Summer Solstice Celebration kicks off today at 4 p.m. in Alameda Park with the Solstice Festival. The event runs until 9 p.m., with musical and dance entertainment. But if that’s too short notice for you to make an exit from L.A., plan on joining the Saturday fuBeginning at noon Saturday, the Summer Solstice Parade will feature more than 1,000 parade participants, floats, costumes and dancing ensembles. For the parade — its theme is “Splash” — the number of spectators is expected to exceed 100,000.aThe parade begins at noon at Cota Street, heading down State Street to Micheltorena. It should be a great showcase of the area’s creativity, as the elements of the parade (floats, costumes, etc.) are created by community members. No advertisements or motorized vehicles will be allowed in the parade. Nudity won’t be permitted either, by the way. At Alameda Park, the end of the route, day two of the Solstice Festival commences with live music, food, crafts, a beer and wine garden, and a drum circle. (I guess you really can’t have a solstice celebration without a drum circle.) The parade floats will be displayed at the festival, and a children’s stage will host musicians, storytellers, mimes and other performers.
More seriously, it looks like it will be a blast. The Beer Goddess, Lisa Morrison, will be judging the event along with Abe Goldman-Armstrong, and there are some fair-sized bragging rights at stake. Of course, there will be more kegs of good beer than you can shake a stick at, so whether you find the festivities interesting or not, your attention will be occupied.Noon-8pm, on the beach, kids are encouraged and can participate in the Root Beer Games. All proceeds go to charity.
