A Family Affair

Maybe it’s a fluke, but the Southland has an unusually large number of family-friendly events this weekend. So, round up the kids, young and old, and try one of these outings:

Saturday

Begin the day at a Community Arts Festival held to honor arts activist and mentor Cecil Fergerson. Dubbed “Godfather of the Arts” by his colleagues, Fergerson began his career in 1948 as a janitor at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Fergerson retired from the museum 38 years later as a curator, who throughout his career had played a key role in getting the works of black artists represented in LACMA exhibitions. Saturday’s festival offers music by the Billy Higgins Band, Dwight Trible and Friends, Horace Tapscott and Band, Ray Bailey and Band, dance by Lula Washington Dance Theater, spoken word, arts and crafts and food for sale. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. 1400 block of South Ogden Drive (two blocks east of Fairfax and south of Pico). (323) 936-7779.

In Pasadena, parents and children can interact with animals of all ages from giant lizards, spiders and snakes, to baby cougars and chinchillas at Kidspace Museum’s Critter Expo, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Wildlife experts will be on hand to answer questions. The Crocodile Cafe will provide food samples from noon to 2 p.m. Admission $5. Field adjacent to Kidspace Museum, 390 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. (626) 449-9144.

Head farther west to Glendale’s Brand Boulevard for the 5th Annual Cruise Night, 6-10 p.m. Parents and grandparents can reminisce over classic cars and hot rods while listening to 1950s and ‘60s rock, rockabilly, and rhythm and blues street concerts. For the kids, there will be appearances by Bugs Bunny and other cartoon characters. Local restaurants will offer curbside service. Free admission. (818) 548-6464.

Sunday

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s monthly family days are designed for children ages 5 to 12 and their parents. This weekend’s program, “Family Heirlooms, Secrets and Stories,” begins with a performance by Jung Im Lee Korean Dance Academy, where children and adults will show off traditional dances and costumes. An art workshop follows, where families can create an heirloom, paint a family portrait or design a family tree. Performance at 12:30 p.m. in the Bing Theater, followed by activities in the plaza. Reservations not accepted. 5905 Wilshire Blvd. Included in museum admission: adults, $6; students and seniors, $4; children under age 18, $1; children 5 and under free. (323) 857-6000.

Or, spend the afternoon at UCLA’s Fowler Museum where a program is being held in conjunction with the current exhibition “Corridos Sin Fronteras: The Art of a Ballad Tradition in Mexico and the U.S.” Begin with a gallery walk-through from 1-2 p.m., followed by instrument-making, “Guitars, Guitarras y Guitarristas!,” from 2-4 p.m. Members of the renowned Delgado family of East Los Angeles will demonstrate the technique that they have perfected in their three generations of crafting guitars for Jose Feliciano, Charo, Los Lobos, Arlo Guthrie and others. The program concludes with an outdoor concert from 4-6 p.m. of corridos (traditional ballads) performed by the Marcos Loya Acoustic trio. Free. 405 Hilgard Ave. (310) 825-8655.

In Long Beach, Rancho Los Alamitos is hosting a Nippon Natsu Matsuri (Japanese Summer Festival), noon-4:30 p.m. The Japanese legacy at the 7.5-acre rancho reaches back to farmers who worked the land in the early part of the century. Sunday’s festival will highlight traditional Japanese arts with demonstrations of ikebono flower arranging, sumi-e paints and bonsai. Visitors can participate in the Japanese tea ceremony, or talk to experts about koi and water gardens. For children, there will be storytelling and origami crafts. Entertainment will include Japanese dance performances and a presentation of kimonos. Park at Cal State Long Beach Lot C, just south of Atherton on Palo Verde Avenue. Free shuttle to site. Admission and parking free. (562) 431-3541.