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All Thai-ed Up: Celebrate Songkran in Thai Town This Sunday
Photo by Clinton Steeds via Flickr
Springtime can mean a renewal of the earth, and for the Thai people, it means their traditional New Year celebration called Songkran. The festival is about celebrating community, and visiting with friends, relatives, and elders. Luckily, Los Angeles boasts a significant population of residents with Thai heritage, and we can take part in the colorful and spirited celebration, no matter our background, so long as we can get ourselves over to Thai Town on Sunday to catch the fun. (There is a website, but it's all in Thai!)From 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Hollywood Boulevard between Western and Normandie will be closed to vehicles and open just to foot traffic. Attendees can enjoy hundreds of arts and crafts booths similar to a Thai marketplace, the third annual Miss Thai New Year USA contest, Muay Thai boxing, live entertainment by Thai singers and dancers in traditional garb, a procession of Buddhist monks, the Songkran Parade, and food--glorious food--and drink.
LAist will be hanging out in the Singha Beer Garden, enjoying their beer and the award-winning food of Jitlada--one of our stops in our Thai One On series. Singha is one of the sponsors, and they also hosted us in their Beer Garden last year for what was one very tasty afternoon.
Songkran in Thai Town
Hollywood Boulevard between Western and Normandie
Sunday April 5th, 8a.m.-8 p.m.
Admission is free; Parking is available at Kaiser Hospital (accessible on Vermont Avenue via Barnsdall Drive), with free shuttles to the festival.
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