This weekend - July 13th, 14th and 15th is the Echo Park Lotus Festival which " develops, promotes and creates an atmosphere of understanding in which Asian and Pacific Islander communities in Southern California. It brings two days of cultural sharing. The Festival preserves and enlightens the public with a sampling of distinctly different and unique Asian and Pacific Islander customs and traditions in the arts, music, dance, drama and food" (it says here).
Definitely worth a visit - there's a firework display at 9 p.m. on Friday, and each of the two following nights, and lots of Asian food, crafts, art, music, and exhibitions like hula (one of our last year's Seniors will be there hula-vatin', I understand) and, of course, the dragon boat races - oh, and the lotus blossoms, which alone are worth taking a camera for.
Parking can be a problem, but all the details are to be found @ http://www.laparks.org/grifmet/lotus.htm including parking lots and festival times.
I was under the impression that the lotuses were originally given as a gift from China to Amy Semple-McPherson, the holy-roller whose Angelus Temple stands at the island end of the lake, adjacent to the lotus beds, funnily enough. But I can't verify that on any of the related websites I've checked. The flowers themselves aren't actually planted in the lake bed, but in pots that are taken out during the winter months.
Googling "lotus festival echo park" brings up a coupla pages of photographs of past festivals.
Ray
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