If you are looking for the next city for some interesting, exciting and enlightening events, why don’t you try Los Angeles? The start of the new year in particular is the perfect time to check your calendar and plan for your next trip to the Los Angeles county and its similarly-named city, which has a lot of things in store for you in the coming months. If you are a fan of the movie culture in particular, you will find plenty of film festivals and other related events in Los Angeles, the home of the famous Hollywood. There are other events that cater to niche markets and audience as well.
The following are just some of the most notable events and festivals in Los Angeles that you should not miss:
Golden Dragon Parade
The Golden Dragon Parade has been going strong for more than a century. It attracts over 110,000 tourists and well-wishers each year lining the parade. This vibrant and colorful event is, of course, in line with the Lunar New Year celebrations which happen every the end of January or early February. The parade comes complete with a hundred-foot-long dragon, floats, marching bands and firecrackers.
Academy Awards
More popularly known as the Oscars, this famous event is staged annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to recognize cinematic excellence. The iconic “Oscar” trophies are awarded to (arguably) the year’s best in acting, directing, writing, film editing, sound and other aspects of film-making.
Consider yourself lucky if you are connected to someone who works for AMPAS or who has worked in the nominated film, then chances are you will be able to get inside the theater where the ceremony actually takes place.
Otherwise, you have to be content to go to the red carpet area outside the theater. Usually, there are only 700 seats at the bleachers that line the red carpet. The good news is that the tickets for the bleachers are free – a golden chance and a dream come true to see your favorite movie stars walking down the red carpet. The bad news, though, is that getting those tickets are not that easy. Go to the Oscars’ official website and register months in advance. The Oscar organization draws these registrations like the lottery, so you have to rely on only your prayers, hoping that you will become one of the 700 lucky spectators at the red carpet.
Grand Prix of Long Beach
The Grand Prix of Long Beach is an IndyCar Series competition which is held on Long Beach’s street circuit. For most of its 40-plus-year history, this event is traditionally held every April. This is one of the biggest paid spectator events in Southern California. It attracts over 200,000 race car fans and curious onlookers who come to witness and enjoy the races which include the Indy Lights and the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race. Toyota has been a major sponsor of this event since its inception, that’s why it is sometimes known as the “Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.” If you are a serious race car fan, this is the one event you cannot afford to miss.
Doo Dah Parade
The fun, irreverent and flamboyant parade was conceived in 1978 as a farcical jab at the traditional and formal Rose Parade. The Doo Dah Parade, which is held every April in the city of Pasadena, follows the same route as the Rose Parade. But instead of floats decked with beautiful and well-arranged florals, the Doo Dah Parade features several wacky, outlandish and grotesque floats that are known for their deliberately bad taste. But the Doo Dah Parade is pure harmless fun and revelry, providing a perfect escapism from the world’s every day cares.
L.A. Film Festival
One of the most important film festivals in the world is the L.A. Film Festival, which has been annually held since its establishment in 1995. This nine-day festival, which is held every June, screens over 200 films that include features, short films and episodes, as well as world premieres, free screenings and panels with stars. It also showcases productions created by young film-making hopefuls.
July 4th Fireworks Spectacular
Some of the best, the biggest and the brightest fireworks displays every the Fourth of July happen in Los Angeles. Behold those fantastic and dazzling fireworks-filled spectacles, no matter where you are in the area. Among the popular fireworks-viewing sites in L.A. include the Hollywood Bowl (where it also holds its annual 4th of July party with a rock music concert), Long Beach, Disneyland and even Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
Los Angeles County Fair
One of the biggest and oldest county fairs in the country, the Los Angeles County Fair has been held annually since its inception in 1922. Once a purely agricultural fair, the Los Angeles Country Fair has become a big extravaganza that hosts a variety of events such as wine-tastings, contemporary acrobats and musical performances, while maintaining its agricultural and rural appeal. The fair is held every August to September on fairgrounds and commercial/exposition complex, which is popularly known as the Fairplex.
L.A. Fashion Week
Los Angeles has grown to be a serious fashion hub in the West Coast and it rivals that of its East Coast counterpart, New York. In fact, Los Angeles has recently become the fifth fashion capital as big-name designers have set their foot in L.A. and new L.A.-based fashion names have been enjoying worldwide attention.
The L.A. Fashion Week is one of the big reasons why Los Angeles has become a bona fide fashion destination. Held only biannually, the L.A. Fashion Week devotes to raising the profile of home-grown fashion designers, fashion producers, stylists, artists and brands to the world stage. Find Los Angeles as one of the Most Fashionable Cities in the World.