Free Family-Friendly Festival Open to the Public Takes Over Jerry Moss Plaza in Downtown L.A.
Saturday, April 27, 2024, from 11:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
LOS ANGELES (March 14, 2024) – Offering unique opportunities for creative expression to Angelenos of all abilities, The Music Center invites parents, youth and community members of all ages to its revered The Music Center’s Very Special Arts Festival: Family Day on Saturday, April 27, 2024, from 11:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. on Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center. The free half-day festival, open to the public, will be held for the third time since debuting in 2022; it is an offshoot of The Music Center’s longstanding Very Special Arts Festival, which has been entertaining and inspiring school groups from throughout Los Angeles County for the past 45 years.
The theme of this year’s festival, “Empowered by the Arts,” sets the tone for all Angelenos to discover and express their creative potential—through dance performances, music workshops, art activities, mask-making and more—as well as connect with one another in a safe and vibrant environment in the heart of Downtown L.A.
“The Music Center’s Very Special Arts Festival: Family Day should be at the top of every family’s to-do list. The many opportunities at the festival to experience heartwarming dance performances, music-making and art activities altogether—with the support and guidance of teaching artists and staff—will help families make beautiful and cherished memories," said Rachel S. Moore, president and CEO of The Music Center. “Dorothy Buffum Chandler, who founded The Music Center 60 years ago, would be thrilled to see Angelenos of all ages and abilities filling their lives with the joy and magic of the arts.”
Guests attending The Music Center’s Very Special Arts Festival: Family Day will enjoy a number of activities:*
- Dance workshops
- Taiko drumming lessons
- Art-making and face painting workshops
Performers for The Music Center’s Very Special Arts Festival: Family Day include:*
- AbilityFirst
- The Alley Cats
- Free 2 Be Me Dance
- Illusions by Allen
- Little Tokyo Service Center
- The Miracle Project
- Straight Up Abilities
- TAIKOPROJECT
* Artists and programs subject to change.
On Friday, April 26, 2024, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (the day before The Music Center’s Very Special Arts Festival: Family Day), thousands of local students will converge on Jerry Moss Plaza to participate in The Music Center’s 45th Annual Very Special Arts Festival, which is exclusively geared to students of all abilities. They will be offered the exciting opportunity to perform in front of an audience, showcase their visual artwork in a virtual art gallery and enjoy artmaking, among other activities. The student-focused festival on Friday is part of The Music Center’s enduring multi-faceted arts learning program that serves more than 150,000 students and educators annually throughout Los Angeles County.
Both The Music Center’s Very Special Arts Festival: Family Day and The Music Center’s 45th Annual Very Special Arts Festival will be hosted by actor David Prather. The Music Center will provide an ASL interpreter on both days.
“Creativity thrives when everyone is given the opportunity to express themselves through the arts. This is the primary reason why, in 2022, we expanded The Music Center’s longstanding Very Special Arts Festival, which is dedicated to youth of all abilities, to a second day that is open to all Angelenos and their families,” said Keith Wyffels, associate vice president of education, TMC Arts. “We invite everyone to experience the beauty of the arts. Get ready to be inspired, transformed and empowered!”
Families seeking more fun and free adventures in Downtown L.A. are encouraged to walk to Gloria Molina Grand Park, located directly across the street from Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center, for Gloria Molina Grand Park’s Easy Mornings, from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Easy Mornings will feature a number of holistic activities, including yoga, wellness, arts & crafts, and sports games that will inspire Angelenos to broaden their imagination, engage with one another and pave a better and healthier future by honoring Earth Day and green living. Families can also shop for sustainable clothing, toys and gifts from a marketplace, curated by Streetlet, comprised of local small business owners and makers. Individuals, parents and caregivers can support neighborhood businesses as youth play, connect and create. The park’s favorite food trucks will be onsite offering food and beverages for purchase; on-site picnicking is also highly encouraged.
The Music Center’s 45th Annual Very Special Arts Festival and The Music Center’s Very Special Arts Festival: Festival Day are made possible by generous support from Tina and Jerry Moss/Moss Foundation; Mimi Song; Ring-Miscikowski Foundation/The Ring Foundation; LSMK Investments; The Robert Nelson Foundation; The Kenneth T. and Eileen L. Norris Foundation; and The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.
To RSVP for the festival’s Family Day, visit musiccenter.org/familyday.
CALENDAR LISTING
WHAT:
The Music Center’s Very Special Arts Festival: Family Day
A free family-friendly event for Angelenos of all abilities and ages to explore, express and show off their creativity, ranging from arts workshops and dance performances to musical lessons. Let your creativity thrive!
WHEN:
Saturday, April 27, 2024
11:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
WHERE:
Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center
135 N. Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90012
MORE INFO:
musiccenter.org/familyday
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. Celebrating its 60th year in 2024, 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 Gloria Molina 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 Gloria Molina 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 social media @MusicCenterLA.
ABOUT GLORIA MOLINA GRAND PARK
A vibrant outdoor gathering place, Gloria Molina Grand Park is a beautiful public park for the entire community in Los Angeles County. With expansive green space for gatherings large and small, Gloria Molina 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 Gloria Molina Grand Park, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2022, 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 Gloria Molina Grand Park on Instagram, X, Twitch, TikTok, Spotify and Mixcloud (@grandpark_la) as well as YouTube and Facebook (@grandparkLosAngeles).
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