This week I had the pleasure of attending the preview of the Aquarium's Urban Ocean Festival with my family. We were given an extraordinary sneak peek of this year's Urban Ocean eco- friendly fashion show. We were able to view some stunning artwork and taste sustainable seafood. The winners of the Urban Ocean Art Contest were in attendance along with their simply breathtaking pieces. There were winners in sculpture, drawing/painting and photographic categories. One of the pieces I am looking forward to ordering for our living room. It is a stunning photograph on a wrapped canvas of the Huntington Beach Pier. The artist is Nicholas Litwin. He is a Commercial Aerial Photographer. Our daughter especially loved the fashion show. the pieces that were designed actually are not just wearable, but are indeed art with a meaning. One of the dresses had a bubble skirt, filled with trash and debris. It signified the the unbalance in our ocean and eco system with trash and debris that harms and kills our sea friends in the ocean. The next dress was plastic bags woven together. What I took away from that piece, was the perception that if we all work together to continue to build a healthy eco system and protect our endangered marine life, we can build a strong safety net to protect our treasured ocean and earth. By weaving together as one to create something large, strong, powerful an sustainable.
The sustainable seafood was simply divine! We sampled responsibly farmed hiramasa (yellowtail). I am not a huge seafood fan, but this plate I would order in a restaurant. It was tasty, had various textures, charmed your palette and it was filling. A win in my book. There was also a screening of the Urban Ocean Experience. We took a small tour and learned more educational facts on different marine life. No matter how many times I go on a tour, read or explore the Aquarium.... I always walk away with so much more. Up next was our Harbor Cruise. We boarded the Caroline for a very breathtaking and relaxing 45 minute cruise through the harbor. The Aquarium always treats us with such hospitality and care. They had box lunches for us, from the Corner Bakery. On our cruise, we learned several facts and points about our surroundings we were cruising through. So much history and historical U.S. military history. If you are a history buff as I am, you will enjoy this.
The Urban Ocean Festival is this upcoming weekend. Saturday April 28th and Sunday April 29th. You will enjoy music, poetry, art, games, mural painting, sustainable seafood tastings by Seafood for the Future and Premier, a fashion show and a boat cruise at an additional cost. I highly recommend taking the time to attend and experience this with your family and or friends. Even go solo. You will definitely walk away with a positive feeling and hope that we too can take a part in helping keep not only our local L.A. river clean, but our harbor and our urban ocean.
