Los Angeles’s beloved Griffith Park recently played host to a delicious first: the inaugural French Fry Festival, a one-of-a-kind community celebration that brought Angelenos together over one of the world’s most universally beloved foods.

The festival, held at the iconic 4,310-acre park nestled in the hills above Los Feliz and Silver Lake, marked a brand-new addition to the city’s vibrant calendar of community events. As the first edition of what organizers hope will become an annual tradition, the gathering offered residents a fun, lighthearted reason to get outside, explore the park, and connect with neighbors and fellow food lovers.

Griffith Park has long served as one of Los Angeles’s great democratic gathering spaces — a place where families, hikers, cyclists, and picnickers from every corner of the city come together. The French Fry Festival added a festive, flavorful new chapter to that tradition, drawing crowds eager to sample what vendors and participants had to offer in celebration of the humble but universally adored fry.

The event is a welcome reminder of what makes Los Angeles such a dynamic and creative city. From world-class food culture to its sprawling network of public parks, LA continues to find inventive ways to bring its diverse communities together in the spirit of fun and shared experience.

For Griffith Park — which is already home to the Griffith Observatory, the Los Angeles Zoo, the Greek Theatre, and miles of hiking trails — the French Fry Festival represents yet another reason for residents across the region to make the trip and enjoy one of the city’s most treasured public spaces. Here’s hoping the second annual edition is already in the works.

Sources: Patch