The Los Angeles Design Festival blankets the city with more than two weeks of art, architecture, design and all-of-the-above special events: guided and free-form bike, car and walking tours, eclectic lectures, related exhibitions, parties, workshops and more parties, kicking off with, what else, a party. Fittingly, the bell-ringing (and dublab music) take place at Echo Park's landmark Jensen Recreation Center, whose unique retro and retrofitted architectural features themselves tell a worthy L.A. design tale. Hosted by Natural Curiosities, an indie art and design production collective with its factory HQ on-site, the fete honors the long career of underappreciated design pioneer Gere Kavanaugh, a spry and still-working woman of a certain age who lived through the modern history of West Coast design – and made some history of her own along the way. With so much packed into the festival program, small wonder there's already something to do during the afternoon even before opening night: The first of three regional “Design Hooky” self-guided tours takes on the Eastside, featuring Michael Maltzan, Materials & Applications, Shepard Fairey's print empire HQ Studio Number One, Bestor Architecture and dinner at Allumette. Then comes the party. Jensen Recreation Center, 1706 W. Sunset Blvd., Echo Park; Fri., June 13, 6-10 p.m.; free. Festival runs thru June 29. (323) 342-0007. ladesignfestival.org.

Fri., June 13, 6-10 p.m., 2014
(Expired: 06/13/14)

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