Los Angeles State Historic Park, formerly known as The Cornfields, offers 32 acres of green open space right next to Chinatown with Downtown Los Angeles as a great backdrop for a quiet picnic with family or a couple of friends, but recently it has been taken over by demons, clowns and villains.

Sunday night, a friend of mine and I made our way down to The Cornfields to catch the circus that is in town. Except this isn’t your typical circus.  You wont find any elephants balancing themselves on giant red balls or a couple dozen clowns squeezing into a Gremlin or even a rabbit being pulled out of a top hat.  Quite the opposite.  You might find a top hat being pulled out of a rabbit instead.  Basically its like walking into hell with a visitor pass while the devil is having a tea party.

Cirque Berzerk is a netherworld filled with phantasmagoric visions that will grope at your senses and oddities that are bound to scorch the very tips of your soul.  Everything from a stilt-walking fire-breathing demonic clown to a contortionist and harrowing high flying acts that will leave you breathless and begging for more.

So gentlemen, dust off that top hat and ladies, stretch out those corsets and head on down to Cirque Berzerk and have a little Villain with your Vaud.

Due to popular demand, Cirque Berzerk has been extended through July 26th so don’t miss out!

This past weekend was full of events and things to do.  There are weekends where I struggle to find stuff to do then there are weekend where I don’t have enough time to squeeze in all I want to do.

As I mentioned in an earlier post this weekend had the East Hollywood Earth Day Festival and an Art Gallery Fundraiser in Chinatown.  What I forgot to mention was the LA Times Festival of Books at UCLA.  I somehow managed to do a little of all three.

First I attended the East Hollywood Earth Day Festival at the Vermont/Santa Monica Metro Station.  I got to see lots of friends and a few musical performances as well as one Aztec Dancing group which is always fun to watch.

At the festival the EHNC also dedicated a tree in honor of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink who was tragically assassinated in 2007.

After a little fun in the East Hollywood sun I was off to Chinatown and the Chinatown Art Walk.  This quarterly event has some fantastic galleries in Chung King Court off of Hill Street.   With over 35 art galleries in Chinatown this event is one of the better art walks in LA if not the best rivaling that of the Downtown variety.  My interest in this event was a fundraiser I helped produce at the Fifth Floor Gallery.  Over 500 people came through the gallery looking at and buying art from various artists from around the world benefiting Empowerment Works and their Global Summit as well as their Grassroots Orphan Care Program in Zimbabwe.

After a well needed few hours of sleep I went down to UCLA Sunday morning to catch the Festival of Books.  Unfortunately I did not get a chance to see any of my favorite authors and the discussion panels I was interested in were either too late or already filled.  I did manage to buy a new book by Kevin J. Anderson “The Edge of the World” and I am anxiously awaiting the release of  “The Winds of Dune” later this year.

I leave you with a few more pictures from my weekend.  Enjoy.

Busy times are here.  Two events will take place this weekend which I will be attending and recommend them both.

1st is the East Hollywood Earth Day Festival that will take place Saturday and Sunday April 25/26 at the Vermont / Santa Monica Metro Station in wonderful East Hollywood.  This event will have live music, green booths and more.  This event will also have a satellite location at the Cahuenga Branch Library located at 4591 Santa Monica Blvd just a few blocks East of the main festival where there Voices from Chernobyl will be performed at 1pm and later at 5pm on Saturday starring good friend Enci.

2nd is an event that I helped coordinate, The Empowerment Works, Humanity Uniting; Gallery Event located at Fifth Floor Gallery in Chinatown.  This event coincides with the quarterly Chinatown Art Walk and is a fundraiser for the Empowerment Works’ Orphan Care Program in Zimbabwe.

Displayed will be art by Carolina Marchiori, Michelle Carmen Gomez, Hieronymus, Rebecca Setareh, Aaron Edelson, Mike Chamness, Cathy Wysocki, Kevin Balluff, Rebecca Elswit, Bonnie Munoz, Toufic Beyhum, Nancy Mungcal, Renee Barron, Dana Arak, Sara Sikich, and more!

DJ Nero will be spinning and there will be drinks served by Transphusion.

Both events are free to the public.  Hope to see some of you there.

.