The GR818ERS are celebrating their 16th anniversary with the return of its signature event, A Family Affair Festival (AFA Fest), with family-friendly events being held tonight and tomorrow in Canoga Park.
The festival is a three-day function that began yesterday with a charity livestream. The second day begins tonight at 5 p.m. at the Taxco Theatre. The main attraction of the night will be the start of the dance battles, which Lorenzo Chapman, one of the three co-founders of the GR818ERS, said attracts dancers from all over to compete in the finals tomorrow.
“We are cultural bearers, and we are in the forefront of street dance and hip hop culture,” Chapman said. “A lot of people come out to experience that and be a part of what we have going on.”
Only eight dancers will make it to the finals, which will be held at the Lanark Recreation Center in Canoga Park on Saturday, and winners will receive a prize of $1,500. But Chapman said that winning comes with more than just some extra cash, but national recognition as well.
Many of the winners of the dance battle, he added, go on to have careers teaching dance or being judges of other dance competitions. Winning the battle doesn’t come with bragging rights – it carries weight within the dance community and helps the participants’ careers.
The third day of the festival is free and begins at 2 p.m., and will feature plenty more than just dance battles. It will include classic car and lowrider shows, musical performances, live murals being painted, plenty of vendors and resource booths from other nonprofits.
It will also have plenty of family-friendly activities, including a toddler race, called The World’s Slowest Race; a watermelon eating contest; and plenty of photo opportunities with murals and cutouts.
“Whether you’re 5 or 6 years old, all the way up to 50 to 60 years old, you’re going to come out and there’s gonna be something that calls to you,” Chapman said. “If you have a heartbeat and you enjoy being outside, it’s definitely a place you want to be.”
He stressed that when people come out to the festival and see the programs that the GR818ERS has available to youth, they see the importance of having arts and athletics, as well as culturally relevant festivals, accessible to the community.
“If you are on the fence or don’t really understand what art programming or athletic programming does for a community, come out to AFA,” Chapman said. “You get to … not only see it, but you get to interact with the organization that has those resources and those programs for the community.”
The event tonight at the Taxco Theatre, located at 7242 Owensmouth Ave., goes from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and charges a $10 entrance donation. The final day takes place on Saturday, Aug. 15, at the Lanark Recreation Center at 21816 Lanark St. from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Entrance on this day is free.