Fun Weekend Stuff

Here are a few things happening around town this weekend:

Loads of LA-area museums are opening their doors - FOR FREE! Check out the list: http://www.museumsla.org/news.asp

Star Eco Station in Culver City is hosting a Dinofaire. Tix have to be purchased in advance: http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=oszzw7eab&oeidk=a07e5enz3234d39f01d

They Might Be Giants, 3:00 pm family show on 1/28 @ UCLA's Royce Hall: http://www.uclalive.org/calendar/event_detail.asp?id=139

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 1:00 pm @ Theatre West:
http://www.theatrewest.org/

Golden Dragon Parade, 1/28 & 29, Chinatown:
http://chinatownla.com/calendar.php?eventId=80

"Mahler's World" children's concert (ages 5-11) @ Disney Concert Hall, 1/28, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm: http://www.laphil.com/tickets/program-detail.cfm?id=2390&utm_medium=c&utm_source=all&utm_campaign=tsfymahler

Mini Hip Hop Classes @ Sue B Dance Co., 1/28 @ 4:30 pm:
http://www.experiencela.com/calendar/event/42699

Metropolis II @ LACMA, supposed to thrilling for the kiddos!
http://www.lacma.org/art/exhibition/metropolis-ii

Saturday Fun* - Better Late Than Never

Saturday, November 12

Altadena, Eaton Canyon Nature Center: Annual Plant Sale for San Gabriel Mountains Chapter of the California Native Plant Society, 9-2
Los Angeles, Getty Museum: Many activities for families, throughout the day
Los Angeles, Children's Book World: Concert, 10:30
Los Angeles, Craft & Folk Art Museum: CRAFTlab Workshop: Wired Up, 12:30-2:30
Downtown (Little Tokyo), Japanese American National Museum: Free crafts and activities all day, 11-4

I will post more throughout the weekend. Thanks for checking in!

* Please check hyperlinks for details and to confirm activity. Some things occasionally get cancelled for various reasons.

Halloween Weekend Happenings

Friday, October 28

Moorpark, Underwood Family Farms: Fall Harvest Festival (through 10/31), 9 - 6
Santa Ana, Santa Ana Zoo: Boo at the Zoo (also on 10/29 & 30*), 5:30 - 8 pm
Topanga, Theatricum Botanicum: Theatricum Bootanicum, 4 - 10 pm
Irvine, Tanaka Farms: Pumpkin Patch (through 10/31), 9 am - 6 pm (9-3 on 10/31)
South Pasadena: Halloween Spooktacular (free), 5:30 - 7:30 pm
Griffith Park, Live Steamers: Halloween Ghost Train (through 10/31), 7 - 10 pm

Saturday, October 29

Griffith Park, Los Angeles Zoo: Boo at the Zoo
Downtown LA, Convention Center: Green Festival, 10 - 7 (also on 10/30*, 11-6)
Pasadena, Vroman's: Vroman's Annual Halloween Party (stories, trick-or-treating), 10:00 am
Los Angeles, Skirball Cultural Center: multiple family events, (also on 10/30*)
Los Angeles, LACMA: Tim Burton Closing Weekend Events
Los Angeles, LAPD Northeast Division: Open House (scroll to bottom of page)
Los Feliz, Franklin Elementary: Franklin Fall Festival, 1 - 6
Silver Lake, Ivanhoe Elementary: Ivanhoedown, 1 - 8
Los Angeles, J. Paul Getty Museum: Family Drawing Hour, 3:00 pm
Silver Lake, Rose Scharlin Nursery School: Halloween Hullabaloo, 4 - 8 pm
San Pedro & Wilmington: Happy Harbor Halloween, 12 - 3
Culver City, Star Eco Station: Enchanted Green Hallow's Eve (also on 10/30*), 12 - 6

Sunday, October 30


Pasadena, MakeSpace ARTS: Children's Halloween (not scary) Art Party (free), 3 - 6

*See above listings for events that go through the weekend and into Monday.

Green It Up This Weekend!

Green Festival is coming up this Saturday and Sunday (29th & 30th) at the LA Convention Center and they'll have a Kids' Zone for our future environmental stewards. Sounds fun and educational.

A Play Date BORDERing on Perfect

Credit for this play date idea goes to my mama friend, L. She is expert on all things downtown, as far as I'm concerned. And she is the one who introduced me to this fun eating/playing combo at The Border Grill and Bonaventure Hotel - both on Figueroa, connected by a fun little bridge that our kids love to race across to see who wins.

Usually first up is a meal at Border Grill. Happy Hour is pretty hard to beat - excellent options for grown-ups and kids alike, wait staff and management are delightful, and parking is validated (or, if you're feeling really adventurous, take the Metro - up the cool factor with the kids). Can't go wrong with kids bean and cheese tacos, poblano quesadillas & chopped salad for parents, and creative cocktails (with or w/o alcohol) like minty lime cooler or pomegranate lemonade.

Once our little ones have filled their tummies, run around and charmed the employees, gotten multiple tours of the kitchen, and used bathrooms where "you don't have to press the button for the soap, it just comes out automatically," we say our goodbyes, zip up a quick escalator (or elevator) and over the bridge that spans Figueroa, and land on the grassy area at the base of Bonaventure Hotel.

There the kids run their fannies off, plop down on their backs to take in impressive glass pneumatic-tube-like elevators that glide up and down (verrry Blade Runner-esque) the hotel's shiny exterior, and chat with the guys washing sidewalks with their super cool, ginormous water machines until they're almost too out of breath to talk.

Last but not least, we and our tuckered tikes mosey into the hotel and hop onto the elevators, which could be a ride at Disneyland for all they care. We go up and down a few times - as much as my motion sick stomach can take - and it is utterly thrilling. Honestly, the views are pretty awesome. On a clear day, you could definitely see the ocean.

Give this a whirl some day. You won't be disappointed!

Need something to do with the kids this weekend?

There's no shortage of interesting, fun, cultural and seasonal stuff to do around town - from ghost trains to spider pavilions, and everything in between! Feast your eyes on this hefty list and find the perfect event for you and your family. Enjoy!

Friday, October 21

Pomona: Cal Poly Pomona Pumpkin Patch (through 10/31), 10-5
Moorpark, Underwood Family Farms: Fall Harvest Festival (through 10/31), 9-6
Mission Hills, Forneris Farms: Fall Harvest Festival (through 10/31), weekends: 9-5, weekdays: 2-5
Los Angeles, LACMA: Storytelling, 2:00 - WITH NEXGEN MEMBERSHIP, MUSEUM ADMISSION FOR CHILD & GROWNUP IS FREE!
Santa Ana, Discovery Science Center: Bug Invasion 2 (through 10/31), 10-5
Woodland Hills: Winter Ice Rink Opens! (through 2/5/12) hours vary
Highland Park, La Casita Verde Preschool: Magical Halloween Party, 6-8 pm
Griffith Park: LA Live Steamers Ghost Train (and on 10/22 & 10/23, 10/28-31) 7-10 pm

Saturday, October 22

Los Angeles, Natural History Museum: Spider Pavilion (through 11/6), 10-5, Flashlight Tour: 5-8:30
Long Beach, Aquarium of the Pacific: Scarium of the Pacific (and on 10/23), 9-5
Pasadena, Kidspace: Pumpkin Festival (and on 10/23), 9:30-5
Los Angeles, Getty Center: Pacific Standard Time Family Festival, 10-6
Hollywood, Hollywood Forever Cemetery: Dia De Los Muertos, Kids' Art Center, 12-4
Los Angeles, Skirball Cultural Center: Dig It! Archaeology Adventures (Sunday too), 10-5
Downtown LA, Disney Concert Hall Children's Amphitheatre: World City: Los Centzontles & Facto Teatro, 11:00 am
Westchester: Halloween Town Fair, 11-5
Los Angeles, Vista Hermosa Park (an un-discovered slice of heaven right near downtown LA): Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" (Sunday too) 1-3
La Canada Flintridge, Descanso Gardens: Harvest Festival, 10:30-3
Echo Park, Echo Parenting & Education Center: Pumpkins for Peace, 4:00 pm

Sunday, October 23


Los Angeles, Kadampa Meditation Center: Kids Meditation Class, 9:30-11
Larchmont: Family Fair, 12-5
Los Angeles, Skirball Cultural Center: Spellbinding Sundays, 12-2
CHECK LISTINGS ABOVE. SOME EVENTS RUN THROUGH THE ENTIRE WEEKEND.

Just-Discovered Event in Agoura Hills

For all you San Fernando Valley dwellers, this sounds pretty cool:
Reyes Adobe Days
Saturday, 10/1 & Sunday, 10/2

Ack, What To Do With The Kids This Weekend?!!!

As usual, Los Angeles is brimming with a bounty of family fun* this weekend, which is the official start of fall festival frenzy. Is it a pumpkin patch you and your young ones seek? This city is bursting at the seams with them! Also on tap in the few days ahead: last weekend of swimming at the Annenberg Beach House; alternative vehicles in Santa Monica; Chinese Acrobats in Northridge; Animal Guys at Eaton Canyon; free drawing classes at a Hollywood gallery and so much more. Read on to find the perfect event for your family in your neck of the woods or just a short drive away.

* While I have tried to find all the wonderful events in LA for this upcoming weekend, my list below is by no means exhaustive, I just became exhausted! In other words, there are likely a gazillion other things going on but I started seeing double and had to call it a night.


Friday, September 30th

Santa Monica: Alt Car Expo (also on 10/1), 10:00 - 5:00 pm

Woodland Hills, Pierce College: Halloween Harvest Festival (thru 10/31), 10:00 am to 12:00 am (Fri-Sat) & 10:00 am to 10:00 pm (Sun-Thu)

Pomona, Fairplex: LA County Fair (thru 10/2)

Northridge, Valley Performing Arts Center: National Acrobats of China, 8:00 pm


Saturday, October 1st

Altadena, Eaton Canyon Natural Area:
Family Nature Walk, 9:00 - 10:00 am
Nature Tails Story Hour (ages 3-5), 10:30 - 11:30 am
Animal Guys (ages 5 & up), 7:00 - 9:00 pm

Santa Monica, Pier: Wake Up With The Waves FREE Children's Concert Series, 9:00 - 11:00 am

Pasadena, Pacific Asia Museum: Silk Road Story Time, 10:30 am

Los Angeles, Petersen Automotive Museum: Discovery Day Halloween Special, 1:00 - 4:00 pm

Manhattan Beach: Manhattan Beach Hometown Fair, (also on 10/2) 10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Arcadia, Los Angeles County Arboretum: Arboretum Adventures, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Moorpark, Underwood Family Farms: Fall Harvest Festival (thru 10/31), 9:00 am - 6:00 pm

Montrose: Montrose Oktoberfest, Noon - 11:00 pm

Santa Monica, Annenberg Community Beach House: Last weekend of swimming for 2011 (also on 10/2), 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Westwood, Geffen Playhouse: Story Pirates, The Flagship Show (ages 4 & up), 2:00 pm

Sunday, October 2nd


Pacific Palisades, Beeplanet's Toddlerbaloo, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm


West Hollywood, Book Fair: The Kids' Stage, 11:00 am - 5:00 pm


Hollywood, LACE (Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions): ASAP's (After School Arts Program) 2011 Re-Visions of LA Drawing Workshop (children of all ages), 1:00 - 4:00 pm

LACE event

Griffith Park, Autry National Center: American Indian Culture Day, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Los Angeles, Skirball Cultural Center: Make a Little Magic Workshop for Families (ages 7 & up), 2:00 - 4:00 pm