Senses mingle in Grand Park

Grand Park delivers with its first in a series of lunch time concerts, complete with food trucks.

“I was just walking back into the Metro station when I heard the music and smelled the fried chicken,” explains Stefanie Hamlyn, a theatre teacher from The Webb Schools in Claremont.

And just like that, Grand Park made another new friend.

Hamlyn had just finished escorting students on a field trip to the Music Center when she stumbled across the first installment of “Lunchtime Concerts in Grand Park,” a series that pairs live musical performances with savory delights from L.A.’s famous gourmet food trucks.

The events will take place between noon and 1:30 p.m. on alternating Tuesdays through May. They’ll feature new tastes each time along with an eclectic mix of local music—including opera, jazz, Latin, rock and “singer-songwriter” styles. Along with the park’s popular lunchtime yoga series, the concerts are designed to attract workers from nearby buildings and catch the attention of passers-by like Hamlyn, says Julia Diamond, Grand Park’s programming director.

“We are really aiming to make midday in Grand Park a wonderful experience on a regular basis,” Diamond says.

Judging by Tuesday’s turnout, they’re off to a good start. Despite dreary skies and temperatures in the 50s, dozens of children ran around as an audience watched the 5-piece Colburn Brass ensemble and workers enjoyed lunch breaks in the park’s signature pink chairs. Lines for the food trucks stretched 30 long. It was an encouraging sign for Diamond, who notes that “Angelenos aren’t known for being the toughest when it comes to cold weather.”

Meanwhile, Hamlyn was happily absorbing her first experience in Grand Park, excited to see a slice of green downtown.

“It’s much better than it used to be,” she says, referring to the drab patchwork of concrete and grass that used to dominate the location.

As the weather warms and more people become aware of the park, Diamond says, she’ll be custom-tailoring events, including integrating dance performances into the mix. When summer hits, Diamond plans to create events using the remodeled Arthur J. Will Memorial Fountain and its new membrane pool, in which guests are encouraged to splash.

For Aaron Wilson, a 40-year-old musician from Silver Lake, Tuesday’s event was already a bit too busy for his schedule.

“I always wanted to try Ludo Truck but the line was too long,” says Wilson, referring to the mobile eatery owned by Ludo Lefebvre, star of cooking shows like Top Chef and The Taste. Luckily, there was another option—the Gourmet Genie, which offered Mediterranean fare.

While Hamlyn sat, waiting for her chicken to reach a crispy brown from the Ludo Truck, she considered other ways to enjoy the park.

“My husband and I come down for the symphony all the time,” she said. “We live next to the Gold Line but never took Metro because we were afraid to walk that short distance to the Disney Hall. Now, I’m thinking maybe we can.”

Posted 2/6/13