I’ve only been to the Sunset Junction Street Fair a couple of times. The first time was in the late ’90s and I was still discovering L.A. so it was all very fascinating to me — the bands, the vendors, the carnival rides, the people watching, the vast variety of food cultures.

Excerpted from CitySearch:

A Silver Lake rite of summer since 1980, this street fair is a promenade of diversity–Latino families, leather daddies with cell phones, punks pushing strollers, drag queens and Westsiders curious about the fuss. Three live music stages provide entertainment. Midway rides and an open-air disco add to the fun. Vendors are in on the action, with more than 200 booths offering everything from tamales to Greenpeace literature.

But when I went back in 2002, I was over it. Maybe it’s because I’m older and I don’t like crowds or porta-potties. The lines for food (and consequently, porta-potties) were so long and the only place I could eat my tamale was sitting on the curb under the ferris wheel where its passengers seemed to lose lots of change as coins constantly pelted me from great heights.

The 25th Annual Sunset Junction Street Fair is coming up this weekend and I’m debating whether I should give it another chance. Parking was such a bitch the last time and we were on a motorcycle! It’s $10 to get in and promises performances by Chaka Khan, Jody Whatley, the New York Dolls and Flea’s Silverlake Conservatory of Music…and then there’s an afterparty at Spaceland….

Nah, I think I’ll go see King Tut at LACMA instead.

Saturday, 8/27 – 10am-11pm
Sunday, 8/28 – 10am-10pm
3600 to 4400 Sunset Blvd.
(323) 661-7771
price: $10