Celebrating women, womxn, and women identifying in all industries is a daily mantra on this end, and a core value for YOLA Día. Originally dubbed Yola Fest and postponed from its original June date “due to unforeseen production issues,” the one-day event that is led by women and acts as the first women’s festival in 20 years, gears towards its debut, Sunday, August 18 at LA Historic Park, kicking off at 3 p.m.
Yola Día, named after and presented by YOLA Mezcal — a female-run mezcal brand based in Oaxaca, Mexico founded by Yola Jimenez, Lykke Li, and Gina Correll Aglietti — will continue the brand’s messaging and voice for females and those who identify as such.
Boasting of an array of musical talent (with only a slight change from it’s original April announcement), and featuring Lykke Li, Cat Power, Courtney Love & The Chateau Band, Kelsey Lu, among others, the festival’s ethos and celebration of women remains the same.
Music
The event will hold two stages, Yola and Del Rio, and with the set-times readily available it’s clear that one can very well catch every single artist. In all honestly, each artist is worth seeing as the full-line up now holds SOPHIE, Megan Thee Stallion, Lia Ices, and Empress Of and CupcakKe.
Since its original announcement it was noted that the fest would feature a rare and special acoustic set from Courtney Love & The Chateau Band, as it was perfectly timed with the 25th anniversary of Hole’s seminal album, Live Through This (April 12, 1994). Not clear if this would still happen, but it’s worth crossing one’s fingers.
Activism
Partnering with PLUS1, a portion of every ticket will go to The Downtown Women’s Center in Los Angeles, who will also be onsite selling curate items from their resale boutique, as well as MADE by DWC products. MADE by DWC is a social enterprise operated by the DWC that provides job training and transitional employment in product and retail environments for women transitioning out of homelessness.
This is only part of the event that is refreshing to see. Labor and feminist activist Dolores Huerta will speak and act as the official speaker of Yola Día — which is truly an honor to witness — and a voter registration booth will be open for those who attend. Voter registration will be led by the non-partisan organization HeadCount, who will be onsite to assist.
In addition, the fest will also benefit the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Initiatives. Twenty-seven womxn artists have contributed flags as “symbols of community, to challenge strict binaries such as citizenship, birthplace, and increasingly restrictive borders.” These symbolic flags will proudly fly at YOLA Día festival and will be auctioned with Paddle8.
Beverage and Food
Female-led food and beverage lineup is the final icing on this delicious cake. Mixologists such as Yana Volfson from NY’s acclaimed restaurants Cosme and ATLA, and Katie Kildrow and Arlene Roldan of Mermaid Bar, will be on-site; food by Rosetta Chef Elena Reygadas, Bling Bling Dumpling, and Pizzanista. Of course, let’s not forget the presenters Yola Mezcal, which will also be serving their iconic mezcal at the event.
Regardless of its strong emphasis on women/womxn, the event is for all, but just a celebration of all the women who bring inspiration to us all in all walks of life. Tickets may be purchased here.
Cover Photo: Cat Power, courtesy of YOLA Día
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