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Gun Buy-back Program today in Los Angeles

Leftover gun parts at La Fonderie in Echo Park hat were used for the 2011 Peace Angels Project award

The fourth annual Gun Buyback Program takes place today at six locations across Los Angeles. Held the day before Mother’s Day each year, the program promises “no questions asked” for turning in guns in exchange for a gift card. Assault weapons are credited $200 worth of Visa or Ralphs gift cards; shotguns, rifles and handguns receive $100.

In past years, local art studio La Fonderie in Echo Park has participated in the program (along with other at-risk youth programs), helping kids melt down the guns from the buy-back program into a sculpture for the 2011 Peace Angels Project award.

The nearest drop-off location in Echo Park is at the LAFD Training Academy located at 1700 Stadium Way. The drop-off is happening today until 3:00 pm. Click here for a list of other locations.

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Señor Fish’s soft opening today in Echo Park

You wouldn’t know it from the outside, other than a vinyl banner and a couple of colorful but crudely-drawn signs on the windows, but Señor Fish’s new location in Echo Park had its soft opening today. It still smells like fresh sawdust inside, the walls are bare, and there is likely a bit of furniture yet to be moved in – but the kitchen is 100% ready!

We snuck in not too long before the 9:00 pm closing tonight and snagged a couple of Ensenada Fish Tacos with mayo spread and guacamole. At $3.50 a piece, it’s not your cheapest deal in town. But the tacos are so freaking delicious that it’s worth every penny!

A+ for crispiness, the tangy mayo, a smokey salsa, and super fresh cabbage and guacamole. We honestly left wishing we had ordered about 10 more!

Señor Fish is open at 8:30 am tomorrow morning for breakfast and close at 9:00 pm. Although Echo Park Patch reports they are not serving any alcohol, our server behind the counter confirmed our inquiry by pointing out a display of beer including Corona, Modelo and Negro Modelo. Perhaps some day they’ll get a full liquor license for some margaritas to go along with those delicious fish tacos!

Señor Fish is located at 1701 Sunset Boulevard in Echo Park.

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Weekend guide: Echo Park Craft Fair

The Echo Park Craft Fair is just around the corner! Taking place both Saturday and Sunday this weekend, the event is put on by an Artist Collective including over 25 location artists including Beatrice Valenzuela, Kathryn Bently, Anne Costello Brown, Rachel Craven, jewelry designer Kathleen Whitaker and artist Brit Browne.

Echo Park’s Juice Maids will be serving up their delicious cold-pressed juices alongside “blue corn quesodillas.”

Echo Park Craft Fair
May 12 & 13, 2012 from 1:00 – 5:00 pm
1461 Carroll Ave.
www.echoparkcraftfair.com
email raqstars@mac.com for more info

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Last chance to sign up for the Echo Park Art Walk

Last chance for artists, musicians, and venues to sign up for the Echo Park Art Walk – sign up online as soon as possible if you’d like to participate in this great neighborhood event!

Echo Park Public Displays of Art’s (PDA) annual art walk started as a small event involving businesses and artists along Echo Park Avenue. Now it’s expanded to Sunset Boulevard, as far as Alvarado. The Art Walk is a community event filled with music, art exhibits, store sales, film screenings, food trucks, workshops, and even sidewalk chalk and bubbles for the kids.

Echo Park PDA Art Walk
Saturday, May 19, 2012 from 12:00 noon – 6:00 pm
www.artneedsfreedom.com/pda

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Cinco de Mayo celebrations in Echo Park and beyond

Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo, time to celebrate Mexican culture and heritage with some beers and margaritas! There are a ton of great spots you can walk to in Echo Park, here’s the low-down:

Echo Park Merchant Association’s Cinco de Mayo Event

There will be beverages, tasty snacks, music, and a raffle to benefit The Wall Las Memorias Project. The raffle prizes will include a gift certificate from The Warehouse LA and a terrarium from The Classroom LA.

Saturday, May 5 from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
The Warehouse is located at 1197 West Sunset Blvd. in Echo Park

Mayberry Elementary School Fiesta

This family-friendly event celebrates with a Fiesta. Mayberry Magicians, Live Mariachi, folklore dancers, Mayberry student dance performances, Glee Club, and more. Booths, prizes, obstacle course jumper, Sumo Suits, Fac epainting, and other great activities will keep the kids going! All day game wristbands are $15 (proceeds benefit programs at the school). And of course, Cinco de Mayo appropriate refreshments.

Saturday, May 5 from 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Located at 2414 Mayberry Street in Echo Park

Barragan’s

This is definitely a go-to spot for a lot of locals and non-locals – cheap margaritas are the name of the game and they’ve also got something special for the Cinco de Mayo holiday. Just make sure to arrive early, snag your spot on the patio (usually open after 7:00 pm), and order a bucket of Coronas for a discounted price.

Barragan’s is located at 1538 West Sunset Boulevard

El Compadre

They don’t usually have any specials going on for Cinco de Mayo, but the Echo Park location has the BEST margaritas and a fabulous mariachi band to keep you in the mood. Valet parking is available in the back, and sports on the television.

El Compadre is located at 1449 West Sunset Boulevard

Beyond Echo Park:

The Pub at Golden Road Brewery in Atwater Village: Cinco de Moustache

Cinco de Moustache is a “poquito” celebration of the holiday with food specials and two taps (one at 11 am, one at 5 pm) of the limited release “El Hefe Añjeo” – a hefeweizen aged in añejo tequila barrels (say what?!).  Food specials include $2 tacos (carne asada, pollo, and vegetarian), vegan & non-vegan tostadas, and ceviche.

Saturday, May 5 at 11:00 am
Golden Road Brewery is located at 5410 San Fernando Rd West in Atwater Village

La Cuevita grand opening in Highland Park

The Little Cave is now reformed into a tequila/mescal bar called La Cuevita, opening up this weekend. $2 tecate, free tacos starting at 9:00 pm, and of course their selection of agave spirits and specialty cocktails. Enjoy your libations on one of the two patios at the new bar.

Friday May 4 and Saturday May 6 at 7:00 pm
La Cuevita is located at 5922 N Figueroa Street in Highland Park

The Biggest Margarita at Big Bar in Los Feliz

The mother of all margaritas are on Los Feliz this weekend: A 957.44 ounce margarita will certainly match your Cinco de Mayo expectations; that’s bigger than my head! Served all day on Saturday for $10 a piece (that can’t be premium tequila in there) and enter your chance to win tickets to a Dodgers vs. Giants game.

Big Bar is located at 1929 Hillhurst Avenue in Los Feliz


Just make sure if you do go out and drink some adult beverages, have a designated driver, or take the BUS! The LAPD does have plans for some DUI checkpoints around Los Angeles this weekend.

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Donate your art for show benefitting the Echo Park Film Center

Calling all artists – Stachka (a grassroots fundraising organization) is accepting donations for an art show benefiting the Echo Park Film Center. Donations can submitted by Saturday, May 5, 2012.

1650 Gallery in Echo Park is hosting the “Reel Art”  fundraiser on May 19, featuring a silent art auction and film screening. DJ Salinger and Slam Dunk are DJing, and O.N.E. Coconut Water refreshments provided. All proceeds benefit the Echo Park Film Center.

Click here for more information, or email Jacqueline Davis or Nicole Paulus at picketlinekids@gmail.com to donate.

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Get your tickets now for Taste of the Eastside

It’s time for the second annual Taste of the Eastside – an event that includes taste-testing awesome treats from local restaurants in the area, including Silver Lake, Atwater Village, Eagle Rock, Los Feliz, Downtown, and Highland Park, and more importantly, Echo Park!

Last year we attended the first Taste of the Eastside and had a blast – beautiful weather plus tons of great Echo Park restaurants made it worth the ticket price. We enjoyed some incredible bread pudding from Delilah’s, vegan ceviche by Elf Cafe, Farro salad from Cookbook, Pho Beef Tacos from Xoia, and savory rhubarb galette from The Park. A memorable cup of coffee from Silver Lake’s Intelligentsia made us realize why the coffee shop is so packed all the time. Click here for our photos from last year.

This year we can expect some of the same restaurants from last year plus a couple of new additions from Echo Park, including The Park, Cookbook, Mohawk Bend, Xoia, and Pazzo Gelato. We know Xoia is serving up some homemade ice cream, which will be perfect for the wonderful 74 degree, sunny weather we can expect!

Tickets are a little more expensive this year, but includes unlimited tastings from the 30+ restaurants from the area. With each $35 ticket you get a unlimited food tastes, a $45 bar ticket adds a wine/beer flight, and a $65 VIP ticket a bunch of other goodies like seminars . Kids 2-12 are only $5, two and under are free!

Taste of the Eastside
Barnsdall Art Park, located at 4800 Hollywood Blvd
Sunday, May 6 from 1-5:00 pm.
Click here for the website

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Tonight: Updates on the Echo Park Lake rehabilitation project

Screenshot from echoparklake.com

Tonight, the city is holding an Oversight and Odor Monitoring Committee meeting for those interested in getting updates on and ask questions about the Echo Park Lake rehabilitation project. Only 11 months left of the project – we’ll find out if things are moving along as planned.

The meeting is today, Monday, April 30, 2012, at 6:30 pm, at the St. Paul Episcopal Cathedral in the “Joseph and Child” room.

St. Paul Episcopal Cathedral is located at 840 Echo Park Ave.

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12th annual Festival of Childhood tomorrow

The 12th Annual Festival of Childhood held by the local Echo Parenting & Education takes place tomorrow, April 28, 2012 from 1-5:00 pm.

In conjunction with The Day of the Child, National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and International Spank Out Day, the festival promotes parental self care as well as an understanding of child development:

The message of the Festival of Childhood is that violence is something that is learned. When we raise children with kindness and compassion, they grow to be kind and compassionate adults, who aren’t likely to use violence as a tool. It’s a day when families can experience the possibility of nonviolence in the world!

The event will include a rock climbing wall, face painting, gardening, clay play, button-making, music, story time, street painting, and more.

Live performances include Bob Baker Marionettes, Eco Hero Kids, Birdie’s Playhouse, Children’s Nature Institute, Tierra Blanca and expert parenting speakers.

The free festival will be held in the basement of the Echo Park United Methodist Church Building at 1226 N. Alvarado Street.

Email aortiz@echoparenting.org with questions.

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Found dog: Male Lab mix on Echo Park Avenue

Echo Park Now reader Javier was having lunch at Red Hill today (lucky you!) when he took found a male Lab mix running around. The dog has no tags or a chip, but looks like such a happy one that there’s got be someone looking for him.

Contact us if you know anything about this pup!

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Mark your calendars: The Great Los Angeles River CleanUp is on Saturday!

Got any plans for Saturday? Cancel them! This weekend is the 23rd Annual La Gran Limpieza: The Great Los Angeles River CleanUp.

The community, family-friendly event is on April 28, 2012 from 9:00 am to noon. To entice you a little more, there will be gift giveaways, raffle prizes, entertainment and refreshments at each site. The event is part of Keep America Beautiful’s (KAB) nationwide Great American Cleanup™ day of service,

There will be 15 river clean-up sites, it looks like the closest one to us in Echo Park might actually be the Arroyo Seco cleanup site.

Each year going back to 2004, FoLAR publishes a trash report of what they find and how much in the LA River – from clothes to plastic film, metal, styrofoam, beverage containers, molded plastic, and glass. Some of the strangest items they’ve found include phone booths, cars, swords, and even old saunas. They expect 25 tons of garbage to be removed. Check FoLAR’s website for maps and more information.

Echo Park Trash Abatement Project (TAP) will have a small table at the Echo Park Farmers’ Market on Friday, April 27 from 4-6:00 pm with information and sign-up sheets. Otherwise, click here to sign up online!

 

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Found dog on Echo Park Avenue

This adorable munchkin was found on Saturday, April 21 near Fix Coffee at Echo Park Avenue and Baxter. The owners must miss this one – don’t you just want to pinch those cheeks?

Contact us if you know anything about this found dog.

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Echo Park Art Walk needs volunteers and ideas

We’re thoroughly looking forward to yet another successful Echo Park Art Walk this year – taking place on Saturday, May 19 all around Echo Park. Planning stages are in full force, and organizers are asking for the community’s help. This event wouldn’t happen without the participation of the community – it takes a village!

Echo Park Public Displays of Art’s (PDA) annual art walk started as a small event involving businesses and artists along Echo Park Avenue. Now it’s expanded to Sunset Boulevard, as far as Alvarado. The Art Walk is a community event filled with music, art exhibits, store sales, film screenings, food trucks, workshops, and even sidewalk chalk and bubbles for the kids.

Get involved by going to a community meeting tomorrow, Tuesday, April 24 at 7:00 pm. Share your ideas for the Art Walk, and just learn more about how to get involved. Meet at the Echo Park Time Travel Mart at 1714 W. Sunset Boulevard. RSVP here!

 

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All-breed adoption event at BlueCollar this weekend

Thinking about bringing home a new best friend? You’re in luck!

Fur Baby Rescue is hosting an all-breed adoption event at BlueCollar in Echo Park on Sunday, April 22 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm.

Fur Baby Rescue is a non-profit, no-kill shelter located in Downtown LA. BlueCollar is located at 1533 Echo Park Avenue.

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Tomorrow is Record Store Day – Celebrate in Echo Park

Hipsters rejoice! Tomorrow is the annual Record Store Day – where independently owned record stores across the country celebrate music with special vinyl and CD releases. Echo Park’s Origami Vinyl and Mono Records are participating this year with some special events of their own:

Origami Vinyl

Open at 8:00 am with coffee and snacks from Stories Books & Cafe. Shoppers will be allowed in ten at a time, and the first 300 people get an Origami Vinyl/Generic Surplus Record Store Day tote bag free with purchase. They’ll also have some more special give-aways, and you even go to The Echo patio to listen to your purchases or check in your bag at the “vinyl valet” while you enjoy the show.

Starting at noon on The Echo patio will be eight bands and guest DJs – but if you can’t make it to the show check out the live stream at radio.magicmonsterrecords.com. Bands include:

Big Black Delta @ 7:00 pm
Henry Clay People @ 6:00 pm
Electric Guest @ 5:00 pm
Races @ 4:00 pm
Zammuto @ 3:00 pm
Electric Flower Group @ 2:00 pm
Jenny O @ 1:00 pm
All Tiny Creatures @ Noon

Guest DJs spinning in Origami Vinyl:

Jason Kramer from KCRW
Shaun Koplow from Anticon
Jason from Dub Club/Punky Reggae
Matt & Patrick from Light in the Attic
Alyssa Bailey from KXLU
Angela Asistio from KXSC
Jen Ferrer from KXSC
Cristina Ramirez from KXLU
Chris Ziegler from LA Record

Check out the store’s Facebk page for more info.

Mono Records

This will be a great opportunity to finally get our butts over to the new Glendale Boulevard record store, which just opened a few months ago. They’ll have the STAX “Flipside of Stax” 45 boxes available, and of course a sale: All wax under $10 is 20% off, over $10 is 15% off the entire day. Store opens at 10:00 am.

There are a ton of other Los Angeles record store locations celebrating the day, check out LAist for the details.

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