Turnout Low but Spirits High at Festival : Celebration: Attendance is less than half what was expected. Artists from 21 countries kick off 17-day observance of arts of the Pacific, Asia and Latin America.

Though attendance fell far short of expectations, those who showed up for Saturday’s opening day of the Los Angeles Festival at San Pedro’s Point Fermin/Angel’s Gate were treated to a cultural experience that was light-years away from the usual summer fest blend of hot dogs, rock bands and Budweiser.

The 17-day celebration of the arts of the Pacific, Asia and Latin America, which kicked off with a full day of dance, music and performances by artists from 21 countries, drew from 10,000 to 15,000 people--less than half of the 30,000 or more predicted by festival organizers.

Warren Christensen, an independent consultant for the festival, attributed the disappointing crowd to a preview published in The Times warning of possible traffic congestion near the park.

“People don’t want to deal with gridlock and traffic snarls,” Christensen said.

Christensen also noted that opening days are typically the slowest at weekend festivals. “We can accommodate more people,” Christensen said. “We hope it builds in the next two days.”

But the peaceful, ethnically diverse crowd that gathered around the Korean Peace Bell at Angel’s Gate seemed eager to participate--and some said they came away awed by the experience.

Los Angeles Festival 1990 is a follow-up to 1984’s Olympic Arts Festival and the 1987 Los Angeles Festival, which celebrated the arts of Europe.

Many of this year’s performers have never been seen in Los Angeles and others, such as the Wallis & Futuna Music and Dance Group from the Polynesian islands, have never left their homelands before.

The list of performers Saturday included dance groups such as the Friendly Islanders of Tonga, Halau O’Kekuhi of Hawaii, the Woomera Mornington Island Culture Team, Le Ballet de Kouman Kele and others; many American Indian tribes from California and elsewhere gathered beneath the arbors at the festival’s powwow grounds to serve Indian fry bread and dance for onlookers.

“Of course, you don’t understand the languages, but you can understand the rhythms,” said Sybil Mosely, 28, a costume designer from Baldwin Hills who sampled fry bread with her 2 1/2-year-old daughter. “And visually, it can move you. I was really in touch with what they were doing.”

Observed Roberto Gonzalez, 38, a percussionist from Long Beach: “It’s just unbelievable what’s happening here; I can feel a lot of really good vibrations. Most of the time people think: ‘I got this, you got that.’ But in this kind of atmosphere, people forget their little personal differences.”

Andy Collins, a 73-year-old Cherokee Indian who still runs in the annual Los Angeles Marathon, took advantage of the festival to dress in his native garb and carried a peace pipe made from the root of a tree. “It’s beautiful,” he said. “But it would mean a lot more if we could get more of the Indian people to come.”

The day began at 10 a.m. against the appropriate backdrop of the glittering Pacific Ocean, with wind whipping colorful flags atop lines of Balinese “fertility poles.” Festival-goers watched from the hillside as spiritual leaders and performers from the Pacific Rim shared blessings, gifts and greetings. Spectators occasionally joined in the native dances.

The youngest member from each performing group joined together to ring the Korean Bell seven times--once each in honor of the East, West, North, South, Mother Earth, Father Sky and the Spirit.

Then all the performers formed a mass procession down the steep hill leading from the Korean Bell to Point Fermin’s Pacific Stage. The crowd joined them--walking or dancing their way toward the coast to the beats of drums from 21 lands. Festival director Peter Sellars, dressed in bright orange African garb and a pair of Nike Air Jordans, danced right along with them.

Mayor Tom Bradley, Los Angeles Festival Chairwoman Maureen Kindel and Dr. Armand Hammer, chairman and chief executive officer of Occidental Petroleum Corp., officially opened the festival with speeches and praise for Sellars, who spent the last 2 1/2 years bringing the $5-million festival to fruition.

“We’re at the threshold of a new movement . . . another level of cultural awareness,” Sellars told the crowd. He said the reason for attending the festival is “to get an inundation of beauty.” Despite low attendance, Sellars described Saturday’s activities as “much better than we imagined--and that’s pretty great.”

Today, free events begin at noon and last until dusk on the various stages at Point Fermin/Angel’s Gate, in Chinatown, Rancho La Cienega Park, on Olvera Street and at Koreatown Plaza.

Ticketed events include dance, film and video. For ticket information, call (213) 623-7400. For festival information, call (213) 688-ARTS. For information on special city bus routes to the festival sites, call 1-800-2LA-RIDE.”

Staff writer Shauna Snow also contributed to this report.

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