenda, so we’re not sure exactly what time the Echo Park issue will be address.

To replace the 35 trees removed (there are various species, including ficus), the city will place 38 Chinese Pistache and 75 Australian Willow trees.

The Echo Park Improvement Association website has two documents available that both outline the locations of each tree removal and replacement – the color version (a small portion of which is shown above) is a version dated from April 2013, but the latest version should be the most reliable in terms of final construction plans.

Hearing on Echo Park tree removals
Wednesday, December 18 at 9:30 am
City of Los Angeles Board of Public Works Public Hearing Room
200 N. Spring Street in room 350
Los Angeles, CA 90012

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Pet photos with Santa on December 8

One day only this year!

All proceeds support the Echo Park Animal Alliance.

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Villainy General Store closing for good

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This is a bit sad news because we’ve gotten to know owners and Echo Parkians Erich Schlieske and Ellen McAlister (eEvil Ink Design) quite well. Villainy General Store opened in the former Echo Curio space almost exactly two years ago, taking on the challenge of renovating the space and that terribly tiny bathroom. Erich announced the store’s closing on the store’s Facebook page, saying:

THANK YOU ECHO PARK !!! We have met so many very cool and gracious people here. We met lots of neighbors, old-timers, new-timers and for the most part we’ve been well received and we’ve always appreciated that kindness.

Who knew that a Villainy General Store could last for 2 years? More importantly, what is a “Villainy General Store”? It was an experiment, what can I say? I’ve always been intrigued by junk drawers, misfit accessories, vintage curios and funny, odd gifts.

And a curious store it is – but we’ve always found something to take home. Since the store won’t be closing until the end of December, you can still pick up some great and unique gifts, including cheeky greeting cards and (my favorite) t-shirts with hipster sayings like “Echo Park: Where Silver Lake Comes to get Drunk.” After December you can always check them out online at villainyla.com.

What will be next for the storefront on Sunset Boulevard and Laveta Terrace? Perhaps another boutique?

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Blessing of the Animals on Saturday

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The annual Blessing of the Animals is coming up this weekend on Saturday, October 5 at 4:00 pm. Make your way to the Silver Lake “Polka Dot Plaza” (Sunset & Edgecliffe Drive) where Franciscan Friar Thomas Carey will preside over the Blessing.

The Blessing is “a gift to the Los Feliz/Silver Lake/Echo Park communities from Holy Spirit, progressive Episcopal community in Silver Lake.”

All donations benefit the Echo Park Animal Alliance.

This tradition is attributed to the ability of St. Francis to preach to animals, which resulted in his becoming their patron. For more info contact Nick Cuccla at (323) 663-0633 or nacinla@gmail.com.

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8th Annual Frogtown Artwalk on Saturday

Frogtown Artwalk 2013

The Frogtown Artwalk returns on Saturday, September 28 for its eighth year in a row.

One of our favorite annual events, the artwalk is family-friendly event in neighboring Elysian Valley, just a hop, skip and a jump from Echo Park. It’s never crazy crowded, you meet lots of neighbors, and there’s always a little bit of wine and local craft beer flowing.

This year, the “river pavilion” will feature live music along with info on the river restoration efforts. Creator of the “LA River Catz,” Leo Limon, will be at RAC Design Build along with Mary-Austin Klein (the artist whose work is featured at the top of the The Eastsider LA website). There are a lot of youth events, including a youth art show on River Ecology. And for the first time at the Artwalk is Bookshow LA at the NOMAD art complex, featuring a selection of books in an interactive retail space.

There are a ton of great events throughout evening, click here to view the Frogtown Artwalk map with full event details.

We posted some photos of past Frogtown Artwalk events on our Facebook page, click here to check it out!

8th Frogtown Artwalk
Elysian Valley – Coolidge Avenue to Blimp Street
Friday, September 28 from 4:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Visit frogtownarts.com for more info.

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