Ya know how exciting it is to see houses decked out in lights, driving through a neighborhood and blasting the Christmas music. Well now you can do it in the grand daddy of cul de sac. Santa Clarita is known for over the top houses with each neighbor out Jones-ing the other. They even provide a Google Map of the top trails to see.
Baby it’s cold outside…
The best part to me about the holidays is snow. And, as it’s currently 80 degrees in Los Angeles snow is not a possibility. Therefor if you want snow, I suggest Mammoth Mountain. And they’re doing their own holiday special : Night of Lights on December 18th.
The Night of Lights has been going on for two decades and fireworks brighten the sky over the snowy mountains. There’s a parade, live music, and I’m assume hot chocolate and smores (if not, they should be added). It’s a free event, but premium seating starts at $20.
And don’t just go for the night, stay the day / weekend / week and get some skiing / snowboarding / tubing / fire watching in.
I’m dreaming of a white Christmas….
Wanna see a Magic Trick?….
Everyone knows the infamous Magic Castle, a delicious dinner and magical tricks. Well, now you can skip the dinner (and the large cost) and head on over to the Millennium Magic 11 at Theatre West. It’s only $15-$20 And the artists go as follows :
Friday, December 10 at 8pm
Jon Armstrong
Tina Lenert
Mike Caveney
John Carney
Saturday, December 11 at 8pm
Derek DelGaudio
Derek Hughes
Michael Rayner
Sunday, December 12 at 2pm
Handsome Jack
David Regal
Max Maven
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 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)
Add some thrill to your holiday season by incorporating roller coasters into Christmas. Parks around Los Angeles get into the holiday spirit, some even offering free entry.
1. Universal Studios – Coming off of their terrifying Halloween theme, Universal completely shifts gears and makes the park a Christmas Wonderland. Most notably is changing Whoville into the Grinch’s home. The tree lighting starts December 11th, and goes on all month. Kids can play in real snow, listen to their favorite celebrity read a Christmas tale, and meet the mean old Grinch.
2. Six Flags Magic Mountain – Six Flags is encouraging it’s visitors to give this holiday. And rewarding those who bring a toy with free admission on December 5, 6, 12, and 13th. I love Six Flags and all their roller coasters: Terminator, SalvationTM: TheRide, X2, Tatsu, Scream, Goliath, Colossus, Viper.
3. Disneyland – Disneyland is the king of parks, making sure that everyone has a magical experience, and with Christmas it makes their job even easier. I experienced Christmas at Disneyland last year and it blew me away, from the ‘Its a Small World’ lights, the parade with all the familiar characters, and of course the castle with snow.
Rocking around the Christmas Tree at the Christmas party hop…
I’m from the east coast, and I associate holidays with cold weather, snow, and ice skating. Well, out here in Los Angeles I at least have one of the three.
There are two popularized places to go ice skating, Ice in Santa Monica and Downtown on Ice in Pershing Square.
Downtown’s ice rink starts this weekend and is only $6 and $2 for rentals (steal considering what the pesky Rockefeller Center prices are) Ice is already open and is only $10. So do some shopping in the 3rd Street Promenade and then skate by the beach in shorts. Maybe throw on a scarf for good measure.
Sleigh bells ring, are ya listening…
ARE YOU READY FOR A THROWDOWN?
Love Tamales? Want to eat tamales? Then come to the Tamale Throwdown this weekend. There will be tamale eating contests, music and entertainment and an overall good time
INFORMATION:
November 12 @ 2pm-10pm
November 13 @ 10am-10pm
4522 Browne Ave. :: Los Angeles, CA 90032
Candy day is over, so that means Turkey day is next. Big Sunday has a list of organizations that are in need of volunteers throughout the months of November & December.
So volunteer with holiday cheer.
Help the Hungry at L.A. Regional Food Bank
November and December
1734 East 41st St., LA, CA 90058 Various shifts Monday through Saturday Contact Ana Martinez at amartinez@lafoodbank.org or 323-234-3030
The food bank helps seniors, children, families and individuals. They need volunteers to assemble food boxes and bags for the hungry throughout the holiday season. Work shifts are usually two-and-half to three hours long. And if your office, school, place of worship, etc. would like e to volunteer as a group, they can take from 10-to-100 volunteers at a
The 8th (or 9th) Annual BIG SUNDAY Holiday Volunteering and Giving Opportunities List
time. Volunteers must be 14-years old. If you want to donate food for Thanksgiving or Christmas, please bring it one week before the holiday. The food bank is also collecting unwrapped toys until December 17. For a full wish list go to http://www.lafoodbank.org.
Help Abused Children Through Art
November and December
12095 West Washington Blvd., Suite 104, LA, CA 90066 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM, Monday-Friday Contact Annie Armbrust at annie@freearts.org or 310-313-4278
Free Arts for Abused Children serves more than 500 abused, homeless and at-risk children weekly at nearly 50 sites throughout the year. They’re always adding more programs during the holiday season, which can be especially difficult for many of these kids. As such, they can use all kinds of art supplies, including crayons, markers, paper, and glue. The full list is at http://www.freearts.org. If you’re game they are also “excited to have as many people as possible lead art supple drives.”
Provide Thanksgiving Dinner at Homes for Life
Monday, November 22
13457 Van Owen St., Van Nuys, CA 91405 9 AM to 5 PM, Monday-Friday (for donation deliveries) Contact Nancy Anne Rubio at nrubio573@roadrunner.com or 323-206-8869
The 8th (or 9th) Annual BIG SUNDAY Holiday Volunteering and Giving Opportunities List
Homes for Life provides permanent housing for homeless people with mental disabilities. They’re hosting a Thanksgiving dinner for 16 residents at one of their group homes. They would greatly appreciate donations of turkeys, cakes, pies, juice, soda, coffee and tea. They would also appreciate donations of men’s and women’s clothes, art supplies and household appliances.
Buy Thanksgiving Pies and Support Angel Project Food
By Tuesday, November 23
Project Angel Food, 922 Vine St. La, ca 90038
Pick up pies on Sun. Nov. 21, 9 AM to 3 PM or Mon. and Tues. Nov. 22 and 23 from 10 AM to 7 PM
Contact Irma Ramiriz at 845-1800, ext. 255
Project Angel Food provides delicious and nutritious meals to people fighting HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. This year, they are selling their famous pies to the public for Thanksgiving. Every pie you buy provides five free nutritious meals to Project Angel Food clients. You can choose from Angelic Apple, Perfectly Pumpkin, and Heavenly Chocolate. (Buy 10 pies or more, and they’ll deliver them to you free of charge.) Pies are $25 each and may be purchased online at angelfood.org. Something to think about: Many of the groups on this list are hoping for someone to donate pies for their Thanksgiving dinners. Buy these pies to help them, and you’ll help two great groups at once! For more information go to pies@angelfood.org.
Provide Thanksgiving Dinner for the Mary Magdelene Project
Tuesday, November 23
7136 Haskell Ave., Suite 125, Van Nuys, CA 91406
9 AM to 5 PM, Monday-Friday
Contact Dianne Amato at Dianne.amato@mmp.org or 818-400-6707
The Mary Magdelene Project helps women who have been victims of prostitution, as well as their children. They are hosting Thanksgiving dinner for residents, their children and former residents of the program. They need donations of turkeys, hams, stuffing mix, green beans, potatoes, yams, pumpkin and sweet potato pies and anything else you can think of. They’re expecting 20-to-30 people. Also, per Dianne: “Thank you for thinking of us. We could not do what we do here without the generous help of people like you!”
Help Out at a Thanksgiving Dinner
Wednesday, November 24
15453 Rayen St., North Hills, CA 91343
8 AM to 4 PM (various shifts available)
Contact Yency Rosa at yrosa@nvcsinc.org or 818-891-0481, ext. 23
We’ve loved working with our old friends at North Valley Caring Services for years as they work to help others – in all kinds of ways – in their low-income neighborhood in North Hills and surrounding areas. This year, they are hosting a wonderful and delicious Thanksgiving dinner for the nice folks in their community. They need 30 volunteers (age 15 and up, please) to help prepare and serve the meals and, of course, to clean up, too.
Provide Food for Hungry Folks in Pasadena
Thursday, November 25
Pasadena Central Park, 275 S. Raymond Ave. Pasadena, CA 91105 10 AM to 1 PM (for food deliveries) Contact Sandy Potter at 626-240-4550 ext.116
Union Station Homeless Services operates a beautiful facility in Pasadena, providing shelter, employment assistance and childcare to families and individuals. For more than 30 years, they’ve hosted “Dinners-in-the-Park” on Thanksgiving and Christmas, providing warm holiday meals for people in the community. They would be grateful for your food donations so they can serve even more people with a hearty Thanksgiving dinner. The full current list of needed items is available at http://www.unionstationhs.org/current_needs.php. For more information, please visit the USHS website at http://www.unionstationhs.org/dinners in the park.html.
Provide Food for Hungry Folks in Pasadena
Thursday, November 25
Pasadena Central Park, 275 S. Raymond Ave. Pasadena, CA 91105 10 AM to 1 PM (for food deliveries) Contact Sandy Potter at 626-240-4550 ext.116
Union Station Homeless Services operates a beautiful facility in Pasadena, providing shelter, employment assistance and childcare to families and individuals. For more than 30 years, they’ve hosted “Dinners-in-the-Park” on Thanksgiving and Christmas, providing warm holiday meals for people in the community. They would be grateful for your food donations so they can serve even more people with a hearty Thanksgiving dinner. The full current list of needed items is available at http://www.unionstationhs.org/current_needs.php. For more information, please visit the USHS website at http://www.unionstationhs.org/dinners in the park.html.
Help Out at a Thanksgiving Dinner
Thursday, November 25
11015 Bloomfield Ave., Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670
3PMto5PM Contact Twyla Whitley at tmcnutt@phoenixhouse.org or 562-941-8042, ext. 4960
We always love working with our friends at various Phoenix House sober-living homes. In Twyla’s words: “Our goal is to provide our women and their children with the best holiday that they may ever experience.” The need volunteers to help them set-up, serve and clean-up and just help make their Thanksgiving feast a memorable one. They would also appreciate donations of turkeys, ham, stuffing, pies, cakes and other Thanksgiving fixings right up until Thanksgiving Day. (Donations can be dropped off at the address above, seven days a week during business hours.)
You might think Oktoberfest = Germany. But throughout the United States, and presumably other countries they’ve started their own Oktoberfests, one right here in Alpine Village
Oktoberfest is held Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights in the month of September and October, admission being $10.
A little bio about Alpine Village: It’s located in Torrance California (so carpooling is a reasonable option) and besides Oktoberfest it’s also home to shops, restaurants, special events, and free dance lessons to live bands; whether it’s swing, salsa, or rock and roll.
And if you’re worried about it being too California, don’t worry because : “Traditional Bavarian fun is supplied by Oom Pah Pah big bands flown in direct from Germany, your belly is sated by traditional German fare, and your thirst is quenched by delicious German beers. ”
So eat, drink, and be merry in ‘The Little Village from the Alps’
That’s the tag line for ‘The Big Draw LA’ happening the entire month of October. They have a list of EVENTS throughout the city for families to get inspired and create masterpieces whether it’s in a park, the Getty, or a school
Why not get families, artists, seniors, scientists, and teens drawing together? During October 2010, Los Angelenos are invited to try drawing in fun and imaginative ways. Museums, schools and organizations of all sizes are invited to organize public drawing events in October.
The Big Draw LA creates opportunities for people of all ages to discover that drawing can help us SEE, THINK and INVENT. Check back often to find an event and join the fun!
So get off that couch, turn off the tv, and put away that oh so 2009 board game and head downtown to create memories that can be plastered on the fridge for years to come.
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