Festival Beverly Hills Celebrates Cultures of the Community

On July 21, the second annual Festival Beverly Hills brought together nearly 3,000 attendees of all ages from 15 different cultures in a celebration of food, dance, storytelling and other activities at Beverly Gardens Park. The festival was made possible by the Community Services Department and Arts and Culture Commission as well as multiple partnering consulates, including those of Senegal, Trinidad and Tobago, Colombia and El Salvador, and the Farhang Foundation, a nonprofit that celebrates Iranian arts and culture.

Families danced to Jewish soul music by Klezmer Juice, skipping and twirling as the group’s bassoonist encouraged members of the audience to join in. Colombian dancers who were decorated in red, blue and yellow watched Hawaiian hula dancers wearing leis and vibrant dresses as they moved in swaying motions to a vocal performance by composer Daniel Ho. Across the street, Mayan performers dressed in ornate feathered headdresses and traditional garments waited in line for Cuban and Colombian bites as street poets took the stage behind them. On the other side of the lily pond, families joined together for a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, where they could whisk their own matcha. Beverly Hills Mayor Lester Friedman and City Councilmembers Craig Corman and John Mirisch also took part in a drum circle led by Senegalese musician, Malick Sow.

 

“Yesterday was a beautiful day filled with vibrant cultural experiences, amazing performances and community spirit,” said Vice Mayor Sharona Nazarian in a social media post. Blue Planet and Hyperacuity also contributed to the festival by incorporating a virtual cave-exploring experience of China’s Mogao Caves.

Guests who wanted to take a break from the heat enjoyed Brazilian acai bowls and New Zealand soft serve from the festival’s array of food trucks. Larger offerings included hamburgesas Colombianas (Colombian hamburgers), perros calientes (Colombian hot dogs), Cuban sandwiches and bowls, loaded Creole fries with shrimp or chicken and Persian creations by Chef Mojdeh.

 

Throughout the day, multiple musical performances flooded Beverly Gardens Park with sounds of cultures from around the world. Afro-Cuban musicians Changui Majadero and steel pan drummers Einstein Brown and Cecil “Sensi” Francis kept beat on different stages during the festival while fiddle player Lily Henley filled the air with Sephardic melodies. Two different DJs made sure the vibes were high as attendees participated in activities and dancers also played an important part in setting the musical ambience. Groups such as Ballet Folklorico Flor de Mayo and The Four Corners of Colombia with Daniel Mondragon took the stage to tell stories that have been passed down through generations by traditional dance. Their vibrant performances celebrated their connection to their past while reflecting an appreciation for life.

In between musical sets, Senegalese storyteller Arsalan Ibrahim, marginalized poets and Iranian puppeteers told stories in a different way. Street poets performed stories and verses they had written about cultural hardships and misconceptions. Many seats were left empty as poets filled the air with a heavier tone, speaking about the realities of growing up in marginalized communities. But their short performances were a reminder that learning about other cultures can involve learning about suffering as well. The Farhang Foundation followed with a lighter performance of a fairy tale puppet show that immersed audiences in Iranian heritage. After the show, they led a puppet-making workshop so that young festivalgoers could create a character and tell stories of their own culture.

 

In total, the festival featured 15 cultures from around the world, uniting the community through learning the differences and similarities of each person’s heritage. Throughout the day, the park welcomed nearly 3,000 guests from many different cultures from around Los Angeles, showcasing the diversity that makes the city so unique.