Lotus festival

I found myself in Echo Park last evening. You might remember the spot from the movie Mi Vida Loca or that Beastie Boys' video. It's always full of life, with people fishing, jogging, and buying paletas, corn on the cob, and other stuff from carts. Last night, stages, tents, and fixtures were installed for this weekend's Lotus Festival--the City of L.A.'s annual Pan-Asian celebration. It was all there, and eerily empty.


These canopies are for contests, vendors, and community groups. I neglected to take pictures of the stages, which have been home traditional singing, martial arts, people balancing on bikes, etc., as well as some of the most unfunny MCs I've ever heard.


A section set up for food vendors--Thai food, chow mein, teriyaki, and other stuff, no doubt. Everything is glistening, greasy, and not as cheap as you'd hope.


There were even trash bins tucked away behind bamboo, keeping with the Asian theme.


Just one thing missing: the part of the lake that is usually full of lotus blossoms has none... WTF? Global warming? Pollution? At least an earthquake hasn't taken down the Downtown skyline yet.