Highly Anticipated Celebration for the Whole Family Starts the Countdown to Grand Park’s Momentous 10th Anniversary
Two Stages of Entertainment to Feature L.A.’s Global and Diverse Sounds with Afro Funke’, Angel City All Star Brass Band, Ethio Cali, QUITAPENAS; Funky Grooves by L.A.’s Most Popular DJs; and Some of the Most Lauded Spoken Word Poets Anywhere
LOS ANGELES (June 24, 2022)—Grand Park, powered by The Music Center, will affirm its status as the park for everyone with the return of Grand Park’s 4th of July Block Party, Downtown L.A.’s largest free Fourth of July celebration. After a two-year hiatus during the pandemic, Grand Park will welcome Angelenos back to the highly popular in-person event with live entertainment and an unrivaled fireworks show launched from the rooftop of The Music Center’s iconic Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.
With gates opening at 4:00 p.m., the nearly six-hour festivity geared for the whole family includes music performances showcasing L.A.’s global and diverse sounds, DJ sets, spoken word recitals and more on two stages. The ultimate July Fourth neighborhood party will be spread across the six city blocks that comprise Grand Park. Attendees are welcome to bring a picnic or enjoy a variety of delectable food options for purchase from L.A.’s favorite gourmet food trucks, including tacos, barbecue, burgers, vegan, desserts and more. Alcohol is not permitted and will not be sold at Grand Park. For a complete list of Grand Park’s prohibited items and activities, visit grandparkla.org
“Grand Park is proud to be the flagship location for L.A. County’s communal holiday celebrations since the park opened in 2012. With the return of in-person events, we are going to be celebrating in full force this year to commemorate both our nation’s independence and Grand Park’s notable 10th anniversary,” said Julia Diamond, director of Grand Park. “This Fourth of July, we are bringing back to our stages some of the musicians and DJs who have performed at Grand Park over the past 10 years. These artistic partners continue to be integral to the park’s success and are a vital part of the many amazing memories the park has created for hundreds of thousands of park visitors. This July Fourth, we know they will help create new memories for the whole family!”
“Watching an amazing fireworks show in the middle of Downtown L.A. with your family and friends is the quintessential summer outing,” said Rachel S. Moore, president and CEO of The Music Center. “We are expecting more than 30,000 people this year to attend Grand Park’s 4th of July Block Party—this will be our biggest public event since the beginning of the pandemic. We are ready to light up downtown’s night sky and remind all Angelenos that Grand Park is the park for everyone.”
When the first two blocks of the 12-acre park were opened on July 26, 2012, Grand Park immediately transformed an underutilized, neglected and unknown piece of real estate plagued by grade changes, lack of visibility from the street, and garage access ramps into Los Angeles’ central gathering space. Now, more than one million Angelenos visit the park annually to enjoy its multiple lawns, gardens and stages and experience cultural, community and civic events, festivals, holiday celebrations, outdoor health and wellness activities and more. The third and fourth blocks of the park opened on October 6, 2012, completing a 12-year planning process.
Originally conceived as a dynamic cultural and global crossroads, Grand Park has become an authentic space that demonstrates what it means to be a reflection of one of the most diverse, dynamic and complex counties in the nation. Over the past 10 years, this vision has become a reality, with the park honoring the creativity of Angelenos through its free year-round programming rooted in hometown pride.
Grand Park’s 4th of July Block Party will include a spectrum of L.A.’s global and diverse sounds performed on The Backyard Stage—ranging from the Afrobeat, Brazilian, Dub Reggae, Cumbia, Samba Disco and other deep-rooted Funk music of Afro Funke’, to Ethio Cali’s Golden Age of Ethiopian Jazz and Soul, to QUITAPENAS’ liberating anthems of Angola, Peru, Colombia and Brazil—and some of L.A.’s most popular DJs who will turn up the bass and spin tantalizing beats from The Front Yard Stage. Sharing The Front Yard Stage will be some of Flypoet’s most celebrated spoken word poets.
Grand Park’s 4th of July Block Party 2022 Line Up (All artists and set times subject to change.)
THE BACKYARD STAGE (Grand Park’s Event Lawn next to City Hall, between Broadway and Spring Street)
4:00 – 4:30 p.m.: DJ Francesca Harding
4:30 – 5:15 p.m.: Angel City All Star Brass Band
5:15 – 5:30 p.m.: Jeremy Sole
5:30 – 6:15 p.m.: Ethio Cali
6:15 – 6:45 p.m.: DJ Francesca Harding
6:45 – 7:30 p.m.: QUITAPENAS
7:30 – 7:45 p.m.: DJ Francesca Harding
7:45 – 9:00 p.m.: Afro Funke’ with DJs Jeremy Sole and Glenn Red, featuring Rocky Dawuni
9:00 – 9:15 p.m.: Fireworks with playlist by Rani de Leon
9:15 – 9:30 p.m.: Afro Funke’
THE FRONT YARD STAGE (Grand Park’s Performance Lawn between Grand Avenue and Hill Street)
4:00 – 4:40 p.m.: Anthony Valadez + KG Superstar
4:40 – 5:00 p.m.: Flypoet | Thea Monyee
5:00 – 6:10 p.m.: DJ Monalisa
6:10 – 6:30 p.m.: Flypoet | Sekou Andrews
6:30 – 7:40 p.m.: DJ Linafornia
7:40 – 8:00 p.m.: Flypoet | Lem “Saint” Gonsalves
8:00 – 9:00 p.m.: Anthony Valadez + KG Superstar
9:00 – 9:15 p.m.: Fireworks with playlist by Rani de Leon
9:15 – 9:30 p.m.: Anthony Valadez + KG Superstar
As an added attraction to Grand Park’s 4th of July Block Party celebration, the park will showcase several captivating art projects onsite including digital works by Nany Cárdenas and an art installation by Jimenez Lai in partnership with NOW ART LA, featuring sound design by Morgan Sorne.
Public parking will be available at The Music Center (135 N. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012) and Walt Disney Concert Hall (111 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012) at a flat rate of $9 per vehicle. Additional parking lots near Grand Park will be available. However, given the large number of guests expected at the event, members of the public are highly encouraged to take public transportation. Grand Park is located conveniently at the Civic Center/Grand Park station along the Metro B Line (Red) and Metro D Line (Purple).
Attendees may access Grand Park’s grounds through four specially-marked entrances:
- Olive and 1st Streets
- Hill and Temple Streets
- Main and 1st Streets
- Broadway and 1st Street
Following its signature Grand Park’s 4th of July Block Party, Grand Park will hold a number of free events over the next five months, including B-Boy Summit, Grand Park’s Sunday Sessions, DTLA Proud, Grand Park’s Downtown Día de los Muertos and Grand Park's NYELA, each of which will acknowledge the park’s 10th anniversary. The anniversary celebration will culminate on Saturday, October 8, 2022, with a free evening concert open to the public and a family fun day the following day on Sunday, October 9.
Throughout its 10-year history, Grand Park has joined forces with more than 250 community and county partners and over 1,000 artists spanning a broad mix of genres, from dance, to music, to visual art and more, ranging from poet Amanda Gorman to musical artist Aloe Blacc, and creating experiences that support the multiplicity of voices throughout L.A. County. These partners bring their rich experiences and perspectives to create a tapestry in the park that is uniquely L.A. Grand Park has become a leader among U.S. urban parks, using arts and culture programming as an equity and bridge-building tool for social change. The park’s programming is often co-produced and co-created with local artists and community partners from across the county, putting their voices at the forefront of this prominent public space and creating a powerful platform for empowerment, joy and well-being. The park is an excellent example of how arts and culture can play a vital role in connecting people in public green spaces through accessible programs and experiences that honor, reflect and celebrate the art, culture and aesthetics of their communities.
Grand Park’s 4th of July Block Party is generously supported by The Grand LA. Located at the cultural epicenter of Los Angeles, The Grand LA, opening in Summer 2022, is designed to become a 24-7 destination for shopping, dining, entertainment and hospitality, as well as a paradigm-shifting place to live.
For the latest information, visit grandparkla.org. Follow Grand Park on Facebook (GrandParkLosAngeles), as well as Twitter, Instagram and TikTok (@GrandPark_LA).
CALENDAR LISTING
WHAT: Grand Park’s 4th of July Block Party
WHEN: Monday, July 4, 2022
4:00 p.m.– 9:30 p.m.
Gates open at 4:00 p.m.
Fireworks launch at 9:00 p.m.
WHERE: Grand Park
200 N. Grand Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
For a complete list of Grand Park’s prohibited items and activities, visit grandparkla.org
TRANSPORTATION: Public parking will be available at two locations for $9 per vehicle:
The Music Center Walt Disney Concert Hall
135 N. Grand Ave. 111 S. Grand Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90012 Los Angeles, CA 90012
Additional parking lots near Grand Park will be available.
Given the large number of attendees expected, the public is highly encouraged to take public transportation. Grand Park is located conveniently at the Civic Center/Grand Park station along the Metro B Line (Red) and Metro D Line (Purple).
About Grand Park
Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2022 as a vibrant outdoor gathering place, Grand Park is a beautiful public park for the entire community in Los Angeles County. With expansive green space for gatherings large and small, Grand Park celebrates the county’s cultural vitality and is host to community events, cultural experiences, holiday celebrations and many other activities that engage and attract visitors from all communities. The 12-acre Grand Park stretches from The Music Center on the west to City Hall on the east and is easily accessible by Metro via the B/D (formerly Red/Purple) line to the Civic Center/Grand Park station. The park was named one of American Planning Association’s 10 “Great Public Spaces” in the U.S. for 2013. Working closely with the county, The Music Center is responsible for all operations and programming for the park. For more information, visit grandparkla.org. Follow Grand Park on Instagram, Twitter, Twitch, TikTok, Spotify and Mixcloud (@grandpark_la) as well as YouTube and Facebook (@grandparkLosAngeles).
About The Music Center
The Music Center convenes artists, communities and ideas with the goal of deepening the cultural lives of every resident in Los Angeles County. The $70 million non-profit performing arts organization has two divisions: TMC Arts and TMC Ops. TMC Arts, The Music Center’s programming engine, provides year-round programming inside The Music Center’s four theatres, on Jerry Moss Plaza, outside at Grand Park—a 12-acre adjacent green space—in schools and other locations all over Los Angeles County and on a digital platform called The Music Center Offstage. TMC Arts presents world-class dance with Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center, free and low-cost public concerts and events, as well as live and digital K–12 arts education programs, workshops, performances, interactive experiences and special events. TMC Ops manages the theatres, the Plaza and Grand Park, which comprise $2 billion in county assets, on behalf of the County of Los Angeles. The Music Center is also home to four renowned resident companies—Center Theatre Group, Los Angeles Master Chorale, LA Opera and LA Phil. For more information, visit musiccenter.org. Follow The Music Center on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @MusicCenterLA.
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