If, like me, you desire a small-town feel from our giant metro area every now and then, Culver City‘s Fiesta La Ballona, which takes place August 26-28, may be just the ticket. The Fiesta, which occupies Veteran’s Park at the intersection of Culver Blvd. and Overland Ave., is part cultural heritage festival and part small-town carnival.

On the cultural heritage side, the Fiesta dates back to 1951, and celebrates “the region’s early settlers”, including Native American Indians and the Spanish “First Families” (no colonialism arguments here, please). The event has been reinvented several times, and is now billed as “a celebration of the past, present and future of Culver City”.

This celebration includes games, carnival rides, live music, various presentations, and even a beer garden (not recommended immediately preceding said carnival rides).

As the events schedule indicates, the Fiestivities begin at 4:30 pm on Friday August 26, and run through 9 p.m. on Sunday the 28th. Admission is free, with separate cost for rides, beer, and, most likely, wacky food that you only eat at places like this.