Gloria Molina’s Grand Park New Year’s Celebration
The final chorus of Auld Lang Syne has been sung, the final glass of champagne has been consumed, the final flight of confetti has landed and the final note from the Countdown Stage has faded. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, 2025 is upon us with all of its hopes and dreams as well as its uncertainties.
By Ricky Richardson | Contributing Writer
(Los Angeles, CA) The final chorus of Auld Lang Syne has been sung, the final glass of champagne has been consumed, the final flight of confetti has landed and the final note from the Countdown Stage has faded. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, 2025 is upon us with all of its hopes and dreams as well as its uncertainties.
Thousands of revelers from all walks of life, and ages, assembled in Gloria Molina’s Grand Park, on Tuesday, December 31, 2024. Gloria Molina Grand Park, 200 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA. 90012
The occasion was the Countdown to 2025. The diverse, multicultural crowd enjoyed live music, family-friendly activities, and a spectacular countdown show to usher in 2025.
Gloria Molina’s Grand Park was billed as the West Coast’s largest free New Year’s Eve event. The evening included immersive art installations and 30+ food trucks with delightful, mouthwatering bites. The show was held from 8 to 12:30 p.m. Best of all, it was FREE!
The organizers can take a bow for creating this year’s Countdown celebration. The Countdown Celebration was a resounding success.
Revelers, aka, party people, had the pleasure of music emanating from two stages that kept everyone moving and grooving.
DJ MAK10, Tiffany “Delilah” Miranda and DJ Sparkle, (Photo by Ricky Richardson)
The Get Down Stage, located in the park’s Block 2 between Grand Avenue and Hill Street, was hosted by Midi Riperton and a lineup of all-female DJs including non-profit organization Girls Make Beats featuring Sparkle X MAK10, Linafornia, DJ Que Madre; and the Ladies of Sound presenting Language featuring DJ Adaj, January, yoBEE! X Dr Samson and Priyanka. Collectively these turntable masters kept the vibes spinning.
Host and DJ Novena Carmel, (Photo by Ricky Richardson)
The Countdown Stage was hosted and deejayed by Novena Carmel from KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic in the park’s Block 4 between Broadway and Spring Street. The live performances got underway with Southern California’s own hip-hop band Weapons of Mass Creations followed by Puerto Rican producer and multi-instrumentalist Pachy “Pachyman” Garcia. Brooklyn-based Antiblas closed out the celebration with some East Coast flavor and rhythms. The band mesmerized revelers with its unique Afrobeat sound that blends highlife, jazz, funk, and traditional African elements with monstrous horns and bass. Attendees felt the grooves as evidenced by the “the park for everyone” being transformed into a giant dance floor.
Weapons of Mass Creation, (Photo by Ricky Richardson)
To top off the epic celebration, aka the icing on the cake, the park’s awe-inspiring art show was projected onto L.A.’s iconic City Hall as partygoers counted down to midnight. The dazzling projections produced by A3 Visual highlighted L.A.’s beauty, diversity, culture, and natural landscapes and heightened Angelenos’ awareness of environmentally green living.
I invite you to stay connected with Gloria Molina’s Grand Park and The Music Center on social media. Each venue celebrates the county’s cultural vitality and hosts community events, cultural celebrations, holiday celebrations, and many other activities that engage and attract visitors from all communities. The community is invited to connect and celebrate with each other with more innovative events throughout 2025.
