West coast celebration of Eastern bloom

The culture of Asia and the Pacific Islands will be the focus of celebrations at the 2006 Lotus festival in Los Angeles' Echo Park this July.

Timed to coincide with the annual blooming of the lotus flower the family-focused festivities will be held on the weekend of July 8th and 9th with this year's highlighted nation being the country of Korea.

The park will play host to a wide range of activities including arts and crafts demonstrations, with calligraphy, scroll painting and paper-cutting in the Flower Island Pavilion, an art show, an international marketplace selling clothes and gifts, food stalls and a children's' courtyard with arts, crafts and storytelling for younger family members.

The community-focused festivities will also feature queens and princesses from many cultures in traditional dress and dragon boat races on the lake, with various community groups competing for awards.

The weekend will be brought to a close by a taiko drumming performance and a grand finale fireworks display over the lake.

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