Festival Chapín Los Angeles celebrated Guatemalan culture. Taste of Guatemala food and music was found at this colorful festival. Festival Chapín Los Angeles — a celebration of Guatemalan culture including arts and crafts, food, dance and music, in particular marimba music Kicked off on Saturday along seven blocks of Lafayette Park in Los Angeles. The free admission festival bore the theme “The Heart of the Mayan World” with a replica of a Mayan pyramid — created on a smaller-scale, of course — by David Olivares, a San Fernando Valley artist. The use of the word Chapín in the festival’s name is due to the popular use by many Guatemalans to describe their ethnicity. In its eighth year, Festival Chapín is the largest Guatemalan festival outside of the Central American country according to the event’s organizers. In addition, organizers indicate that Guatemalans or those with Guatemalan heritage have a hearty community presence in the cities of Hawthorne, Inglewood, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Palmdale and Paramount, and also Lennox and Val Verde (unincorporated areas in Los Angeles County).
