When we land dwellers pause to picture the ocean, we'll sometimes let our minds zoom straight to the deepest part of the humongous H20, miles away from land, where boats are few and islands are fewer.
But the fact is that the ocean and the land have a rather time-honored way of meeting in many places, and the vast water's colorful cornucopia of residents don't only exist far from where we are.
They're right next door, really.
That's where the Aquarium of the Pacific's annual Urban Ocean Festival steps in, with education, art, and some fashion fun, too. To help us get better acquainted with our neighbors and what's happening in their home, the land-adjacent waters.
The "urban" part of the yearly weekend-long happening reminds us that what we do here on terra firma can and does impact the nearby waves, from random littering to the sustainable/not-sustainable seafood choices we make.
The 2017 festival, which will dive into the Long Beach-based ocean-everything destination, will unfold on Saturday, April 29 and Sunday, April 30.
A stylish centerpiece? The Trashin' Fashion Show on Sunday at 1:20 in the afternoon. Look for an array of get-ups and sartorial details made from recycled goods as well as "other found objects." Meaning a series of candy wrappers might serve as a eye-popping belt or a few bottle tops could be woven into a hat.
The Scene
Want to find new things to do in Los Angeles? The Scene's lifestyle stories have you covered. Here's your go-to source on where the fun is across SoCal and for the weekend.
And on Saturday, be sure to join the Sustainable Seafood Tasting at noon. That's one of the major themes of the Urban Ocean Festival, and this foodie element will spotlight on just what sustainable means, and how we can support the concept.
Live tunes, an Urban Ocean Poetry Cruise on Saturday, Urban Ocean Film, and chances to create some art are also on the schedule. Just be sure to look everything over, to make sure you time your aquarium visit to the events you want to join.
Adding to it all? A celebration of harbors, the ships and day-to-day doings that happen in a port, and life along a coast.
There is, of course, ocean in the middle of the ocean (spoiler alert). But the waves also lap upon those busy spots where we landlubbers live, making a weekend dedicated to pondering our relationship with the vast water a positive thing, for sure.
Positive for the seals and sea lions and gulls who live very close to us, and all of the other Pacific-based critters, too. And, while we're at it, positive for all of those living on land.
