It’s the first weekend of summer vacation for many families with school-age children, and while some will be sleeping in, other folks will be up early and ready to roam.
That being the case, we’ve got a couple of great options for estate sale, collectibles and vintage fans.  First, at 4748 Elmwood and running Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m, is a collection that features antique blue willow china, Chinese porcelains, antique religious artifacts, crystal, Persian rugs, antique textiles and fabrics, oil paintings, prints, art, garden plants, table lamps, chandeliers, floor lamps, vintage Disney figurines, books, chairs, mirrors, sofas, tables, steamer trunks…and more.
The second big estate sale, in Victoria Park (location of last week’s West Adams Heritage Association “Walk in the Park” home tour), is at 1415 Nadeau.  This one runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Friday-Sunday, with 20% discounts on Saturday and 50% on Sunday.  Advertised items for this one include long lists of antique furniture, art, rugs, china, lamps, linens, clothing, books, CDs, movies, garden furniture and tools, electronics, holiday decorations, and even a 1979 Excalibur Roadster Series III (being sold as a bid item with a minimum bid of $22,000.00.)
After a hard morning of working up an appetite treasure hunting, there are two great food events today.  The first is Time Out LA’s Donut Party at the Avalon Hollywood, 1735 Vine Street. Billed as “a gluttonous celebration of the fried dessert,” participants can “enjoy sprinkled samplings and frosted bites from restaurants, bakeries and donut shops, along with LAMILL coffee and complimentary hard apple ciders provided by Strongbow.”  There are three separately ticketed sessions, from 10am-12pm, 12:30pm-2:30pm and 3pm-5pm. Donut providers include ICDC, DK’s Donuts, Donut Farm, Spudnuts Donuts, and DOMA Kitchen.  See the above link for tickets and more information.
Later, for a more traditional meal, LA Weekly presents Tacolandia 2016 at El Pueblo de Los Angeles, 125 Paseo de la Plaza, from 3-7 p.m. Saturday in downtown LA. This fourth annual gourmet taco festival feature more than 100 top taco vendors (including this year’s Tacolandia competition winner Revolutionario) curated by the World’s First Tacorazzo, Bill Esparza. All participating restaurants will have tasty samples of their signature gourmet tacos, and there will be live mariachi music, cash bars with beer, wine and cocktails as well as awards for best tacos in various categories.
This evening, and, just a few blocks south, you could also enjoy many diverse food offerings at Grand Central Market’s Bombo Summer Nights. The market is celebrating summer with late-night hours and events every night of the week.  Saturdays (from 8 – 8:45 pm and 9 – 9:45 pm) will feature “Live at GCM” events with with up-and-coming singer/songwriters and indie bands in a series curated by concert producer Gia Hughes. David Ryan Harris will be tonight’s performer.
Then, as long as you’re downtown tonight, don’t miss your last night to catch the illuminated giant bunnies from artist Amanda Parer, currently installed at the Bank of America Plaza (333 South Hope Street) and Wells Fargo Center (330 South Hope Street) on Bunker Hill; and FIGat7th (735 South Figueroa Street) in Downtown LA.
And finally, it’s also the night of the monthly Griffith Park Star Party, a free event at Griffith Observatory from 2:00 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. Volunteers from several local organizations provide telescopes and opportunities for the whole family to look at the sun, moon, visible planets and other objects, to try out a variety of telescopes, and to talk to knowledgeable amateur astronomers about the sky and their equipment.  Note that the telescope viewing ends at 9:45, although the observatory building closes at 10.
On Sunday, the huge annual LA Pride Festival moves into its last day (headliner at the music festival is Carly Rae Jepsen) with its gala parade at 11 a.m. The route runs westward along Santa Monica Blvd., from Crescent Heights to Robertson. This year’s Grand Marshal is Jewel Thais-Williams.Â
Meanwhile, over at the Grove, the We Run the Grove half marathon and 10K race benefits the Race to Erase MS, dedicated to the treatment and ultimate cure of Multiple Sclerosis.  The run begins at 8am with check-in at 6am in The Park.  There will also be activities, snacks and a photo-op in The Park after the race.
Later, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., head over to the Craft and Folk Art Museum, 5814 Wilshire Blvd., for a Explorations in Wood workshop. Participants will learn a number how to manipulate the surface and texture of wood to make small sculptures, wall hangings, and other wood creations similar to those in the museum’s current Windfall exhibition.  Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 children and free for members.
Finally, do please note that this is the first weekend of the big Wilshire/La Brea closures (the street will be fully closed from Detroit to La Brea), so plan your travel accordingly. Also, please remember that our local businesses are still open during the closures, and need your continued love and support…now more than ever!
