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

Weekend Buzz – Events for September 3-4, 2016

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It’s a holiday weekend, so local(ish) special events seem to be fewer – but bigger – this weekend.

panpacificpoolOnce the sun comes out this afternoon, it might be nice to just kick back and go swimming.  City Council Member David Ryu and the Department of Rec and Parks announced earlier this week that the public pools at both Pan Pacific Park and Griffith Park will remain open for an additional month.  The extended hours are weekends from 1-5 p.m. through October 1.  (Pool hours will also be extended on Fridays at Pan Pacific Park from 2-6 p.m.) The cost is $3.50 for adults ages 18-64, $1 for children under 17 and seniors 65 and older. For more information, see www.laparks.org.

tasteFor your dining pleasure, the place to be this weekend is the L.A. Times’ The Taste, an “annual celebration of Southern California’s culinary scene,” which started yesterday and runs through Sunday at Paramount Pictures Studios on Melrose.  According to the Times, “Five events will showcase the chefs and restaurants at the heart of L.A.’s food and dining culture and include unlimited tastings from the city’s best restaurants, specialty drinks, wine seminars and live demos.”  The major events include “Field to Fork,” from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today, “Dinner with a Twist,” tonight from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m., and a “Sunday Block Party,” on Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.  Tickets are available by event.  See http://events.latimes.com/taste/ for tickets and other information.

cineconIf you’re in the mood for a movie this weekend, and are experiencing summer blockbuster fatigue, check out the 52nd annual Cinecon Classic Film Festival running through September 5 at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood.  According to the organizers, “Cinecon is where archivists, authors, collectors and film fans come together for five days of classic film screenings, special programs, celebrity guests, and the best movie memorabilia show in the nation. Cinecon is dedicated to showcasing unusual films that are rarely given public screenings.”  The schedule  includes little-seen classics featuring Laurel & Hardy, Harold Lloyd, Ernst Lubitch, Buster Krabbe, Anna May Wong, Spencer Tracy, Abbott and Costello, and many others.

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Click to see full size flier

For music lovers, there’s the annual West Adams Avenues Jazz Under the Stars event, on 7th Avenue, between Adams Blvd. and 25th Street.  This free festival, created fifteen years ago, celebrates and showcases one of the largest historic neighborhoods in Los Angeles, and has really taken off in the community.  When the festival first started, culturally diverse neighbors gathered with picnic baskets and lawn chairs to hear local musicians.  But by last year, nearly 4,000 attendees – some coming from as far as Australia – converged for three full nights of music, dancing in the streets, kids’ activities, a dance contest, arts, crafts and jewelry from local artisans and fabulous food from area restaurants and food trucks.  This year’s event started on Friday and will continue from 6:30 to 11:00 p.m., both Saturday and Sunday. Tonight’s performances will feature gospel, blues and jazz; Sunday’s will focus on zydeco, jazz and Latin music. No reservations necessary – just show up and enjoy the fun.

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Click to see full size flier.

On Sunday, if you’ve already checked out the festivals above, it might be a good day for a bit of a road trip…to the LA County Fair, which opened on Friday in Pomona and runs through September 25.  Attractions this year include a trip back to prehistoric times at Jurassic Planet, the educational Our Body: The Universe Within, and a chance to celebrate winter during the summer inside the icy Igloo.  The Fair also has more than 500 animals, including some new four-legged friends in the Big Red Barn…and Stanley the giraffe, who makes his home in Mojo’s Wild & Crazy Lagoon.  And don’t let the distance deter you –  Metrolink is offering a discount on Fair admission if you ride their trains and shuttle to the Fairplex…so no need to drive!

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Click to see full size flier.

Last but not least, the nice thing about long weekends is you can always squeeze in another event.  So if you’d like to keep going on Monday, the biggest game in town seems to be the fifth annual Labor Day Music Festival in Exposition Park, celebrating the labor of Southern California’s hard working men and women.  It features Snoop Dogg, The New Orleans All-Star Band, Dr. John, Los Lonely Boys, Poncho Sanchez, as well as local acts such as DJ As-Is, Mahkenna and Martay. There will also be great food, a lowrider car show and a beer garden. Proceeds benefit Working Californians and projects that benefit working people. Tickets are $20 and available at – https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/1209531

metroconstructionheaderFinally, we’d like to note that the folks at Metro will also be taking the weekend off from their usual labor, and there will be NO Wilshire Blvd. closures for Purple Line subway construction during the holiday weekend.  You are free to move about the neighborhood!

Enjoy your holiday!

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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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