Echo Park's Lotus Festival is One Long Goodbye

Not everyone was thrilled by this year’s Lotus Festival. Some complained about the small crowds. Others complainted about parking. 

But everyone agreed: It WAS one last chance for the community to come together and wish the park and lake’s current configuration good-bye before a major reconstruction.

Check out Gary Leonard's always awesome photos of the event in the accompanying gallery.

The fences could start going up as soon as this week for project which is being headed by the city’s Department of Public Works Bureau of Engineering.

Eric Garcetti's office hosts a Town Hall meeting next Thursday, July 20, on the project at St. Paul's Cathedral at 6 p.m.

With luck it will address the many unanswered questions so many Echo Parquenos have about what will happen to the wildlife, especially the turtles and birds.