More Festivals_La Guelaguetza Festival & Tanabata Festival

I guess it is festival season in general in Los Angeles. On August 8, I hit-up two of them, both in downtown. 

[La Guelaguetza] is put on by the Oaxacan community of Los Angeles. I have been to this festival only one other time, many years ago when it was smaller and at a different location. The festival is now held at Lincoln Park. Lincoln Park, like the "Inkwell," noted in an earlier post, was a regular destination for my family when I was a child. It was a place we went on holidays like the 4th of July. To a kid it was a huge place with rolling hills and a lake. It was big enough to get away from the grown-ups, but not so big that you had to worry about getting lost. As with the Inkwell, it is only in looking back that I realize Black people went there mostly because they had to go there. Probably they didn't have to when I was a kid, but it certainly would have been more comfortable, because of its history, than a lot of other places. [A history of Lincoln Park]. [Some info on Blacks and Latinos at Lincoln Park]. [Not to be missed old photos of the park]. Lincoln Park was certainly hoppin' with Oaxacans on August 10.      [La Guelaguetaz map]

I headed directly from there to Little Tokyo for the [Tanabata Festival], part of the larger [Nisei Week] Festival. The Tanabata Festival is a new one for me. The festival is based on a story of love, separation and a totally selfish and confused father. He sets his daughter up with this guy. They fall deeply in love, get married. The old man feels neglected, so prevents them from seeing each other. Finally, he feels some pity for his daughter and decides to let them meet once a year. Really, do you ever wonder why these old stories are so often like this? That is my reading of it anyway. You can take this [link] and decide for yourself. And again, as these things so often go, there is another version of the story, one that doesn't have to do with stars and the Milky Way. I prefer the one that happens in space, since it is the [final frontier].

I didn't know the background of the festival as I was walking through it. The streamers were just hip and somewhat odd. Now familiar with both versions of the legend, the streamers strike me as hip and hipper. They function for moving stars, planets and the Milky Way as well as for melons, threads in a loom, a tree to be climbed and a wide uncrossable river.    [Tanabata map]

I was pretty tired from the Oaxacan bash and was going to jam home until I realized there was a parade in the offing. It is difficult for a former bandsman to walk away from a parade, so I hung around. I didn't buy any of the food, though much of it looked pretty tasty. In truth, I didn't need that blood sausage taco I bought as I was leaving the Guelaguetza Festival, but like not waiting for a parade, how can you pass up a version of blood sausage that you haven't tried? Life is too short. But that 3-tortilla taco left me too full to eat anything else. Besides, there was no chili rice to be found anywhere.   

La Guelaguetza Festival. What this globe is about is beyond me.

Dancers for days.

To lay down the music for the dancers, you need those very special Oaxacan wind bands. And the cat to keep the band in line is the always huffing and puffing sousaphone player. He was good. He was very good.

Food is the thing at these festivals. 

Lots of hard working cooks...

...colorfully dressed...

...well, not the guys so much.

But the women have the fashion down.

Tlayuda's were everywhere.

This is the stand I bought my food from. These guys have lobbyists everywhere. I was just checking things out when a woman who was waiting for her order insisted I buy my food there. She made me try part of one of her tamales. It was very tasty, but out of principle I didn't buy at that moment. I needed to see what else was about. 

Ultimately I did buy from these guys. As I was walking to a picnic bench, several people stopped me to ask where I made the purchase. It seemed kind of strange to me, since there were a gazillion stands selling tamales. I think they were undercover agents. 

I have to say, they were some very fine tamales. No complainants. The drink in back is a cup of tepache. When I buy these ethnic foods, the folks feel they have to explain to me what they are. Understandable. They don't that I have a rather in-depth knowledge of their secrets. For example, a certain guy named Ruben, used to make quantities of tepache with pineapple rind that would have otherwise gone straight into the garbage. No further details will be forthcoming, since there are people still living that could adversely affected by the release of such information.

An afterthought as I was leaving the festival: Oaxacan blood sausage. If I didn't try it, I'd be haunted for months to come. 

A memorial to something or someone. Anything can happen in a park.

A view of the pond. You should compare these photos with some of the ones on the [Lincoln Park Carousel page].

I've included this photo because of the stagnant and scummy water at this end of the pond. Still scratching your head? Here's the deal: on one of those holidays so long ago, when practically the whole extended family was at the park, my cousin, Chucky, fell into that end of the pond. There was some vegetation, but I think the water was even more polluted than what you see here. It is a wonder the kid survived. Of course, we all thought it was hilarious.

Looking south across the lake. In the distance is the L.A. County General Hospital. That is where I was born. 

This is looking east across the lake. 

The geese aren't the least bit intimidated by humans. [They should know better.]

The ducks aren't much [smarter].

Entrance to the Tanabata Festival in Little Tokyo.

Streamers streaming. 

Peripatetic streamers.

One of the many traditional music groups.

Why is it that the guys seldom dress up?

Throngs waiting for the parade to begin.

Parade participants heading for the staging area. 

The cops always have to make an appearance. 

I was a Boy Scout once. 

One of the several dance groups to participate in the parade. 

I would be in Little Tokyo for whatever reason and there would be all these folks dressed like these women or even stranger. I'm wondering, "What the hell is going on?" Now I know,  they are part of the [Cosplay] culture. It is pretty cool.