Fiesta Broadway Returns Sunday with New Civic Center Layout
Ed Fuentes
Visitors walk down Fiesta Broadway's main Broadway corridor during the 2009 event.
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Fiesta Broadway returns Downtown this Sunday, April 25, with a musical lineup heavy on norteño sounds and a reconfigured street plan that should reduce the festival's impact on traffic circulation.
The new configuration, which stays north of 4th street while adding blocks on Spring and Main, gives the event a much squarer shape. Previous events had stretched down Broadway from 1st to Olympic.
The event's focus on promotion in Spanish language media means it may not have shown up on many Downtown residents' calendars, but worth noting are Latin Grammy winners Alicia Villareal and Ana Bárbara. Also appearing is the San Diego based Latin-Funk B-Side Players, and Venezuelan Pop ballader Carlos Baute.
Most of the music on the festival's three stages leans toward those who like the Northern Mexican country music known as norteño, including acts with a more modern take. Nortec Collective, who appeared at the 2006 Detour Festival, combine techno with norteño.
The new footprint was taken at the behest of the city, which had heard numerous complaints about the impact the event was having on residences and businesses. "I think it's a configuration that does mitigate a lot of those impacts," said a representative of Councilman Jose Huizar's office on Wednesday.
Also benefiting is the festival's checkbook. City fees for the event this year are $56,234, down from an estimated $260,000 in 2009 and $253,000 in 2008. The city had waived all but $80,000 of those costs in those two years, but a newly passed special events policy forbids fee waivers. Huizar's office attributed the lower fees to more coordination between the city and organizers to lower city staffing requirements to those truly necessary. The new configuration also requires just 12 intersection closures, as opposed to 22 in past years.
Street closures will start with 1st street, which will close between Hill and Los Angeles at 7pm on Friday, April 23. Starting on Saturday at 7pm, closures will expand to include Broadway between Temple and 4th, Spring between Temple and 2nd, Main between Temple and 2nd, 2nd street between Hill and Main and 3rd street between Hill and Spring. All streets should be reopened Monday by 5am.
Guest on April 22, 2010, at 11:52AM – #1
Sounds like we'll have more than the usual amount of trash to shuffle through on the way to work Monday morning.
Guest on April 22, 2010, at 07:52PM – #2
Don't know what you mean by that, but when I go back to work monday mornin the street sweepers/trash haulers are done by early mon mornin .(3am) You couldnt even tell there was an event except by the traffic cones/street signs that are left on the corners to be picked up.
Guest on April 22, 2010, at 08:12PM – #3
So does this mean that the residents that park at 333 S. Spring St. will be unable to leave/re-enter the parking structure from Saturday to Monday?
Eric Richardson (@blogdowntown) on April 23, 2010, at 01:20AM – #4
Guest: No, Spring is only closed between Temple and 2nd. 333 S. Spring shouldn't be affected.
film rob on April 23, 2010, at 09:42AM – #5
so happy to see it move up the street. not my favorite event.
Dixon on April 23, 2010, at 05:25PM – #6
Hopefully the new festival location will herald the end of the yearly Ron and Rich Fiesta Broadway meltdown......but we'll see!
Brett Davis on April 23, 2010, at 09:31PM – #7
Will 4th always stay open? I can't live without 4th street!!!
Guest on April 24, 2010, at 11:05AM – #8
This event is awful. As a young female I never felt more unsafe in Downtown in the 3 years I have lived down here then I did last year during this festival when I walked to the gym. Unless you are planning to go the festival, I would stay indoors or get away for the weekend.
Guest on April 24, 2010, at 11:08AM – #9
Open your eye's Guest #2, unless you drive from you parking garage to work. You must live in South Park. Try walking one block on Broadway at 6:30am on a weekday morning. I know what you mean Guest #1.
Nancy Richardson (@nanorich) on April 24, 2010, at 01:03PM – #10
Guest #8...
Why exactly did you feel unsafe?
And as an old female who has lived downtown since you were in elementary school, why should it not occur to me be afraid of middle class Latinos on the biggest Hispanic Shopping Street north of Mexico City?
Guest on April 24, 2010, at 09:13PM – #11
Guest #3, I also park at 333 S. Spring and I can confirm that no one will have access to the parking structure at all tomorrow, not even monthly parkers. So if you need your car on Sunday, you need to move it saturday night, because there are no ins or outs on sunday, regardless of Spring St. being open between 3rd and 4th st.
It's all complete BS. F this event.
And next week, residents have to deal with another completely BS march of Broadway again...
Guest on April 24, 2010, at 11:21PM – #12
number 6, very funny - made me laugh. what ever happened with that, btw?
Guest on April 25, 2010, at 12:20AM – #13
Deleted
Rich Jesmer on April 25, 2010, at 01:21AM – #14
To the soon to be deleted Guest #13 - We're not racist. We're residents that for the past few years years, have been either unable to leave our homes, or unable to get home before, during, and after the event. It's an event with a poor track record of notifying area residents when and where it will be taking place. While the music may be a solid draw, their website makes no effort to disguise what it is - a marketing event where you can stand in a line 200 people deep to get a free bottle of powerade, then stand in another 200 person line for an AT&T fan and bag of coverage maps. I'm glad the borders have changed this year.
Nancy - I can't say its not safe, but walking out your door to find traffic blocked up and 500,000 people on your doorstep can be a bit intimidating. Drivers unfamiliar with the streets (which can already be confusing) and security guards with limited insight telling drivers where they can and can't drive to makes the whole neighborhood a bit tense.
Luckily, according to their Facebook event page, there are only 55 confirmed guests. Phew!
Over 500,000 of your Latino customers!
Nancy Richardson (@nanorich) on April 25, 2010, at 06:30AM – #15
You know, Rich...
when a person posts anonymously that she is a young female who feels menaced by a street festival, and claims to have lived here for three years, I don't immediately think "having trouble parking."
But then again, when we are in times of economic hardship, and people are willing to scapegoat immigrants and the homeless on a neighborhood blog....as if they never actually looked at the neighborhood they decided to move into, and have not a clue of the history of the place they are living...get their knickers in a twist when a modest amount of crime is reported in a area which is a lot safer than many parts of Los Angeles. Sure, living here has its challenges, but there are those who kind of enjoy that as well.
Many people decide to live downtown because they enjoy the energy of living in a diverse community made up of many kinds of people. When Downtown was totally a ghost town after the abandonment of the historic core in the early seventies, Broadway was saved by Latinos who flocked to the area and kept it alive as a vibrant shopping street.
The obvious subtext of the messages posted here seem to say that the newcomers here trump everything else which has gone before...and the minor inconveniences of a well established street festival made yuppie living in an urban setting intolerable...so much that for days before and afterwards we are regaled with endless whining of how people suffer the OTHER coming to our community and listening to live music and eating street food.
You have my deepest sympathy. The people in Haiti have it good compared to the downtown residents who must tolerate THE OTHER invading their environs...and menace their young females, while littering their streets.
And when enabling people who leave anonymous posts which clearly have an overt racist subtext, certain posters seem to think it is okay bash our neighbors who were here before us....and in bad economic times disrespect people who bring needed money into our neighborhood, even if we don't use their stores and restaurants.
Ah...life in the Urban Hellhole! I don't don't know what is worse: the cutback of city services as the tax bases shrinks....or the endless whining and complaining from those who aren't happy unless they can suffer the pain only a first world denizen can know when they have trouble parking.
Guest on April 25, 2010, at 08:46AM – #16
Nice judgemental post that oozes hypocrisy...
Who are you to belittle her fears of feeling unsafe?
And why should I feel ok about not being able to access the parking structure that I pay to use?
I'm not try to be anonymous. I'm Guest #11, Steve Branson, and I live at the Douglas and based on a lot of peoples comments about last year's event, it seems that this event is BS.
There's nothing racist about that, it's a widely expressed opinion made by many people. For you to jump to the conclusion that every comment has racist undertones is telling though.
Nice job making the Haiti comparison because it totally works.
Carlos Huertas on April 25, 2010, at 09:49AM – #17
Ms. Nancy Richardson. You sound like a very nice lady. All of these people here are indeed getting their knickers in a twist over an event that has been going on ever since I can remember, call it marketing or whatever they want, it's still a part of Los Angeles tradition and the people who decide to live in that area should know better. It's like moving to the North Pole and complaining that it's too cold. Helloo!
Guest on April 25, 2010, at 11:49AM – #18
Living downtown means living with the parades, the marches, the filming closures. It's just part of the deal. If you don't like it, move somewhere else, the artist district doesn't get shut down as frequently. All downtowns have this to an extent, living in downtown Glendale, Brand blvd would routinely be closed for events.
It should be celebrated that our city streets are a venue for all to express their freedom of speech and right to assemble peacefully, even if it's a corporate funded event.
Guest on April 25, 2010, at 01:42PM – #19
Re: Nancy Richardson (@nanorich) on April 25, 2010, at 06:30AM – #15
You wrote:
"...when a person posts anonymously that she is a young female who feels menaced by a street festival, and claims to have lived here for three years, I don't immediately think "having trouble parking." But then again, when we are in times of economic hardship, and people are willing to scapegoat immigrants and the homeless on a neighborhood blog..."
I fail to see where the statement of Guest on April 24, 2010, at 11:05AM – #8 says anything about immigrants or the homeless. It seems that you pulled out your soapbox immediately after deciding what she meant, not what she said. I see no "overt racist subtext," can you explain what you mean by that in reference to the words she actually used?
Surely you're not trying to imply that no homeless or immigrant person could ever possibly commit a crime or make someone else feel unsafe? I can tell you that I've personally had experiences living in Downtown L.A. that render that kind of opinion false. There really exist cultural differences between people brought up in American society and people brought up in different countries that make living in Downtown very difficult for women in particular; I've experienced it, and my female friends have as well. And some individual homeless people undeniably have thrown aside any pretense to adhering to the accepted rules of society, be it by choice or disability. I've been threatened, stalked and harassed by homeless people here, so it does happen.
To insist that "this-or-that group" is being scapegoated does not change the fact that crimes are occasionally perpetrated by some individuals within an overly-generalized group, does it? And that something might have happened to the anonymous downtown girl?
I was originally only going to comment that the festival seems unreasonably loud this year because it is more concentrated, but in truth, I also never intended to leave my house because I also don't feel like being groped and harassed like I have been at past "Fiesta Broadway" events. Make of that what you will, but I intend it only as a statement of fact.
Another Anonymous Downtown Girl
Guest on April 25, 2010, at 01:52PM – #20
Gracias to the founders of Los Angeles and to 221 years of Latino culture and art.
Howie on the Hill
Guest on April 25, 2010, at 02:04PM – #21
G#25;
You are wrong, and that is the stupidiest argument ever... "what, you don't like polluted air? stop breathing!"
And yes, it's OK to close the streets - sometimes - when it's worth it!
G#13;
They are NOT racist F's they just hate poor people that didn't get lucky enough to get an education, they don't educate themselves before making remarks about topics they don't comprehend unknowingly becoming the very same thing they dispissed.
Trust me, I know I've lived with a white female for a number of years now and I've heard her say the most outrageous comments full of racism and biggotry. They don't usually realize, it's not on their best interest to understand, because you see, they have the higher end.
At first I was surprised when she said things like "those trashy nasty mexican women" (I'm mexican and so is my mom lol) comments directed towards mexican men, mexicans, latinos, etc. But then I started noticing she did the same towards other races too, and at this point I should mention she has a half black brother (who looks fully black) and a sister who actually looks latina!
Then I saw her socialize with my latino friends without a problem as well as my family (and truly loved them)... It became quite obvious than what she was bashing on was poor uneducated people...
They just don't care how they say it because they don't need to, specially in public forums like this one, make no mistake though they will watch their mouth in public gatherings with a diverse crowd, but that is as far as it gets.
So next time you hear or read somebody making such comments don't take it so personally and remember no to generalize, don't assume they're all like that because they're not, I'm only talking about the ones that make such comments.
REALIZE WE ARE ALL HUMANS AND ONLY HAVE EACH OTHER.
Oscar.
Jamie DeFrisco on April 25, 2010, at 02:26PM – #22
Nancy, Thank you for speaking up. I completely agree with you.
Guest with Post #19- Nancy was referring to the comments that have been frequently posted lately where people make assumptions about the homeless, low income, and others.
I am a youngish girl and don't feel the least bit threatened by this festival. I live in downtown to enjoy the downtown lifestyle.
If a parking structure will be impacted by any closures, the company should let the customers know that this will affect them and when it will affect them, well ahead of time. Then you can make alternative decisions. Perhaps you will get what you need to get done another day, take public transportation to get where you need to go, move your car to another place, walk or ride a bike to where you need to go, or get a ride from someone else. There are alternatives to driving.
I find it amusing that people are quick to judge this festival, but I see very few negative comments about the ones in Little Tokyo or even Chinatown.
Guest on April 25, 2010, at 03:20PM – #23
It is the NOISE! If you live right near a bandstand and a speaker stand and an area where the bathrooms are lined up and thousands of people are milling around and it goes on for hours! The NOISE!
Guest on April 25, 2010, at 04:08PM – #24
Re: Jamie DeFrisco on April 25, 2010, at 02:26PM – #22
Well, thank you for trying to clarify, but how that does that excuse Nancy for blaming the actions of others on the commenter she was responding to? Comment #8 didn't even bring up race or immigration at all. There are cultural differences in a melting-pot type of neighborhood like Downtown L.A., and commenting on that does not make one a racist nor deserving of those types of accusations.
I'd like to comment on your comparison to other events in the Downtown area. The organizers of 'Fiesta Broadway' have really dropped the ball the past few years in regards to the noise levels of their entertainers, especially when compared to other events. This year, right now, I'm hearing no less than 4 musical acts playing at full volume simultaneously, the corporate-sponsored booths are, at the same time, playing different recorded music at full volume, and there are several games and events where MC's are shouting at full volume. With all of these sounds being amplified and bouncing off the walls and buildings, residents are being flooded with a sonic assault that no other event I've ever seen in this area has even come close to matching.
This event has been very badly planned in that respect, and I'm not sure how the event organizers could reasonably expect people attending 'Fiesta Broadway' to be able to enjoy the musical acts if they are all playing at once within an approximately 5 block radius. It's called 'scheduling' and they need to learn how to do that when planning an event of this size, otherwise all you get is a wall of noise. Since they condensed the area that 'Fiesta Broadway' is held in, it's now actually so loud it is shaking the water in a glass on my table like an earthquake, and it's excruciating.
Guest on April 25, 2010, at 06:36PM – #25
Downtown is CHANGING... get with the program people, this festival needs to move out of Downtown. The people that pay to live Downtown, MATTER MOST. History is for a museum. The is the 21st century.
Nancy, get a clue, and move to a mobile home park in the Mexico.
It's not racist to desire a standard of life in a place that you live.
Oh, wait, we are just supposed to accept that just because Downtown was trashed over the last 50 years, that's the way it should stay because that's the way it's been. Get real people. Money, Power, Change, that is just the way the world works.
It's festivals like this that move Downtown 4 steps back every year.
Nancy Richardson (@nanorich) on April 25, 2010, at 06:39PM – #26
Thanks, Anonymous Poster #25 for proving my point.
Guest on April 25, 2010, at 06:51PM – #27
I am Guest #8, and I moved downtown so I could walk to work, not because I loved the neighborhood. I like downtown, but I have watched it become livable. I have to cross Broadway everyday, and most days I am either kissed at, cat called at, or followed for a few steps. It's all different races, I don't care what color or how much you make, but if you are bringing a uncomfortable or unsafe, or unsanitary element, to my front door, then I have a right to stand up and voice my opinion and advocate change. It would be different if I walked through a neighborhood where the people that live there were the ones creating the negative atmosphere, but that is not the case downtown. The people that live here are overridden during the day by bridge and tunnel people that continue to use downtown to push there destructive and disruptive actions. I agree with crazy #25, times are changing downtown, nothing lasts forever, so Nancy, you just might need to move.
Jenny Hill 29 - Santa Fe Lofts - White - 5'2 120lbs, blond hair, $75,000.00 Annual Income.
Guest on April 25, 2010, at 06:52PM – #28
Your point Nancy, is that you have no clue what you are talking about.
Guest on April 25, 2010, at 08:16PM – #29
Mr. Huertas' analogy of the North Pole is way off base. The North Pole is cold because of weather not because of the desired demographic that has been moving there over the last 10 years. Guest #25 put well in the DTLA's demographic is changing in tune with what was sought.
Also, considering that I live on Broadway, I can attest to the fact that Broadway is in no way a "vibrant shopping street" as Ms. Richardson put it. Part of Broadway consists of a bunch of small vendors who sell knock off items while knowingly violating the noise ordinance and/or health code. In some instances, the vendors even sell illegal goods.
Vibrant indeed...
I think Ms. Richardson has done well enough by dismissing the fact that Ms. Hill already feels a bit unsafe, there's no need judge her further. Lord knows that there's no way in hell that a young women would ever feel unsafe in parts of DTLA, right? That's probably not something Mr. Richardson can relate to since she's been living in DTLA since we were all in elementary school...her seniority obviously dissuades all of the come-ons and cat calls.
At least Ms. Hill was enough of a "man" to identify herself, huh "Guest #29"?
M. Ludlow, Chapman Lofts
Robert Banuelos on April 25, 2010, at 08:24PM – #30
Well all i have to add to this comment is for those who don't care for latinos, "bridge and tunnel crowd", or any outsiders treading on the neighborhood you just happened to move into last month. You may want to take a trip next weekend, May 1. As the larger los angeles community with be gathering to practice our first amendment right.
Guest on April 25, 2010, at 09:18PM – #31
I was at the event today with my wife. There are young kids all over the place, and young women all over the place. I don't get why today would feel less safe than any other day in downtown. In fact, given the large crowds and the security presence, it felt much safer than, say, a normal weekday.
Maybe some day the historic core will have so many residents that Fiesta Broadway won't be able to be held there. That's not likely to be anytime soon. Get used to it, folks.
The downtown dwellers complaining about the event may have been better served attending the book festival at UCLA. Big crowds there too, but I'm assuming the complainers will feel safer there...
Guest on April 25, 2010, at 11:55PM – #32
Why do people insist that this girl is wrong for saying she feels unsafe. The fact is, everyday, festival or not, 1000's of non downtown residence come down to Broadway and conduct business and then leave. If you live in this area it is clear that these people do nothing to give back to the neighborhood they use to conduct their business. Store front are still unsightly, trash, and flyers, and food, is left for cleaning crews, all done with no regard for the people that actually pay to live here. Bottom line, Ms. Hill has more of a right to feel unsafe in her own neighborhood, then 500,000 latinos have the right to have a festival that really does nothing to improve the community around it, especially because Ms. Hill pays to live here.
Dan Fuentes - The Judson
alexandra on April 26, 2010, at 01:18AM – #33
c'mon, kiddies, play nice; we're all going to die.
Guest on April 26, 2010, at 01:17PM – #34
Well anyway...like it or not Latinos will dominate the population %, art, culture and politics. They have won through birth rate and voting. Congratulations. Let's hope we are not treated as badly as the Anglo population has treated them over all these years since LA was founded by Mexicans.
Howie on the Hill
Rich Jesmer on April 26, 2010, at 01:41PM – #35
Thanks Alexandra :)
Long story short – we didn’t die. Yet.
*This year was a noticeable difference. Traffic south of 5th seemed to keep moving. Not sure how it was north of 4th – what’s the word on the street? Personally, I think I’m going to adopt SoFi and NoFo as geographic descriptors. Please feel free to add to your vocabulary accordingly.
*How about keeping fees where they belong for an event of this size? $56k? Really? Let’s keep the full staffing and corporate funding in play, wherever market rate falls. Nothing says goodwill toward the community like a big check.
*Speaking of market rate, how bout moving the event up toward El Pueblo? Infuse business and pride to the area where over 40 merchants aren’t paying their new full rent, and that the city has to subsidize at the end of the day anyways. Downtown is changing – “El AT&T Kragen O’Reilly Pueblo, brought to you by Red Bull” anyone?
*We’re not all racist and classist here, so no need to pull that card ahead of schedule. It’ll come up sooner or later, but I’d like to think we can tackle the other fundamentals first.
*Can we all get back to hating on the film crews yet?
Thanks Blogdowntown team for providing the forum. Sure beats the “What the hell is going on around here” vibe that would be going around without you.
Jamie DeFrisco on April 26, 2010, at 02:41PM – #36
My concern is that a lot of the people moving to downtown expect downtown to be like the suburbs. I'm sorry, but this is not orange county. This is city life. There are many people that have lived here for years or have contributed to downtown for years with their business. Maybe they are not desirable. However, as long as they aren't doing anything illegal or unethical, they have the right to be here as much as everyone else. I'm not saying that there aren't things that warrant change. Sometimes I feel that people move to downtown without checking out the area and expecting it be something else.
Guest #24- I went to the event and the music didn't overlap. Maybe from above, you get a different sound. On the ground you heard what was in front of you and you weren't bothered by other sounds.
Jenny Hill- What exactly do you expect them to do about guys trying to hit on you? There's no laws against that. I agree that is very uncomfortable when this happens, but there's not much they can do about it.
Why does everyone assume that these people don't live downtown? There are many apartments and homes within the downtown area or very close by. Downtown is surrounded by neighborhoods. Downtown would be the closest shopping area for these people. Since they don't live downtown, they can't do business here? A lot of businesses would cease to exist if people from outside downtown didn't come to downtown.
Guest on April 26, 2010, at 04:10PM – #37
I was there last year and this year. I didn't see anything uncomfortable, unsafe, or unsanitary, outside what I would expect from a large street fair (pressed in crowds, port-a-potties, and trash).
I'd like to hear/read what specific things folks found uncomfortable/unsafe/unsanitary. That would likely put to rest (or justify?) concerns re racism.
Guest on April 26, 2010, at 09:22PM – #38
Los Angeles has been waving farewell to better educated, more affluent type of people for decades. Massive suburbanization has been one of its obvious symptoms.
First signs of that was when the large department stores in downtown started to see their sales volume fall starting around the 1950s. That's in marked contrast to trends over the past 50 or more years in cities like New York, Chicago and San Francisco, much less European capitals like London and Paris.
If the type of people who make the great cities of the world look energized and popular have far fewer counterparts here in southern California, then why does the balance of the population of downtown Los Angeles (daytimers and over-nighters) have to be made up of so many high-school drop-out types?
Is Central Los Angeles always going to be synonomous with "loser"?
Guest on April 26, 2010, at 11:41PM – #39
Manhattan has 100x more parades and festivals than downtown LA every year.
shut up, already, downtown whinathons
Guest on April 27, 2010, at 08:08AM – #40
Well then it's a good thing that we don't live in Manhattan then, huh Guest #39? Be gone...
Guest on April 27, 2010, at 01:03PM – #41
Well then it's a bad thing that you live in an area that's hosted this event for 20 years, huh Guest #40? Go back...
Guest on April 28, 2010, at 01:06PM – #42
To # 38 who wrote: "If the type of people who make the great cities of the world look energized and popular have far fewer counterparts here in southern California, then why does the balance of the population of downtown Los Angeles (daytimers and over-nighters) have to be made up of so many high-school drop-out types?
Is Central Los Angeles always going to be synonomous with "loser"?"
--
Sounds like you're hanging out with dumb people. Maybe set your sights higher with whom you acquaint. Central Los Angeles has no shortage of intellectuals or successful residents. You might benefit from seeking them out.
Guest on April 30, 2010, at 07:56PM – #43
Thank you Mexicanos-Californios for over 200 years of Art, Culture, Industry and Hard Work for the State of California and Los Angles, of which your forefathers founded.
Howie on the Hill