Much as we need the rain, let’s hope it lets up for a few key periods this Halloween weekend!
On Saturday, you could start by getting a jump on that big upcoming holiday – no, not Halloween — election day…by voting early at one of five new early voting centers, which will be open this weekend and next, throughout Los Angeles.
Then, once you’re out and about, there’s a big local estate sale, running both Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 413 N. Mansfield Ave. The organizers say the house is “full of fabulous finds from years of collecting by an original Hollywood family.” Items include “vintage Asian collectables, Chinese and Japanese porcelain, Satsuma, many vintage soapstone carvings, rosewood, Cinnabar, Cloisonné vases and objects de art in marble and alabaster.” Also: Asian vintage furniture and Chinese silk rugs, cut glass and old crystal, silver plate, vintage French and Italian ceramics including Limoges, Capodimonte, Wedgwood, Spode, and Noritake, vintage oil paintings and artworks, Catholic collectibles, Lyon and Healy baby grand piano, large vintage bar, oriental rugs, books, CDs, VHS tapes, records…and the list goes on and on.
For a very different genre of collectibles, try Stan Lee’s L.A. Comic Con, running Friday through Sunday at the L.A. Convention Center. The event is billed as “Los Angeles’ first multi-media pop culture convention,” and includes comics, video games, sci-fi, fantasy, horror and all things pop-culture. For added comics cred, it’s also operated by comics legend Stan Lee himself, along with Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. There will be panels, autograph sessions and photo ops for fans, and hundreds of diverse artists and vendors, selling exclusive, rare and limited editions of comics, collectibles, art, toys and other hard-to-find merchandise. For the full list and schedule, see the link above.
Other kinds of culture will be on display at the huge Grand Ave. Arts: All Access festival, on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. downtown. All Angelenos are invited to explore the many cultural resources of Grand Ave., including the Los Angeles Central Library (building and garden tours, sugar skull workshop), the Museum of Contemporary Art (permanent collection tours, a “generative and interactive multichannel installation map of Los Angeles,” live NTS Radio broadcasts), the Colburn School (LA Chamber Orchestra performances, an opportunity to conduct a small chamber orchestra, and a “pay to play” event in which musicians will play your musical choices), the Broad Museum (pop up art talks and family-friendly art activities), Walt Disney Concert Hall (Los Angeles Master Chorale, group a capella singingwith Moira Smiley, craft activities, and an “instrument petting zoo”), Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (LA Opera performers), Music Center (tours of Walt Disney Concert Hall, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Ahmanson Theater, Mark Taper Forum…and musical performances on the plaza), Grand Park (Day of the Dead altars, splash pad, playground, food trucks)…and much more. Check the full schedule and map for all the details.
Closer to home, the Hollywood Forever Cemetery is presenting its 17th annual Dia de los Muertos festival: The Tree of Life – El Árbol de la Vida. from 12 p.m -midnight on Saturday. This huge arts and culture extravaganza features live performances, traditional rituals, more than 100 ceremonial altars, Aztec ritual dancers, a costume contest, and Mexican arts, crafts and food for sale. (You can also watch the setup of the elaborate altars on Friday, from 3 p.m. on.) Tickets are $20 (please bring exact change); children and seniors are free until 4 p.m.
A smaller-scale, and even more family-friendly seasonal party will be available in the Wilshire Park neighborhood on Saturday evening, as the neighborhood throws its seventh annual Halloween Haunt from 4 to 8:30 p.m., on Bronson Ave. between Wilshire and 8th Street. Wilshire Park is a dynamic neighborhood and Historic Preservation Overlay Zone bordered by Wilshire, Crenshaw, Wilton and Olympic. Festivities will include old favorites and new fun, including zombies, a See’s Candy Nightmare Haunted Candy Shop, Kramer ghost train, fortune teller, face painting, pinata, bouncers, dance party, silent auction, carnival games, food, chili cookoff, and costume contests. Scheduled guests include members of the LAPD, LAFD, Congressman Xavier Becerra’s office, and City Council Member David Ryu’s office. Also, other than food and the Ghost Train, most activities are free.
Finally on Saturday, ditch the Halloween costumes and dress up in your party finery for the Craft and Folk Art Museum’s annual Craft Affair fundraiser gala, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the museum. The event will honor Corinna Cotsen, Lee Rosenbaum and Gronk, and celebrate the Museum’s unique contribution to Los Angeles culture. Museum galleries will also be open during the event. See the link above for ticket and contact information.
On Sunday, the Petersen Museum is partnering with iconic custom motorcycle shop Deus Ex Machina for a special motorcycle-themed edition of its monthly Breakfast Club Cruise-In. From 9:00-10:00 a.m. you can enjoy strolling through rows of classic, custom, and exotic motorcycles on the third floor of the Petersen’s parking garage, while enjoying complimentary parking, coffee & bagels. Members also have exclusive early access to the museum’s exhibits.
If you prefer self-propulsion, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Halloween half marathon (and 5K) will be running on Sunday, with a route that stretches from the Natural History Museum to Wilshire and Western. See the map for full course details, with other details available at the link above.
Of course closest to home, the big event of the day is the Larchmont Family Fair. From 12 to 5 p.m. bring the whole family to our favorite local Boulevard for food, games, rides, slides and more, with dozens of booths sponsored by local schools and non-profits. Other attractions include a Halloween costume contest, talent show, pie baking contest…and pie eating contest. All proceeds go to local charitable organizations. Fun for all ages!
You can also share the Halloween spirit on Sunday, from 2–4 pm, at Big Sunday’s 7th Annual Spooky Sunday event, where you can help host a big Halloween party for disadvantaged kids and their families. The festivities will include a costume giveaway (spooky), a portrait studio (scary), haunted house (creepy), trunk-or-treating (get your candy fix!), tons of arts & crafts (ghoulish) and lots more. And don’t forget to wear your costume! More details at the link above.
Finally on Sunday, who you gonna call to wind down your big Halloween-themed weekend? Ghostbusters, of course! There will be a special a screening, in glorious 70mm, of the original Ghostbusters film at 7:30 Sunday evening at the American Cinematheque’s Egyptian Theater in Hollywood. The film, directed by Ivan Reitman, stars Bill Murray, Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd as unemployed parapsychology professors who set up shot as a unique ghost removal service. Nothing like a big, gooey dollop of sticky green ektoplasm to cap off your Sunday.
And last but not least, since Halloween doesn’t actually come until Monday, we’ll leave you with a nice little bonus activity: if you’re looking for a safe, fun Halloween-afternoon activity to enjoy with your kids, check out the Fall Festival at Wilshire Crest Elementary School, 5241 W. Olympic Blvd., from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Monday (Halloween) afternoon. There will be games galore (witch-hat ring toss, graveyard bowling, etc.), as well as face painting, a photo booth, and lots of refreshments. Admission is free; tickets for games, activities and food items are $1 each. Community members welcome (you don’t need to be a school family to attend), and costumes are encouraged (though not required). Enter through the Olympic Blvd. gate on the east side of the school’s campus.
Have a great Halloween!
