This weekend sees the return of the annual Lotus Festival in Echo Park.

Admission is free and there is a whole host of events and attractions that will interest and entertain while teaching a little about Asian and Pacific island culture.

Echo Park will provide the backdrop to the proceedings as lotus flowers have been blossoming there every year since the 1920s.

The festival exists to nurture an understanding of Asian and Pacific culture by presenting a mixture of elements such as food, music, arts and dance.

Other exhibitions on show during the festival's 31st year will include displays of traditional arts and crafts and a health fair.

A jazz evening on Friday gets the event underway, ending with a firework display over Echo Park Lake which will be repeated on Saturday accompanied by the world famous Taiko drummers.

Local communities will be represented by their queens and followers in native dress and dragon boat races on the lake will be a highlight on both days.

Yet more fireworks will close the festival on the evening of Sunday July 13th, 2008.