Dancers at the Lotus Festival 2007. Photo by Elise Thompson.
Saturday, Echo Park’s Lotus Festival, a free 2-day celebration of Asian-American heritage kicks off at noon. Every year the event features a different country, and the country for 2018 is the People’s Republic of China. Enjoy dances, live music, and demonstrations from a variety of cultures. Saturday’s entertainment includes: Lion dancers, Hula dancing, Muay Thai demos, Korean Folk Dancing and Kung Fu demos. On Sunday enjoy live jazz, Kendo demos, Polynesian Dancing, Bollywood Dancing, and a Bob Baker Marionette show set to music. Check out the complete schedule after the break.
There will also be a Chinese Pavilion, a tea house and ceremony, a food court, origami classes, Tai Chi classes, shopping, a silent auction, a kid’s play area, and my favorite–Dragon Boat Races. The park will also be presenting historical walking tours. You will probably even see some lotus flowers.
Saturday & Sunday, July 14-15, 2018 – 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Echo Park Lake, 751 Echo Park Ave., Los Angeles, CA. Free parking and shuttles will be provided at the intersections of Logan / Montana and Temple / Glendale.
