With Sunset Junction off, Echo Park is rising
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A wave of backyard parties, barbecues and street corner shows have cropped up since Sunset Junction was officially canceled earlier this week. Silver Lake, it seems, was not ready to give up the party.
Echo Park, however, was eager to get in on the action. And so business owners in the neighborhood quickly rallied to create an impromptu two-day event called Echo Park Rising. Not only will the Echo and Echoplex host a slew of displaced Junction bands including the Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and 400 Blows, but a variety of neighborhood restaurants and bars are offering deals all weekend long.
The epically busy Mohawk Bend is giving away a free ‘secret’ dessert to anyone who mentions Echo Park Rising; City Sip wine bar is offering discounts; Allston Yacht Club will feature happy hour specials all night on Saturday, as well as a $5 cocktail called the AYC cooler, made from ginger, lemonade, watermelon and vodka; Delilah Bakery will comp diners drinks at lunch; and Lot 1 Cafe, Stories Books & Cafe and Two Boots will host live music.
On the non-food side, Stories Book is offering 20% off all used books; Origami Vinyl is holding a 10%-off-everything sale; and iam8bit gallery is giving a 5% donation from all sales of original artwork to 826LA. A website for the event has already gone up, and more deals and parties are being added heading into the weekend.
It will be interesting to see if Echo Park Rising spurs the neighborhood to stage a street festival of its own next year. The area’s residents could use something upbeat to distract them from the terrible spectacle of the closed-off lake.
-- Jessica Gelt
