Grand Opening Doubleheader
Watch the Livestream HERE starting at 9:45 AM
To attend live, please register here. Tickets are free; however, registration is required for a seat.
The Manzanar Baseball Project is a compelling sport-meets-art initiative produced by Great Leap and spearheaded by its Artistic Director Dan Kwong. It is dedicated to preserving the legacy of baseball at Manzanar, one of the ten major concentration camps where innocent Japanese Americans were incarcerated during WWII. Through its doubleheader on Manzanar's restored field, Great Leap recognizes baseball's powerful role as an expression of community spirit, a symbol of resilience, and a way to reclaim American identity for incarcerated Japanese Americans.
Can’t attend Manzanar Historic Site in person? Look for livestreaming info coming soon; watch the games and opening ceremonies from home!
-- For photos and more, check out mzbbp.org and Greatleap.org/manzanar-baseball
To follow Dan Kwong's journey with the restoration process and for up-to-date announcements, please visit https://www.instagram.com/manzanar_baseball_project/
Commemorative hat purchases support the production of the games and are available here
This Land is… Community Festival
Join Great Leap at The Huntington for This Land is… Community Festival on June 28th
From JA to Shohei: Baseball and the Japanese American Experience (MBP Hats available on site)
A Short Film by Yuriko Gamo Romer
Screening of Baseball Behind Barbed Wire, Yuriko Gamo Romer’s outstanding documentary short, plus a lively panel discussion with author, historian, professor Susan H. Kamei; author, filmmaker, Nisei Baseball Research Project founder Kerry Yo Nakagawa; Southern California NAU Baseball League President Bobby Umemoto, and Great Leap’s Associate Artistic Director and Manzanar Baseball Project Director Dan Kwong.
Free + Open to the Public. For tickets, and more info, please visit https://18thstreet.org/event/from-ja-to-shohei/
P.S. MBP Hats will be available for purchase or pick-up on site. You can pre-order here.
Great Leap is not an organizer for this event.
Echoes of History: Inspiring Civic Action and Building Democracy
This day-long symposium challenges us to imagine how we can build a democracy that endures by recognizing the threats before us, learning from communities resisting them, and envisioning new civic spaces and shared legacies for the future. The symposium also includes tours of the timely exhibition Monuments at MOCA and A participatory musical event by Great Leap featuring visionary artist-activist Nobuko Miyamoto inspires us to celebrate memory, joy, and collective action.
Sustainable Little Tokyo
Join us for a community meeting to help shape the future of Torumi Plaza. Share your ideas and visual concepts of what’s possible.
Memory and Return
Join us for the debut concert and vinyl album release of Memory and Return, a powerful musical tribute to East L.A. featuring David Hidalgo of Los Lobos and members of the Grammy-winning band Quetzal. This free event blends live music, storytelling, and visuals to celebrate generations of culture and memory from the historic neighborhood. A post-concert panel moderated by USC’s Josh Kun will feature artists and scholars discussing the album’s deep cultural roots.
Labor of Love Concert
Great Leap is excited to serve as a community partner with AKB Media & the Ford as they present Labor of Love—Commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the Delano Grape Strike
Joe Bataan, the “King of Latin Soul” is joined by GL’s artistic family Quetzal for an unforgettable evening inspired by the powerful history of solidarity between Filipino and Mexican laborers during California’s farmworker movement of the 1960s. Hosted by poet & activist Faith Santilla this show is reminds us of the power when communities collaborate for change!
Labor of Love Panel Discussion
Celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Delano Grape Strike when Filipino and Mexican farm workers ignited a movement, reshaped labor history and inspired generations.
Opening with video excerpt of “The Delano Grape Strike” by Juan Mejia.
Followed by a panel discussion led by Jim Herr from Democracy Center with Faith Santilla, Victor Hugo Viesca, and Quetzal Flores. You won’t want to miss it! Event is free and open to all.
FandangObon Festival Little Tokyo
Great Leap’s FandangObon is an evolving gathering of Japanese, Mexican, African and Sufi Muslim music and dance traditions to deepen relations and cross-cultural solidarity, and share strategies for place-keeping and environmental knowledge that will sustain our communities into the future in LA and beyond.
Come back into the circle. Learn new dances and celebrate classics with us!
Pulling From Within
Find your grounding and connection through guided collage making and painted imagery. Let your intuition lead the way!
This visualization workshop opens a brave space for participants to remember, explore, and express our internal strength amidst these challenging times.
J-Town Bronzeville Suite
J-Town/Bronzeville Suite is a powerful performance blending the soulful rhythms of jazz, the intricate beauty of traditional Japanese music, and evocative dance to bring a little-known chapter of Los Angeles history to vivid life. Plaza opens at 6 pm. Show starts at 7pm.
Bambutsu No Tsunagari at Nisei Week Closing Ondo
Great Leap invites YOU to move in joy, connection, and celebration at the NISEI WEEK CLOSING CEREMONY!
Come Dance on First Street!