Los Angeles Special Events

Here is a Los Angeles special events calendar for all Los Angeles festivals and event location information about Los Angeles area events in Southern California.

Los Angeles has lots of events and festivals throughout the year, all over town and in outlaying LA areas.

Over 170 ethnic festivals that celebrates the different traditions of many heritages, and reflects the true diversity of the city.

There are also many cultural events, such as visual arts, literature, international film and music festivals, dance and folk art.

For a free booklet Los Angeles Festival Guide call (213)473-7700, or visit www.culturela.org.

TOURNAMENT OF ROSES PARADE: Every New Years Day in Pasadena. This historic festival of huge floral floats, equestrian parades and marching bands is followed by the Rose Bowl football game.

WHALE WATCHING: January - March in coastal areas of Southern California. It's the peak season for the annual migration of the gray whales from Baja California.

CHINESE NEW YEAR: In Chinatown Los Angeles. Phone: (213)680-0243. The festival is a Golden Dragon Parade featuring magical lion and dragon dancers, decorated floats and a beauty peagant.

PAN AFRICAN FILM AND ARTS FESTIVAL: In Baldwin Hills Los Angeles. Phone: (213)896-8221. This is the largest Black Film Festival in America. It screens more than one hundred films from all over the world. There are also art exhibits, childrens events, poetry readings and great fashion shows.

MARDI GRAS: At Olvera Street, downtown Los Angeles. Celebrates Fat Tuesday with music, singing, dancing and a fanciful costume parade.

ACADEMY AWARDS: Early March at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. It's also known as The Oscars, this world famous ceremony takes place on Hollywood Boulevard California. One of the most famous Los Angeles special events that is televised worldwide.

LOS ANGELES MARATHON: An early Sunday in March citywide Los Angeles event. Phone: (310)444-5544, or www.lamarathon.com. It's an extravaganza drawing 30,000 runners and a million visitors that clog the streets of Los Angeles for most of the day. Stay inside, unless you are attending this event.

CALIFORNIA POPPY RESERVE: Mid March to May in the Antelope Valley. Phone: (661)723-6077, or www.poppyfestival.com. Stunning panoramas of red, orange and yellow poppy fields awaits you during the poppy blooming period. We love this Los Angeles festival.

BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS: Day before Easter Sunday, downtown Los Angeles. Phone:(213)680-2525. This is a Mexican tradtion where the Cardinal of Los Angeles blesses the animals by sprinkling holy water on all kinds of peoples domestic animals and pets.

SONGKRAN FESTIVAL: On Hollywood Blvd. Phone: (818)913-8999, or www.thainewyear.com. This is the Thai New Year celebration. The traditional Thai cermony includes a cultural parade, dancing performances and Thai boxing demonstrations.

TOYOTA GRAND PRIX: Takes place in Long Beach. Phone: (562)981-2600, or www.longbeachgr.com. This is the largest race car competion in the USA, with top American and drivers from all over the world.

FESTIVAL OF BOOKS: At the UCLA campus in Westwood Los Angeles. phone: (800)528-4637. Writers, poets, publishers and storytellers celebrates the love of reading with a weekend long gathering.

CINCO DE MAYO: May 5 at El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument, downtown. Phone: (213)485-9769, or www.cityofla.org/elp/olvera.html. Celebrating Mexico's victorious defeat of the French forces in Puebla, 1862. A large festival with lots of fiestas with mariachi, folkloric bands, puppet shows and carnevals. One of the popular Los Angeles special events.

PACIFIC ISLANDERS FESTIVAL: In Wilmington. Phone: (714) 968-1785. A cultural celebration of people from Hawaii, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Guam, Tahiti, Cook and Marshall Islands. Traditional music, dance, arts and crafts from their indigenous cultures.

VENICE ART WALK: In Venice Beach Los Angeles. It's a self guided tour through the many artist studios in town, which raises funds for the Venice Family Clinic.

VAN NUYS AIRPORT AVIATION EXPO: At the Van Nuys Airport. This is one of the most popular airshows in the USA. Rare vintage aircrafts as well as some of the most advanced flying machines in the world.

MARIACHI USA FESTIVAL: On Hollywood Boulevard. Phone: (800)mariachi. It's one of the largest mariachi festivals in the world, with spectacular celebrations of Mexico's culture. The finest mariachi music, ballet folkloric and performances. It ends with a stunning fireworks display finale. One of the best Los Angeles special events.

INDEPENDENCE DAY: July 4 every year, downtown on Hill Street. A re-creation of the first Independence Day celebration in Los Angeles 1847. History buffs dress up as soldiers in period military clothes. There are over 50 firework displays around the city, celebrating Fourth of July. Santa Monica has one of the most spectcular Los Angeles special events firework display.

LOTUS FESTIVAL: Held at Echo Park, Los Angeles. Phone: (213)485-1310. It's a cultural celebration of the people from Asia and the Pacific Islands. Dragon boat races on Echo Park Lake and many cultural entertainments.

BLESSING OF THE CARS: At Verdugo Park in Glendale. Car loving Angelenos bring any vehicle that moves to this event to be blessed. It's similar to the Blessing of the Animals.

NISEI WEEK: At Little Tokyo, downtown. Phone: (213)687-7193. One of the oldest Los Angeles ethnic festivals, celebrating Japanese culture and heritage. There is a Grand Parade, Queen Coronation and Taiko Drumming.

FESTIVAL OF THE CHARIOTS: At Venice Beach Pavillion Park. Phone: (310)836-2676. It's based on a 2,000 year old Hindu cermony, where 3 colorful chariots drawn in the parade represents effigies of Krishna and his brothers and sisters.

AFRICAN MARKETPLACE AND CULTURAL FESTIVAL: At Rancho Cienega Park. Phone: (323)734-1164. An annual celebration of the African diaspuca. Festival performances representing twenty African cultures and 40 countries.

WATTS TOWER DAY OF THE DRUM AND JAZZ FESTIVAL: At the Watts Tower Arts Center. Phone: (213)847-4646, or www.wattstower.com. This musical festival features a wide variety of drummers, including Afro-Cuban folklorios, Jamaican steel drummers, Afro-Brazilian percusson ensembles, East Indian tabla players and American jazz drummers.

THE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF MASKS: In Hancock Park, Los Angeles. Phone: (323)937-4230. It's an annual festival honoring and celebrating the tradition of mask making. Over 75 communities around Los Angeles are contributing to this event. One of the unique Los Angeles special events.

WEST HOLLYWOOD HALLOWEEN COSTUME CARNEVAL: On Santa Monica Blvd. Phone: (310)289-2525. Eccentric costumes and people dressed in drag join comedians, musicians and entertainers for a street celebration.

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS: On Olvera Street, downtown. Phone: (213)624-3660. Celebrates the Day of the Dead with decorated altars, walking skeletons, and a candlelight procession. It's an annual Mexican ritual honring dead loved ones.

SEJAT SPIRIT POW WOW: In Santa Fe Springs. phone: (5620946-6476. A Native American cultural celebration paying tribute to the Tongva, a local Los Angeles tribe. Dancers, drummers and singers from Navajo, Pueblo and Luiseno Nation participate at the Pow Wow.

DOO DAH PARADE: In Pasadena. It's a spoof of the Rose Parade featurning the Lounge Lizards and drag cheerleaders from West Hollywood.

HOLLYWOOD CHRISTMAS PARADE: In Hollywood. Phone: (323)469-2337. This annual christmas parade features B-list celebrities, equestrians, marching bands, floats and of course Santa Claus. Bring your kids!

LAS POSADAS: At El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument downtown. Phone: (213)485-9769. One of the oldest Los Angeles special events. It's an annual candlelight procession reinacting the story from the Bible of Mary and Joseph's 9 day search for a place to sleep in Bethlehem before the birth of Jesus. Participants dressed in festive costumes, singing hymns and songs as they go door to door seeking shelter. It's a tradition that's going back centuries.

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