CicLAvia Leimert Park Meets Expo Park
The day may have started out gloomy, but spirits were high as thousands from the South Central community and beyond came out to play on Martin Luther King, Jr. and Crenshaw Boulevards for CicLAvia’s 66th open streets festival on Sunday.
The 3.6-mile route, running between Exposition Park (in front of the BMO Soccer Stadium) and the Leimert Park Plaza at 43rd and Crenshaw, largely mirrored the King Day parade route that regularly draws hundreds of thousands to King Boulevard each January. That made it a comfortable fit for many area residents, who came out to participate in their own way – whether it was strolling with a loved one, testing out their rollerskating skills, skateboarding with a friend, enjoying a bike ride with their kids, talking to their neighbors, showing off their bikes, catching up with community movers and shakers, getting quick tune-ups or repairs from some of the participating neighborhood bike shops, or just sitting outside to watch the spectacle roll by.
Several of the local bike clubs made their presence known, including the Crenshaw Bike Club (below), by rolling through as a group. Others, like the East Side Riders, opted to work the hub, offering repairs and selling coffee and flowers with Beanie Cycle.
The event also showcased what it means to reclaim space and place for community in key areas of what is now the officially designated Historic South Los Angeles Black Cultural District.
Coinciding with the 16th annual Day of the Ancestors: Festival of Masks in Leimert Park – long considered the cultural beating heart of the Black community – CicLAvía participants were treated to a multigenerational celebration of culture, dance, music, poetry, rhythms, art, memory, people, and place. The event was organized by L.A. Commons and the KAOS Network.
The ancestors procession, which began on the plaza at 43rd Place and Degnan, threaded its way northward through the delighted crowd at the hub on Crenshaw Boulevard.
It then wound back into the village, heading down Degnan and back to the plaza, where the performances continued all afternoon.
Each segment of the procession honored a different beloved community member. This year’s honorees included the late S. Pearl Sharp, Horace Tapscott, Aiysha Sinclair, Meri Ka Ra (Reverend Richard Byrd), and Kimberly Bolanile Paggett.
Leimert Park plaza also played host to the CicLAvía afterparty after the streets had all been reopened to cars. RideOn Bike Co-op‘s Adé Neff took off his metaphorical bike shop hat and put on his Utopia Tribe one, gifting yet another joyous dance party to visitors and regulars alike.
________
Who did you spot rolling down the boulevard?
Look for additional Day of the Ancestors Streetsblog coverage coming shortly.
Read More:
Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.
