In late October, thousands of Angelenos gathered at the 6th Street Viaduct to bid goodbye to a Los Angeles icon. The 6th Street Bridge, a neighborhood landmark made famous on the small and silver screens, is earmarked for demolition and replacement. It seemed only fitting that FilmL.A. join other sponsors and the office of Los Angeles City Councilmember Jose Huizar, at the 6th Street Bridge Farewell Festival and Concert.
The Festival, which attracted a large and diverse crowd, featured children’s games and activities, face painting booths, live mural painting by local artists, food trucks, community education booths, giveaways and more. As part of the the celebrations there was a DJ and live performances by the 1970’s band, War, Aloe Blacc, Graciela Beltran, Angela & Leonardo Aguilar, Bullet & Snowfox, Buyepongo, The Cold & Lovely, and Subsuelo.
FilmL.A.’s Community Relations team staffed a booth during the festival. Staffers gave away FilmL.A. and FilmWorks branded grocery bags and cell phone chargers, which were a popular item with festival goers. At the booth, FilmL.A. had the opportunity to tell patrons about the services we offer — including our 24/7 hotline for solving filming-related problems. FilmL.A. also brought a video reel of popular feature films and TV shows that have used the 6th Street Bridge as a filming location.
Community Outreach Liaison Arturo Piña, who was instrumental in coordinating FilmL.A.’s participation, observed, “The 6th Street Bridge Farewell Festival was an awesome way to pay homage to a long standing Los Angeles landmark. Our congratulations and thanks to Councilmember Huizar and his staff for hosting such a successful community event.”
Also on exhibit was the model for the new 6th Street Bridge. The new bridge, known as the “Ribbon of Light,” will completely replace the existing structure and add a variety of architectural features. Council Office staff were on hand to answer questions about the destruction of the current bridge and construction of the new.
The festival ended with a spectacular fireworks show overlooking the City skyline.
One Comment on “A Festival to Celebrate the Departing 6th Street Bridge”
I strongly wish that the City would spend the additional $20 million (as quoted in the Times) above the quoted replacement cost for a new bridge, to actually rebuild this iconic bridge rather than destroy it. I feel this is a big loss for our city, not only from the standpoint of its value as a filming location of course, but also as a historic structure. Deeply saddened about its pending demolition!