Eastside women-led organizations are coming together to celebrate International Women’s Day this weekend with an afternoon festival featuring performances, poetry readings, a vendor mercado and resource fair.
The East LA Women’s Day Fest will take place on Saturday, March 14, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the East Los Angeles Civic Center. The festival is a collaboration between The Goddess Mercado, a monthly marketplace held in East LA that uplifts Latina and queer-owned businesses; Mujeres de Maiz, a women’s health and empowerment organization that has been serving the Eastside since 1997; and the East Los Angeles Women’s Center (ELAWC), which has provided sexual assault and domestic violence services for 50 years.
“This is more than a festival — it’s a call to gather,” wrote Mujeres De Maiz in an Instagram post promoting the event. “In these difficult times, we come together to protect, uplift, and celebrate women and families of color through art, wellness, advocacy, and collective care.”
The event will feature live poetry, music, Aztec dancers and “artivist” performances as well as free workshops. More than 40 women of color artisans and vendors will sell their products at the mercado.
Also at the event, the ELAWC will host its eighth annual resource fair from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to commemorate National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on March 10, in addition to International Women’s Day on March 8. The resource fair will feature more than 30 resource providers, including Know Your Rights, HIV testing, childcare resources, and wellbeing offerings.
“This gathering honors International Women’s Day, the Spring Equinox, and the Mexica New Year, centering sisterhood, spirit, and solidarity during a time when coming together matters more than ever,” according to the event’s registration page.
How to attend:
East LA Women’s Day Fest
When: Saturday, March 14, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m
Where: East Los Angeles Civic Center, located at 4801 E. 3rd St., Los Angeles, CA 90022
Resource fair: The ELAWC will host a resource fair from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Registration for the free event is recommended and can be found here.
Correction, Mar. 11, 2026 1:33 pm: This story was updated to correct the time the event ends. The East LA Women’s Day Fest ends at 4 p.m. The resource fair ends at 2 p.m.
