– Text and photos by Ricky Ricardo
A crowd of 50,000 people gathered at Grand Park, in downtown Los Angeles, on Monday, Dec. 31, 2018. Revelers assembled on the cold, chilling night to ring in 2019 in Grand style.
Two stages greeted attendees to the 6th annual West Coast flagship New Year’s Eve Celebration, presented by Grand Park and The Music Center.
The Get Down Stage, between Grand Avenue and Hill Street, was hosted by Valia Basalious. This stage featured three incredible female DJ’s – Kronica, Ericalandia and Spinorita – laying down the grooves to make the bodies move.
The Count Down Stage, near City Hall/Spring Street, was hosted by Mario Hernandez. DJ Day manned the ones and twos throughout the evening. The stage featured the amazing talents of Georgia Ann Muldrow, Irka Mateo and La Tirindanga, Maya Jupiter, and headliner Aloe Blacc and friends.
The façade of City Hall was transformed into a 3D digital mapping canvas. The building featured art and imagery inspired by the dreams of L.A. County’s 5th and 6th graders, created and designed by yU+co led by Garson Yu, artistic director, and co-curated by Grand Park and The Music Center.
Attendees who built up an appetite while moving and grooving to the eclectic sounds in Grand Park were in for a treat. Sixty plus food trucks were sprinkled throughout, including Dreamy Creations, Kogi BBQ, RoniMacaroni, SpyrosGyrosLA.com, Thai Mex Cocina, The Deli Doctor, Cousins Maine Lobster, and VCHOS.
(Editor’s note: The 6th annual NYE celebration at Grand Park was a successful event that gave Angelenos the opportunity to gather together, free of charge, to celebrate the start of a New Year full of new possibilities, hopes and dreams.
Enjoy watching the countdown to the New Year video (below), courtesy of the Music Center. Happy 2019 everyone!)
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