I really had no plans to come here and had no idea it was going on. Driving around in k-town I saw…read morethere was food and stands came to check it out. There isn't as much food as I thought there would be for an outdoor market with only a few vendors. There are a lot of other non food vendors here though to sell their products or advertise their services. After sitting here for a while I found out that it's the 70th anniversary of Korean independence.

Congratulations to Fil Am Arts and FPAC Committee and of course volunteers for 25 years of offering…read morethe Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture to the Southern California Community. For 2016, FPAC was held for the first time at Echo Park Lake, a newly renovated city park and a beautiful venue for the festival. I haven't been to FPAC for a couple of years, and I was a little disappointed at first when I checked online and found out that the festival is down to a single day. When the festival was held in San Pedro, it was a 2-day event filled with two performance stages, food booths, Filipino craft vendors, demonstrations, etc. Even though it's down to a single day, however, FPAC 2016 had the same degree of excitement and pride as in previous years, attended not just by Filipinos and Filipino Americans, but a diverse group of Angelenos representing all races and backgrounds. Throughout the day, the performance stage offered performances by Filipino and Filipino American artists. The emcee was the amazing and talented Giselle Tongi, the host of Channel 18's Kababayan Today. We got the chance to catch the dance troupe Kayamanan ng Lahi (translated "Treasure of our Race") as well as Broadway star Jon Jon Briones (Miss Saigon). Kayamanan ng Lahi is truly an L.A. treasure, offering dance workshops to all ages as young as 5 years old. The youngest dancers of the troupe definitely stole the show. Jon Jon Briones, who starred recently at East West Player's production of La Cage aux Folles and will once again star as the engineer in Miss Saigon on Broadway, is another Filipino treasure who graced the stage at FPAC 2016. Plenty of Filipino food was offered at various food booths at FPAC 2016. Vendors included Neri's Turo Turo, Kapamilya Restaurant, The Park's Finest, Magnolia Ice Cream, Manila Sky, Enseymada Project. Due to the long lines at Neri's, we chose Kapamilya Restaurant, located in Fountain Valley (4 Stars for the Chicken and Pork BBQ sticks). We also finally got to try Enseymada Project (4 Stars for the yummy desserts). There were also various Filipino vendors at FPAC 2016, offering a variety of crafts as well as clothing. Previous reviews stated that there was a lack of vendors when the event was held at Grand Park in 2014 and 2015, and this was definitely not the case in 2016. Why not 5 stars? FPAC 2016 happened to fall on a very hot day in L.A., and Echo Park Lake does not have enough shade. It would have been nice if organizers made more tents and canopies available for attendees. Also, there were not enough seats set up for the audience at the performance stage. Moreover, there was no consistency between the food vendors whether they accepted cash or FPAC bucks/food tickets. We were originally going to get The Park's Finest, but they only accepted FPAC bucks, but there was no clear signage where to get FPAC bucks/food tickets. Finally, I wish that there was more publicity for the event. FPAC 2016 was pretty well attended, but there's room for FPAC to grow. The FilAm Arts website, for example, was not updated with the FPAC schedule and vendors until the week of the festival. I would love to see FPAC grow and get even bigger and better in the future. Don't miss it in 2017!

I highly recommend a visit at FPAC 2014 for the food and cultural performances. There's also a…read moreculinary arts center if you want to learn how to prepare Filipino food and where you can sample free food and drink. A great way to get a taste of the culture and food of the Philippines! The setting this year is different from year's past in San Pedro over looking the sea. More of a central location this time and the new location seems to attract more non-Filipinos (including foreigners) than the more secluded San Pedro park location. Instead of charging an admission fee, the event at Grand Park is free! Set on three different levels (areas) below City Hall, the feeling is a lot different this year because you'll have to walk up and down some steps to reach each area. There's two stages, the main stage (Legacy) and Generations Stage. The big names such as comedian, Rex Navarette, cultural performances, and celebrity MCs usually are at main stage. To taste the food, you'll have to buy non-refundable tickets with cash or credit card. T-shirts are available for $15, water is $2, and malongs are $25 at the FPAC stores/information booths. There's also vendors selling different items at the event such as apparel. I recommend trying the tropical popsicles (calamansi, ube-red bean, azuki red beans), shaved snow or halo-halo. There's also vendors selling Filipino food such as lumpia, pancit, and Filipino-style BBQ. On the upper level, there some Filipino-owned food trucks such as White Rabbit truck. I recommend trying the sisig tacos. Ciclavia runs through Grand Park and FPAC 2014 on Sunday, so expect road closures around the area. I'd recommend taking the Metro (red line, exit Civic Center) or plan ahead to find paid or street parking and arrive knowing which streets will be closed. FPAC 2014 will be another hot day on Sunday, so don't forget to drink lots of water to stay hydrated, bring beach mats or blankets, hats, and sunscreen.

How could I forget to review this wonderful little festival, that comes once a year in October?…read more That is why I'm catching up in reviewing before it comes back this year. Anything that goes on in Uptown during any season is usually cool and fun. Something for the whole family, as they have a pretty decent amount of vendors there selling all kinds of Dia de los Muertos items, such as arts & crafts, gift ideas, clothing-t-shirts, food, etc. There's also face painting for the kids, as well as adults & I believe some activities for the kids too. They have tables from vendors in the community (such as Vape, etc) Live band and performances by rain dancers & other dance groups, etc. Also have some vendors that are local city businesses participating. Towards the end of it, you'll see classic cars (other spots like Philadelphia too). They even had a marching band performing and going throughout the area, dressed like the Dia de los Muertos, it was cool. Always something good to look forward to! Check around September to see what date it will be and add to the list of many Dia de los Muertos events that will ongoing from October thru beginning of November.

Everything you need for Dia de Los Muertos. My grandson had a school project and we bought some…read moreitems for his "Ofrenda" and it came out really beautiful.

I REALLY liked all the unique finds! A variety of goods. I was able to purchase my sterling…read moresilver jewelry at this fair. I appreciated seeing a weaver working on the loom. Watching a cartoonist work onsite is fun. Great spot to people watch.

**December 2025: Sunday Late Morning Visit**…read more My friend and I had an event in Burbank in the late afternoon and figured we could also add the Jackalope Arts Fair to our agenda. I saw the event posted on the City of Burbank website and figured it would be fun to check out. Oh boy! This fair is enormous! I gravely underestimated how big it would be! I allocated around a 2.5 hours and honestly probably could have spent around 4 hours if I wanted to look at every stall with great intention. We went right at the start of the event at 11am and parked in the mall parking structure. There were all types of vendors including ready to eat food & drinks (boba, cookies, breads) as well as gift sets (tea bags, macroons, honey, olive oil etc), artworks, candles, toys, jewelry, clothing, bags, and more. There was also live entertainment and an a Christmas tree area where many shoppers took photos. We also saw a little ornament making station and it was a lot of money to customize our own. I bought significantly more than I initially anticipated since the variety of good was pretty diverse. If you want to shop small and support local businesses this is a great place to buy some great gifts for others or yourself! I'd love to come back again next year!

I never knew that Little Tokyo does a Haunted Night event, they have been doing this for three…read moreyears already!! It was actually my first time this year in 2019. I am for sure going to try to come to this event every year because it was soo fun. It is a night event where it reminds me of something similar to 626 night market but held in Little Tokyo and is a lot small size. But overall this is pretty fun because you can see so many different people dressing up nd enjoying themselves. There is food to buy from vendors and also things to buy. So shopping around was pretty nice. Food also was super good!! The event is free and pretty safe, I saw plenty of families here that brought their young kids and it wasn't too scary that they were freaking out. But overall everyone was having fun. The DJ and host did an awesome job in music and information. It was super fun and felt really safe in too!

I didn't know there was a Haunted Little Tokyo 2017, but I attended the 2nd edition, full of…read moreHalloween extravaganza of events in this cool part of town. There were cool screenings of horror movies, starting with "Prince of Darkness" on Oct. 5th., showed at one of the locations where it was shot, a fun Block Party on Saturday, Oct. 27th, a haunted tour of the area and there will be a Trick or Treat on 31st. It's a great idea, the area comes to life during this time, there are many activities for the season. People who come here like to dress up anyways, so the Block Party was a fun event to people watch, many cool costumes around, a beer garden, food trucks, DJ, various vendors. It started at 6 pm and went to midnight. The city that never sleeps.... A very cool way to have a Halloween party, I wish they had more acts on the stage, but the Haunted Little Tokyo is a great idea. And it can get spooky...

I've been to this festival every year they've held it, which has been every year since 2019…read more(excluding COVID years), and it's currently my favorite recurring music festival. The lineup: I grew up on indie/alt music, and I haven't been disappointed with a single JLH lineup. It's like Goldenvoice realized that Coachella lineups have gone to shit for indie music lovers so they're catering to the sad crowd with a newer festival. Headliners have included Postal Service, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Interpol, and Phoenix. The lineups are truly stacked and the sets are filled with bangers. The duration: I am really digging these one-day festivals. A well-rounded music festival will give you a taste of the local area along with the music, so a day gives you lots of time to watch bands, try some food and drink, check out some art, and get some free stuff all in one event. It's more cost-effective than a series of concerts and more energy-efficient than a multi-day festival. The venue: The Rose Bowl is substantially better overall than the festival's original location, which was oddly split between two areas near the Queen Mary that were connected by this long, narrow bridge that was always congested with two never-ending single-file lines. At least one of those areas was on asphalt. It was weird. Honestly the Rose Bowl isn't ideal for entering and exiting the festival, but all things considered, they do a pretty good job with directing at the beginning and end of the event. This year they even figured out a separate lane for ride share peeps, and had various lettered lanes for drivers and passengers to more effectively communicate at the end of a long day. The food: Goldenvoice tries to offer a variety of options from local vendors at their festivals, and I was happy to see some businesses this year that I recognized from living in LA. My boyfriend had never tried Triple Beam Pizza, so we went with that, but there were many yummy-looking food options this year. The drinks: This was the first year (or festival) where I'd seen essentially pedialyte being used as cocktail mix at the general festival bars. And I'm all here for it. The drinks were still strong, and we were staying hydrated. Not all drinks had this, but the fact they offered it at all makes me believe that they...somewhat care? Maybe a little? No? Anyway, they also had a wine bar area, which featured Highland Park Wines (who I love!) and a beer garden area. A moderate amount of drink options here. My one complaint is that the last drink of the night came from this lady that definitely did not even pour a full shot of vodka into my cocktail and then lied to my face about the shots being pre-measured? Super weird. My drinks had been measured out in front of me all day. The toilets: The Rose Bowl offers the benefit of several established bathrooms around the arena that guests can use throughout the festival, if they're willing to walk the extra distance. For those okay using the PPs, they were surprisingly clean throughout the day. We stuck mostly to the johns at the far end of the grounds by the main stage, as they're in an awkward corner near all the people who don't move all day in order to stay close to the stage, so these were probably least-used. The trash: Last year I didn't order cocktails so I'm not sure if the festival offered this then too but this time they were using r.cups, which they asked people to throw into a special bin near the other typical trash cans whenever finished. They were standard cups used throughout the venue, and the festival claimed they'd be "washing and reusing" the cups. When? I don't know, but I felt better about drinking from them. The space was extremely clean overall, and volunteers did a good job of picking up litter and replacing trash and recycling bags.

It was just like hell this year due to the weather. So this is more of a survival guide just in…read morecase god forbid there's another 100 degree heatwave in the future: Bring the following: - a tote bag (my friend bought a tote bag, I bought a crossbody bag that has a bunch of pockets and I put all this in there, it feels like Hermione's bag from Harry Potter) - a mini portable fan - eargasm ear plugs - I swear by these, they reduce the ringing in your ears from 5 hours to just 30 minutes after the festival. - a portable charger or your phone cord and plug (this year the festival provided charging stations free for you to use) - supergroup mini sunscreen, please re-apply every hour to prevent sunburn - wet wipes (to wipe face, neck and underarms) - mini deodorant of your choice - a mini face wash (I washed my face and neck twice in the bathroom followed by re-applying sunscreen and perfume) - a mini perfume - hand sanitizer - a light weight scarf - a t-shirt ( for when it gets cold at night) - a cowboy hat or beach hat or a cap (people took up most of the little shade the festival provided) - a new pack of gum - mini snacks ( I brought Oreos, a bag of Doritos, and trolis sour worms) - a hydroflask (place this in the tote bag - the security team gave us pass given the heat wave as long as it was empty) - gatorade (place in tote bag) - a foldable fan - just in case Additional tips (heat wave edition): - the exit near the stardust stage has lots of shade in case you want to listen to a set while taking a break in the shade. - do not use the port-a-potties near the Orion stage (it gets increasingly disgusting as time passes, especially in the heat) - while its a cashless event, bring cash if you'd like to buy hot dogs from the hot dog people after the festival, Zelle nor Venmo wasn't working so I paid the hot dog lady an hour after getting my hot dog. The hot dogs were well cooked and tasted fresh with all the added veggies and guacamole chili sauce - they added and oddities and curiousities and necessities market - this has everything from the "What to bring list" in case you forgot something. - don't get anything from monty's burgers - it made my best friend and i's stomachs hurt. - don't drink the drip water cans - they taste like expired sprite - pace yourself with the fluids, take little sips here and there and if you feel too hot, dont hesitate to ask the restaurants for cups of ice.

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 time ever food was great environment was amazing. That day was magic a meet 3 of my favorites…read moreactors

I am currently burping up some awesome, garlicky, fish saucy breath courtesy of this awesome…read moreevent!! As a guest of the Thai consulate, I was lucky enough to get complimentary tickets to this event's first year (otherwise the tickets would have been $50-$75). That said, it was a packed but well - organized event with all the major Thai restaurants present (Ayara, Jitlada, Lum Ka Naad, etc) along with some celebrity chefs bringing a little modern fusion action into the mix (Sang Yoon, Susan Feniger, Jet, etc.). It was booth after booth of fantastic Thai cusine repping all the regional cusines. I stuffed myself with everything (highlights were an amazing pulled pork dish from Siam Sunset, a delicious green crab curry from David Lefevre's MB Post, a "modern" and refreshing beef salad from Lukson's Sang Yoon and a delicious veg option from Pok Pok). Along with the abundance of food there was a muay thai demonstration, fruit carvings, umbrella paintings and plenty of coconut juice/waters going around to replenish you in the heat. All of that and I got to meet Curtis Stone who is sooo much taller than I imagined. So to recap: great food+amazingly talented chefs+great entertainment + curtis stone = 5+++ stars of good times. Heck, curtis stone = 5+++ stars himself ;)! (extra props for this being the first year of this event and it still being so great - yes it was packed but parking and getting food was totally easy)