Golden Dragon Parade and Festival

Celebrate the Lunar New Year

with the

Golden Dragon Parade

Saturday, February 20, 2010
And Festival
Saturday and Sunday, February
20 and 21, 2010

In celebrating over one hundred years of tradition, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles presents the 111th Annual Golden Dragon Parade. With over 110,000 individuals lining the parade route and thousands viewing the telecast each year, this colorful celebration along North Broadway in Chinatown has become the premiere cultural event in the Southern California Asian-American Community.

Since the mid-1980’s, the Golden Dragon Parade has expanded to include almost two dozen floats, multiple marching bands, government officials, various dignitaries, entertainers, local business leaders and cultural groups. The parade’s theme emphasizes ethnic diversity, Chinese Culture and exposure to Chinese-American businesses. The parade continues to be a rich and diverse experience for Angelenos of all ages and ethnicities.

The day of the Lunar New Year is the most celebrated holiday of the year for nearly 1.5 million persons of Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese decent in Southern California. It is celebrated with colorful festivals, parades, and most importantly, large family gatherings. It is also a time when ancestors are fondly remembered and families give thanks for their blessings. Red packets of money (“Lai See” or “Hung Bao”) and firecrackers add fun and excitement to the Chinese New Year celebration.

More History....

Over one hundred years ago, the Chinese community began to participate in the parade of the City of Los Angeles. In 1898, the Chinese lion and dragon procession were regarded as one of the most beautiful unit in the City’s Annual La Fiesta Parade. With this initial participation in the parade, the Chinese community was applauded for its contribution to the celebration. The Fiesta committee immediately requested that the Chinese community permanently join in this annual event. During these early years, the Chinese Merchants Association organized and sponsored the lion dance procession, in addition to one or two parade floats. At one point the organization also arranged for the use of a dragon from the Chinese community in Marysville, California. Eventually, they raised $1,500 to acquire a dragon that required 25 men to maneuver. Their units were always considered the main attraction of the Fiesta Parade and had always drawn a very enthusiastic and excited crowd.

In 1956, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles (formerly Chinatown Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles) joined in the celebration. New dragonheads were imported from Hong Kong and local family association members were hired to perform the cultural dances. In the early 1960’s, the lion and dragon dancers would visit every Chinese business along the parade route. Financial support for the parade included fundraising dinners and door-to-door solicitations to gather support from the Chinatown business community.

After the Vietnam War in 1975, Indo-Chinese refugees poured into the United States and soon became active in our community. Local family associations, Buddhist temples, and community-based organizations mushroomed and the parade became a focal point for community participation.

In the 1970’s, actor and martial arts master Bruce Lee was the Grand Marshal of our parade. Since then other Grand Marshall’s have included David Carradine and Keye Luke from the television series “Kung Fu”, Hugh Hefner of Playboy Magazine, Lindsay Wagner from “Bionic Woman”, Dr. Haing S. Ngor from the motion picture “The Killing Fields”, Kieu Chinh from “Joy Luck Club”, and Garrett Wang from television’s “Star Trek Voyagers”. Over the years, many other celebrities have also participated in our Golden Dragon Parade.

The parade originally took place on Friday nights but was changed to Saturday afternoons to allow for greater community participation. We now draw over 110,000 anxious spectators each year along North Broadway in Los Angeles’ Chinatown!

Without a doubt, the Golden Dragon Parade is the highlight of the Chinese New Year in Southern California.

For the full events schedule over the entire month of February, go here. To purchase Grandstand Seats for the Parade, call the CCCLA Office at (213) 617-0396. And come back to leave a comment on the blog if you attend and enjoy the weekend!

Free Chai Latte Today

You are invited!

Join Coffee Bean for a complimentary 12oz Chai beverage! Choose from Chai Mate, Chai Rooibos, or Chai Tea Latte.

When: Friday, February 12th, 4pm-7pm
Where: Participating The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® store locations*

*Only valid at participating The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® store locations in CA, AZ, TX, NV. Excludes San Francisco, HI, all Ralphs stores, casinos, military base, campus or airport locations. Valid only on February 12, 2010, from 4pm to 7pm. Offer applies to 12oz. Chai Mate, Chai Rooibos or Chai Tea Latte only. No substitutions. Limit one complimentary drink per customer. Check your local store for details.

Infused Olive Oil

My friend came over today to show me how to make infused olive oil: sooo easy, and super-fancy for gift giving. Turns out, all you need is a candy thermometer to heat the oil and herbal infusion to 180 degrees. My friend had already made rosemary oil, and says she uses it to prepare fish and chicken. So today we tried lemon olive oil. We used one large (costco-sized) bottle of olive oil, with the zest of about ten lemons.

Tip: make sure the candy thermometer is submerged in the oil, withOUT touching the bottom of the pan, so you get an accurate reading of the liquid rather than the cooking pot.

Afterwards, cool and bottle into airtight jars (like my thrift store liquor bottle find which I first cleaned then sterilized by boiling), then store just as you would with unopened oil, in a dark cabinet at room temp. The sediment sank in the pot, so was a bit of a challenge to get into the bottle. The resulting product has a slight lemon-y tang that should increase with time. Can't wait to dip a great ciabatta roll into this!

BlackboardEats Los Angeles

Earlier this week, I posted about the website Restaurant.Com. I've just learned about another web membership that can save you up to 30% on upscale dining in Los Angeles.

On Blackboard Eats, subscribe for free to get delicious deals (30% off your meal, free appetizers, etc.) at LA or NY's best restaurants e-mailed to you every week. When you are interested in a deal you have 24 hours to click on the "Get this special!" button to get your unique BlackboardEats discount passcode. You must use your passcode at the restaurant within 30 days of getting the code. The passcode is good for one-time use only and can be applied to your entire bill. Mention your passcode to the host at the restaurant when you arrive. Reservations are suggested unless the restaurant has a walk-in-only policy. And remember, be kind to your server...please tip on the bill before the discount. Enjoy your meal and the deal!

Restaurant.com offers up to 80% off via a physical printed coupon, but you must put out a small amount of cash to the site in exchange. Blackboard Eats is a lesser discount, but completely free, though less tangible, since you're only given a code which you must write down and bring. Restaurant.com is national, while Blackboard Eats operates only in New York or Los Angeles.

I've yet to try Blackboard Eats--I just signed up with them. Do you have any experience to relate? Please leave a comment on the blog.

Disaster Preparedness for Pets

I came across a website today which gives great information to pet owners on preparing for emergencies. Hurricane Katrina pointed starkly to the need to be prepared for all family members, including pets. Check out all the advice on EvacuateMyPet.com. It provides questions to think about in advance when preparing an emergency kit and evacuation plan. I know it pointed out my deficiencies. Now I can work towards being ready, whatever the circumstances.

Do you have an emergency preparedness kit for your home? Did you remember to include your pets? What questions on the above website were useful to you? Please leave a comment on the blog with your experiences.

LA Street Food Festival

Treat your taste buds while supporting local food vendors (and the local economy), discover great goods from LA’s best designers and artists, sip a drink to support the LA Regional Foodbank, and spend the day outdoors with friends and family at the 1st Annual LA Street Food Fest, coming up Saturday, February 13th, from 11am – 5pm.

General admission is just five dollars, which includes one food ticket. There are extra special VIP packages available if you're willing to invest more--check out the website for details. Families welcome but no dogs are allowed.

SPECIAL STREET FOOD FEST SAMPLING MENUS

Enjoy sampling and try as much as you want! All of the food vendors are offering specially priced $1-$5 tasting menus and day-of-event-only items, just for you!

Participating food vendors include:

Komodo Food
Antojitos Abuelita
Antojitos Carmen
Flying Pig Truck
Fishlips
India Jones Truck
Coolhaus
The Sweets Truck
Slice Truck
Piaggio on Wheels
Nina's Foods
Rudolfo's Barbacoa
Hello Lupe Sweet Crepes
Buttermilk Truck
Nom Nom Truck
Kabob N' Roll
Dell's Lemonade
Fresser's Pastrami
Sabor de Bahia
Frysmith
Uncle Lao's Hawaiian BBQ
Don Chow Tacos
Mama Koh's Korean Chicken
Dogzilla
Monsieur Egg
Tasty Meat
Grilled Cheese Truck
The Franken Stand
King Kone
Louks
Gastrobus
Get Shaved
Yum Yum Bowls
the popshop
QzillaBBQ
Surprise Chef Pop-Up Truck (TBA!)

....There will also be a host of design and craft vendors--check the website here for details if you're interested.

If You Go:
LA Center Studios
500 S. Beaudry Ave
(bike entrance on Bixel Ave)
Los Angeles, CA 90017

....And be sure to look for me!

Park/Ride/Bike: Attendees are encouraged to take the METRO, bike, skate and skip to the festival. The venue is a close walk from the 7th & Fig METRO stop. (You can plan your trip here). They are offering FREE BIKE VALET at the festival (yay!), with a separate entrance on Bixel Ave. For those driving, there is plenty of parking available both on surrounding streets and in neighboring parking lots.

What's your favorite food truck? Tell me about it in a comment on the blog.

Picturing Food

I attended a Zocalo lecture in January featuring the editors of Gourmet Magazine. Zocalo's next foodie event looks equally fascinating. It will also be moderated by Evan Kleiman, host of public radio's Good Food. And again this event requires preregistration online, so I am posting it far in advance of the actual date. The last event I attended was held at the Skirball, but this will be at the Getty Museum, in conjunction with an exhibit opening.

THURSDAY, APRIL 08, 2010, 7:00 PM

From the event listing:

Photographers have turned their lenses on food since the invention of their art. Early images captured simple, soft arrangements that showcased seasonal bounties — fruits and vegetables in vases and bowls, like still-life paintings. Photographed table settings — whether elaborate or bare — evoked not only taste and appetite, but the experience of a meal, the process, the drama, the company. Shots of markets captured commerce and abundance. Decades later, technological and aesthetic advances transformed the food photograph into its own art that set off all the senses: images seemed soaked in color, close-ups clarified individual grains, and the food — even as it was coated in chemicals — seemed more palatable than ever.

As the Getty opens its exhibit, "Tasteful Pictures,” featuring food photographs from the Getty collection, Zócalo invites a panel of experts — including Artbites’ Maite Gomez-Rejón, photographer Charlie Grosso, and Gastronomica founding editor Darra Goldstein — to explore the origins of food photography and why we like to look at what we can’t eat.

If you go:

The Getty Center
1200 Getty Center Drive
Los Angeles, CA

Parking is $15 per car, free after 5:00 p.m.

I didn't have enough guests last time to warrant doing a pot luck, but that still sounds like fun to me, so let me know if you want to get together before the event by leaving a comment on the blog.

Mutti Gras Pet Parade

Attention all pet lovers! Bring your four legged friends to the annual Mutti Gras Pet Parade at the Original Farmer's Market at 3rd & Fairfax Saturday, February 13 from 1-2PM on the Market Plaza. Dress your pooch in festive Mardi Gras attire and win great prizes. Your pup will even get a special treat just for entering. To register, please call Three Dog Bakery at 323-935-7512. For a sample of the Mutti Gras experience go here.

Laundry Greywater System

Last week, a friend set up my clothes washer so that the greywater can be filtered into any of my garden beds or backyard. I was so excited about this project! It's good for the environment; reduces need to water plants; and is cheap, fast and easy to do. I'm so happy I'm green! Here's how it works:

The black pipe on the left above is the existing drain that goes into the sewer system, and previously the only outlet I had. My friend hooked up a parallel piece of PVC, so that I can manually switch from the sewer to a line hooked to a hose, that I can then point to a garden bed.

All I have to do to switch from one to the other is lift the tubing out, and place it in the alternate line.

There's even a coupling so that if the tube ever gets clogged, when it hits a certain level the water will overflow into the sewer line.

The white PVC line is simply connected to a garden hose

Which then drains wherever it is placed--like my tufty grassed yard.

Since we used hose I already had, the total cost for the materials was around $15. I think it took my friend under an hour, including shopping. I'm counting on this to save my yard and lessen my water bills!

What quick solutions for home improvements have you tested and found useful? Please leave a comment on the blog.

French Toast & Hugs Downtown 2--Follow Up

Just this month, I posted an event notification for my friend's group, who gave away french toast on skid row in downtown LA last Sunday morning. I finally got my pictures uploaded to my computer, so here's the follow up on the event. We had great weather, a huge crew, and an even bigger line of customers! The line stretched down the sidewalk for a block or more. I arrived in the middle of the event, about two hours after it started, and it was still totally busy. I was really impressed with the organization and how smoothly everything was run. Even the trash was collected as it went--I think we left Towne St cleaner than when we arrived!

Trying to fit the entire FTX gang into frame from across the table--the line wouldn't break long enough to widen out!

My friend Shyam, the founder of FTX, manned one grill. If you've never checked out his site, it's great. It includes slideshows and video clips of past events as well as a mailing list to be notified of the next one. He even puts together a soundtrack for each event, and hands out copies of them as well.

Shyam's dog Daisy, who inspired the endeavor from the start. Find Daisy's story here.

Some of the great volunteers working the line. Stations included handing out the toast, syrup, whipped cream, powdered sugar, fruit, and a bottle of water. At the end of the line were the prep stations where fruit was peeled and cut.

Near the beginning of the line, embellishing your plate with toppings.

Manning a grill....

A satisfied customer, and his plate full of fruit and whipped cream.

Even the volunteers got a slice!

Some cute kids joined the party.

The best part: could hardly keep the food around long enough to photograph....What a spectacular day!

A Prairie Home Companion in the Movie Theater

The radio show "A Prairie Home Companion" is being filmed and broadcast to area theaters all over the country in February. It'll play live on Febrary 4th, and be re-broadcast on Feb. 9th.

I rely on public radio to keep me company in the car, especially on long drives. This is a rare chance to see physically how they do it all.

From the event page:

For more than 35 years, legions of fans have tuned in to Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion to be entertained by his low-key reflections, sharp insights, and trademark humor. Each week, A Prairie Home Companion is heard by more than 4 million listeners of every age, on more than 600 public radio stations across the country. This show is performed live on stage in front of an audience. There has been plenty of adventure in the past 30-plus years, including broadcasts from Canada, Ireland, Scotland, England, Germany, Iceland, and almost every one of the 50 states. And there have been wonderful guest performers, little-known and world renowned, who've brought the audience to their feet.

A Prairie Home Companion - Live! in HD will feature special guests as well as regular show performers such as actors Sue Scott and Tim Russell, sound-effects wizards Tom Keith and Fred NEwman, and the Guy's All-Star Shoe Band led by keyboardist, composer, and arranger Richard Dworsky, with Pat Donohue (guitar), Peter Johnson (percussion), and Gary Raynor (bass).

Keillor recalls, "When the show started, it was something funny to do with my friends, and then it became an achievement that I hoped would be successful, and now it's a good way of life."

For a location finder, tickets, or more info, click on the image above. And let me know if this event appeals to you by leaving a comment on the blog!

Be The Match Bone Marrow Registry

Join the Be The Match Registry of bone marrow donors using online registration. Thousands of patients hope for a bone marrow donor who can make their life-saving transplant possible. They depend on people like you and I. You have the power to save a life. Become a bone marrow donor: Join the Be the Match Registry and you could be the one to save a life.

When you join the Be The Match Registry, you make a commitment to:

• Be listed on the registry until your 61st birthday, unless you ask to be removed
• Consider donating to any searching patient who matches you
• Keep them updated if your address changes, you have significant health changes or you change your mind about being a donor
• Respond quickly if you are contacted as a potential match for a patient

You have the right to change your mind about being a donor at any time. Donating is always voluntary.

There is a wealth of information on the website about the procedure for both registering and the donor process. It took me only about ten minutes to follow through the online registration process, and I'm far from computer savy. If you were in need of help, wouldn't you hope that your donor had come forward?

Are you already registered with the National Marrow Donor Program, or do you know someone who's benefitted from this procedure? Please relate your story in a comment on the blog.

Climbing Roses

Here are the climbing roses that I planted last week along the fenceline. I laminate the seed packs or plant labels that come with seedlings, then attach a popsicle stick to plant them in the ground so that I'll remember what I've got.

I became entranced with the whole class of climbing roses after coming across an article profiling the different varieties--might've been in Martha Stewart magazine. My fence is chain link, so I was looking for a way to beautify it around the backyard, and add privacy for the apartment complex to the side. I just put in five roses, and could probably use another three to lengthen the line. I'm going to see how these first five take and go from there, as the newer plants would probably be shaded by a big tree. The variety is "Climbing Joseph's Coat," with "lovely flowers in shades of red change to orange and yellow, and bloom on leathery green foliage." Hope they last!

Restaurant.com Gift Certificates

Restaurant.com is a website that sells restaurant gift certificates at a fraction of the cost of their face value. Right now they're running a promotion to save 80%! This deal ends Sunday, January 31, 2010 at 11:59PM PST, so act fast.

I've used this website and redeemed the coupons, so I can vouch for this offer personally. They do require a small outlay of cash to the site, so if you forget that you have the coupons, it can be a losing proposition--but if you keep the coupons in your glove box, they may come in handy! And they're so cheap, you can hardly lose. I've given Restaurant.com certificates as gifts. I even had great customer service when I realized I'd bought coupons for the wrong location and had to exchange them for ones I could use near my home. The phone center agent was happy to help me correct my mistake.

Do you have any experience with Restaurant.com? Please leave a comment on the blog so we can start a conversation!

Really, Really Free Market Tomorrow!

I've heard on my compact-y websites about free markets, but never been to one. From what I've read, it's a place to bring whatever you no longer use, and take away whatever you find useable, all for free. I found a listing about this event happening *tomorrow* in Pasadena, and thought the poster was so cute it deserved to be shared! The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein was my favorite book as a kid. It makes a great motif for an event like this.

Here's the description from the website where I found out about the event:

Do you have junk that’s been collecting dust in your closet or food or food in the pantry that has remained untouched for months? The Arroyo Time Bank, a really cool community-based center where people barter their time and skills, is presenting its first Really Free Market Bazaar & Potluck. My friend Janine, who has had a big hand in the Eagle Rock Bowling and Drinking Club and works at the The Urban Craft Center, is organizing this fun and games free-for-all. If you like, bring stuff to barter with others. You don’t have to bring anything, just come out and have fun! All items and food will be up for grabs! In addition to bartering, there will be live musical performances from Earthworm Ensemble, and presentations from community orgs such as The Arroyo Food Co-Op, The Funky Freegan Journal, and The Pasadena Post-Carbon Meetup. This is a kid-friendly event with children’s crafts, so bring the tots!

The event is Saturday, January 30th, 4-7pm at
The Armory Center for the Arts
145 N. Raymond Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91104

The Armory is easily accessible via the Memorial Park Gold Line Station. Free parking for 90 minutes is available at the Marriot Parking Lot at 171 N. Raymond Ave. Free and metered street parking is also available. Visit the sponsor's website here (click on the events page) for more info.

Please let me know if you go, what you donate, and what you take home by leaving a comment on the blog!

Fruit Tree Give-Away at Franklin High

Free Fruit Trees!!!

When: Saturday, January 23rd, 2010 @ 1:30pm Rain or Shine

Where: Franklin High School, 820 N Avenue 54, Los Angeles, 90042. Enter through the Ave 56 gate to the Faculty Parking Lot.

What: 300 Fruit Trees! Apples, Apricots, Peaches, Nectarines, Plums and limited numbers of Citrus. All varieties right for SoCal climate. Trees will be given out on a first come first serve basis.

Who: All people who will plant and take care of their trees are invited to come get one. Trees will be limited to one per household. Schools, Community Gardens and other groups are not limited to one tree though arrangements should be made beforehand. Get there early as trees will be given away on a first come first serve basis.

Why: To promote self-sustainability and combat hunger in Los Angeles.

Sponsored by: Franklin High School and Tree People

For more info: e-mail Reies Flores at thecityfarm@hotmail.com

If you participate in this giveaway let me know by posting a comment on the blog!

French Toast and Hugs Downtown LA

My friend Shyam has spearheaded French Toast and Hugs, an event at which both are freely handed out! They'll be downtown at 6th & Towne Ave on Sunday, Jan. 24th, starting at 8am. Go here for more info on Shyam's friend Daisy, the event, and how it all began.

Affordable Food Networks

Groceries form a major portion of any person or families' monthly budget. Everyone needs to eat, but since that category is not a regularly scheduled bill, often the food budget is the area to be pinched in tough times. One affordable community resource can be a local food ministry.


Treasure Box

The mission of Treasure Box is to partner with faith-based and community-action organizations to provide families with affordable food and bring communities together, one box at a time.

The Treasure Box provides families and individuals with a substantial box of grocery store quality food retailing between $65-100 for just $30 each. The Treasure Box cultivates relationships with more than 500 major food manufacturers across the country to purchase and provide top quality, nutritious food at sizeable volume discounts to the general public.

Each Treasure Box contains between 21-25 pounds of high quality, frozen foods, including chicken, pork, beef, or seafood, as well as vegetables, fruit, a side dish and a dessert. One Treasure Box is enough food to nutritiously feed a family of four lunch and dinner for almost a week or a senior citizen for nearly a month.

The Treasure Boxes are offered through surrounding host locations – community action or outreach programs and faith-based organizations. Representing a savings of nearly 60% off of grocery store prices, The Treasure Box provides a positive and healthy impact to families and individuals during this economically challenging time.

The Treasure Box is a division of Good Source Solutions, a food distribution company with more than 20 years of service to non-profits, higher education institutions, government feeding programs and specialty markets.

In addition to their regular monthly menu, The Treasure Box also offers a Hearty Meat Protein Box and a Quick & Healthy Meal Box.


Angel Food Ministries

Angel Food is available in a quantity that can fit into a medium-sized box at $30 per unit. Each month's menu is different than the previous month and consists of both fresh and frozen items with an average retail value of approximately $60. Comparison shopping has been done across the country in various communities using a wide range of retail grocery stores and has resulted in the same food items costing from between $42 and $78.

Generally, one unit of food assists in feeding a family of four for about one week or a single senior citizen for almost a month. The food is all the same high quality one could purchase at a grocery store. There are no second-hand items, no damaged or out-dated goods, no dented cans without labels, no day-old breads and no produce that is almost too ripe.

Also offered are specialty boxes such as steaks, chicken and pork. Many participants in this bonus program appreciate the expanded choices. Additionally, there is no limit to the number of units or bonus foods an individual can receive, and there are no applications to complete or qualifications to which participants must adhere. Angel Food Ministries also participates in the U.S. Food Stamp program, using the Off-Line Food Stamp Voucher system.

I've never availed myself of these programs because of my specialized vegetarian diet. For a meat-eating typical family, though, these offers can mean the difference between going hungry and eating a balanced diet. Neither of these programs have an income limit or requirement. For a location finder for Treasure Box, click here, and for a local site finder for Angel Food, click here.

Do you use either of these resources, or any other food network? Do you volunteer with their distribution? Please leave a comment on the blog if you have any first-hand experience.

Free Coffee Bean Jan 14th 4-7pm

Tomorrow, Thursday January 14th, from 4-7pm, take advantage of a great FREEBIE offer! Click on the image above for the official offer terms or a store finder.

Join Coffee Bean for a complimentary 12oz Heritage drink!

When: Thursday Jan 14, 4pm-7pm
Where: Participating The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® store locations*

*Only valid at participating The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® store locations in CA, AZ, TX. Excludes San Francisco, NV, HI, all Ralphs stores, military base, campus or airport locations. Valid only on January 14, 2010, from 4pm to 7pm. Offer applies to 12oz. Cafe Mocha, Sunrise Ice Blended® or Berry'd Treasure Ice Blended® drink only. No substitutions. Limit one complimentary drink per customer.

Laminated Card Ornament

Impressively, mom handmade cards for her and dad's entire holiday card list this year. She's been learning a ton of stamping and papercraft techniques, and certainly put them to use with this card. I thought they were so pretty! (My favorite color is brown) I wanted to save it as an ornament on our tree, so to preserve it I laminated the card at Kinkos, first punching holes for ribbon. I used the inside of the card as the back of the ornament, and added the year it was made.

This is a great way to recycle your favorite greetings that you receive, and a great project for kids. If you do a photo card or enclose a snapshot in your greetings, wouldn't it be fun to see the progressive years on a tree or in a chain as a banner?

Personal, homemade ornaments are my favorites on any tree. I didn't get to put up a tree at my own home this year, but I know I'll be looking for this ornament when I do!

The Three Kings--Los Tres Reyes Magos

Tomorrow, Jan 6th, is an annual celebration of The Three Kings on Olvera Street from 630-830P. Los Tres Reyes Magos, the celebration of the Feast of Epiphany, free to the public, will be complete with music, costumes, and a colorful procession of The Three Wise Men along Olvera Street.

From the website:

According to the story, Melchior, Casper and Balthasar, who have been known throughout history as the wise men, the three kings, and the magicians, although they were actually astronomers, saw a star in the east over the town of Bethlehem. They traveled to Bethlehem, and along the way in Judea they saw King Herod and informed him they were journeying to greet the Messiah. Herod told them to let him know where the Messiah had been born.

The men found the baby in a manger, and they offered him three gifts: gold, representing spiritual wealth; frankincense, signifying the earth and the sky; and myrrh, a balm used for medicinal and spiritual purposes. After their visit, an angel warned them that they should not tell Herod about Jesus because his plan was to kill the baby. So the three men wisely took a different path. Meanwhile, Jesus, Mary and Joseph escaped to Egypt.

The Feast of Epiphany is celebrated on January 6, the twelfth day after December 25, symbolizing the end of the 12 days of Christmas. Eastern Orthodox Christians have historically celebrated Christmas on January 6.

The website where I found out about this event listed a calendar for 2008--however, it did state this was a yearly event held on the 6th. If the event's been discontinued, Olvera street is still a cool place to hang out, with great restaurants and boutique shops.

If you go, let me know how busy the event turns out to be by leaving a comment on the blog. I'll do my best to check it out too.

Mom's Rose Chenille Knitted Scarf

One resolution I had at the beginning of 2009 was to learn to knit. It took me all year, but here's my first completed project. I made a long scarf for my mom from some thick chenille yarn, which helped to keep the rows even and hide any flaws. I embellished it with tassels at each end, and a ribbon rose pinned on for easy washing. It's hard to tell from the photos, but this was a really long scarf--I wish I'd taken the time to measure it. I loved the variegated red/cream yard paired with the solid cream yarn. The variegation gave the coloring a bit of depth. My mom lives in cold winter temperatures, so the thickness should be great for her. Next year I'll have to learn to purl!

One tip that I was given when learning to knit was to save the paper wrappers from your skeins, and pin them to the project if you're giving it as a gift, so that the recipient will know the content of the thread to launder it properly.

Do you knit or crochet? How did you learn, and what do you like to make? Leave a comment for me on the blog with your suggestions.

Happy New Year