March 2020: Los Angeles Culture Challenge

3/14/2020 Update:  Rekefest i hagen, or Shrimp Party in the Garden, at the Norwegian Church has been canceled. The Scandinavian Festival is canceled for this year as well and returns next year April 10 & 11, 2021.


For Scandinavians and Scandinavian enthusiasts, this is the month when the Norwegian Church hosts its annual Rekefest i hagen, or Shrimp Party in the Garden. It will take place on Saturday, March 21, at 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. Come enjoy shrimp the Norwegian way! Peel-your-own Arctic shrimp with freshly baked “loff” (white bread), mayonnaise, and dill along with potato salad are served family style along community tables set up outside. Price is $25/adult, $5/child, or $50/family. Register to attend by emailing iwa@sjomannskirken.no.

And while you’re at it, mark your calendars with the dates for this year’s Scandinavian Festival in Thousand Oaks. On the weekend of April 4 & 5, celebrate the festival’s 45th anniversary with live entertainment, children’s activities, food demonstrations, a Kubb tournament, lectures, a Nordic food court, Nordic craft vendors, and more! They are always looking for volunteers. If you’re interested in volunteering, email scanfestvolunteer@gmail.com.

How will you explore the richness of Los Angeles this month?

* SUNDAY, MARCH 1 *

Red Envelope Show, Chinese American Museum, Downtown LA, ongoing until March 29. Exchanging red envelopes is a beloved tradition in many Asian and Asian American communities. The color red symbolizes good luck and prosperity. During Lunar New Year, these envelopes are often handed out to provide good luck. From whimsical to elegant, red envelopes often bear designs that represent auspice and special occasions. Red Envelope Show takes a fresh look at this ephemeral art, which features hundreds of red envelopes decorated with original artwork by over 250 contemporary artists from across the country.

Japan: Sakura – Cherry Blossom Lanterns (Family Art Workshop), Junior Arts Center at Barnsdall Art Park, Hollywood/Los Feliz, Sunday, 3/1, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Join instructors for a free family art workshop in a real art studio. Each Sunday a different culture and media are featured. All materials are provided.

Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival, Bowers Museum, Santa Ana, Sunday, 3/1, 11:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Enjoy a full day of fun for the entire family while celebrating Japanese culture and the arrival of spring! Scheduled events include Kishin Daiko Taiko; Shan, candy sculptor extraordinaire; Fujima Seiyumi Kai Japanese Classical Dance; Ikebana flower arranging demonstration by Ikebana Teachers Association, and L.A. Taiko Drums. Ongoing activities include free mochi treats, face painting, art projects (tissue paper and pastel chalk cherry blossom and Zen tangle art), origami demonstration, and Bonsai exhibit and demonstration.

Andell Family Sundays—Aire, Agua, Mundo, Fuego, LACMA, Miracle Mile, Sunday, 3/1, 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. (Offered every Sunday in March except 3/29). Make, look, and talk about art at Andell Family Sundays! Drop in anytime between 12:30 and 3:30 pm. This weekly family event features artist-led workshops and friendly gallery tours and activities thematically based on special exhibitions and LACMA’s permanent collection. Create memories together and have fun! This month, be inspired by the remarkable breadth of Venezuelan born Luchita Hurtado’s eight-decade career on display in the exhibit Luchita Hurtado: I Live I Die I Will Be Reborn. Then make your own paintings and drawings inspired by Hurtado’s unique perspective.

* WEEKEND OF MARCH 7 & 8 *

Undiscovered Chinatown Walking Tour, Chinatown, Downtown LA, Saturday, 3/7, 10:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (Offered every first Saturday of the month). Visit a temple, an herbal shop, art galleries, antique stores, and more! The 2 1/2 hour walking tour will take visitors to a number of off-the-beaten-track points of interest and will guide those interested in shopping to some of Chinatown’s best bargains and its trendiest shops. Be prepared to wind your way through a myriad of alleyways, plaza stalls, and classical courtyards to discover the charm of LA’s Chinatown.

Art and Religion in the City of Angeles: A Walking Tour with Patrick Polk and Amy Landau, Fowler Museum at UCLA, Westwood, Saturday, 3/7, 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Tour important Los Angeles sacred sites along the Vermont Avenue corridor with Patrick A. Polk, Curator of Latin American and Caribbean Popular Arts, and Amy Landau, Director of Education and Interpretation. Vermont Avenue traverses the El Salvador Community Corridor, Historic Filipino Town, Korea Town, Little Armenia, Little Bangladesh, and Thai Town, offering rich opportunities to discover the city’s layered religious and cultural histories. Visit website for more details and registration details. Advance reservations are required and capacity is limited.

Japanese Girls’ Day (Free Second Sunday), USC Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena, Sunday, 3/8, 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Celebrate Japanese Girls’ Day, or Hinamatsuri! Come see a traditional tiered doll display (hinadan) and learn to create your own dolls and hanging decorations inspired by the festival. The day will include Japanese tea ceremony demonstrations, Student Educator led tours and storytime for kids. Enjoy free admission all day.

Celebrating Nowruz: Iranian New Year, UCLA, Westwood, Sunday, 3/8, 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Join Farhang Foundation for the 12th Annual Celebration of Nowruz at UCLA’s Royce Hall and Dickson Courts. The event includes musical performances, children’s activities, dancers, a Haft Sîn display and the annual Persian Costume “Spring Walk.” Open to children and adults of all ages. Please see website for program information.

Andell Family Sundays—Aire, Agua, Mundo, Fuego, LACMA, Miracle Mile, Sunday, 3/8, 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. (Offered every Sunday in March except 3/29). Make, look, and talk about art at Andell Family Sundays! Drop in anytime between 12:30 and 3:30 pm. This weekly family event features artist-led workshops and friendly gallery tours and activities thematically based on special exhibitions and LACMA’s permanent collection. Create memories together and have fun! This month, be inspired by the remarkable breadth of Venezuelan born Luchita Hurtado’s eight-decade career on display in the exhibit Luchita Hurtado: I Live I Die I Will Be Reborn. Then make your own paintings and drawings inspired by Hurtado’s unique perspective.

Fowler Families: Collaged Connections, Fowler Museum at UCLA, Westwood, Sunday, 3/8, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Create colorful collages using various patterns and materials inspired by the special exhibition Rina Banerjee: Make Me a Summary of the World. This retrospective includes large-scale sculptures and installations made from materials sourced from around the world as well as a selection of works on paper that create a multi-sensory space for reflecting on the splintered experience of identity, tradition, and culture within diasporic communities. Free and open to all.

All remaining events for the month of March have been canceled.

* WEEKEND OF MARCH 14 & 15 *

Ireland: Celtic Dragons (Family Art Workshop), Junior Arts Center at Barnsdall Art Park, Hollywood/Los Feliz, Sunday, 3/15, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Join instructors for a free family art workshop in a real art studio. Each Sunday a different culture and media are featured. All materials are provided.

Andell Family Sundays—Aire, Agua, Mundo, Fuego, LACMA, Miracle Mile, Sunday, 3/15, 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. (Offered every Sunday in March except 3/29). Make, look, and talk about art at Andell Family Sundays! Drop in anytime between 12:30 and 3:30 pm. This weekly family event features artist-led workshops and friendly gallery tours and activities thematically based on special exhibitions and LACMA’s permanent collection. Create memories together and have fun! This month, be inspired by the remarkable breadth of Venezuelan born Luchita Hurtado’s eight-decade career on display in the exhibit Luchita Hurtado: I Live I Die I Will Be Reborn. Then make your own paintings and drawings inspired by Hurtado’s unique perspective.

* WEEKEND OF MARCH 21 & 22 *

Shrimp Party in the Garden, Sjømannskirken Los Angeles, San Pedro, Saturday, 3/21, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. All are welcome to attend Sjømannskirken’s annual Shrimp Party in the Garden. Long community tables will be set up outside and shrimp will be served Norwegian style. Lasagna will be available for those who don’t eat shrimp. Price is $25/adult, $5/child, or $50/family. Register to attend by emailing iwa@sjomannskirken.no.

Persia: Persian Tiles for New Year (Family Art Workshop), Junior Arts Center at Barnsdall Art Park, Hollywood/Los Feliz, Sunday, 3/22, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Join instructors for a free family art workshop in a real art studio. Each Sunday a different culture and media are featured. All materials are provided.

Andell Family Sundays—Aire, Agua, Mundo, Fuego, LACMA, Miracle Mile, Sunday, 3/22, 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. (Offered every Sunday in March except 3/29). Make, look, and talk about art at Andell Family Sundays! Drop in anytime between 12:30 and 3:30 pm. This weekly family event features artist-led workshops and friendly gallery tours and activities thematically based on special exhibitions and LACMA’s permanent collection. Create memories together and have fun! This month, be inspired by the remarkable breadth of Venezuelan born Luchita Hurtado’s eight-decade career on display in the exhibit Luchita Hurtado: I Live I Die I Will Be Reborn. Then make your own paintings and drawings inspired by Hurtado’s unique perspective.

* WEEKEND OF MARCH 28 & 29 *

Red Envelope Show, Chinese American Museum, Downtown LA, closes March 29. Exchanging red envelopes is a beloved tradition in many Asian and Asian American communities. The color red symbolizes good luck and prosperity. During Lunar New Year, these envelopes are often handed out to provide good luck. From whimsical to elegant, red envelopes often bear designs that represent auspice and special occasions. Red Envelope Show takes a fresh look at this ephemeral art, which features hundreds of red envelopes decorated with original artwork by over 250 contemporary artists from across the country.

International Children’s Festival, Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach, Saturday, 3/28, & Sunday, 3/29. The annual International Children’s Festival celebrates the amazing talents of children of many cultures. West African, Mexican, Pacific Islander, Cambodian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Persian, Irish, Slovak, and Czech dance are among the children’s performances, along with martial arts demonstrations and an international children’s choir. Kids of all ages can partake in a percussion circle, Japanese origami, Native American crafts, and Pacific Islander traditional children’s games.

India: Henna Hand Patterns (Family Art Workshop), Junior Arts Center at Barnsdall Art Park, Hollywood/Los Feliz, Sunday, 3/29, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Join instructors for a free family art workshop in a real art studio. Each Sunday a different culture and media are featured. All materials are provided.

Ukrainian Pysanka Festival, Ukrainian Culture Center, Los Angeles, Sunday, 3/29, 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Enjoy the talent and tradition of learning how to make beautiful Ukrainian Easter Eggs and enjoy other Ukrainian cultural activities and delicious food. Attendees can sample authentic Ukrainian food, participate in several workshops, watch lively Ukrainian dancing, enjoy other crafts and learn how to make a real Pysanka (traditional Ukrainian Easter egg). Great fun for the entire family!

Feel free to add events for the current month in the comments below. If you have suggestions about future events and celebrations to include in upcoming months, please email the details. Thank you!

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