The weather will still be warm this weekend, but not nearly as fatally hot as last weekend…so you can once again feel free to move around the city.
Saturday starts this week with a couple of fun shopping events. First, Diptyque, the French scented candle shop at 202 N. Larchmont, will be having Bastille Day Event from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday. “Diptyque has been inspiring revolutionary souls since 1961,” claims the store, and they promise to “light your fire with…with the spirit of France and its flair for impertinence.” They’re also offering a free scented mini candle with purchases of $95 or more.
Next up is a big estate sale at 508 S. Rimpau Blvd. Actually running Thursday-Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the organizers promise a large collection home furnishings, including multiple sets of fine china (Wedgewood, Limoge and many others), original oil paintings (some from noted artists) and botanical prints, a large collection of sterling silver and silver plate, including many sets of flatware and serving pieces (Repousse, Buttercup, Plymouth and others), upholstered furniture and English and French antiques, antique linens (tablecloths, napkins, towels, bedding and embroidery), armoires, quilts, lighting (chandeliers, sconces, lamps), many pieces/sets of crystal and glass stemware (Baccarat, 1930s etched, American Brilliance, Wedgewood, Hawkes, etc.), kitchen accessories, mirrors (gilt, mahogany, Tremeau and others), books (novels, interior design, cookbooks, old leather collectibles, art books and more), rugs (runners and large room size), wicker and other garden plants and furniture…and a “very large collection of matched teacups and saucers.” See link above for photos and other information.
A bit further afield, but great for railroad fans young and old, is the annual Summer Train Fest at Union Station, 800 Alameda St. in downtown LA. The theme this year is “Dreams in Motion,” with “an up-close look at the magic of train travel.” Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. Guests will be able to board “a rare collection of beautifully restored vintage train engines and cars from the 1940s, 50s and 60s,” and there will also be a look at the future of train travel, with some state-of-the-art train cars from Metrolink and Amtrak. Indoors, the station’s historic Ticket Concourse will feature state-of-the-art 360° Virtual Reality stations with a selection of train-themed experiences, including a train ride through the Swiss Alps…along with a variety of model railroad displays and special tutorials from local model railroad clubs and private collectors. This year, an expanded Kids’ Zone will also feature a Thomas the Tank Engine play area, Boy Scout Story Time, face painting, arts and crafts, and train-themed games and entertainment throughout the day. And, of course, there will be food trucks, music from local DJs, and vendors offering model train supplies, toys and train merchandise…along with train-safety education and awareness.
Also not in the neighborhood, but not far away and a longtime classic Los Angeles event, is the 38th annual Lotus Festival , which runs both Saturday and Sunday at Echo Park Lake, 751 Echo Park Ave., 90026. The event, set against the backdrop of the signature blossoms, now in full bloom, celebrates Asian cultures (this year highlighting the People’s Republic of China) with dragon boat races, arts and crafts, food and music. See the link above for full details and the full event and entertainment schedule.
Back in the the mid-town area, the John C. Fremont Library , 6121 Melrose Ave., will also be celebrating Bastille Day (La Fête Nationale Française) at its twice-monthly French Conversation class, starting at 1 p.m. on Saturday (the class will also meet on Thursday, July 26 at 5 p.m.). Stop by and practice your spoken French with Parisian native Samba Magassa (qui est très sympa!) and other enthusiasts. The class meets twice a month, is open to everyone and is free of charge.
At 2 p.m. on Saturday afternoon you can move from lotus blossoms to a Flower Essence Therapy workshop at the Wilshire Branch Library, 149 N. St. Andrews Place. Participants (adults and older teens only, please) will learn about the healing nature of plants and create their own flower essences. The event is free, but space is limited, so please sign up in advance by calling the library at (323) 957-4550 or e-mailing [email protected].
An hour later, at 3 p.m. on Saturday, you could head back to the Fremont Library, for a special Summer Reading Challenge event, “The Beatles from Liverpool to Abbey Road.” Beatles scholar Vincent Bruno, a rock historian from CUNY (City University of New York) will lead a magical mystery tour that follows the footsteps of the Beatles and their music from their early days as a cover band in Liverpool and Hamburg, through their creative, ground-breaking albums, to their culminating success as one of rock n’roll’s most enduring bands.
For those who prefer the ukelele, and/or all things tiki and Hawaiian, the American Cinematheque’s Egyptian Theater, 6712 Hollywood Blvd., is celebrating its annual “The American Cinematheque Goes Hawaiian” event – a full afternoon and evening of tiki-themed music, food, drinks, dancing, vendors and more…culminating with screenings of two short films. The first film, “Bosko and the Rebirth of Tiki” (2018, 32 min. Dir. Kurt Mattila), is a documentary portrait of artist Bosko Hrnjak, who grew up in Los Angeles and became the first individual to revive the lost art of carving Tikis, sculpting Tiki ceramics and building the first proper home Tiki bar. (Much of what Polynesian Pop devotees take for granted today began with Hrnjak 30 years ago in Escondido.) The second short, “The Whimsical Imagineer” (2018, 29 min. Dir. Ken Kebow), focuses on legendary Disney imagineer Rolly Crump. When Crump interviewed for an animation job at Disney back in the 1950s, he was told he had “the worst portfolio of anyone ever hired at Disney Animation Studio”…but it turned out he was one of the best hires the company ever made. Working with Walt Disney himself, as well as the original group of Disney Imagineers, Rolly went on to create some of Disneyland’s most beloved attractions, including the Haunted Mansion, the Enchanted Tiki Room and It’s a Small World. Vendor shopping at the event (no ticket required) opens at 1:30 p.m., live music, cocktails, hula performances and food truck (courtyard open to ticketholders only) start at 5 p.m., and the films begin at 7:30. See the event link above for further details, the full live entertainment lineup and ticket information.
Moving from Hawaii back to Los Angeles, LACMA’s weekly Latin Sounds performance in Hancock Park, starting at 5 p.m. in Hancock Park on Saturday, features The Echo Park Park Project, created in 2006 by Carlo Lopez, a Latin percussionist from Brooklyn who wanted to recreate the legendary salsa style of NYC in Southern California. The group’s repertoire is a combination of original material and hot ’70s cover tunes…and the performance is free and open to the public.
For this week’s local art experience, just a few blocks away, the TAG Gallery, 5458 Wilshire Blvd., will hold an opening reception, from 5 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, for its new show featuring artists Jaime Coffey Bateman, Suki Kuss, Rebecca Marie and Lyle Rushing. The show, which opened on Tuesday, runs through Saturday, August 4.
Events on Sunday are much fewer this week, giving you ample time to catch up with or return to the two-day Lotus Festival…or to catch another great musical performance at LACMA. This one features the iPalpiti Soloists, at 6 p.m. on Sunday in the museum’s Bing Theater. Featured musicians include Irakli Tsadaia & Davide de Ascaniis, violins, Emma Wernig, viola, Egor Antonenko, cello, Lauren Pierce, bass, and So-Mang Jeagal, piano, performing Dvořák: String Quintet in G major, Opus 77, and João Guilherme Ripper: Piano Quintet “From My Window,” No. 3. Since its founding by Eduard and Laura Schmieder, iPalpiti Artists International has been dedicated to advancing “the careers of young, professional, talented classical musicians and promoting peace and understanding through music. Referred to as a “Musical Peace Corps,” iPalpiti’s international membership brings unique insight to music making, creating a cultural network among 200+ artists from all over the world, forging life-time friendships and promoting universal awareness and understanding.” This performance, too, is free and open to the public.
Finally, although it has no specific time or place, many people’s favorite “event” of the weekend might be National Ice Cream Day, celebrated across the country on Sunday, July 15. You can check for special flavors and deals at your local favorite ice cream shops (Salt & Straw, Jeni’s Splendid, Baskin-Robbins, Bennett’s), explore new ones (Mateo’s Ice Cream & Fruit Bars, Scoops, Mashti Malone, Republique Crèmerie)…or just go for broke and head to Smorgasburg LA , downtown, which will be hosting its 2nd annual Ice Cream Alley (through Labor Day weekend), with regular vendors like Wanderlust Creamery, and more than 10 pop-ups from vendors including McConnell’s, Sweet Rose Creamery, Jeni’s Splendid, Afters Ice Cream, Nancy’s Fancy Gelato, Blast Ice Cream, CVT Soft Serve and Madame Shugah (all vegan).
Have a great weekend!
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