I've been attending these Chinese New Year celebrations for decades - with about 3 major events in…read morethe 626 region plus the Downtown Los Angeles Chinatown event as a centerpiece of sorts. This initial review pertains to the Monterey Park event - with Alhambra and Chinatown yet to come. The Monterey Park festival was not bad. Organization seemed reasonable with traffic control observed as good. Roped off crossing guards and police managing the crowds attempting to cross Garfield were effective and safe. Police and emergency services were on hand and ready to support needs and potential emergencies. Venders in the street were nice and plentiful. I can't remark on events yet to come elsewhere in Los Angeles county - as they have not come to pass or were visited yet (obviously). But from past experiences - you will do fine once you are parked. Do pay attention to the parking restriction signs posted. Advice - May I suggest you bring your own durable fabric shoulder bag for your free and paid for stuff you might buy or acquire. You just might need a cozy bag to tote your junk. Wear good walking shoes + check the weather for potential rain forecasts - as it is an El Ninyo season! You might need an umbrella or plan on attending when the rains are least fierce. Maybe bring something to read while waiting in lines for stuff - as the best stuff always has a long line! So plan on going and having good fun already! The price is right ... FREE!

Best yoga inspired event ever! Activities for everyone, all levels and ages. Lectures, demos,…read moreshopping and fun!

Great event for yoga and fitness lovers. This event is held annually at Pasadena Convention Center…read more The one coming up is Jan 7, 2023. I've enjoyed panels that involved stretching, foam rolling, etc. You are guaranteed to learn something new or pick up some new tips if you attend a panel/workshop.

Hired them last minute for my best friends engagement party as well as lunar new years / Tết…read more I've seen a lot of dragon dancers over the years and this one was the most entertaining for sure They even handed out little plushies to our toddlers, so sweet! I'm a millennial so a booty shaking Buddha to finish off my night was 5/5 experience! Thanks for being flexible and making our night Make sure to tip your lion/dragon dancers

Amazing performance. Jasper was absolutely wonderful to work with. All our guests are still raving…read moreabout how fantastic they are. You won't regret it. Thank you Tyun Yee Tong.

Krista and Kelvin from Your Night Choreo (YNC) were absolutely amazing! We booked a 10-lesson…read morepackage with them where they not only choreographed an amazing first dance for us, they also taught us each step we needed to know. We asked them to create a dance for us that started off slow and romantic and then transitioned to something fun and higher energy that would reflect our personalities, and they totally nailed it! The best part was that each lesson didn't feel like a lesson, but just a really fun date night activity, which was a great break during the wedding planning process. They helped us grow in our confidence! They were both extremely patient and always answered any questions we had. It was also helpful to have 2 people, with Krista demonstrating my part and Kevlin demonstrating my husband's part. So many of our guests were impressed by our first dance! We are so grateful to have worked with YNC and are already looking at some of their other dance lessons for future date nights!

Found these amazing couple on Knot, They are a beautiful couple who give dance lessons…read moretogether..they are not far from us located in LA... my (now) husband and I don't dance but wanted to for our first dance for our wedding... they were patient with us and moved to our dismay... we were teachable!!! You know what they were so amazing that they made our two left feet work!! Now their place is so cute- nice studio, available parking and the most important part is them! they are sweet and knowledgeable in there craft-so talented! We will be back for other lessons! Btw our dance stole the show! Everyone was surprised and loved it!

My husband and I hired Kun Seng Keng Dragon and Lion Dance for our wedding and it was such a huge…read morehit! Roger was our point of contact and super sweet & responsive throughout the planning process. I loved that we were able to pick our lions and the languages for the banners. They were super accommodating when we requested a certain routine and the whole team were all super sweet to the young kids, older adults, and everyone in between. We received feedback from a lot of guests and most of them (if not all) mentioned how the lion dance was one of their favorite parts of the night. I highly highly highly recommend working with them if you're having a big event coming up! Can't thank Roger & the team enough :)

Working with this troupe was a dream. Communication was clear. Timelines were set. However their…read moreperformance was stellar. It took a modern asian american wedding to the next level. The kids were just as excited and hyped as the uncles and aunties. The lion dancers performing amazing feats even in confined spaces. Afterwards they interacted with the guests by walking through the aisles between tables. The drums and cymbals were out of this world. Definitely consider adding LA kun seng keng dragon and lion dance to your next event if you want to take it up a notch. They are timely consummate professionals and won't let you down. Thank you everyone for your hardworking during our wedding.

I loved it! It's hard enough to find BJD-related activities in my area, and this one was a bit of a…read moredrive from San Diego, but still--just a drive! I have to say that for a first-time show, this was a great experience. I got to meet my favorite grail company, Peak's Woods, in person, and I left with many more dolls in hand, without the waiting time. I also brought home lots of wonderful clothing, and a new doll from a new company, Be With You. Plus, after seeing them in person, I've since added a Migidoll boy to my collection as well. Also, I got to see al those amazing Enchanted Doll eyes and Oscar Doll eyes in person, too--and so many more cool dolls and accessories to list! It was a fantastic cross-cultural experience, to have so many Korean artists, translators, and American artists all in the same place. I helped my friend and fashion designer/author Megann at her booth, so I didn't get to attend all the panels and extra stuff. But I did get to watch an amazing face-up tutorial. Nornan, BnB Doll's owner, made it loo so easy. But I think that $50 per face up is totally worth the price. :) I'd highly recommend attending this show, and I'm so hoping they come again next year. It was so much work for the Korean artists especially--who arrived Wednesday, and many didn't sleep the entire weekend. I sort of wish they'd had a little more time with salesroom time closure, just to make it easier on them! (And maybe on my feet, too.) I'll be bringing my girls (both my daughters are BJD fans) next year as well. While it is technically a doll show, these aren't toys. And they are expensive and fragile. Probably the least expensive one at the show was $150, for a blank doll. That's a pretty expensive item to accidentally break! Adults really need to supervise.

The KBJD Show was an amazing experience. Being part of something that has so much potential is such…read morean amazing feeling. The convention took place between April 24-26th at the Westin LAX. My mom and best friend stayed there for 3 days. We attended the Opening and Closing Dinners, and took advantage of as much as we could. There were so many beautiful artists and designers: Be With You Doll, BNBDOLL, Peaks Wood's, BJD Crobi, Marbled Halls, Bo Bergmann, Nine9Style, Migidoll and so many more!! There were tons of giveaways, raffles and free goodies -- almost everyone went home with goodies!! I actually won a GORGEOUS SD17 boy from BNBDOLL, which I had been falling in love with the whole time we were there. :D I loved the KBJD Show and the event coordinator, Ms. Cholong, was a SUPERB host. The best there can be! I am hoping for another year of the KBJD Show. I would attend in a second if I had the chance.

I had my first Reiki session with Kate Hopkins yesterday. I knew nothing about this technique going…read moreinto the session. Kate took the time to enlighten me and explain the technique, the process, and even the interesting history of Reiki. Thirty minutes later, I felt so refreshed and relaxed. While I was receiving the "treatment" the feelings of warmth were wonderfully soothing. I look forward to our next session, which will be conducted long distance. Kate, a big'Thank you!' to you, for traveling east for this session!!

Felt great, has great energy and a comforting presence. Excited for my next one and to hear more…read moreabout T5T.

PARIS PHOTO LOS ANGELES 2013 April 26-28, 2013…read more Not only is this as good as a photography fair gets in Los Angeles, it's about as good as a photography fair gets anywhere. The venerable Paris Photo, the world's top fair for all things photo, launched its first American edition here in Los Angeles. What definitely adds much value to the breadth and quality of the exhibitors is the location: Paramount Pictures. Most of the exhibitors -- ranging from art book stores, individual photographers, private galleries, and even BMW (showing off an old racecar that Andy Warhol painted in 1979) -- were stationed in a makeshift gallery built inside three large warehouse-like stages. The rest of them -- and this is where it gets neat -- were inside the "stores" and "apartments" of the New York backlot. Adding to the excitement were an array of gourmet food trucks, such as Gastrobus, Coolhaus, Melt, and Paradise, among others. The entrance fee is rather steep and prohibitive to most who are simply curious ($28/20 student). But for all photography fans -- let alone professionals -- it was such a thrill to wander for several hours around so much quality work in such a creative setting. The organizers did a fantastic job -- thoughtful, practical, delightful -- and I hope the LA edition of this fair becomes an annual event. Tickets can be purchased on site or reserved and paid for online.

April 25 - 27, 2014 Paris Photo LA Exhibition - Los Angeles hosts 80 of the world's leading art…read moregalleries and art book dealers for guests to view and also purchase. #ParisPhoto #ParisPhotoLA to view feed on Instagram For $28, it might be too steep and worth it for those that are not photography enthusiasts. If you ARE a photography enthusiast or even a people watcher, you will be in for a treat! I didn't really know what to expect from this exhibition called "Paris Photo." I thought the theme would be France and feature photographers from France. What this exhibition really is, is a photography international world fair, inviting the top photography galleries from around the world to Paramount Studios. I was a bit overwhelmed by the artwork at the exhibition. I've never seen so much photography on display! The art gallery exhibitors were from: ARGENTINA AUSTRIA BOLIVIA BRAZIL CANADA CHINA DENMARK FRANCE GERMANY INDIA ITALY JAPAN KOREA MEXICO NETHERLANDS SOUTH AFRICA UNITED KINGDOM UNITED STATES These art galleries are showcasing work in the larger filming studios on the Paramount lot and in all the spaces, stores, and restaurants in the New York Backlot. For the first time, I was able to stroll on in the different backlot building which acted as art galleries one after the other. My favorite exhibition was access to view a curated selection from the LAPD archives (unedited). As morbid as some of the photos were featuring suicides, homicides, and crime scenes, it was thrilling to see these images. Also, they featured a BMW art car by David Hockney after last year's BMW by Andy Warhol. For me, it was well worth the $28/$20 student admission fees. Note that in addition to the high admission fee, you'll have to find street parking or pay $12 for parking around Paramount Studios. Entrance is on Gower. Food trucks and drinks available at the New York Backlot. This is an annex location of the original Paris exhibition in November 2014. A FEW OF THE ARTISTS EXHIBITED Arbus, Diane Avedon, Richard Burden, Chris Crewdson, Gregory Eggleston, William Ethridge, Roe Golia, Piero Gordon, Douglas Höller, Carsten Hopper, Dennis Inez & Vinoodh Mann, Sally Prince, Richard Rauschenberg, Robert Rubins, Nancy Ruff, Thomas Ruscha, Ed Simon, Taryn Sugimoto, Hiroshi Twombly, Cy Vezzoli, Francesco Read more at http://www.parisphoto.com/losangeles/artists For those that like to people watch, you will see some of LA's most beautiful and fashionable people, along with LA's wealthy art aficionados shopping for art work for their homes.