The Music Center Enters Into Long-Term Agreement to Operate and Program Grand Park

The Music Center today announced it has entered into a new 30-year Operating Agreement with the County of Los Angeles for the operation, maintenance and programming of Grand Park, the 12-acre park that opened in 2012, bringing life and green space to the Civic Center. Approved by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors after a public process, the Operating Agreement includes an initial term of 10 years with up to two 10-year renewal options.

The Music Center/Grand Park/County of Los Angeles partnership will continue through 2051, maintaining Grand Park as Downtown L.A.'s central gathering place where people can enjoy the tranquil quiet of an urban oasis as well as programming designed to encourage Angelenos to participate in and appreciate the diverse fabric of Los Angeles. Since its founding, Grand Park has enjoyed more than 1 million visitors to the park annually, formed hundreds of community partnerships and hosted up to 400 free programs each year.

Grand Park's programs-produced by TMC Arts, The Music Center's programming engine-will continue to highlight local talent, artists and community partners, representing the many faces, corners and lived-experiences of Angelenos in the county. Over the years, The Music Center's Grand Park team has created legacy events that bring people from all over Los Angeles County together to celebrate yearly milestones including Grand Park + The Music Center's 4th of July Block Party and Grand Park N.Y.E.L.A., each attracting crowds in excess of 50,000 people. In fact, the park's New Year's Eve event is recognized as the West Coast's flagship New Year's celebration. The park also connects Angelenos as a multicultural community with such programs as Grand Park's Downtown Día de Los Muertos and Grand Park's Our L.A. Voices: A Pop-up Art + Culture Fest, among many others. Grand Park will resume live programs starting this month, in accordance with the reopening of Los Angeles and cessation of most public health-related restrictions.

"We are honored that the County of Los Angeles and the Board of Supervisors have continued to put their trust in The Music Center by allowing us to build on our success at Grand Park," said Rachel S. Moore, president and CEO, The Music Center. "Our eye is always on leveraging the synergies between the park and The Music Center, as two major county assets, and we look forward to strengthening our work to make these important civic entities places for all to enjoy. Grand Park is a great example of how arts and culture can play a vital role in connecting people through accessible programs and experiences that honor, reflect and celebrate Los Angeles. Each year, we look for ways to expand and enhance the breadth of our programs, and we're committed to offering Angelenos the best and safest entertainment and wellbeing opportunities year-round."

"Grand Park serves as a unique public space, offering opportunities to come together in joy and reflection as one Los Angeles through engagement-centered arts, culture celebrations and community health experiences in person and online, appealing to all ages and interests," offered Julia Diamond, director for Grand Park. "With our new long-term lease and the reopening of the state, we all have much to be grateful for. This summer, we're celebrating our sense of freedom-to be outdoors, to reconnect with friends and neighbors, to speak your truth, to dance to your heart's content, to get in 10,000 steps daily and to experience what it means to be an Angeleno. Grand Park is not only just a place, but a place for all of us. It is L.A.'s central gathering place, and we can't wait to welcome Angelenos back."

To celebrate a summer of freedom, Grand Park will reinvigorate its multi-use lawns, stages and spaces with the return of popular programming that includes free outdoor activities, interactive events and opportunities for cultural connections, including Grand Park's Sunday Sessions and Grand Park's Easy Mornings. The park's highly popular splash pad reopened on June 19, 2021. Additionally, beginning July 8, 2021, Grand Park will officially reopen other favorite hang-outs including the dog park and the children's playground, empowering Angelenos of all ages and zip codes to enjoy the "park for everyone." Grand Park's 2021 summer programming line-up includes:

Grand Park's Portraits of Freedom

July 1-31, 2021

Every day during park hours, 5:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m.

Location: From Grand Avenue to North Broadway

As previously announced, Grand Park's Portraits of Freedom will magnify the culturally rich and diverse communities that comprise L.A. County with a month-long public art installation that applies an artistic lens to celebrate home and freedom, themes often associated with July 4th observances. From July 1-31, 2021, Grand Park's Portraits of Freedom: Building a Life in L.A. will feature photography and video exhibitions as well as a nighttime projection installation. Presentations located in pockets throughout Grand Park will feature the work of local artists including photojournalist Samanta Helou Hernandez, documentary photographer Sam Comen, artists Diane Lindquist and Jonah Elijah, social justice organizations Solidarity for Sanctuary and LA Street Vendor Campaign, and Southern California Public Radio's KPCC/LAist. Located throughout different areas of Grand Park between Grand Avenue and North Broadway, the on-site programming will illuminate Los Angeles through civic pride, identity and engagement while narrating cornerstone stories of the American experience. Grand Park invites Angelenos to submit reflections of "home" to be considered for inclusion in weekly updates to the nighttime projections. More information can be found at july.grandparkla.org.

Portraits of Freedom: Building a Life in L.A. will take place in lieu of the annual Grand Park + The Music Center's 4th of July Block Party; the county's largest free Independence Day celebration will return in 2022. Grand Park will remain open on July 4th for Angelenos to enjoy the installations as well as the park's lush gardens and grassy areas; however, there will be no live events or the traditional fireworks show occurring that day.

All summer long, Grand Park will reshare images and stories of Angelenos celebrating their summer of freedom. Fans are encouraged to tag #PortraitsOfFreedom and mention @grandpark_la on Instagram to be considered for prizes including gift cards and Grand Park swag.

Grand Park's Sunday Sessions

Sundays, July 25 and August 29

3:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.

Location: Performance Lawn (Between Grand Avenue and Hill Street)

Dance and music are the centerpiece for every hot summer party and Grand Park's Sunday Sessions returns live in the park! Grand Park's Sunday Sessions will host L.A.'s finest House music curators on two Sundays this summer featuring numerous DJs at each event. This popular series of free outdoor dance parties will celebrate the contributions of Los Angeles artists to the American-originated, globally embraced art form of House music. The July 25th Sunday Sessions will feature Astronomar, Bot, Ocean Roulette, Etari, and Chloé Soleta, and celebrate the pillars of House music rooted in joy, liberation and dance. The August 29th event will honor the sounds that served as a precursor to House and dance music with a day dedicated to Northern Soul, Funk and Disco with artists including Deejay Clifton, Liz O., Riley Moore and LoopdropKid. Guests can picnic or purchase food from food trucks and enjoy the sounds of summer in a beautiful setting right in the heart of Downtown L.A. Sunday Sessions will take place on the park's Performance Lawn, just north of Hill Street.

Grand Park's Easy Mornings

Saturdays, September 4, 11, 18 and 25

10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Location: From Grand Avenue to Hill Street

Introduced last summer as a digital experience and now offered live in the park, Grand Park's Easy Mornings offers a calm start to the weekend with relaxing and family-friendly activities focused on deepening relationships with self, community and green space on Saturday mornings this September. The free three-hour program will take place in Grand Park from 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. on September 4, September 11, September 18 and September 25, 2021. Grand Park's Easy Mornings is a public platform promoting arts and culture, educational and creative programs and community health. Each week will feature a mixture of different activities, including arts-based workshops, wellness and dance workshops, public art and live DJ entertainment, plus food trucks and vendedores to encourage on-site picnicking.

Year-Round Grand Park Favorites:

Lunch À La Park Food Trucks

Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays

11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Locations: Between Grand Avenue and Hill Street
With more than 50,000 lunches sold in the park pre-COVID, Grand Park continues its tradition of lunchtime in the park by providing downtowners and park visitors a wide variety of food trucks three days per week.

Trucks are parked on Olive Court, between Grand Avenue and Hill Street (near Starbucks). The food truck line-up is updated weekly at grandparkla.org/calendar. Please practice ongoing safety protocols to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 by wearing a mask, if others are near less than 6 feet apart.

Lunch À La Park Yoga reTREAT

Archived episodes available on-demand

YouTube (@grandparkLosAngeles)

Grand Park's popular digital yoga sessions are on summer break and will return for in-person sessions in the park beginning in September! For now, fans can enjoy pre-recorded sessions, available on Grand Park's YouTube channel, focusing on yoga and breathwork led by Grand Park's yogi partners, Courtney Seiberling and Tree Yoga Cooperative. Participants have the opportunity to relax, rejuvenate and re-energize at their own pace by accessing the archived episodes at bit.ly/GrandParkYoga.

Grand Park's Places and Play Spaces

Every day during park hours, 5:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m.

Locations: Noted in copy
With something for everyone, Grand Park offers a place to enjoy the simple pleasures of an urban oasis. Visitors can read a book under a shady tree, with free books offered at Grand Park's Little Libraries (located

near Starbucks); cool off in the fountain splash pad (near Olive Court between Grand Avenue and Hill Street); play with the kids in the park's uniquely designed playground (near North Broadway); exercise on the park's two walking paths; or let four-legged family members enjoy a dedicated dog run (near the Event Lawn at Spring Street).

For more information about free summer programming at Grand Park, visit grandparkla.org.

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