January
Tournament of Roses Parade - The New Year's Day parade features marching bands, celebrities and flower-covered floats all making their way down Pasadena's Colorado Blvd.
Rose Bowl - Also New Year's Day, watch the college football championship where the PAC 10 Champion plays the Big Ten Conference.
Los Tres Reyes is the celebration of the Epiphany (visit of the three Kings). Olvera St. makes the perfect setting for this free event featuring a colorful procession with music and costumes.
February
Aztec New Year's Celebration - Celebrate a pre-Columbian Aztec New Year with music, dancers, and art workshops, demonstrations and exhibits.
African American History Month - Each year there are films, lectures, exhibits & performances across the city.
Golden Dragon Parade - Join 50,000 celebrants at a Chinese New Year parade featuring floats, dance troupes and magical lion and dragon dancers.
March
City of Los Angeles Marathon - Thousands of runners and bicyclists participate in the greatest athletic event in the western U.S. However, Los Angeles would never wish to be accused of being boring so they include over 25 entertainment sites along the course of the marathon and over 1,000 cheerleaders to encourage the participants.
Mardi Gras - Olvera Street celebrates "Fat Tuesday", but once again with a different sort of flair featuring Brazilian singing and dancing, a colorful parade, the crowning of Miss Olvera Street, and a costume contest.
April
Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach - A world-class car race through the streets of downtown Long Beach. It is the largest street race in North America. Not only can you go to see the race, but there are inevitably celebrities to watch as well.
California Poppy Festival - This festival celebrates California's State Flower. There is a wide variety of crafts, fine arts (including an expo), food vendors, a flower market, children's games and entertainment. There are different musical groups that perform each year and even carnival rides.
May
Cinco de Mayo - This May 5th celebration marks Mexico's victory over the French at the Battle of the Puebla (1862). The celebration features popular and traditional music, cultural presentations, festival, dance, food and live entertainment.
Topanga Banjo Fiddle Contest - This music festival features old time and blue-grass music and has been an annual event since 1961. More than 100 banjo, fiddle, mandolin, guitar players and bands show up each year. There are contests, participative dances, folk song workshops and children's crafts and songs. And of course no festival would be complete without some food available as well.
June
Great American Irish Fair & Music Festival - This is the largest American-Irish event in the Western United States and is a celebration of everything Irish from music to art to food - immerse yourself in the culture.
Mariachi - USA Festival (Hollywood) - This festival is sponsored by the Mariachi USA Foundation whose mission is to provide money to schools to promote music and heritage. This is a celebration of family, culture and tradition with Mariachi music, Ballet Folklorico, special guest performances and a breathtaking fireworks finale.
July
July Fourth Fireworks Spectacular - Family, food, and fireworks at the Hollywood Bowl - it's the greatest July 4th tradition in all of Southern California.
Shakespeare Festival/LA - This annual festival features plays by the famous Bard and is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts. They help support Shakespeare Festival/LA in making live theater freely accessible to communities that may not have had the opportunity to experience it previously.
August
E Hula Mau - Southern California's Annual Hula & Chant Competition - The Young Hawaiians of Southern California present this competition featuring arts, crafts, food and lots of music and dance. Audiences can experience the kinetic poetry that is hula, and there are also events besides the competition such as the E Hula Mau Kanikapila Jam which features live entertainment, a hula show, and local snacks.
International Surf Festival hits the waves of Manhattan, Hermosa and Redondo Beaches in August. There are a number of competitions for everything from surfing to lifeguarding, swimming to volleyball, and fishing to building sand castles.
September
Los Angeles County Fair - The fair is held in Pomona and is the largest county fair in the world, with music, sideshows, rides and other country-style delights. An amazing range of concerts, exhibits, competitions and other entertainment abounds as LA once again strives to distinguish themselves as the biggest entertainer in any category.
October
Oktoberfest - This German celebration has been imported to California in typically grandiose style with a 3,000 seat beer garden, a Bavarian brass-oom pa pa band from Germany, German dancers, and lots of competitions for best beerstein holding, woodsawing, cowmilking, yodeling, pretzel eating, etc. And of course, lots and lots of beer!
Queen Mary Shipwreck Halloween Terrorfest - The oceanliner Queen Mary is transformed into a gruesome collection of terrifying mazes for the annual Queen Mary Halloween Terrorfest. For a break from the Terror Fest though, the ship also features a three-level dance party and a club located in a converted boiler room. The perfect mix of fun and freakiness.
November
AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival - The American Film Institute presents this event featuring more than 100 international films. This 10 day event is the longest-running film festival in Los Angeles and one of the most influential in North America. The films Monster; House Of Sand And Fog; Osama; Talk To Her; City Of God; Dark Water; Nowhere In Africa; The Quiet American; No Man's Land; Monster's Ball; Life Is Beautiful; The Cider House Rules; Before Night Falls; O Brother, Where Art Thou?; and Amores Perros have all premiered at AFI FEST.
Loscon - This is the annual regional science fiction convention held by the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society. The society, founded in 1934, is the world's oldest continuously-active science-fiction and fantasy club.
December
Queen Mary Tree Lighting - Join the Mayor of Long Beach at the Queen Mary's annual tree lighting ceremony. The program will also feature holiday entertainment, a holiday sing-a-long, and refreshments.
Hollywood Christmas Parade - As can only be expected, movie and TV stars join Santa in a typically flashy parade. There are also many prominent bands, impressive equestrian units, floats and classic cars.
Las Posadas - If you are looking for something a little quieter try the candle-lit processions that relive Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem and honor the Christ child.
Sources:
( http://www.los-angeles-travel-services.com/ ) (Accessed June 7, 2004)
( http://www.lonelyplanet.com ) (Accessed June 2, 2004)
( http://www.la.com ) (Accessed June 2, 2004)