Hola Boyle Heights! Your community reporter, Alex Medina, is here to share some happenings in and around the neighborhood to get you out and about!
Four-week run of new production comes to local theater
Casa 0101 is a true gem in the Boyle Heights neighborhood. For over two decades, it’s been bringing art and live theater productions, film festivals, arts education classes, and other special events to the Eastside. I’ve had the opportunity to attend many productions and events at this local theater, and I’ve got to say it’s a special place everyone should check out if they haven’t already.
Today marks the start of the playhouse’s latest production: a four-week run of En Mi Jardín: Healing With Our Stories. As Co-Director Emmanuel Deleage describes it, the production is a “foray into using the power of theater to reflect about one’s ancestral past and resolve – if only for a few moments – old wounds by bringing someone back to life for one final conversation.”
I’ve got my tickets, and I encourage you to try snagging your own for a show before the production ends. It runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 4 pm through May 12th at the playhouse (2102 1st Street). Tickets are available for $20-25, and you can purchase them online or by calling the theater’s box office at (323) 263-7684. To learn more about Casa 0101 and its other offerings this season, you can check out the nonprofit’s website.
Happenings in The Heights
Friday, April 19th
Join Latinx with Plants (2208 E. Cesar E. Chavez Avenue) for a pot painting sesh featuring music by Dro Barlo, non-alcoholic drinks, and food by Correas Mariscos. No RSVP is required to attend, and the shop will have plenty of plantitas for sale to live in your newly decorated craft. The event runs from 6 – 9 p.m. There will be free pots available for guests to paint while supplies last.
Saturday, April 20th
Don’t worry if you missed out on Coachella; Boyle Heights has its very own Pinkchella. Pink & Boujee Taqueria (1908 E. 1st Street) is hosting a mini-festival outside of its spot featuring a festival-themed brunch, music, drinks, and more. The festivities run from 9 a.m. through 5 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday (4/20-4/21).
Did you know Roosevelt High School (456 S. Mathews Street) is celebrating its centennial this weekend? Come celebrate the historic school’s 100 years in Boyle Heights from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. this weekend. With student and alumni performances, campus tours, and more, there’ll be tons of ways to celebrate your Rough Rider pride at this celebration. Our team will be there, so make sure to stop by and connect with us if you’ve got a chance!
It’s the third Saturday of April, which means it’s that time of the month again for the Queer Mercado, taking place at the East Los Angeles Civic Center (4801 E. 3rd Street) from 10 a.m. through 4 p.m. This community market brings a variety of merchants, food vendors, live music, art, and much more to the Eastside. Make sure to stop by for the good vibes if you’re in the area.
Over at Ascot Hills (4371 Multnomah Street), Northeast Trees is hosting its 16th Annual Kite Festival. Taking place from 10 a.m. through 2 p.m., attendees are encouraged to bring a personal kite to fly and fill up the skies of El Sereno. A limited supply of free rain barrels, compost pails, and kites will be available. Various earthy workshops will be open to explore, and attendees at the event will also have the chance to win California native plants.
The Floricanto Center for Performing Arts (2900 Calle Pedro Infante) is hosting its 8th Annual Dia del Niño event inspired by the Mexican celebration. Shining a light on LA children in the arts, the celebration will feature various youth ensembles performing group dances and other talent spectacles. The event starts right at 1 p.m., and tickets are available for $3-12 online or at the door.
The local bookstore Re/Arte (2123 E. Cesar E. Chavez Avenue) is hosting Las Hijas Chingonx de Inmigrantes. Hosted by Prickly Pear Productions & Services, the 6 – 8 p.m. event features an open mic, various poetry features, and food.
Purgatory (1326 1st Street) is hosting a pizza party! Grab a slice from the shop and head out to the pizza joint’s parking lot to listen to musical bands The Crudes, blueberry, Clarion, The Martyr, Los Alamos, and Clutter. Running from 6 – 11 p.m., the event is free with a donation of any amount.
Sunday, April 21st
Self-Help Graphics & Art (1300 E. 1st Street) is hosting a mural unveiling event from noon through 3 PM. It’ll be quite the party celebration with lots to do, with The Crudes set to perform at the event right at 1:30 p.m. The temporary mural created by emerging artist Josiah O’Balles (you can check his art out here) will be up until at the nonprofit’s center until building renovation begins.
Tuesday, April 23rd
Notes from the Chicana/o/x Underground is back at Re/Arte (2123 E. Cesar E. Chavez Avenue) for its third installment featuring Reyna Grande. Grande is the author of bestselling memoirs The Distance Between Us (2012) and A Dream Called Home (2018), as well as novels Across a Hundred Mountains (2006), A Ballad of Love and Glory (2022), and more. The series intends to foster conversations with artists, thinkers, writers, and community leaders to spark dialogue on the most pertinent issues facing the world and what’s being done to address them.
As always, let us know what you think of the newsletter and send us events to include in future editions. ¡Hasta luego Boyle Heights, nos vemos en la calle!
