SANTA MONICA—The Los Angeles Times will launch its first annual Food Bowl this May, in celebration of the dynamic food scene of Los Angeles. The month-long festival will feature renowned chefs, dining events, and panel discussions, and promote social awareness about food waste and sustainability.

The Santa Monica Farmers Markets will join in the celebration starting Wednesday, May 3, by hosting a series of chef demos that feature delicious recipes of farmers market produce, according to a press release from the city of Santa Monica. The four weekly farmers markets, which provide customers with fresh produce year-round, will each feature a special event during the Food Bowl to celebrate the abundance of California’s produce. The public is welcome to enjoy the free demonstrations, which will be held every half hour from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at each market on the dates provided.

On Wednesday, May 3, at the Wednesday Farmers Market, Chef John Pitblado of Santa Monica’s Gourmandise School will provide a lesson on cooking whole grains, breakfast grain bowls, grain salads, and condiments with heritage grains. The California Grain Campaign and the Tehachapi Heritage Grain Project help farmers with processing traditional grains including wheat, buckwheat, rye, and spelt. Located at 300 Arizona Avenue at Third Street Promenade, the market will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. For more information, visit here. https://www.facebook.com/events/1656936797945037/

On Saturday, May 20, at the Saturday Downtown Market, Chef Gill Boyd of the Gourmandise School will join Cape Seafood and Provisions, a “dock-to-dish” company that sources sustainable California coastal fish, in demonstrating ways of making traditional Poke bowls. The market is located at 300 Arizona Avenue at Third Street Promenade and will run from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, visit here. https://www.facebook.com/events/1390423594352105/

On Sunday, May 21, at the Sunday Main Street Market, Chef Kim Vu of Vucacious Catering will demonstrate how to prepare recipes that broaden the concept of “soup,” such as a cool gazpacho made with apricots. The market is located at 2640 Main Street at Ocean Park Boulevard and will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. For more information, visit here. https://www.facebook.com/events/352751848454478/

On Saturday, May 27, at the Virginia Avenue Park Market, Clemence Gossett of the Gourmandise School will show onlookers how to “cut, macerate, and season tree-ripe fruit” in different dishes, in a celebration of the abundance of fruit and California’s stone fruit season. Located at Virginia Avenue Park at 2200 Virginia Avenue, the market hours are 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, visit here. https://www.facebook.com/events/712683508898813/

The Food Bowl, Los Angeles’ largest culinary event to date, will run from Monday, May 1, to Wednesday, May 31. International top chefs will make appearances, such as Massimo Bottura of Osteria Francescana in Italy, Fergus Henderson of St. John in London, Rosio Sánchez of Hija de Sánchez in Copenhagen, and Magnus Nilsson of Fäviken in Sweden.

Other festival highlights include a pre-Food Bowl conversation with restaurant critic Jonathan Gold; a Feeding the 5000 feast prepared with food that would otherwise have gone to waste; a night market in Grand Park from May 10 to May 14; a fried chicken event with Thomas Keller at Bouchon; and many more.

For further details, visit the Food Bowl website at http://lafoodbowl.com/.