Thousands Gathered for 4th Annual Lummis Day

Almost five thousand people representing the rainbow of cultures in Northeast L.A gathered for Lummis Day 2009, the 4th celebration of the annual multi-cultural festival, presented by the Autry National Center, the Annenberg Foundation and the neighborhood councils of Northeast L.A.

Culture Clash: Ric Salinas, Herbert Siguenza and Richard Montoya

The 4th annual Lummis Day featured an expanded line-up of musicians, dance groups, poets, puppets, theatrical performances and restaurant booths.

The Monolators

Over 20 music, dance, theatre and poetry performances were staged with the participation of over 100 performing artists. Admission to all events was free.

Lisa Dee as Dulcinea and Chris Goodwin as Sancho in Juli Crockett's "Dawn of Quixote"

Performers included Ozomatli's Wil-Dog, I See Hawks in L.A., BombaChante, Culture Clash, The Monolators, Seasons, the Carlos Guitarlos Band the Eugene Edwards Band, the Lula Washington Professional Development Ensemble, the cast of Juli Crockett's "Dawn of Quixote,” the Puppets and Players Little Theater and many others.

KTTV's Hal Eisner introduces Kultura Phillippine Folk Arts

Lummis Day was celebrated at three sites, all within walking distance of the Metro's Southwest Museum Gold Line station. Lummis Home (poetry and music) Sycamore Grove Park (music, dance, theater and food),and the Autry National Center's Casa de Adobe (art exhibitions).

A dancer in Lula Washington's Professional Development Ensemble

The Lummis Day Festival was created to celebrate the patchwork of cultures that enriches the city. Artists represented Latino, Tagalog, Native American, Anglo and African-American traditions. Music included blues, rock, banda, salsa, jazz and country. Dance troupes represented Philippine, Mexican, Pacific Island and jazz dance traditions. Poets, painters and culinary artists, all with local connections, added to the Festival's collection of cultures.

Wil Dog Y Su Banda

Lummis Day takes its name from Charles Fletcher Lummis, who joined the L.A. Times as the newspaper's first city editor in 1876. A prolific writer and photographer, Lummis was also one of the city's first librarians, founded the Southwest Museum and helped introduce the concept of multi-culturalism to Southern California.

The Puppets and Players Little Theatre

The 4th Annual Lummis Day: The Festival of Northeast Los Angeles was presented by the Autry National Center, the Annenberg Foundation and the neighborhood councils of Northeast Los Angeles (Arroyo Seco, Historic Highland Park, Greater Cypress Park, Eagle Rock, L.A. 32 and Glassell Park.) The Highland Park Heritage Trust, Jose Huizar and Council District 14, Ed Reyes and Council District 1, the Department of Recreation and Parks, and Poets & Writers Inc provided additional sponsorship. through a grant it has received from the James Irvine Foundation. This concert was sponsored by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission.

The AM/PM Band

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Click here for MORE great Lummis Day photos:

These are compliments of Arroyo Seco Journal photographer Art Villanueva and Eddie Rivera: http://tinyurl.com/lbftgw

.. and a few more, compliments of Martha Benedict: http://www.montecitohts.org/lummis09/01.shtml

.. and these are on Flicker from Cheryl Johnson: http://www.flickr.com/groups/lummisday2009/
Cheryl says, "Anyone with Lummis Day photos, please feel free to join and add your images."

.. here are photos of Lummis Day 2009 by Al Strange that appear on Facebook

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Lummis Day Schedule

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