Downtown LA's new Grand Park welcomed with block party

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A day-long block party filled with live music, dancing, and food trucks marked the grand opening of Los Angeles' newest 12-acre park in the heart of Downtown Saturday.

"I thought it was really cool to walk by and see these crazy dancers in these crazy costumes. It's a really cool use of public space for a really unique dance and music performance," said Boston resident Adam Connor.

After a decade in the making, Grand Park formally opened Saturday. The four-block-long park runs up Bunker Hill and stretches from The Music Center on the west to City Hall on the east.

"It's great to see some green space. I also love how it connects the Civic Center, City Hall, Music Center and the Water and Power building up on Bunker Hill. It creates a beautiful link," said Peter Enzminger, who lives by USC.

"For a beginning, it's a wonderful beginning. It's very nice and it's wonderful to have it here," said Gary Reissman of Culver City.

"I think it's very nice. It's a long time coming. I'd like to see more," said Jeanne Lichtig of Culver City.

The 12-acre park in the heart of downtown Los Angeles is filled with fountains, and tables and chairs for picnics, making it the perfect place to host community events and celebrations.

The Music Center will oversee and operate the park, offering free programs 52 weeks a year.

"We're going to marry all those things together and make it fun to come to jury duty. We're going to make people stay after work. We're going to make peopel come early to the performances and really mingle in 12 acres of Grand Park," said Music Center Programming Vice President Thor Steingraber.

Vertical dance company Bandaloop took Grand Park's grand opening to new heights with an aerial dance performance. The troupe performed suspended from climbing ropes across the face of City Hall.

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