An annual event for the past two years in Oakland, the Eat Real Festival came to LA for the first…read moretime this weekend for a two-day celebration of regionally-sourced, sustainably-produced and just plain good food. Held at the Helms Bakery District in Culver City, the festival itself was free to attend, with all food costing $5 or less. Part street food festival, state fair and block party, the event featured numerous food trucks and other food vendors, food skills demos and contests, a craft marketplace, music and educational workshops. What I LOVED: * FREE ADMISSION! * Vendors carefully chosen who provide REGIONALLY-SOURCED and SUSTAINABLY-PRODUCED food and drinks. Among the treats we enjoyed: - Hot dog from Let's Be Frank - Goat cheese from Drake Family Farms, drizzled with honey from Backyard Bees - Pulled pork slider and pork candy from Bigmista's BBQ - Burger and watermelon fresca from the Green Truck - Hawaiian shaved ice from A Rockin Ice and a snow cone from Sno-Con Amor - The flatiron, pork slider, grilled squash and fried cauliflower from the Flatiron Truck * Free SHUTTLES to/from the festival from numerous parking lots/locations throughout the area. Also easy to access by PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. Plus a free BIKE VALET. * Manageable crowds and lines (of course it's better early though). * With lots of food skills WORKSHOPS, DEMOS and even CONTESTS, the event is also very educational and fun to watch. We loved the Chicken Breakdown and the Flying Knives Butchery Contest (two teams of master butchers had to each cut up a 300+ lb steer hindquarter). * Stations well-staffed by FRIENDLY VOLUNTEERS to help you sort your TRASH, RECYCLABLES and COMPOSTABLE items. Also stations for you to refill your water bottles. My friend and I were at the festival on Saturday for most of the day (11 am - 7:30 pm) and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! Will definitely come again!!!

Checked out the Eat 'Real Fest this weekend. (A bay area event that decided to come to LA!!) Went…read moreon Sat during the first day of the dreaded and blown-out-of-proportion 405 fwy closure! Even w/ the closure there was NO TRAFFIC at all plus there was PLENTY of parking for the event. The event itself was held at the Helms Bakery building (which is now a bunch of stores). NO FOOD/DRINKS were over $5 There were over a dozen food trucks plus many food vendor booths! There were 2 beer gardens in the area. You could purchase a glass mug for $7- and refill for $5- (which I did). They had some great beers on tap.... Orange Wheat , Arrogant Bastard..... (You could only drink alcohol in the designated area so it was better to get food and bring it to the area so you can enjoy your beer too!) Beer Brewers represented: (http://eatrealfest.com/event/Los%20Angeles/California/2011/drink-beer) Ballast Point Brewing Hangar 24 Craft Brewery The Lost Abbey Craftsman Brewing Company Port Brewing Company Eagle Rock Brewery Stone Brewing Co. Firestone Walker Brewing Company The Bruery Wines: MAS Wine Company Palmina SilverTap Wines Inside one of the buildings they had local places that were selling local favorites like Jam/Jellies ...Chocolate.......etc (http://eatrealfest.com/event/Los%20Angeles/California/2011/eat-market) They had a stage where they showed different demonstrations...plus a butcher contest ..music.....etc It was a great day and I had a great time. Lots of people showed up...lots of families...w/ babies...and dogs. They even had a vendor there that was selling backyard set-up chicken coops so that people could raise their own chickens and have fresh eggs.(interesting!) The vendors I tried were: Bigmista BBQ (bigmista.com)- their pork sliders were great (they ran out of their chicken wings) Waffles De Liege (waffledeliege.com) - just waffles ..meh Corn Maiden Foods (cornmaidenfoods.com) - AWESOME TAMALES I would have tried more but the lines were very slow and the portions were very small (guess thats what you get for $5- ) Other vendors/food trucks: (http://eatrealfest.com/event/Los%20Angeles/California/2011/eat-vendors) A Rockin Ice Crepe 'n Around Go Country Chuck Wagon Nom Nom Truck Temaki Truck Anca's Romanian Bowers Gourmet Sausages Drip Bar Komodo Old Vine Cafe The Hungry Nomad Beach Cream CoolHaus Flatiron Truck Let's Be Frank Rokyo Vizzitruck Belcampo Meat. Co. Flying Pig Me So Hungry Truck Sno-Con Amor My only one complaint is that by 4 pm..( the festival was open until 9pm) a lot of places were sold out of food. If I didn't get there early I would have been upset. If the festival hours are from 1030am to 9pm...then you would think that all the vendors would be stocked up and have enough food to make until 9pm !! Even the beer garden ran out of their jars by 4pm which forced people to by the small $5- cups (which wasn't worth it). One of the best things about the event is that it is 100% environment friendly!! They had waste / compost / recycling bins EVERYWHERE..and they had an attendant standing by each area to show people exactly which bin to put the trash. OVERALL .it was a...great day with great friends/family and great food!!

I love planes & I love flying. So this new park commanded my…read moreattention immediately, as I was cutting through the airport property a few days ago. http://static.px.yelp.com/bphoto/d8MTtqC25h4fFS0an8yvTg/l The space pays tribute to Douglas Aircraft & its founder; there's a restored 18,000 lb. plane, as well as a statue of Donald Douglas with his dog. http://static.px.yelp.com/bphoto/0-DOPtgc_pBEjCsGztogUQ/l It's my understanding that the monuments were paid for by private contributions (donations are still being accepted), and according to signage on an adjacent building, the new Museum of Flying will soon be on site. So far, parking surrounding the new space is free and plentiful. I hope it stays that way. The history of Douglas Aircraft is an interesting story which you can read on plaques in the park space. http://static.px.yelp.com/bphoto/0kSqZryykQRitAeQyKPscg/l The plane, dubbed The Spirit of Santa Monica, is a 1942 model......hooray, finally something that's even older than me.....haha. Against the backdrop of a clear blue sky, that little plane brought a smile to my face. If it were taking off today, I'd have my thumb out to hitch a ride. http://static.px.yelp.com/bphoto/xb_OdkiW4M600-7vSVCBxA/l The new park is small, with just a few benches along the perimeter of the grassy space. But it nicely does justice to the honorees, and deservedly so.

Cute little park with some informational signs telling of the Douglas history. Definitely very…read moreinteresting and we spent a good 1/2 hour wandering in the teeny park taking pictures with our puppy. If you're a plane buff, this little park as well as the nearby airfield is a pretty cool place to hang out for lunch.

THEY JUST CANCELLED THE 2017 Event which is a shame because I really liked the 2016 event…read more No word on refunds but let's hope for all those who bought tickets they will be coming soon.

I attended LA Weekly's Sips & Sweets for the first time this year at the Petersen Auto Museum, and…read morehad an amazing time. This event was very well planned and executed. The party was spread out over all 4 floors and there was a slammin' DJ on each floor keeping the atmosphere lively. The best part?! NO LINES!! Okay...maybe a couple of booths had lines but you could count them on one hand. The rest of the booths had no lines or lines that were a minute or two long. Signage was great too! Even the cleaning staff that was making sure everything stayed clean, were dancing while sweeping. Everything was free except for the savory food items - it is Sips & Sweets, after all, (desserts and cocktails) not a food festival. The savory items were on the top floor which was perfect after eating and drinking your way through 3 floors of desserts and cocktails. There was a wide variety of cocktails to sample - and they were decent size pours, too! The beautiful cars were works of art - they added to the cool awesomeness of the night. I attend plenty of food and wine festivals and this one ranks at the top of my list. I will definitely make this an annual tradition.

Wanted to show my friend from France, searched for exact location, found a wrong address. Even…read moreasked the police if they knew where to go,they said no clue. We were at Parks and Recreation building and told another mile north on the beach, too far to walk carrying drum, chair and bags. Had already paid for parking. Ended up window shopping and excellent lunch from vendor out of the parking lot. Someone needs to improve the location post and inform the authorities, put up written notices please.

It's a fun experiance but it's not as good as it used to be. Definitely worth checking outread more

One of the most vibrant food spots in the city. Awesome night spot with people walking the block…read moreand outdoor eating. Interesting shops. One of my favorite streets in LA. Seems safe. Save time for parking. So many choices for food and desert close together within walking. Go to dinner at one spot and desert at another.

I'm originally from Japan. When I need to buy or eat anything Japanese, I always go to Sawtelle…read moreinstead of Little Tokyo in downtown. You can find virtually anything Japanese you want in Sawtelle. It's easy to find parking and often free parking. It feels so much safer than downtown. My two most frequent businesses, Daiso and Nijiya Market, are in the same building. Right across the street from that building is another small strip mall with many restaurants. I highly recommend that you visit Sawtelle if you haven't already to experience Japan while in Southern California.

I was forced into this by my girlfriends, LOL. We ran the 5K which started at 8:30. Beautiful…read morecourse which goes along the ocean in several stretches. There are a few hills which will kick your butt, I walked on one in particular, you will know it when you get there, it's by the Redondo Beach pier. There is a fanfare area which has drinks, and healthy post race food. My favorite part is that everyone gets two free beers (thanks Ultra!) which need to be consumed on site. It is a great opportunity to meet people throughout the South Bay community and socialize.

I've read all the reviews. Too bad for the past runners. The only thing I can say is, I ran this…read morerace for experience and fun and it was never a disappointment. I take running and these types of physical activities to be beneficial and there's no reason to complain about. Complaint on the parking? No medal? Quality of tshirt? C'mon now. This year was a bling and a good quality shirt. There were so many participants and I was impressed how organized this event was. Sponsored by Kaiser Permanente. Beers,Clif protein bars and bananas at the end of the race. If I were you,get up and stop whining. Go run or walk this race!

We had such a fabulous time at this Bastille Day event. We plan to return year after year.read more

"(I am re-posting my reviews... My account was hacked into and SOMEONE thought that it would be…read morecute to delete some of my reviews.... Yelp HQ retrieved them) Jul 14, 2008 / 5 Stars Fete Nationale occurs every year on July 14Th in France and well obviously here in WeHo as well... Think of it as the Cinco De Mayo for the French... It was the 7Th annual event of Bastille Day.. If you are unsure of what it is Google it.. The event was held at the West Hollywood Park across the street from the Pacific Design Center. Which by the way is an amazing piece of building to stare at. A group of 6 of us came out for this event...Which was dope... Approaching the cement path leading to the gated event was a park filled with young families playing in the park and tons of blankets where people were sprawled out on having picnics in the park enjoying the music that was coming from the stage. The entrance fee was a small $5.. The festivities started at 12pm and I am glad that we didn't get here till after 4pm.. Seriously it was hot and humid. Once we were in I noticed tons of umbrellas boasting the Chimay name (isn't that a Belgian beer)? Well, I noticed a food vendor that made crepes. I decided to wait in the long line for a crepe. The vendor was LA Crepe which is a restaurant in W. Hollywood http://www.yelp.com/biz/la-crepe-west-hollywood.... Let me rephrase that LA CRAP. While my friends waited in line for beer I stood in line with the sun beating on me waiting to order a Nutella crepe.. Which was the grossest thing that I have ever had. The crepe itself tasted like egg and was soggy.. This is no crepe. I threw it away... Ehh... Whatever.. I haven't had one good crepe in the states.. So.. On I scooted with my friends to get a drink.... The Chimay station not only served beer but it also served red and white wine as well.. I met a really rad dude named Florent.. Yes, he was French. He was a wine distributor for Wines of the World.. I forgot what the name of the wine that he gave me but it was Chateau something (merlot).. He went into detail about the wine and gave me his number so that I can order some. We made our way over into the main area where the stage was along with other vendors. Tons of tables where out with umbrellas which was a good thing. We all wanted to see the "Paris Loves LA" show which was a cabaret tribute to Serge Gainsbourg (I love Serge) and Brigitte Bardot. It was to start at 6:37 and it didn't go on till nearly 8:30.. They were running behind schedule.. But, none of us were bitching. It was nice to just be outdoors (once the evening began to cool down) listening to live bands and having cocktails with friends... Tons of people dancing to the live music.....The outdoor portable toilets were a nice accessory for the event... They even had a Smart car om display with a Mercedes dealer present to answer questions.. I even sat in it and yes my tall 5"11 and a 3/4 drink of water ass could fit comfortably.. So in short it was a nice day in the park.... The line up was fun.. We missed several of the shows because we didn't get in till the late afternoon... But, the music was fun.. I love French pop... 5*

Loved everything from the appearance of God. The free feast was delicious as well as the savory…read morebooth!!

And finally that time of the year, when you can catch the Festival of Chariots parade at the Venice…read moreBeach Boardwalk arrived. Very exciting time for me since this year is my first time at the festival. I've seen great photos of the colorful parade and this year, the timing worked magically.I was able to attend it and eager to do so. The Festival of Chariots (Ratha Yatra) is an ancient Indian celebration dedicated to 3 deities. Hence the 3 chariots (floats) you see at the parade. The first festival in US was held in San Francisco in 1967 (they still organize it in Golden Gate Park). Since '76, Venice Beach hosts another one on the West Coast, a perfect location, in tune with the vibe of the celebration which takes places over 3 days in Santa Monica. In the last day, a parade starts on Main Street in Santa Monica, moves along Ocean till it gets to Venice Beach where booths, tents are set up for more festivities to follow. This is a beautiful event, very colorful, peaceful and unique. Many participants wear Hindu inspired clothing, some pull the chariots ahead by huge ropes (I was told it's good for your karma to do so). Everyone is friendly, they spread their joy, books about their spirituality, vegetarian cooking and yoga. A lady from the parade stopped to talk to us, she gave useful information about the history behind the event, the sister parade in San Francisco and about this cool fest. No one is trying to convert anyone, it's not about pushing anything on you. I'm interested in other cultures and spirituality of various people and I practice yoga, so I don't mind learning more things. The parade starts at 10 am in Santa Monica, it gets around noon in Venice, be there a bit before. It's lively, colorful, like no other. Very joyful. Then, more festivities begin, there's a stage where they have various artists perform, booths where you can learn about the history of the festival and where you can practice yoga. They have a free vegetarian feast (for 20,000 people), the line was moving and I enjoyed the food and the tea they served (Thank you!), it's such a nice, generous gesture. There are more booths where they sell Indian street food, fruits, drinks, smoothies. We tried the coconut water ($4) fresh, from an actual coconut, I'm not a huge fan of coconut water (I know it's trendy), the taste doesn't do it for me, but I enjoyed the experience.Had to try it! There are booths where they sell Indian clothes, home decor, jewelry. I've been to many street fairs and this one has the most reasonable prices for food and merchandise. It is hot, but you're on the beach. Casual, fun event. It's a positive vibe all around, people are nice, that's what this festival is about. Love, tolerance and kindness, which we can have more in our lives nowadays. We can learn from each other and the Festival of Chariots can open your mind and hearts. Hare Krishna, everyone! Love, joy and peace!