Uttarayan—Sanskrit for "northward movement of the sun"—marks the end of winter and the start of harvest season in the Hindu calendar, and kites play the central role—tools for friendly combat in a sky-wide competition. “Everything is based on the sheep industry and the families and the ranchers and the land and the animals,” explains Laura Musbach Drake, the festival’s executive director. At the Capra Preview Dinner, guests eat the 1946 premiere menu—including a “Los Angeles salad” that organizers commissioned a University of Southern California researcher to identify—while a swing orchestra plays “Dance by the Light of the Moon.” Carolyn Grimes, who played Zuzu, first visited in 2002, and stepped out of her car as snow began to fall, saw the bridge, and declared, “I'm home.
Author: @NatGeoTravel
Published at: 2026-01-12 00:00:00
Still want to read the full version? Full article
