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Best Upcoming Art Festivals In Los Angeles

There are plenty of opportunities in Los Angeles to admire the work of our local artists. All over the city galleries and establishments prepare to receive hundreds of visitors on specific dates reserved for "art walks." Others are open to the public on a weekly basis, while still others are annual events that take much preparation and are highly anticipated. The following are some of the events scheduled for the next few weeks.

Los Angeles Downtown Art Walk
Spring and Main Streets between 2nd and 9th Streets
Downtown Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 617-4929
www.downtownartwalk.org

Downtown Art Walk
(credit: downtownartwalk.org)

Price: Free
Hours: 2nd Thursday of the month – 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Spring and Main Streets in Los Angeles will buzz with people on April 12 as art lovers move from one gallery to the next, purchase food from one of the dozens of food trucks available, watch their kids rock climb in the dedicated children areas, or find their friends in their "meet-up" groups, be it for art lovers or amateur photographers. Parking can be difficult in the evening hours, so arrive as early as possible for easier access.

San Pedro Art Walk
4th to 7th Streets between South Pacific Ave and Palos Verdes Streets
San Pedro, CA
www.1stthursday.com

The Loft Galleries First Thursday
(credit: The Loft Galleries/the-loft.net)

Price: Free
Hours: 1st Thursday of the month – 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Dozens of art galleries in the San Pedro Arts District will be open this April 5 to anyone wanting to attend an artist exhibit or see an artist at work. The establishments of the area participate by adding live music to their evening schedules, or one can choose to eat from one of the food trucks that line up the streets. A free, one-hour tour is available starting from the Chamber of Commerce at 6:30 p.m. However, each month the organizers provide a different itinerary to ensure the best experience. The itinerary can be downloaded from the website.

Silverlake Art Craft & Vintage
Micheltorena Street Elementary School
1511 Micheltorena Street (cross street Sunset Blvd)
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(323) 467-0623
www.silverlakeartcraftvintage.com

Silverlake Art Craft & Vintage
(credit: silverlakeartcraftvintage.com)

Price: Free
Hours: 2nd Saturday of the month – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Anyone with a seller's permit who sells only occasionally can be a vendor at this weekly festival. The result is a large variety of items for sale – recently painted, sewn, created, new and used items. This is the place to shop for a unique gift that can not be easily found elsewhere – a cool bag, one-of-a-kind jewelry, and clothes new and vintage in all colors and sizes. This month's art market will be held April 14.

Pomona Art Walk
Downtown Pomona
North Garey Ave and West 2nd Street
Pomona, CA 91766
www.metropomona.com

Downtown Pomona Art Walk
(credit: metropomona.com)

Price: Free
Hours: Second and last Saturdays of the month – 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.

This month the Pomona Art Walk will be held on the 14th and the 28th days. Close to 40 galleries, as well as cafes, restaurants and clubs open their doors to the large amount of people who want to gallery hop to admire and/or purchase art. This is a family event that showcases painting, jewelry work, photographs, ceramics, and other types of arts and crafts, many of them created by local artists.

Related: The Affordable Art Fair in Los Angeles

Very Special Arts Festival
Walt Disney Concert Hall
111 South Grand Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(323) 722-7994
musiccenter.org/education/vsaf.html

Walt Disney Concert Hall
(credit: Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Getty Images)

Price: Free
Date: May 3, 2012 – 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

This festival celebrates the artistic achievements of students with disabilities along with their mainstream peers. Students, most of them selected and entered into the festival by their teachers, display their works of art or perform on stage for the crowd. This year's festival's theme is "Into The Future." Opportunities to volunteer at the festival are also available by calling the phone number listed above.

Related: Best Impressionist Art in Los Angeles

Dena Burroughs is a freelance writer living in Azusa, CA. She is a CSULA graduate with specialties in Creative Writing and Communications. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.


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