Lotus Festival — Echo Park 2026

The Lotus Festival at Echo Park Lake is one of the most distinctly Los Angeles events on the annual calendar — a free public celebration in a neighborhood park where the lake surface is covered in blooming lotus flowers each July, combined with a multi-day Asian Pacific cultural festival that has been running since 1978.

Echo Park Lake's lotus beds bloom through July and early August, and the festival celebrates that bloom alongside programming that reflects the diverse Asian Pacific communities of the Echo Park and Silver Lake neighborhoods. Dragon boat racing on the lake is the visual centerpiece — traditional wooden dragon boats staffed by community teams race across the water against the backdrop of the lotus flowers and the downtown LA skyline.

Cultural performances on the lakeside stage cover the full range of Asian Pacific heritage represented in the surrounding community: Filipino folk dance, Japanese taiko, Korean traditional music, Chinese opera, Hawaiian hula, and contemporary Asian American artists. The food vendor area brings the neighborhood's community organizations and small businesses together around dishes that span the full range of Asian Pacific cuisine.

Echo Park Lake is at 751 Echo Park Ave in Echo Park, Los Angeles. Metro accessible via the Red Line (MacArthur Park/Westlake Station) and multiple bus routes. Street parking fills quickly; Metro is recommended. The festival is free to attend; dragon boat race sponsorships and food vendors are individually priced.