Bands, booths, regional cuisine, carnival rides and community participation celebrate the heritage and diversity of Culver City at the 62nd Fiesta La Ballona, the community's free Party in the Park, the weekend of Aug. 24-26, at Veterans Park.
Live bands and community performances will deliver continuous entertainment all weekend, beginning late Friday afternoon with songs for seniors, followed that evening by Fiesta Palooza, featuring the area's top teen bands.
The Fire Dept. bucket brigade spearheads contests involving service clubs and local PTAs in the Family Fun Zone by the Disney Stage. Guests participate in picnic relays, carnival games, bouncy Sumo wrestling, climbing wall, petting zoo and pony rides. And it's a dog's world at the Police Dept. K-9 demo.
Artisans, local businesses, non-profits and city agencies display their wares and services at 80 craft, product, service and government booths.
The Exchange Club beer and wine garden taps flow with regional and imported beers next to Santa Maria Barbecue booth's tri-tip sandwiches.
Twenty food booths and trucks offer value-priced regional cuisine by the large dining tent.
Loosen up in free morning fitness classes at the main stage dance floor. Besides aerobics, the morning health and fitness lifestyle expo includes the Robert Rainey Memorial Jog to the Baldwin Vista Scenic Overlook, laps at the Municipal Plunge, community bike rides and the Kiwanis Club Carbo-Load breakfast.
Learn a creative art by participating in free interactive workshops for all ages by gifted local instructors in the Fiesta Experience. Sample yoga, Pilates, hip hop, tie dye, cheerleading, karate, face painting, storytelling, finger knitting, obstacle courses, Scandinavian dance, tie dye, and mixed media art.
Encounter the rolling history of the Heart of Screenland at the Vintage Car display with colorful signs and archetypal characters along with antique Model A police car, Model T fire engine, post office delivery vehicle, MGM service bikes and Helms Bakery Olympic coach. The Rotary Club imprisons offenders inside the famous Pokey jail on wheels.
Aquacade offers free afternoon swim games, Aqua-Lilies synchronized swimmers, boy vs. girl match races among state-ranked swimmers, and a water polo match between rivals Culver City High School and Beverly Hills High.
You and your bike are pampered in Cycle City with bike decorating, bike wash, repairs, tech workshops, safety skills course and bike parade. The Palms Cycle bike and stroller valet keep your carriages secure. Ride the Fire Dept. five-man bike in the nearby Family Fun Zone.
Pitch a tent and learn outdoor skills at the Boy Scouts' Sunday Scout-a-rama. The Girl Scouts celebrate their parent organization's 100th anniversary by helping Fiesta La Ballona become a zero-waste event through recycling.
Fiesta La Ballona goes green with Eco crafts, and classes on recycling and organic gardening. Waste bins will be labeled for compostables, recycables and trash.
Local pros and ranked tennis and paddle tennis players lead clinics, exhibitions, and contests for youth and adults at the Tennis and Paddle Tennis-Fest in the tennis court zone.
Exceeding the white-knuckle excitement of the Rock 'o Plane ride, the new Zipper makes its debut at Fiesta La Ballona along with more new attractions in the carnival and games venue for kids of all ages.
Assemblymember Holly Mitchell (D-Culver City), state Sen. Curren Price (D-Culver City), C Mayor Andy Weissman, Miss Culver City Marina Inserra, Grand Marshall Dave Sanchez, Culver City Historical Society honoree Cathy Zermeno, police and fire chiefs, City Council, School Board members and more dignitaries network throughout the festival grounds.
Sony Studios characters, magician, unicyclist, mime and the Culver City High School Centaur mascot greet the expected 20,000 guests.
Mr. Cohen, Chair, Fiesta La Ballona, may be contacted at www.fiestalaballona.org
