RiverFest 2026 — Los Angeles State Historic Park

Fifty-one miles of concrete river cuts through the middle of Los Angeles. Most people drive over it without looking down. Friends of the LA River have spent years turning that into a crime — teaching the city to see the water that's been there all along, the herons nesting in the channel, the kayakers threading through Elysian Valley, the murals that bloom on the bridges. RiverFest is their annual love letter: a free, open-air environmental arts festival at Los Angeles State Historic Park where more than 50 organizations set up shop — eco-educators, community advocates, local food trucks, an artist village, live music stages — and the river becomes the main character for one afternoon. Bring kids. They'll build something out of recycled materials and eat a taco al pastor while you listen to a band you've never heard of but will Shazam before they finish the second song. The fifth annual RiverFest celebrates the culture, history, and people of the 51-mile river. Sunday, August 9, 2026, 2:30 PM – 7:00 PM. Free; registration required at folar.org.