Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
25
groves than houses in Southern Califor-
nia—this weeklong county fair includes
stadium ev ents, celebrity enter tain-
ment, liv estock shows, crafts and food
booths, and carnival rides. Call
&
909/
888-6788.
Second half of May.
Venice Ar t Walk,
Venice Beach. This
annual w eekend ev ent giv es visitors a
chance to take docent-guided tours of
galleries and studios, plus a Sunday self-
guided ar t walk thr ough the priv ate
home studios of mor e than 50 emerg-
ing and well-known artists. For details,
call the Venice F amily Clinic, which
coordinates the ev ent (
&
310/392-
WALK
or 310/392-9255), or visit its
website at www .venicefamilyclinic.org.
Second half of May.
Long Beach Lesbian & G ay P ride
Parade and F estival,
S horeline P ark,
Long B each. This ev ent featur es r ock
and country music, dancing, food, and
more than 100 decorated floats. Call
&
562/987-9191.
Second half of May.
Doheny Blues Festival,
Doheny State
Beach, D ana P oint. This festiv al fea-
tures gr eat liv e music (past acts hav e
included the likes of Little Richar d, Bo
Diddley, and Chuck B erry) on thr ee
stages—blues, r ock, and soul—at a
year in 2010, this West H ollywood
event is one of the largest lesbian and
gay pride festiv als and parades in the
world. O utdoor stages, disco- and
Western-dance tents, food, and r evelry
culminate in S unday's parade do wn
Santa Monica Boulevard. Call
&
323/
969-8302
or log on to www
.lapride.
org. Third week in June.
Los Angeles F ilm Festival,
Los Ange-
les. With an attendance of mor e than
60,000, the festiv al sho wcases mor e
than 175 American and international
indies, shor t films, and music videos
during a 10-day event in late June. Call
&
866/345-6337
or log on to www .
lafilmfest.com.
Mariachi USA F estival,
Los Angeles.
At this 2-day family-oriented celebra-
tion of Mexican culture and tradition at
the Hollywood Bowl, festivalgoers pack
their picnic baskets and enjo y music,
folkloric ballet, and r elated per for-
mances by top
grupos.
The all-day, all-
night celebration is one of the largest
mariachi festiv als in the world. F or
tickets, call
&
800/MARIACHI
(800/
627-4224) or 323/850-2000 (the H ol-
lywood Bowl), or log on to www .maria
chiusa.com. Late June.
J
ULY
Lotus Festival,
E cho Park. Celebrants
gather to witness the spectacular blooms
of E cho Lake's floating lotus gr ove. In
keeping with an Asian and South Pacific
islands theme, the festivities include
tropical music and enter tainment, eth-
nic foods, ex otic bir ds, and plenty of
lotus-inspired ar ts and crafts for sale.
Admission is fr ee. Call
&
213/485-
8743
for information, or log on to
www.laparks.org/grifmet/lotus.htm.
Second weekend of July.
Beach F estival,
H untington B each.
Two weeks of fun in the sun featuring
two sur fing competitions—the U.S.
Open of S urfing and the world-class
3
waterfront grass par k. Ar ts and crafts
vendors, memorabilia, and unique dis-
plays surr ound the I nternational Food
Court, with r estaurants and bev erages
of all types. P
roceeds benefit the
Surfrider F oundation, S an Clemente
Chapter. Call
&
949/262-2662
or log
on to www .omegaevents.com. Mid- to
late May.
J
UNE
Playboy Jazz Festival,
Los Angeles. Bill
Cosby is the traditional master of cer e-
monies, pr esiding o ver the top jazz
musicians at the Hollywood Bowl. Call
&
213/480-3232.
Mid-June.
Christopher S treet West F estival &
Parade,
West H ollywood. I n its 40th
