Weekend Buzz – Events for February 25-26, 2017

According to today’s forecast it doesn’t look like there’s more than a 10% chance of rain this weekend, so it should be easy to get out and about.

On Saturday, you can start your weekend with some great information from a couple of your local public servants, at a community town hall meeting on the status of public education, hosted by LAUSD school board vice president Dr. George McKenna and 37th District Rep. Karen Bass.  The event will be held at 10:00 a.m. at Crenshaw High School, 5010 11th Ave, 90043.  Topics will include a review of federal education updates from Congress, community partnerships, and specialized academic programs.  RSVP to [email protected] or call (323) 298-3411 for more information. Light refreshments and translation services will be provided.

Later, since Saturday is also the day before the Academy Awards presentations, it would a great time to catch up with the nominees for Best Documentary (both Feature and Short), which will be shown at DocuDayLA, a special day of screenings at the Writers Guild Theater, 135 S. Doheny Dr., in Beverly Hills.  The event includes all nominated documentary features and shorts, with tickets available by the film or as an all-inclusive day pass.  See the link above for films, show times and ticket prices.

For families, for the third year in a row, the famous Bob Baker Marionette Theater, 1345 W. 1st St., 90026, will celebrate its namesake’s birthday with a two-day Bob Baker Days LA festival.  Saturday’s events include an outdoor stage with live music and entertainment, puppet-making workshops, carnival games, fortune telling and other arts-related booths.  There will also be round-the-clock puppet shows and a pop-up puppet museum inside the theater, along with a fundraising variety show and silent auction later in the day.  Then, on Sunday, there will be a special breakfast, presentation on Bob Baker’s work in film and television, and live discussions with some “living legends” from the theater.  The event culminates with a birthday party for the theater’s late founder.  See the link above for the full schedule of festivities.

In the afternoon, starting at 12 p.m., the Mid-City West Community Council will hold a City Council District 5 Candidate Forum at the El Rey Theater, 5515 Wilshire Blvd. The three candidates running in the March 7 election – incumbent Paul Koretz and challengers Jesse Creed and Mark Herd – will face off in a discussion moderated by former City Council Member Mike Woo.  Stakeholder questions for the candidates can be submitted in advance at http://www.midcitywest.org/cd5forum/.

If you’re in a more bookish mood, Printed Matter’s LA Art Book Fair is also running Friday, Saturday and Sunday this weekend, at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, 152 N. Central Ave., 90012.  This event, which is free and open to the public, features artists’ books, art catalogs, monographs, periodicals, and zines from more than 300 international presses, booksellers, antiquarians, artists, and independent publishers. Last year’s fair attracted more than 35,000 visitors.  Hours this year are 1-7 p.m. today (Friday), 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

And finally on Saturday, continuing in the art vein, the WallspaceLA gallery, 607 N. La Brea, will be hosting an opening reception from 6-9 p.m. for its new solo exhibition, ‘Domestic Recipes’ and Other Stories, by artist Trevor Norris.  The artist tells his story through layers of shapes and paint, reworking his literary narrative, and finding order in disorder, and meaning in what is not said. He cites his influences as performing, flourishing in the LBGTQ community, and exploring the California coastline and its many ethnic enclaves and urban alcoves

On Sunday, you could have breakfast with some truly spectacular examples of the automotive arts, as the Petersen Museum celebrates Enzo Ferrari’s birthday with a special Ferrari-themed edition of its monthly Breakfast Club Cruise In , starting at 9 a.m. on the third floor of the museum’s parking structure.  All Ferrari enthusiasts are invited to participate.  There will also be awards for Best-In-Show, Petersen Perfection, and People’s Choice…and the most historically authentic car will receive The Petersen Perfection Award. Coffee and snacks will be free to all attendees, and museum members can also enjoy special early admission to the museum.

Sunday, of course is also Oscar day, so that will be the focus of the evening for many of us.  If you’d prefer to watch the festivities with a crowd, try the viewing party at CineFamily, 611 N. Fairfax Ave., where comedian Doug Benson and friends will comment and interrupt through the whole show, starting with red carpet coverage.  The event is also a potluck, so bring a dish to share (and not just chips and drinks).  Doors open and the potluck begins at 3 p.m., and the show runs from approximately 4 to 9 p.m.  Admission is free with RSVPs (yes, you must pre-register…and it’s also “first come, first serve,” so registration does not guarantee you a seat.)

Last, but not least, please remember the Wilshire Blvd. closures near Fairfax Ave. this weekend – Metro will close the street fully from Fairfax to Spaulding Ave., from 8 p.m. Friday through 6 a.m. Monday, to continue installation of concrete decking to facilitate Purple Line subway construction.  Please keep the closures in mind, and consider alternate routes, detours and possible delays in the area throughout the weekend.

Have a great one…and may everyone win their Oscar pools!

[Note: this story has been updated to correct the day of the CD5 candidate forum from Sunday to Saturday.  We regret the initial error.]