Discovering New Worlds at the 2014 @LACountyFair

Discovering New Worlds at the 2014 LA County Fair

By Erin

*Disclosure: I was invited out to attend the media night for purposes of this post. All thoughts and opinions remain my own as I’ve had a lifelong love for the LA County Fair!* 2014_LACF_4color It’s that time again everyone! Time for Southern California’s biggest end-of-summer bash, the L.A. County Fair, which starts TODAY! This year the fair is back, with so much to explore from Aug. 29-Sept. 28, the fair is bigger and better than ever! Besides all the yummy food I will show you in a bit, the fair lights up the night with Luminasia A larger-than-life Chinese lantern display, that takes the ancient art form of lantern making to a whole new level. Luminasia takes fair-goers through a whole new world filled with colorful replicas of iconic landmarks such as the Great Wall of China, the Hollywood Sign, and the Eiffel Tower. Giant dragons, flowers and a pagoda also roam the land. These lanterns were handmade by nearly 50 artisans who traveled more than 7,000 miles from Zigong, China to transform the hillside into an evening attraction that is bound to take your breath away. This is Luminasia’s first-ever appearance in California and is the jewel of the evening attractions at the fair this year. (*There is an extra charge to enter into the world of Luminasia*) Liminasia LACF

The Eiffel Tower at Luminasia

What Else is New at LACF?

There are so many new and wonderful additions to the fair this year, visitors will be delighted with their new discoveries and treasure their tried and true traditional fair favorites. Kicking off its 92nd anniversary by opening its doors to new worlds of discovery, lighting up the night with oversized custom-built lanterns; where zonkeys and kangaroos roam the land, award-winning beer and wine can be sampled, and world-class entertainment takes the stage again.

Hall of HEROES

See your favorite Super Heroes at the Hall of Heroes in the Cityscape, a thriving metropolis of skyscrapers and super heroes. Celebrate the science behind beloved superheroes of comic books and real-life heroes. Enter the Metropolis and come face to face with Spiderman and Superman or meet one of our local home-town heroes: law enforcement officers who risk their lives every day to protect and serve us to keep us safe.

Mojo’s Wild & Crazy Lagoon

The animals are one of my favorite things about the fair, and you will see many special critters roaming about. I’m most looking forward to the zonkeys, being that they are a part of the equine family. 😉 Then mosey on over to Mojo’s Wild & Crazy Lagoon where you will meet Mojo, a Weeper Capuchin monkey and her friends. They have a new home on the water and are sure to be involved in some monkey business. Other animal friends reside at the Peacock Paradise, Fiona’s Perch, Kangaroo Cove and the Enchanted Village. Take a peak at the sea lions at Beneath the Sea and then read your way through an adventure in America’s Kids, where we are celebrating the exciting worlds of children’s literature. LA County Fair Critters

Just a couple of the interesting and unique critters I met at last years fair. 😉

The FOOD!

My most favorite part of the fair though, has to be the FOOD! 😉 You will be able to satisfy all your favorite food cravings here at the fair – deep-fried, on-a-stick, BBQ, dipped in chocolate and anything else you care to imagine. You could eat here for days at the fair and not once eat the same thing twice. With over 300 choices (including Mexican, Italian, Asian and Greek flavors, along with L.A.’s best food trucks) you will need to come back more than once to try everything! What’s new this year? New this year is: Ramen burgers, Sriracha corndogs, funnel cake corndogs, Tequila-infused pickle poppers, and a complete gluten-free menu.

Chicken Charlie’s New at Chicken Charlie’s this year is the Triple-decker Krispy Kreme Cheeseburger and the Bacon-wrapped Zucchini! LACF Krispy Kreme Hamburger

The Krispy Kreme Triple Decker Cheeseburger! Yikes!!

LACF Chicken Charlie

Bacon Wrapped Zucchini

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Budweiser’s #MadeInAmericaFest Comes to Los Angeles–August 30th & 31st!

Budweiser’s Made In America Fest Comes to Los Angeles–August 30th & 31st!

By Erin

*This is a sponsored post, all thoughts and opinions remain my own and I sure do love listening to a great concert!*

There is an exciting, two-day music festival coming into town here in Los Angeles over Labor Day weekend on August 30th and 31st. JAY Z  is curating an awesome blockbuster roster of talent, which will include more than 60 artists that embodies the American spirit. Performances will be across 3 stages at Grand Park in Los Angeles.

The Made in America Festival, sponsored by Budweiser, was started by Jay Z in 2012. Inclusion was the basis of its foundation as the festival prides itself on featuring an array of music from genres ranging from hip hop to rock to EDM. The festival started out two years ago in Philadelphia and will be there again this year as well at the same time the Los Angeles festival is going on. This is the inaugural year of the Budweiser Made in America festival in Los Angeles.  Featuring an eclectic and awesome mix of artists such as Weezer, Imagine Dragons, Capital Cities and John Mayer. See below for complete list of artists that will be performing in Los Angeles. A unique gathering of talent will be seen here for sure!

Here’s all the info you need about this fabulous event to go grab your tickets for the upcoming weekend!

*Where: *Los Angeles**

*When: Labor Day Weekend

August 30th & 31st

Grand Park, Downtown LA

*Get Your Tickets Here!*

2 day Tickets for LA

1 day Ticket for LA- August 30th

1 day Ticket for LA- August 31st

Overview: This is the inaugural year of the Budweiser Made in America festival in Los Angeles. Festival benefits the United Way of Greater Los Angeles. The Budweiser Made in America festival is the first American festival to run simultaneously on both coasts in LA and Philly.

Artist Lineup: Imagine Dragons, Kanye West, John Mayer, Steve Aoki, Juanes, Afrojack, Kendrick Lamar, Rise Against, Weezer, Sublime with Rome, Metric, Capital Cities, Chance the Rapper, Cypress Hill, Gareth Emery, R3HAB, Schoolboy Q, Wolfgang Gartner, Borgore, DVBBS, 12th Planet, YG, Mute Math, Rita Ora, Nipsey Hussle, Dr. Dog, Terraplane Sun, ZZ Ward, Classixx, Hit-Boy, DJ Mustard, Ab-Soul, Isaiah Rashad, Jay Rock, SZA, Yellow Claw, Grits & Biscuits, Will Sparks, Cut Snake, Scavenger Hunt, A Tribe Called Red Cause

Cause Village Vendors Shawn Carter Foundation, United Way, Headcount, Budweiser Veterans, Tyler Robinson Foundation (Imagine Dragons charity), Dogs without Border, Hire LA, Food Forward, United States Green Building Council, LIFT Los Angeles, Skid Row Housing, LA Street Car, LA Street Galler.

Which artists are you most excited to see from this eclectic and fabulous lineup? 

Inspiration From the Hundred Foot Journey – Le Cordon Bleu Reception

Inspiration From the Hundred Foot Journey

By Erin

*I attended as a guest of Disney, all thoughts and opinions remain my own.* =)

Before the movie came out in theaters, I was spoiled by attending a special casual and intimate dinner reception inspired by The Hundred Foot Journey at the world famous Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School in Los Angels, California. Being the foodie that I am, this was pure heaven. To be able to see the movie, then get to live it and taste some of the delicious food actually SEEN in the movie. OMG.  Pure Heaven. 😉

100 Ft Journey

It was a feast for the senses, being able to dine on the dishes inspired by The Hundred Foot Journey. Seeing, tasting, and smelling some of the tantalizing dishes that culinary genius Hassan Kadam (Manish Dayal) cooked up was a real treat. In the film, Hassan and his family are displaced from their native India, who end up settling in the charming and quaint village of Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val in the south of France. After opening an Indian restaurant called Maison Mumbai which happens to be 100 feet away from the famous Le Saule Pleureur’s  Michelin-starred eatery, a full-on heated battle between the two establishments ensues. Luckily, Madame Mallory recognizes her rival’s (Hassan Kadam) undeniable talent as a chef. What happens next with this rivalry? Who ends up out on top? You haven’t seen the movie yet? Why not? This weekend is the perfect chance to make things right then and go find out! 😉

Appetizers

Our journey at Le Cordon Bleu started with a pleasant arrangement of scrumptious appetizers. This included: Tandoori Chicken Skewers, Petit Quiche Loraine, and a beautiful assortment of assorted Charcuterie and Cheese platter with Curried mustard & Major Grey Chutney. I couldn’t get enough of the Tandoori Chicken skewers and the cheese. It was a great way to start out a new “Food is Memories” moment. 😉

Appetizers 100Ft Journey

Our next stop on our food journey was sampling the entree choices. On the menu was Beef Bourguinon a La Hassan, Chicken Tikka Massala with Saffron Rice and asparagus. Yum! Look at that asparagus! So fresh and tasty, not limp at all! I love my veggies, so I had my fill of asparagus here.

Asparagus

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