Yesterday I took my daughter to the annual Holiday Celebration at the Music Center in downtown Los Angeles. Two years ago I blogged about the same program, but it is a six-hour event with music and dance performances by some of the best community groups in greater Los Angeles.
The Christmas Eve event is free to the public, as well as parking (no small matter in downtown Los Angeles). Along with performances featuring holiday songs, the program highlights Los Angeles' cultural diversity in the arts.
We arrived at the Music Center about five minutes after 2pm (the event starts at 3), but after finding unexpectedly long lines before opening two years ago, I wanted to try to get there a little earlier. Getting into the parking lot was slow because the attendants were having everyone sign the parking ticket before they were allowed to enter.
We ended up a little further back in the line compared to two years ago, between the Mark Taper Forum and the Ahmanson Theatre where the line made a turn, but the staff member told someone next to us that we should be able to get into the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (the largest of four venues at the Music Center). The line starting moving at around 2:30, and in fact we were able to sit at the back of the orchestra level, with a pretty good view of the stage.
This year we got to see the Los Angeles Master Chorale, a Korean female drum ensemble, Mexican mariachi dancers, young girls doing Russian folk dances, and a hot salsa band. The diversity of the region is really well reflected in the choice of performers, and it is one of the joys of living in Los Angeles to experience this kind of diversity in the arts and music.
By the time we left around 4:30 there were lines inside the auditorium waiting for seats to open up, and a long, long line outside waiting for people to exit the auditorium.
I've heard that the last two hours of the program are usually less crowded with no wait, possibly because lots of people have other plans in the evening on Christmas Eve. So if you don't want to wait in any kind of line, that might be the best recommendation for when to go to the annual Holiday Celebration.
Best wishes to everyone for a joyous and peaceful Christmas and holiday season.
