L.A. Festival Finding Its Place in the Sun : Griffith Park: Enthusiastic crowds brave the sweltering weekend heat to view Pacific Rim culture.

The air was steamy and the music was hot as Wilfred Latour and his Zydeco Goodtime Aces churned out their Cajun-spiced tunes at the L.A. Festival over the weekend. But despite the fever pitch, the joint wasn’t exactly jumping.

The joint in this case was the old Los Angeles Zoo grounds above the merry-go-round in Griffith Park where the festival pitched its tent over the weekend for two days of free, continuous performances marking the 17-day event’s second weekend.

Once again, as at last weekend’s opening ceremonies in San Pedro, the festivities drew a turnout that fell well short of expectations. Although festival officials said crowds from 12,000 to 30,000 attended park festival events, rangers estimated 3,200 people came on Saturday and 4,000 showed up on Sunday. Organizers had hoped to attract 10,000 spectators each day since the park normally draws about 3,000 people on Saturday and 5,000 on Sunday.

Officials and some crowd members said the 90-plus-degree weather was a significant factor in the sparse attendance. Spectator Paul Carpenter of Van Nuys said he chose to show up late Sunday and miss most of the events rather than brave the heat. “I knew if I came at 1 p.m., I would just bake,” Carpenter said.

The sweltering heat seemed to take at least some effect on those who decided not to show up--and those who did. As mariachis and other musicians sweated and stomped under gaily colored overhangs, many in the audience lay back on the grass, their eyes closed, plastic water bottles and soft drinks within arm’s reach. Swarms of wasps buzzed around soft-drink stands and snow cone booths as patrons lined up for refreshments.

The artists also felt the sting of the sun.

“It’s really hot, and I can hardly keep my eyes open because of the sun’s reflection,” said Pintang Ouk, a lead dancer for the Cambodian Dance and Music Project of Van Nuys.

Carpets had to be placed on the stages during Sunday performances by the Cambodians and the Asian Indian Children because the stage was too hot. Even though dances revolve around slapping sounds made by feet on the hard stage, stage managers feared that the performers would get heat blisters if the carpets were not placed on the stage.

Many acts that played on three stages through the afternoons drew enthusiastic responses, but the applause did not come close to the excited ovations that greeted some of the Pacific Rim-oriented exotic dance and music groups last weekend.

Organization also seemed to lack last weekend’s planning. Festival-goers were instructed to park in remote lots and ride shuttle buses, which were supposed to run within minutes of each other, to the site. But many festival-goers were stranded for longer periods at the lots, while others said they had difficulty knowing where to park because no traffic officers were there to direct them.

Despite the drawbacks, attendees genuinely seemed to enjoy the activities and performances. And the small turnout appeared to make the event more agreeable to those unnerved by the large crowds.

“It’s just a relief to go somewhere and enjoy music without all the hassles,” said Stuart Wright, who drove Saturday from Orange County. “Everything is so unrushed, so relaxed.”

At times, the event took on the loose atmosphere of an intimate outdoor rock concert--without the alcohol and war-whoops. T-shirts and shorts were the uniform of the day. Many munched on Thai barbecue chicken sticks or fried rice while watching the performances. Some bounced around in time to the music, but it seemed too hot to dance.

But the mood of the day was so laid-back that audiences were able to approach the Woomera Mornington Island Culture Team after its aboriginal dances to take pictures with the made-up performers.

One of the most enthusiastically received performance groups was the Glover, Vt.-based Bread and Puppet Theatre, which used giant masks and props in its presentation of “The Same Boat, or the Life and Death of Chico Mendes,” the union leader who was killed in his fight to save the Amazon rain forest. The troupe performed the play as a processional, moving to four locations across the park as the audience followed. It was marred only when loud music from one of the other stages drowned out some dialogue and songs from the chorus.

Most of Saturday was devoted to a mariachi festival. Groups such as Cuica Calli, Conjunto Jarocho Papaloapan and El Mariachi Los Camperos played traditional Mexican music. Musician Alex Cline played Eastern and jazz-flavored percussion pieces and the Tango Tres group illustrated tango dances through the ages.

The variety of the acts appealed to some crowd members.

“I really like the fact that you can see all kinds of different things,” said Mfundi Vundia of Toluca Lake. “You can really get a sense of the universal aspects that bind all these expressions together.” Vundia said he was not able to make it to the San Pedro ceremonies, “so I’m really glad they’re bringing the festival to me, so close to me.”

Festival director Peter Sellars walked among the crowd in his trademark African Marketplace pants and a black T-shirt. “This is fabulous,” he said, referring to the mood and the spirit of the performances. Some audience members expressed their thanks to Sellars personally.