gardens

Did you know about a Secret Garden in Pasadena?? No?? Neither did I until my parents came and visited me. Apparently Pasadena is full of little gems outside of the Rosebowl and the Rose Parade.

There’s honestly so much to do at the Huntington Library & Rose Gardens. You can take a tour of the museums and see historic books and beautiful works of art. You can just roam the grounds and find yourself lost in the gardens. You can sit for tea and all you can eat scones.

It’s $20 on weekdays and $23 on weekends. They’re open every day but Tuesday. Honestly if you’re not a history buff, there’s art. If you’re not into art there’s gardens. If you don’t like gardens there’s tea. And if you don’t like tea then too bad!

plays

Griffith Park is the Park that just keeps giving. It has hikes, zoos, trails, picnic areas, golfing courses, everything your heart desires. And it’s everything your wallet desires too since it’s free. 99.99% of Griffith events are free. One thing that’s in session now is Shakespeare at the Old Zoo

This summer head on over to the Old Zoo to hear some classic Shakespeare tales. The 2012 Season consists of The Winter’s Tale, A Midsummer’s Night Dream, and The Comedy of Errors.

To sleep, perchance to dream….

fairs

Aside from flea markets – fairs are the next best thing! The OC Fair is coming and there’s tons of things to do, people to see, and foods to eat.

The fair runs from July 13th to August 12th. That’s a full month, which means no excuses if you don’t find a free afternoon or evening or full day if you’re up for it. Now general tickets are $11 but below are a few discounts for ya:

July 13
OPENING DAY
Free admission and parking
(Noon – 1 pm)

DAILY
HEROES GET IN FREE
All military (active and veterans) – free admission with I.D.

WE CARE WEDNESDAY
One free admission and one carnival ride per person. Person donating items must be present to receive admission ticket. Free admission tickets are only valid on the day of the drive.

THURSDAYS
Kids Day
Free admission 12 and under – all day
FRIDAYS
Seniors Day (60+)
$2 off plus free Ferris wheel and merry-go-round rides – all day

FRIDAY – SUNDAY
OC Fair Express
OC Fair Express riders traveling to the OC Fair receive a coupon for $2 Fair Admission.
OCTA service hours: Friday 3 pm – Midnight / Saturday & Sunday 10 am – Midnight
Bus Fare: $1.50 one way / $3 round trip
octa.net/ocfairexpress

So come one, come all and get your fair on!

nerds

Let’s face it. We’re all nerds. We all have that one thing / show / person we geek out over. Meltdown Comics on Sunset plays to our nerdiness with a calendar full of events that gets down to your inner geek core. Not only do the events take place in the back of a comic book store after hours but the events range from watching Star Trek to Magic shows. Prices range around $8 and you can buy in advance or at the store.

carolers

“The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.” ~Elf

One of the best things about the holiday are Christmas songs. And The Los Angeles Master Chorale knows that. They’re taking over the Walt Disney Hall for the Holiday Wonders concert this season. The chorale is singing classic favorites, and adding some audience sing-a-longs into the mix. Tickets range from $94-$29 so anyone can afford this holiday treat. It’s today at 2:30pm, but if that’s too short notice they also have other concerts to check out – Rejoice! Dec 12, 2010 / Messiah Sing-Along Dec 19, 2010

Have yourself a merry little Christmas, let your heart be light

uniqueness

LA is full of a lot of awesome people with awesome talents. One of the best places to view them – The 3rd Annual UNIQUE LA Holiday Show.This weekend, head on over to the California Market Center Penthouse at 110 E 9th Street. They describe it as:

The largest independent design show in the country, attendees get the rare chance to meet and shop directly from over 300 hand-selected designers and artists. The exciting two-day shopping event makes it easy for you to buy local and support LA’s economy, discover great design and deals, join in community, and have a blast! Over 95% of the products at the show are proudly made right here in the USA!

On top of shopping the wide variety of offerings, the event boasts many exciting Extras & Amenities, including free workshops, an eco lounge, and two cafes featuring some of LA’s best restaurants and gourmet food trucks. Plan to spend the day with us!

freebies : turkey day dinners

So a lot of restaurants in Los Angeles and surrounding areas provide turkey day feasts if you don’t want to cook, don’t know how to cook, or want someone else to do the clean up. But what about a free Thanksgiving Day dinner? Along with a free comedy show. For that, you want to go to the Laugh Factory.

The Laugh Factory is hosting a free dinner and live comedy show for anyone and everyone in Los Angeles. Being from the east, I know that when holidays come around it can be rough. For a reservation call (323) 656-1336 x1. The showings are 1 pm // 3 pm // 5 pm // 7 pm.

AND if you already have plans on the actual day of Thanksgiving, The Laugh Factory has a show called ‘Turkey’s Last Night Out’ featuring comedians KT Tatara, Jason Stuart, Mario Joyner, Neal Brennan & Thea Vidal.

Gobble Gobble.

turkey day marathons

So you’re officially ready to load up on all the good food this Thursday. But, I bet you don’t have a plan to burn off all those additional calories. Here’s one for you. Drumroll please……………

The Long Beach Turkey Trot!

The earlier races are already filled, but the 9:30 / 10:30 races are open. So you can sleep in a little, grab a cup of coffee and work off all the calories you’ll consume later.
45K/10K, run/walk, 9:30 a.m. OPEN
45K only, run/walk, 10:30 a.m. OPEN
4Kids 1/2-Mile Wingding, 9:40 a.m. (ages 8 & younger) OPEN 9:45 a.m. (ages 9-12) OPEN

So do something good. Then justify it with an extra piece of pumpkin pie.

Thank you for being a friend…. (There are no Thanksgiving songs, but in the theme of Thanksgiving I feel the Golden Girls theme song does the holiday justice)

holidays: hanukkah

I’ve been posting a lot about Christmas events, so it’s only fair that I research some Hanukkah events as well. Da, da da da…. The Skirball Center. Skirball is offering two different things to do for families

The Lights of Hanukkah Family Tour : It’s December 2nd – 4th and talks about the significance of Hanukkah.

Down Home Hanukkah : It’s Sunday December 5th and features music, food, crafts, and tons of family focused activities. An additional tour to catch is the Maira Kalman Tour at 2:30 p.m.

Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel, I made you out of clay

freebies : concerts

On Christmas Eve the Los Angeles County Arts has a Holiday Celebration FREE to anyone and everyone in the area.

Deets:
Date: 12/24/10
Time: Doors open at 2:30pm (wristbands distributed on a first come / first serve basis at 11am)
Admission : FREE!!!!
Location: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion of the Music Center, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles 90012
TV: KCET, December 24, from 3:00 – 6:00 pm.

If you’re a filmmaker, the LACA is looking for you. <Click here to learn more >

The Los Angeles County Arts Commission is currently accepting short film submissions by Los Angeles County-based aspiring and professional filmmakers to feature in the 51st Annual Los Angeles County Holiday Celebration telecast.

Eligible films may be no longer than 2 minutes long and must incorporate the theme “childhood memories from the holidays.” Submissions are due on Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 4:00 p.m….Filmmakers whose short films appear on the program will receive an honorarium of $1,000 each.

Yuletide carols being sung by a choir….