Trekking LA tour makes first stop Highland Park and Milagro Allegro

Alfresco dining

June 26, 2010. It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon to be taking a walk through Highland Park enjoying art, culture and history (old and not-so-old), which is just what 25 people participating in Trekking LA’s first “Walking Expedition” did the last Saturday in June. The “Urban Alfresco” series, which kicked off this summer in Highland Park is the fourth season of Trekking LA, presented by LA Commons, a project of Community Partners.  This year, Trekking LA participants explore LA’s community gardens, street art and homegrown food culture in four of LA”s most culturally rich and under-explored neighborhoods. Each of the curated tours will bring attendees into a new neighborhood (Highland Park , Boyle Heights, MacArthur Park/Koreatown, Leimert Park) to explore local street art and culture and will feature al fresco dining in four of the approximately 75 urban farms and community gardens throughout the city. For more information about upcoming tours, see the Trekking LA Press release.

guest chef, Amanda

The Trekking LA Highland Park tour began at Future Studio with a welcome by artist, Amy Inouye, mother of Chicken Boy. Participants then walked down several of Highland Park’s most beautiful tree-lined streets and well-traveled alleys to see more of the neighborhood’s historic homes, narrated by Highland Park historian, Charlie Fisher, and graffitti art, as explained by Steve Grody, author and expert in graffitti art. Tour participants ended their afternoon at Milagro Allegro and enjoyed a outdoor dinner provided by Las Cazuelas. Dessert was prepared by LA sprouts student and guest chef, Amanda Serna, a graduating 5th grader at Loreto Elementary who made fruit rainbows for a smiling crowd.  Our resident gardener, Milli Macen-Moore, led participants in making seedling cups and Milagro gardener, Nidia Garcia provided a tour of the garden and her plot.

Delores Chavez (l), Amy Inouye (r)

To hear the Trekking LA tour as featured by Shirley Jahad on KPCC 89.3 FM, click here.

For more photos of the afternoon, please see our photo gallery!