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    Fiesta La Ballona

    4.0 (26 reviews)

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    Prairie S.

    This festival deserves rave reviews for authentically pulling off the quaint and cosy atmosphere of a small town fair, despite being set amidst the anonymity of Los Angeles' endless concrete sprawl. Veteran's Park is transformed into a sort of village green at whose center is a stage/performance tent, and is bounded by a ticketed-entry beer/wine garden on one side and by a modest smorgasboard of characteristic "fair food" stalls on the other. The home-town pace is set by groups of high schoolers and families meandering with spiral potato on a stick, taco plates, funnel cake and soft-serve ice-cream. Beer and wine are served and consumed inside a gated area. Amusements rides are set up behind the main green, so you can go tumbling around in the air to your hearts content. The vendors are seriously underwhelming (local realtors for example!) but the usual public service / city outreach services are well represented, including LA County's mosquito control, because new pests are invading the LA West side thanks to climate change. An art installation by Tony Banks called "wall of trash", a 3-D large-scale piece made from stuff disposed of by people at a local storage facility caught my eye. The wall showcases artefacts of life in Americana and makes a visually arresting point about the detritus and commercial clutter of the cultural envelope that Los Angelenos inhabit. The stage performers on a Friday night drew from the local high school talent. With all their school friends clearly cheering them on from a small dance floor, it was an endearing ambience. They were talented too. The crowd is sedate, with strong representation from Culver City's well-kept and respectable residential neighborhoods. Very few political statements, nor eclectic cultural representation to be seen at this fair. This neighborhood is removed from the homeless legions along Venice Boulevard's so the ambience isn't distressing and harsh. You can avoid the grind of the harsh disparities of LA's feudal capitalism-driven streetscape. The naked bulb lights strung across the field at night make for a cosy and pretty fair scene. I definitely would come again to enjoy the home-town vibe and get an evening's reprieve from LA's exhausting urban grime.

    Pony Ride $5
    Nina N.

    The festival looked fun with the stage with live music and all the carnival rides, food vendors, petting zoo and they also have the pony rides at Freckle Farm Pony Rides. The kids were having a blast though. To me, its just like the other festivals I have been to. It was cool that they have kittens up for pet adoption ($10). However, it was nice to have this kind of festival to go to, something to do and relax on a Sunday. There were some very cool booths gave out freebies (totes, pins, EVEN COMPOST), such as the Cedars-Sinai (Medical Group), LA Federal Credit Union, the 54th Assembly District Central Committee, the Marsden Services, and the City of Culver City, etc....Everyone love freebies, it added more excitement for the event and people whose attended. Anyways, parking was tough to find, got a spot after circling three round around the residential area. They have the park restrooms (much cleaner) and portable potties for the convenient. We got our freebies, so it was a funday Sunday for me and my boyfriend.

    Nenna tattoo vendor
    Raul A.

    We came here for the first time with friends and family. What an awesome fair!! There were carnival rides, food, animal petting zoo, local shops, pet adoption, pony rides. We all a great time trying out the food trucks and ice cream!! Although parking was a little insane, we will definitely come back next year for this fair!!

    Laura R.

    The rides and the food is fun, but is a very sad thing to see the pony ride and the petting zoo, I'm wondering if someone check the poor animals if they are ok. I think they should not have the pony carrousel this should be ilegal is not necessary to put a animal for this can a cruelty. Hope some day Culver City do something about this.

    Shannon E.

    Very cool local fair. I've lived in the Culver City area for years now but for some I had never even heard of Fiesta La Ballona. I went Friday which was the 1st night. We were pleasantly surprised to learn it was 2for1 on rides. We bought 20 tix for $20. The bigger rides were all 4 tix each so we got to ride 5 rides together and that was plenty. They had the typical carni rides. The crowd was mostly teenagers but I didn't see any riff raff. Also they had the typical food: funnel cakes, corn dogs etc. There were several food trucks including Cousins lobster rolls. The beer garden was pretty small and crowded. They also stopped serving alcohol at 9. I'll definitely be adding this annual fair to my calendar.

    Beer garden!
    Diana H.

    What a fun fair! Came here earlier today and had lots of fun. There's a lot to do here when it comes to food, drinks, games, shop around, and eat some more!

    Richard L.

    A great local carnival. Plenty for the kids and a lot of good food places. Every year it get bigger and bigger. Lots if arts and crafts as well. It will be back next year!

    The Wheel
    Carlos S.

    We had a great time!! It's so traditional, the food was great...I had an AvoEgg Burger, I really wanted to try the frog leg though. My desert was a Flower Pot Ice Cream. The rides we're fun, reminded me of my childhood. I had a great date. Lots of Teens running around but we didn't mind.

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    Review Highlights - Fiesta La Ballona

    There were carnival rides, food, animal petting zoo, local shops, pet adoption, pony rides.

    Mentioned in 6 reviews

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    Carousel Restaurant Hollywood

    Carousel Restaurant Hollywood

    4.4
    (1k reviews)
    8.4 mi
    $$$
    Gift cards during COVID-19

    Carousel is hands down the best Mediterranean spot. I've been coming here for years and it never…read moredisappoints. Their arayes are a must -- it's basically like a lahmajun with two pieces pressed together, and it's insanely good. I usually go all in and order the tabbouleh, babaganoush, a pound of lula kebab, and shish kebab. Honestly, if you're with 2+ people (or even just really hungry), ordering by the pound with sides is way better value than getting individual plates. You get more variety and it just feels like the right way to eat here. Every now and then I'll switch it up and get the liver plate -- it comes with tons of greens and onions, and when you wrap everything in their fresh pita, it's incredible. Not an everyday order, but when you're in the mood for it, it hits. If you dine in, the indoor decor is super nice and really gives that authentic Mediterranean vibe. They also play a lot of 90s music, which somehow fits perfectly and adds to the whole experience. I've dined in plenty of times and the service is always solid -- staff is friendly and attentive. Just a heads up, food can take a little longer sometimes, but that's because they're always busy and everything is made fresh, so it's worth the wait. I've also done takeout here more times than I can count -- probably over 100 orders at this point -- which says everything. This is easily one of my go-to spots and I keep coming back for a reason.

    The food was okay, nothing extraordinary, but decent. Unfortunately, the service was, without…read moreexaggeration, one of the worst I've ever experienced in my life. From the moment we arrived, the vibe felt off. The host who seated us (who later turned out to also be a server) left us at the table, and no one approached us for about 10 minutes. When a server finally came over, the first thing she said was "Ready? Ready?", no greeting, no welcome, nothing. We were never brought water. I had to ask a busser for it because the server walked past our table multiple times, clearly saw us, and chose to ignore us. The food runner was also rude, he dropped the plates on the table without saying a single word. Throughout the entire meal, no one checked on us. No "How is everything?" No "Do you need anything?" Nothing at all. Meanwhile, we noticed that nearby tables were being greeted, checked on, and treated kindly. When we asked for the check, the server literally threw it on the table without saying a word. The experience was so bad that we decided not to leave a tip; Something we never do, especially since we truly value good service and I personally work in the restaurant industry. I don't know if the treatment had anything to do with how we looked or how we were dressed, but I've never felt so ignored and uncomfortable in a restaurant before. The food may be fine, but the service completely ruins the experience. I would not return or recommend this place.

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    Our Weekly Rotating Homemade Cooked Meals are back.
    Our Weekly Rotating Homemade Cooked Meals are back.
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    Santa Monica Pier

    Santa Monica Pier

    4.0
    (2.4k reviews)
    5.5 mi

    A nice place to take in town guests to spend a few hours. It was my first time here. Pier parking…read moreis steep! $20.60. It's not the most convenient to park somewhere else and walk to so you are pretty much forced to fork out the large parking fee. I think it's great that there are rides and carnival games for families to enjoy. There are quite a few places to grab a bite but that is really all there is to it. There are vendors selling character drawings, your name on a grain of rice and street performers. One of the best entertainment was a young magician that had a nice magic show to watch and a pigeon man that had pigeons flock to him. Other than that, not else much to do in the pier. We did enjoy a long walk along the beach though and it was nice to finally experience it.

    The best thing about the Santa Monica Pier is the setting. The views are excellent, the atmosphere…read moreis distinctly Southern California, and the sunsets are among the best you'll find anywhere in Los Angeles. There is something undeniably enjoyable about standing at the edge of the continent, looking out over the Pacific, knowing you're walking the same stretch of coast immortalized by Forrest Gump and countless films, television shows, and postcards. Unfortunately, the pier itself often struggles to live up to its location. The area can feel grimy, with visible homelessness, overpriced attractions, and a constant competition for attention from street performers, vendors, and aspiring TikTok creators. Parking is expensive, traffic can be frustrating, and the crowds frequently make the experience feel more exhausting than enjoyable. That said, timing makes a significant difference. Arrive at sunrise and you'll find a completely different place. The crowds are gone, the ocean is calm, and the pier becomes genuinely pleasant to explore. The same is true later in the evening once the day-trippers head home and the noise begins to fade. The Santa Monica Pier benefits from one of the most beautiful locations in California. It's a shame the experience surrounding it so often gets in the way.

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    Beautiful flowers along the pier!
    Beautiful flowers along the pier!
    IG: @ammysalamii
    IG: @ammysalamii
    Sunset

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    Tom Mankiewicz Conservation Carousel

    Tom Mankiewicz Conservation Carousel

    5.0
    (4 reviews)
    11.3 mi

    My kids love carousels, and they might particularly love the Tom Mankiewicz Conservation Carousel…read more It's full of colorful animals (or as my one-year-old calls them, "dogs"), a musical merry-go-round that adds extra joy to a day at the L.A. Zoo. My boys are both too small to ride on their own, but they're allowed on with an adult each to accompany them. Tickets cost $3 apiece, but you only need one per rider (adults acting as human seat belts for tiny children ride for free). It's a fair price for how happy the carousel makes the kids, and how cute they look bobbing up and down on their animals. There are all kinds of cool animals on that merry-go-round, but my three-year-old only has eyes for the jumping giraffe (there are two giraffes, but one is stationary). Thankfully his brother is more agreeable, content to ride on the neighboring warthog (which, to be honest, would not be my first choice). Both children are hard to pry loose when the ride is done. My kids love the live animals, but the carousel might well be their favorite part of the zoo. I dread the day when they no longer enjoy the simple pleasure of a merry-go-round. I hope there will be many more rides before then.

    Merry-go-rounds are my jammm…read more The Tom Mankiewicz Conservation Carousel is one of the finest ones in a lovely setting. Two peacocks happened to screech and roam in this area next to a pavilion during my visit. Roosters got nothin' on 'em. If you hear them, let them amuse you while you purchase ride tokens at the kiosk. Note: get those tokens *early*. Else the kiosk may not be open. Riding on the Carousel is so nostalgic, cheery and just good old-fashioned fun. All sorts of zoo and non-zoo animals to choose as your trusty steed. For five or ten minutes you go up, down, and round and round, grinning with joy, like a child without a care in the world. Don't we all need to re-capture that feeling sometimes? The Carousel at the Los Angeles Zoo. Just do it. :D One of the Mankiewiczes might even acknowledge your Carousel check-in via Twitter. Check out trivia, stats and fun facts about this wonderful Zoo fixture at: http://www.carouselworks.com/carPages/laZoo.htm

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    Tom Mankiewicz Conservation Carousel
    Tom Mankiewicz Conservation Carousel
    This little guy is my favorite ride.

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    Heritage Park

    Heritage Park

    4.4
    (370 reviews)
    22.1 mi

    Sprawling park has a Paul Revere theme, with several covered bridges, a harbor with a pretend tall…read moremast boat, the north church tower, all on an island surrounded by a moat of water. Water features attract a lot of fowl including Canadian geese, mallard ducks and so many more duck species, plus of course seagulls and crows, pigeons, and a large number of turtles. Very fun for kids to explore. Slides and climbing are built into the structures. Adjacent to neighborhoods so lots of street parking, as well as a separate parking lot. Playground equipment geared for the 3 to 12 year old kids. Lots of covered sheds and picnic tables- those are available for Cerritos residents to rent, but otherwise are free for use. Also has grills if you want to barbecue. Clean bathrooms, onsite toddler pre-K programs offered. Lots of well maintained grassy areas and shady trees.

    Came here with the kids and honestly this park is really nice. Super clean, spacious, and a lot to…read moredo. The playground area is great for all ages my kids had a blast and didn't want to leave. The lake area with the little church in the background is a nice touch, makes it feel more relaxing and not just your typical park. Good walking paths, plenty of grass, and nice spots to just sit and chill. Everything felt well kept and safe, which is a big plus when you're bringing kids. Plenty of room so it didn't feel overcrowded either. Only thing watch out for duck poop on the walkways and grass, especially near the water. Overall, great spot for families. Definitely coming back

    Photos
    On the famous boat
    On the famous boat
    State House and the boat on the play island
    State House and the boat on the play island
    Be active and connect in the City of Cerritos!

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    Great Park Carousel

    Great Park Carousel

    4.3
    (19 reviews)
    44.1 mi

    Came first weekend in March and carousel was free, which is insane here. What's even more crazy was…read morethat there isn't a huge line, we were able to finish the ride, exit, and jump on the next round. Carousel is in great working condition with all the animals moving up and down. There was also the Great Park Layover going on next door which had a ton of bounce houses available also for free. Great time!

    This is a fun little attraction, especially if you have young children. One of the best surprises…read moreis that the carousel is now free to ride--it used to require a fee, so that's a nice bonus. The music creates a pleasant atmosphere, and it's a charming place to stop and enjoy for a few minutes. That said, the carousel could use some maintenance. Many of the animal figures are showing their age, with paint peeling and visible wear in several areas. A few tips before you visit: The carousel is only open Thursday through Sunday, so be sure to check the operating days and hours before making the trip. Parking right next to the carousel can be difficult, especially during busy times. There is another parking lot about a 5-minute walk away that usually has more available spaces and is much easier to use. Overall, it's a nice family-friendly attraction and worth a visit, especially since the rides are now free. Just manage expectations regarding the condition of the carousel and plan ahead for parking.

    Photos
    Two days in a row!
    Two days in a row!
    Carousel September 2023
    Carousel September 2023
    Carousel September 2023

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    Culver City Park

    Culver City Park

    4.3
    (81 reviews)
    0.9 mi

    A really spacious park that goes up in elevation. Has a large fenced off baseball field which is…read moregreat for your doggos to roam and play in. Didn't get to hike but loved all the benches that showcase Culver City views. It's a good park cause you can drive up to certain viewpoints if you choose not to hike.

    I hate not being able to give this Park five stars and the reason why I can't give this part five…read morestars is because they say that no dogs are allowed on the way up but yet there's dog poop all over the walking bridge I really like this park because when I have broken my foot in order to exercise This was a great place. They have like a switchback OK so which means you're going higher and higher, but without stairs, right... and six years ago I had a knee surgery where I needed to still exercise, but I just couldn't lift my knee like that just walking was all I could do so I've been in a few predicaments where you know I appreciate having this switchback, I just don't appreciate the dog poop. If you are going to violate the rules and bring your dog which I love animals I love dogs you gotta clean up after your animal. It's not OK to just to leave dog poop on the trail. And also, why aren't my Park Rangers enforcing this rule anyhow, if you wanna take a nice walk, that's gonna give you a little workout without doing too much strain than this is the park for you! At the end of the day, this is a very pretty park where you can actually barbecue you do need to reserve the space. I don't know how much it cost, but I know you need to reserve the space and then you can have a party there there's a skate park attached. I mean it's a nice park just please people be respectful and I guess it's not the Park's fault per se... But if there are Park Rangers, why aren't they enforcing this rule? Also, they lease out some space to this company that does these really cool teambuilding, exercises and wall climbs and stuff. It's pretty cool. I wanted to do it but it was like $100 a person and I was like ouch! All in all, there is a beautiful view when you do reach the top and I don't mean the top on the bottom I mean all the way up to the top has the picture show you can see all the way to the beach on a clear day. It's gorgeous.

    Photos
    Rise n' Shine Everyone...
    Rise n' Shine Everyone...
    Bunny
    Bunny
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    Fiesta La Ballona - carousels - Updated July 2026

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