Tag Archive for: festivals

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Culture Collide Fest starts Wednesday in Echo Park

The annual Filter Magazine’s Culture Collide Festival descends on Echo Park this week, with dozens of performances at The Echo, Echoplex, Taix, 826LA, Origami Vinyl, Echo Park Independent Co-Op, Echo Park Methodist Church, and Reform Academy. The four-day fest brings artists from over 24 countries, along with live music there will be food, film screenings, and happy hours!

Along with musical performances, the International Happy Hour includes drink specials at Taix from 4-6:00 pm on Thursday and Firday, and 6-8:00 pm on Saturday, October 8. Click here to RSVP. The full schedule and lineup is also now available, click here.

Lineup includes artists like Ximena Sarinana from Mexico (who happens to have a new song titled “Echo Park”), along with headlines CSS, Clap Your Hands Say Yea, Avi Buffalo, and more. Echo Park always has some music events going on over the weekend, so if you don’t want to pay the $20 for the whole fest keep your eye out on the many music venues in the neighborhood for shows.

And finally like in past years, the festival ends with a free Toyota Antics block party event in Echo Park on Sunday, October 9. The party takes place at Reservoir and Sunset Boulvard, and often includes live music and family-friendly activities (we’ve seen bouncy castles before).

See you around!

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Echo Park may absorb some canceled Sunset Junction gigs

You’ve probably heard the news already, but it looks like the 2011 Sunset Junction may just actually be canceled due to permit issues (yep, just three days before!). However, there hasn’t been a final confirmation from the event organizers – the website is down, The Eastsider LA says they’re still waiting, and even though both LAist and LA Weekly seem to have given up, the LA Times just posted a statement from the organizers without a clear green light/red light confirmation.

Should it get canceled… (we mean officially of course) Origami Vinyl, which has had a role in this year’s Sunset Junction, got us thinking about how Echo Park can help absorb some of the gigs meant for the now-canceled Sunset Junction this weekend. The vinyl records shop tweeted today:

We think @theechola + Stories Books/Cafe + Echo Park Independent Co-Op + Us should book these SJ bands and get a lil block party goin…

Echo Park Independent Coop is down to host a block party as well.

I say, do it! Would be great for the businesses and the artists involved.

UPDATE:

If Sunset Junction does end up not happening, locals have already started organizing an alternative: The First Annual No Function Junction (and they have a Facebook page!).

What can you expect? Performances by The Ukelele Orchestra of the Western Hemisphere, former Sunset Junction bands at the 4100 Bar and the Living Room, and magic by Christopher Wonder. Also, “Don’t forget to pick up your complimentary compliment at the ‘Complimentary Compliments’ booth with Sirocco Research Labs. Stop by ReForm School at Sunset and Hyperion to find out more details….Spread the word.”

h/t The Eastsider LA

MORE UPDATES:

The Echo announced that The Butthole Surfers and 400 Blows will be playing there on Saturday.

Origami Vinyl will host Barrio Tiger on Saturday and Manhattan Murder Mystery on Sunday.

Stories Books and Cafe have the Damselles and the TC4 on Saturday.

E.P.I.C. will have the Black Apples on Sunday.

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Lotus Festival schedule for today, Saturday

No lotus flowers in the lake this year, but they are for sale to take home!

We headed down to Echo Park Lake early to get ahold of the Lotus Festival schedule, which is available to anyone at the information booth in the middle of the festival booths. After the jump: Saturday’s schedule and parking tips. You can read about the history of the Lotus Festival by clicking here.

Opening ceremony started at noon, but here’s the rest of the schedule (Sunday’s schedule will be available tomorrow):

2:00 pm: The Muay Thai School
Thai Boxing Demo

2:30 pm: Na Kapa Ku Hual Halau Kula Nui ‘O Kaleponi
Hawaiian and Polynesian music and dance

3:00 pm: Pacific Asian Club
Chinese, Japanese, Hawaiian and Filipino Dances

3:30 pm: Wat Thai Temple of Los Angeles
Thai Rabam Dravat dance Mon style Read more

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What’s up with the Cuban Music Festival at Echo Park Lake?

Flickr photo by Max Santa Cruz, May 2010

My answer is simple: We have no idea!

But we’ve been getting a LOT of emails about this – like, a LOT. So we’ll try and clear things up for everyone excited for a day of congas and Cuba!

First off, the Cuban Music Festival is an annual event at Echo Park Lake – this year marks the 17th. It celebrates Cuba’s Independence from Spain on May 20, and Cuban poet José Martí (you may have notice his statue at the corner of the park).

The festival is usually held on the closest Sunday to that May 20th date – making this year’s Cuban Festival maybe on May 22, 2011. I have not gotten this confirmed by any event organizers, but would love to hear back from them soon and will let everyone know as soon as I know!

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