One of the many things that makes LA so unique is its diversity, so come experience a taste of this glorious melting pot by attending one or all of the cultural events on this week’s list. A celebration of all things Thai is happening in Thai Town at the Thai New Year Songkran Festival; as is a celebration of all things Guatemalan at Festival Chapín Los Ángeles. Gain more of an appreciation for jazz at the Leimert Jazz Festival or for classic cinema at Cinecon 58. Listen to rap and hip hop from local Native American artists at The Broad, and learn about late musician and spiritual leader Alice Coltrane, through her music at Grand Performances. Whatever you decide to do, I will be with you in spirit. Have a great week!
Arts, Culture, and Entertainment
ATTENTION! People who like roller skating and doing stuff: Saturday, August 27 is the last day to catch The Roller Rink at Summer on Sunset and get your skate on. I so wanted to make it up there this summer, but sadly I never did, and probably won’t this weekend (tbh), but that doesn’t mean you can’t! The Sunset Strip Business Improvement District, in partnership with Visit West Hollywood, has brought “nostalgia, music and life” to the Strip this summer and now it’s time for it to come to an end. And you can celebrate that end by making your way on over to this cool, outdoor Roller Rink right on The Strip. The Rink is set up next to the iconic Carney’s Restaurant on Sunset and is open from 2-10 p.m. Tickets are $20.
Jazz, Community, and Culture awaits you at the 3rd Annual Leimert Park Jazz Festival happening at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Mall on Saturday, August 27 from 11:30 a.m. – 8:45 p.m. This free day of music and good times will include performances by The Leimert Park Experience, John Beasley’s MONK’estra, Munyungo’s Jungle Jazz, Lula Washington Dance Theater’s Youth Dance Ensemble, and many more! Stroll through the LP Village Marketplace and Visual Arts Pavilion – where you can view and buy art from this year’s LPJF Art Competition winners, then get a bite in the Food Zone from one of many local eateries, including JAMMROK, Woody’s BBQ, and Tot Pots Cookies N Creamery. In addition, there will be a Community Resource Zone, a Kids’ Zone with crafts and music education, and a Wine and Beer Lounge for the adults. Bonus: Register for a ticket and be entered into a prize drawing. A portion of ticket sales will be donated to a local non-profit arts organization.
Grand Performances, Dublab and The John & Alice Coltrane Home present Alice Coltrane: An Expansive Spirit, as GP’s free concert of the week, taking place on Saturday, August 27 from 6-10 p.m. In honor of late musician and spiritual leader Alice Coltrane’s 85th birthday, The Universal Consciousness Orchestra, a string and harp ensemble, will be performing Alice Coltrane’s ‘cosmic classics’ as conducted and arranged by renowned composer Miguel Atwood-Ferguson. Surya Botofasina of The Sai Anantam Ashram will lead an ensemble playing progressive sounds inspired by Turiyasangitananda (aka Coltrane’s adopted Sanskrit name)’s devotional music with Alice’s daughter, Michelle Coltrane, as the featured vocalist. Please RSVP here. Attendees are encouraged to bring an offering of flowers for the altar. This concert is for all ages. For Location, Parking & FAQ, click here.
And The Broad is back in the events business this week, presenting a group of artist performances titled Now We’re Here, on Saturday, August 27 from 8-11 p.m. Fantastic Negrito + HPRIZM + Kelly Caballero + Jessa Calderon + Lu Coy Renée Petropoulos + Yvonne Rainer’s Trio A with Flags + Davia Spain will all grace the stage, with acts spanning contemporary blues to spoken word, rap and hip hop from the Chumash and Tongva Nations, experimental electronic music, Afrofuturist hip hop and electronic music, dance, and more! Now We’re Here allows artists to “celebrate their own roles and identities in today’s artistic and sociopolitical landscape”. This event is presented in conjunction with the museum’s special exhibition This Is Not America’s Flag, which examines and questions the complex meanings and symbolism of the U.S. flag. Tickets are $25.
Come celebrate all things Guatemala this weekend with one of the largest communities of Guatemalans outside of that country! The 6th annual Festival Chapín Los Ángeles will take place on Saturday, August 27 and Sunday, August 28 in LA’s historic Lafayette Park from 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. This free cultural celebration will showcase Guatemala and its vibrant community through the country’s historic folklore, music, arts and crafts, and delicious ‘Chapín’ eats. Enjoy the scent of the rich, traditional cuisine of Guatemala in the air, while you craft footwear, pottery, jewelry, and more. Learn about the history of a country who formed the core of the Maya civilization, one of the most sophisticated and highly developed societies in the history of the world. Bonus: Festival Chapín is part of a non-profit org that helps educational institutions in Guatemala promote the education, health and well-being of children from less-advantaged homes in the country.
Mmmm (insert drool emoji), Thai food is among my favorites of all ethnic cuisines and yet I so often forget about this delicious Asian fare and all its glory. So what better place than the 15th Annual Thai New Year Songkran Festival, in Thai Town, to remind myself. On Sunday, August 28 from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. you’ll have the chance to learn more about the food and culture of this beautiful country at this free new year festival. Located on Hollywood Blvd, between Western and Normandie, Thai Town will play host to a parade (10:30 a.m.), beauty pageant, and Muay Thai competition, with a food and beer garden, live music, shops and exhibits, cultural dance, and Heritage Village. Purchase Thai wares and herbs, for your own home cooking, and give alms to Buddhist monks!
Looking for a new hobby or maybe even a new form of therapy? Was that a yes? Then sign-up for one of Craft Contemporary Maker Nights crafty classes this week, happening on Thursday, September 1 from 6-8 p.m. Inspired by the museum’s current exhibitions, Block Printing will be on the lesson menu for this class, where workshop participants (aka you) will create foam printing blocks out of mounting board and craft foam. Your masterfully produced homemade block will then be used to print on cotton tea-towels using acrylic paints. The cost is $12 and free for members. Tickets include crafting materials and drinks. Space is available, but capacity is limited, so don’t lag! This is an in-person, outdoor event. An RSVP is required; early arrival is recommended.
And what better way to end this week and start next week, than with Cinecon 58! It. Has. Arrived. Thanks to the Hollywood preservation specialists over at Hollywood Heritage, the annual Cinecon Classic Film Festival continues its yearly Labor Day Weekend tradition at the Hollywood Legion Theater, starting Thursday, September 1 – Monday, September 5. For more than half a century people have come together at Cinecon to celebrate their mutual love of nostalgia and classic cinema. Archivists, authors, collectors, and film fans unite for five days of classic film screenings, special programs, celebrity guests, and more! Cinecon’s mission is to continue to celebrate this essential time in cinema when “innovation, inventiveness, and inspiration” were at the heart of the art form, and is dedicated to showcasing unusual films that are rarely given public screenings. Sounds good to me!
Local Shopping
It’s been a few weeks since we’ve found a good local estate sale to promote, but for those who love vintage and bargain shopping, there’s a big one this Saturday and Sunday, August 27 and 28, at 424 S. Irving Blvd., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., both days. Among the items shown in the 140 jam-packed photos on the listing page are furniture, accessories, framed art, fine china, clothing, hats, purses, shoes, kitchen items, cookware, patio furnishings, and more – definitely worth checking out!
Local Government
Your local NC, the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council has no meetings on the books this week, but will be back in action next week with the Resilience Committee on September 7. Click here to view the calendar for deets.
And the Mid City West Neighborhood Council will wrap up its month of meetings with just weekly Wednesday Walks on the sched this week on Wednesday, August 31. Click here to check Mid City’s calendar for details.
