Serving Larchmont Village, Hancock Park, and the Greater Wilshire neighborhoods of Los Angeles since 2011.

Weekend Buzz – Events for May 11-12, 2019

Don’t forget your mom this Mother’s Day weekend – there’s lots for both of you to do!

Although it’s kind of counter-intuitive, we often find that holiday weekends are light on special events – because organizers know that most people’s focus will be on home and family.  But it appears that Mother’s Day is one big mother of an exception.  There is so much to do this weekend that we have both our regular (long) list of events…plus a separate section at the end of the list, focusing just on local specials, sales and events for the holiday.  So grab your mom and get going!

First up, it’s the second weekend of Big Sunday’s Month of Big Sundays, which offers 15 fun community service opportunities this particular Saturday and Sunday, for volunteers of all ages.  So you can bring mom, grandma, and the kids to have a great time while doing good for others.  It could be one of the most meaningful things you do this weekend.

Click to see full size flier.

Another way to do some good is by participating in the LAPD’s Anonymous Gun Buyback, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, at Marlton Square, 3750 W. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. (there’s also a second location in Van Nuys).  Turn in and gun and receive a gift card in exchange (while supplies last) – up to $100 for handguns, shotguns and  rifles, and up to $200 for assault weapons. Please be sure to transport your firearms unloaded in the trunk of your vehicle.

Click to see full size flier.

The Fire Department is also on the schedule on Saturday, with a more family-friendly event, as it celebrates its annual Fire Service Day at stations across the city.  The LAFD Fire Museum (old Station 27), 1355 Cahuenga Blvd., will hold its annual pancake breakfast from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  Tickets are just $5 for adults and $3 for children, which includes food, fun, LAFD demonstrations and a bit of local fire department history.

Click to see full size flier.

For the exercise minded, there’s also the Mother’s Day Weekend Meso Run, starting at Griffith Park’s Old Zoo, 4730 Crystal Springs Rd., at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday.  It’s a 5K run/walk on the trails of Griffith Park, with all proceeds benefiting research on mesothelioma, a rare but deadly cancer caused by asbestos exposure. The event will include treats for both participants and volunteers, so even if you don’t run or walk, you can still join in, and have fun helping out and spending the morning in glorius Griffith Park.

But if you’d rather stay indoors (for the rest of the day or weekend), check out the MaltinFest film festival, running both Saturday and Sunday at the Egyptian Theater, 6712 Hollywood Blvd. The festival, named after film critic (and movie superfan) Leonard Maltin, is “dedicated to movie lovers,” and aims “to bring together the film community by sharing hidden gems both new and old.”  The slate includes animation, documentaries, book signings, classic movies, shorts and more. Here’s the basic schedule (full details on each film/event is available at the link above):

Saturday
10:30 a.m. – “Exporting Raymond,” with special guest writer-director-producer Phil Rosenthal
1:30 p.m. – “Citizen Ruth,” with special guest writer-director Alexander Payne
4:30 p.m. – “Big Eyes,” with special guests writers-producers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski
8:00 p.m. – “The Death of ‘Superman Lives,’ What Happened?” with special guest producer Holly Payne
Sunday
10:30 a.m. – noon – Book Signing with Leonard Maltin, Alicia Malone, Don Hahn, Jon Burlingame, Chris Nichols, Robert Bader, Tracey Goessel, George Geary and Kliph Nesteroff
12:30 p.m. – “Songcatcher”
3:30 p.m. – Trailers From Hell Presents “The Movies That Made Me Podcast,” hosted by Joe Dante and Josh Olsen
6:00 p.m. – “Absolute Beginners”
8:30 p.m. – “Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla”

Click to see full size flier.

Meanwhile, Imagine LA, a non-profit organization working to end homelessness in LA,  is having its annual Celebration of Family on from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, at the First Congregational Church of Los Angeles, 540 S. Commonwealth Ave.  There will be carnival games (skeet ball and pinko), jousting (with inflatables), a Lego/Hot Wheels Land, obstacle course, playground, toddler bounce house, Mother’s Day crafts, soccer and a live band. Food and drink options will include mini donuts, popcorn, food trucks, a fruit cart, a lemonade stand, coffee/hot cocoa, and churros. Tickets are $50 for adults, $25 for kids and teens.  Tickets are avalable at the event link above, or at the gate on the day of the event.  All proceeds benefit ImagineLA.

Click to see full size flier.

Starting just half an hour later, at 11:30 a.m., and continuing until 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, the California Science Center, as part of the Edna Anderson Owens Festival of Science, Engineering and the Arts, will host a series of free dance workshops and fun hands-on activities featuring internationally recognized dance artist Debbie Allen.

A bit closer to home, starting at 2 p.m. on Saturday, the John C. Fremont Library, 6121 Melrose Ave., invites all map lovers to theThe California Map Society’s Annual Lecture at the Library.  Guest speaker Dr. Stephen Hornsby will discuss his latest book, Picturing America: The Golden Age of Pictorial Maps.  The event is free, and everyone is welcome.

Meanwhile, demonstrating that art is not just for those who can see with their eyes, the Craft Contemporary will host Beyond Sight: A Gallery Tour for the Visually Impaired, starting at 3 p.m. on Saturday. These free, specially-designed gallery tours “aim for a multi-sensory experience for blind or visually impaired guests to engage with art in an immersive and accessible way,” and include verbal descriptions of select artworks.  Space is limited, so please RSVP to [email protected] if you’d like to attend.

Later, move on to the LaunchLA gallery, 170 S. La Brea, which will host an opening reception, from 6-9 p.m. on Saturday, for it’s new show, “Beauty and the Beast,” featuring works from multimedia artists Jorg Dubin and Andrea Patrie.  According to the gallery, “Dubin and Patrie both demonstrate a reverence for formal figurative tradition, and seek to carve new spaces for conversations related to our current cultural vantage. While both artists’ works contain self-reference, Andrea Patrie exists within her process of creating, whereas Jorg Dubin relies on recognition of political references to confront his viewer.”  The show itself will be on display through June 8.

Just a bit later on Saturday night, the Natural History Museum and Atlas Obscura Los Angeles will host a Jurassic Soirée at the NHM, starting at 6:30 p.m.  The event is a “festive evening of prehistoric exploration,” offering “the chance to wander the Dinosaur and Gem and Mineral Halls, sip cocktails with local scientists and science enthusiasts, converse with New York Times journalists, and go behind the scenes in the Dino Institute to look at fossils rarely on display.” It’s part of a full weekend of scientific activities scheduled by Atlas Obscura and The New York Times.  Tickets to the Soiree are $100, but there’s a 20% discount for members, or a 10% discount if you buy a ticket for the full weekend.  See the ticketing website for details.

And finally, back at the Craft Contemporary, on Sunday, you’re invited to “Spreading Nomadic Joy: A Closing Gesture with Beatriz Cortez,” starting at 3 p.m.  Visit Cortez’s current shows, “Trinidad: Joy Station,” and “Nomad 13,” then meet the artist and take home a plant from one of the gardens  in the exhibit. “By transplanting these gardens to your own home or surroundings, you will be a part of extending the knowledge and ideas germinated through these installations into the future.”

SPECIAL MOTHER’S DAY SECTION

Now, speaking of Sunday, we know many of you might be looking for special Mother’s Day activities, gifts or treats, so we polled our local merchants and collected a lovely bouquet of specials and gift ideas (in no particular order):

Click for full size image.

 

Le Petit Marché

Special Mother’s Day brunch. (See menu in photo.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click for full size image.

 

FIN Asian Tapas

Special Mother’s Day dinner. (See menu in photo.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diptyque

Mother’s Day Flower Bar:  on May 11th (note: this is on Saturday, NOT Sunday), from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., with any purchase, you’ll receive free flowers, and our florists will guide you in choosing just the right two or three stems to create the perfect bouquet. Flowers have always nourished diptyque’s imagination and we look forward to sharing them with you.

 

 

Larchmont Sanctuary Spa

Special spa experiences for Mothers-To-Be (the Pregnancy Retreat package includes a foot soak, 75 minute Pregnancy Massage and 60 minute Pregnancy Facial) and for Mothers at every other stage (the Sweet Renewal package includes a 60 minute Wellness Massage followed by a 30 minute Lemon Verbena Sugar Scrub). Also, of course, all Mothers will be pampered and spoiled on Sunday, just they are every other day.

 

 

Village Heights

“We are stocked with greeting cards, jewelry and gifts!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

LipLab by Bite Beauty

Several specials:

A La Carte x 1 = $40 Regular price: $55
A La Carte x 2 = $65 Regular price: $80
Bespokex1= $60 Regular price: $75
Bespokex2= $120 Regular price: $150

 

 

 

Landis Gifts & Stationery

Great gifts, cards and stationery – fully stocked for the holiday!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shopaholic Sample Sales

Special gift with purchase, this weekend only – just mention this ad!

 

 

 

 

 

Pickett Fences

“We have tons of Mothers Day items…lots of pajamas!”

 

 

 

 

Trina Turk

Free champagne while you shop this weekend.

 

 

 

 

 

Click for full size image

 

Fancifull Gift Baskets

Gift baskets, flowers, chocolates…mix and match, or ready to go.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Craft Contemporary

Hosting a special Pop-Up Cards & Books CraftLab Family Workshop, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday.  Attendees will use images, magazine cut-outs, and paper, each participant will create their own three-dimensional story.  Cost is $10 for adults, $7 for children, or free for Craft Contemporary members.  Space is limited, so please RSVP if you’d like to attend.

 

 

Click for full size image

 

Cat & Fiddle Restaurant and Pub

In honor of both Mother’s Day and the new royal mother/baby (Duchess Meghan Markle and Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor), there will be a special Mother’s Day Tea from 1-5 p.m. on Sunday.  See photo for menu and price details.

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Elizabeth Fuller
Elizabeth Fuller
Elizabeth Fuller was born and raised in Minneapolis, MN but has lived in LA since 1991 - with deep roots in both the Sycamore Square and West Adams Heights-Sugar Hill neighborhoods. She spent 10 years with the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council, volunteers at Wilshire Crest Elementary School, and has been writing for the Buzz since 2015.

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