This weekend seems to be the start of the dog days of summer – with just one more week of summer vacation for many families with school-age kids, and not a lot of really big events happening in our area.
What there is, however, is a lot of good shopping, especially in the Miracle Mile neighborhood. First up is the “August Open House and “Last Call for Summer” Sale” at (what better for “dog days”) Two Dog Nursery. This gem of a home-based nursery will be offering big discounts on certified organic summer seedlings, as well as cookies and lemonade for customers. No appointment or ticket is needed and you’re welcome to bring gardening friends (but no dogs, please). For the address, please contact [email protected]. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday only, and street parking should be available.
Just a few blocks away, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday, the recently-shuttered Whimsic Alley, 5464 Wishire Blvd., will be selling off its store fixtures and displays. Items for sale include mannequins, display racks, slatwall fixtures, bookcases, display cases, party room supplies and more. The owners promise “massive discounts.”
A block to the east, Miracle Mile Toys and Games, 5363 Wilshire Blvd., is also holding a big end-of-summer sale, to make room for soon-to-come holiday-themed merchandise. Some of the top brands they carry don’t allow mentions in sale ads, so you’ll have to come in to find out what the best deals are. But owner Christine Johnson assures us there will be “truly deep discounts…on many, many toys, games and books.”
And finally, for your bargain-hunting pleasure, the Friends of the John C. Fremont Library, 6121 Melrose Ave., will hold its monthly Friends of the Library Used Book Sale Friday (today) from 12-4 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. Most books are between 10 cents and a dollar…and there are lots of bargains, including special sales on history hardbacks for fifty cents, and signed fiction for $2.
For those seeking thrills beyond the retail kind, the big convention in town this weekend is ScareLA, celebrating Halloween early at the LA Convention Center. There will be “thousands of monsters, creeps and spooks of all kinds,” and all ages and creatures are welcome. The event features haunted houses, VR and AR horror experiences, a circus and freakshow, music and games, a “dark theatre,” slider shows and more. See the link above for full schedule, details and ticket info.
For some cultural flavor, head over to Chinatown for Chinatown Summer Nights, the third in radio station KCRW’s first-Saturday-of-the-month Summer Nights event series. The extravaganza will take place near 943-951 N. Broadway (Chinatown’s Central and West Plazas), from 5 p.m. to midnight on Saturday, and it’s part food event, and part summer party. You can taste Chinatown’s culinary offerings, visit other gourmet food trucks, see cooking demonstrations from Chinese chefs, watch large-scale, outdoor video projections, take part in hands-on, Chinese cultural activities presented by local organizations and museums, sip on craft brews…and dance in Central Plaza to music provided by KCRW DJs. See the link above for the full schedule and details.
Sunday looks like a great day for a nice, leisurely farmers’ market stroll. In addition to our usual Larchmont Village Farmers’ Market, Hollywood Farmers’ Market and Wellington Square Farmers’ Market options, this might also be a good day to check out the Beverly Hills Farmers’ Market, 9300 Civic Center Drive, which will be hosting its 5th Annual PickleFest from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sponsored by legendary Beverly Hills delicatessen Nat ‘n’ Al, PickleFest features family-friendly fun, entertainment and a sour-puckering contest for the “Best Dill Pickle” in Beverly Hills. There’s also a category called “I Can Pickle That!” where entrants will compete for the best pickled fruit or vegetable grown in California. (And even if you can’t make it, be sure to check out the free BH Farmers Market Commemorative Pickle Fest Cook Book for lots of pickle-y goodness.)
Enjoy the pickles…and have a great weekend!
