By On Saturday, May 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Fire Service Day & ECWA Wellness Event will shut down King Boulevard between Coliseum and Hillcrest for a day of celebration, safety demos, wellness resources, and family fun.
Hosted by the Empowerment Congress West Area Neighborhood Development Council (ECWANDC) in partnership with Fire Station 94, Council District 10, and several neighborhood organizations, the free street fair unites first responders and neighborhood leaders to uplift, protect, and celebrate the South LA community.
“This event is about bringing neighbors together in a fun and healthy way,” chairperson Gina Fields shares. “We want people to feel empowered, seen, and supported.”
The idea to combine Fire Service Day with ECWA’s wellness programming was born during the pandemic, when ECWANDC began handing out masks and sanitizer in parking lots.
“We thought, ‘we can do better,’” Fields explains. “So we merged Fire Service Day, which happens nationally each May, with our own wellness fair. It grew from there.”
Since then, the event has grown into one of the neighborhood’s most high-energy annual gatherings. While DJ Wally Ray keeps the music flowing all day, Misha the Unicorn will lead a community yoga session to start the morning. Firefighters will demonstrate live car extractions using the Jaws of Life and perform an airbag jump from the rooftop of Fire Station 94. By noon, a trio of fire department helicopters are set to fly over the block.
Kids can enjoy face painting, balloon animals, arts and crafts, and oversized games like Connect Four and cornhole. Snow cones and popcorn will be provided by local donors. Adults can participate in hourly raffles, with iPads and other prizes giveaways throughout the day.
This South Los Angeles block party will include over 20 community resource booths. Organizations like LA Commons, the Department of Cultural Affairs, Community Build, and New Home LA will provide information on everything from art programs and cultural events to homeownership assistance and health screenings.
As part of a broader network, ECWANDC is one of 99 Neighborhood Councils in Los Angeles, each serving approximately 40,000 people. Last year, New Home LA helped one couple secure a $150,000 down payment for their first home. Community Build is expected to hand out hundreds of bags of groceries again this year. The LA Opportunity Zone is also returning, offering job fair resources for residents looking to level up their careers.
Councilmember Heather Hutt, who helped co-sponsor the event, will speak, along with additional city leaders and fire captains. Soulful Steps will lead a line dancing session to close the day.
Fields, a lifelong resident who went to Hillcrest Elementary and Audubon Middle School, says the deeper mission is about building sustainable community ties.
“I’ve lived on the same street with people who’ve been there 40, 50, even 60 years. They’ve passed their homes down to their kids. We want to protect that sense of history, of pride, of belonging,” she says.
At a time when many families are facing economic uncertainty, the event serves as both a celebration and a lifeline, offering job opportunities and housing support in one afternoon.
“It’s going to be a beautiful, free, family fun-filled day,” Fields says smiling. “We want people to come, meet their neighbors, thank our first responders, and leave feeling better than they came.”
No RSVP is needed. For more information, visit ecwandc.org
