Tomorrow is the 10th annual Day of the Dead festival (Dia de los Muertos) at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Coinciding with Halloween, this Mexican holiday commemorates both one's ancestors and the dearly departed.
The historical roots of this celebration date back to the pre-Hispanic cultures of Meso-America, especially those of the Nahua (Aztecs, Mayans, Toltecas, Tlaxcaltec, Chichimec, Tecpanec) and others. At the center of Hollywood Forever's celebration are a traditional procession and viewing of community altars.
The festival also includes food, live music, cultural performances, arts and crafts, and family activities. Admission is $10.
Saturday, October 24, 4 pm to 11 pm. Hollywood Forever Cemetery is at 6000 Santa Monica Blvd. in Los Angeles. For more information, visit the official website.
Showing posts with label children. Show all posts
Showing posts with label children. Show all posts
Friday, October 23, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Swim in Marion Davies' pool for $1
The new Annenberg Community Beach House in Santa Monica has glamorous Hollywood past. It was originally the beach house that William Randolph Hearst built for Marion Davies back in the 1920's. It's been renovated and reopened as a public pool and recreation center.
Admission is normally $10 to use the pool and facilities, but on Mondays you can get in for just $1. Passes go on sale at 8:30 a.m. and there's no advance purchase for Dollar Splash Mondays.
Docent-led tours of the Beach House are offered at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on weekdays. There are two beach volleyball courts and a beach tennis court. Food is available from the Back on the Beach Café from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from the Take Out Window from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information, visit the Beach House website.
Admission is normally $10 to use the pool and facilities, but on Mondays you can get in for just $1. Passes go on sale at 8:30 a.m. and there's no advance purchase for Dollar Splash Mondays.
Docent-led tours of the Beach House are offered at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on weekdays. There are two beach volleyball courts and a beach tennis court. Food is available from the Back on the Beach Café from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from the Take Out Window from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information, visit the Beach House website.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
JPL Open House this weekend
Once a year, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory opens it doors to the public. This year, JPL, located in Pasadena, will be open on Saturday and Sunday, May 2-3, from 9 am to 5 pm.
Take part in interactive spacecraft exhibits, watch science and engineering demonstrations, and talk to many of JPL's scientists and engineers about how spacecraft are sent to other planets, how space technologies are used explore Earth and how researchers are searching for planets beyond our solar system.
Models of several of JPL's Mars rovers, including the Mars Exploration Rovers and the Mars Science Laboratory, will also be exhibited. The annual open house is a fun and educational experience, with special hands-on activities designed for children.
Admission and parking are free. For more information, click here.
Take part in interactive spacecraft exhibits, watch science and engineering demonstrations, and talk to many of JPL's scientists and engineers about how spacecraft are sent to other planets, how space technologies are used explore Earth and how researchers are searching for planets beyond our solar system.
Models of several of JPL's Mars rovers, including the Mars Exploration Rovers and the Mars Science Laboratory, will also be exhibited. The annual open house is a fun and educational experience, with special hands-on activities designed for children.
Admission and parking are free. For more information, click here.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Festival of Books this weekend
This weekend is the annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, held on the campus of UCLA. According to the official web site, it's the largest and most prestigious book festival in the country. How about that?!
The festival consists of seemingly endless rows of publishers' booths showcases their wares, multiple stages with author panels and entertainment, book signings, and various book-oriented activities for adults and kids. Celebrity authors will be in attendance, as well as celebrities who have written books, including David Baldacci, T.C. Boyle, Michael J. Fox, Arianna Huffington, Alyssa Milano--hundreds of authors in all.
Saturday April 25, from 10 am to 6 pm and Sunday, April 26, 10 am to 5 pm. Admission is free, but parking at one of the UCLA lots is $9. For more information including directions, click here.
The festival consists of seemingly endless rows of publishers' booths showcases their wares, multiple stages with author panels and entertainment, book signings, and various book-oriented activities for adults and kids. Celebrity authors will be in attendance, as well as celebrities who have written books, including David Baldacci, T.C. Boyle, Michael J. Fox, Arianna Huffington, Alyssa Milano--hundreds of authors in all.
Saturday April 25, from 10 am to 6 pm and Sunday, April 26, 10 am to 5 pm. Admission is free, but parking at one of the UCLA lots is $9. For more information including directions, click here.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Disneyland free on your birthday
Sorry, this is late notice if your birthday happens to be January 1. Disneyland is offering free admission on your birthday in 2009!
You have to register on the Disney website here. In other words, you can't just show up on your birthday and expect to get in free--unless you've already registered. You also have to show picture ID at the gate.
For more information, and to register for your free birthday ticket, click on the link above.
And Happy New Year! Best wishes for an affordable 2009!
You have to register on the Disney website here. In other words, you can't just show up on your birthday and expect to get in free--unless you've already registered. You also have to show picture ID at the gate.
For more information, and to register for your free birthday ticket, click on the link above.
And Happy New Year! Best wishes for an affordable 2009!
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Magic Mountain season pass on sale
Six Flags theme parks just announced a one-day sale on their Play Pass. Between now and midnight on Thursday, December 25, a 2009 Play Pass is 20% off, which makes it less than the price of a single admission.
If you buy now, you get in free for the rest of 2008 as well, including the Rock 'n' Ride New Year's Eve Party, with a midnight countdown and fireworks. A great way to ring in the New Year with kids!
Even better, the Play Pass gets you into all 15 Six Flags theme parks nationwide, including Hurricane Harbor, the water park next door to Magic Mountain. You also get four free tickets for friends to use on selected dates in 2009.
If you love roller coasters or plan on visiting Magic Mountain at any time next year, this is a great deal. Click here for more info and to purchase a 2009 Play Pass.
Six Flags Magic Mountain is located in Valencia, CA.
If you buy now, you get in free for the rest of 2008 as well, including the Rock 'n' Ride New Year's Eve Party, with a midnight countdown and fireworks. A great way to ring in the New Year with kids!
Even better, the Play Pass gets you into all 15 Six Flags theme parks nationwide, including Hurricane Harbor, the water park next door to Magic Mountain. You also get four free tickets for friends to use on selected dates in 2009.
If you love roller coasters or plan on visiting Magic Mountain at any time next year, this is a great deal. Click here for more info and to purchase a 2009 Play Pass.
Six Flags Magic Mountain is located in Valencia, CA.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Ice skating in downtown L.A.
Yes, that's right! You can actually go ice skating in Los Angeles... on real ice! Who knew?
Well, I guess I didn't, since this post is a little late to the party. Downtown on Ice, sponsored by our professional hockey team, the Los Angeles Kings, has been open since last month. But it's open for another month, until January 19, 2009, so there's still time to get down there and lace up your skates!
Admission is only $6.00 and skate rental is another $2.00. For those who don't skate (maybe your kids or friends do?) there are free lunchtime concerts during the week, on Friday nights, and during the day on Saturday and Sunday. On select Thursday nights in December and January, Spaceland will present the best of L.A.'s alternative, hip hop and world beat music.
Downtown on Ice, located in Pershing Square, 532 South Olive Street in downtown L.A. Open 7 days a week. Check schedule for hours.
Well, I guess I didn't, since this post is a little late to the party. Downtown on Ice, sponsored by our professional hockey team, the Los Angeles Kings, has been open since last month. But it's open for another month, until January 19, 2009, so there's still time to get down there and lace up your skates!
Admission is only $6.00 and skate rental is another $2.00. For those who don't skate (maybe your kids or friends do?) there are free lunchtime concerts during the week, on Friday nights, and during the day on Saturday and Sunday. On select Thursday nights in December and January, Spaceland will present the best of L.A.'s alternative, hip hop and world beat music.
Downtown on Ice, located in Pershing Square, 532 South Olive Street in downtown L.A. Open 7 days a week. Check schedule for hours.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Free holiday movie screening
This Saturday, December 20, at the historic Egyptian Theater in Hollywood. A free family matinee with holiday carolers, juggling, and free hot chocolate!
SCROOGE (1970) - Albert Finney is the gleefully wicked miser who spreads the "humbug" at yuletide in this glorious musical adaptation by Leslie Bricusse of Dickens’ holiday classic. When elderly Scrooge retires to bed on Christmas Eve, he’s confronted by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future – who show him the lonely consequences of the selfish path he’s taken. Co-starring Alec Guinness, Edith Evans and Kenneth More.
Saturday, December 20, 2:00 pm. The Egyptian Theater, 6712 Hollywood Blvd. Free hot chocolate, carolers & juggling start at 1:00 pm. For more info, click here. FREE ADMISSION!
SCROOGE (1970) - Albert Finney is the gleefully wicked miser who spreads the "humbug" at yuletide in this glorious musical adaptation by Leslie Bricusse of Dickens’ holiday classic. When elderly Scrooge retires to bed on Christmas Eve, he’s confronted by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future – who show him the lonely consequences of the selfish path he’s taken. Co-starring Alec Guinness, Edith Evans and Kenneth More.
Saturday, December 20, 2:00 pm. The Egyptian Theater, 6712 Hollywood Blvd. Free hot chocolate, carolers & juggling start at 1:00 pm. For more info, click here. FREE ADMISSION!
Friday, December 5, 2008
Free family concert
Travel four hundred years in one hour with John Schneider and the "Classic" Guitar on Saturday, December 6 at 2 p.m.
Southwest Chamber Music, in collaboration with the Luckman Fine Arts Complex, will present Music Unwrapped in the Luckman Intimate Theatre at California State University, Los Angeles. Music Unwrapped is a free family series where audiences learn about music through various compositions and interaction with prominent musicians and composers.
This special program will feature John Schneider, an internationally recognized guitarist and acclaimed host of KPFK’s Global Village. Mr. Schneider will focus on the evolution of the classical guitar and its immense repertoire. He will discuss his career as a guitarist and perform compositions from the past four centuries by Isaac Albéniz, John Dowland, Johanne Sebastian Bach, Fernando Sor, Mauro Giuliani, Agustín Barrios, Heitor Villa-Lobos, and Mason Williams.
Mr. Schneider will “unwrap” the music with examples, questions and answers with the audience, and insights into the preparation and performance of the works presented. Click here for more information about Music Unwrapped.
The Intimate Theater, Luckman Fine Arts Complex is located at 5151
State University Drive in Los Angeles. Click here for more info and directions.
Southwest Chamber Music, in collaboration with the Luckman Fine Arts Complex, will present Music Unwrapped in the Luckman Intimate Theatre at California State University, Los Angeles. Music Unwrapped is a free family series where audiences learn about music through various compositions and interaction with prominent musicians and composers.
This special program will feature John Schneider, an internationally recognized guitarist and acclaimed host of KPFK’s Global Village. Mr. Schneider will focus on the evolution of the classical guitar and its immense repertoire. He will discuss his career as a guitarist and perform compositions from the past four centuries by Isaac Albéniz, John Dowland, Johanne Sebastian Bach, Fernando Sor, Mauro Giuliani, Agustín Barrios, Heitor Villa-Lobos, and Mason Williams.
Mr. Schneider will “unwrap” the music with examples, questions and answers with the audience, and insights into the preparation and performance of the works presented. Click here for more information about Music Unwrapped.
The Intimate Theater, Luckman Fine Arts Complex is located at 5151
State University Drive in Los Angeles. Click here for more info and directions.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
DWP Holiday Light Festival
I'm sure you already know about the annual holiday light extravaganza in Griffith Park. Every year, the Department of Water and Power decorates a one-mile stretch of Crystal Springs Drive, the main thoroughfare through Griffith Park, with a gazillion electric lights. Cars line up to drive through and gawk at the display, which includes animated scenes and every imaginable holiday cliché.
I did it once a few years ago with a carload of friends, and vowed never to do it again because it took so long just to get to the start of the display... and then it felt a lot like sitting in traffic, with better decorations. We saw people walking alongside the cars, and they seemed to be going a lot faster--but then we realized they were breathing in all the exhaust from the long line of vehicles.
Well, it turns out that for the first two weeks this year, the path is closed to cars but open to pedestrians! Apparently this is to demonstrate the city's commitment to a "greener L.A." I say, Hallelujah! The pedestrian-only nights are Nov. 24-Dec. 7th, from 5 to 10 pm. On Dec. 5-7, there will also be Family Fun Mini-Fair along the festival route.
Parking and shuttle info from the official website:
I did it once a few years ago with a carload of friends, and vowed never to do it again because it took so long just to get to the start of the display... and then it felt a lot like sitting in traffic, with better decorations. We saw people walking alongside the cars, and they seemed to be going a lot faster--but then we realized they were breathing in all the exhaust from the long line of vehicles.
Well, it turns out that for the first two weeks this year, the path is closed to cars but open to pedestrians! Apparently this is to demonstrate the city's commitment to a "greener L.A." I say, Hallelujah! The pedestrian-only nights are Nov. 24-Dec. 7th, from 5 to 10 pm. On Dec. 5-7, there will also be Family Fun Mini-Fair along the festival route.
Parking and shuttle info from the official website:
Visitors may park at the L.A. Zoo parking lot or the parking lots on the south side of the festival near the Merry-Go-Round, or the lots near the pony rides. Parking will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Walkers are encouraged to wear comfortable shoes and to dress warmly to walk the full one-mile route each way. It is also recommended that walkers have outerwear, as it can get chilly. Shuttles will assist in bringing guests from the remote parking lots to the route entrance.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Family fun at the Ford
The Ford Amphitheatre's summer series for kids, Big!World!Fun!, starts this Saturday with SPLASH! A Celebration!
Viver Brasíl Dance Company will show kids how to "dance with mermaids, drum with kings and parade with queens" using Afro-Brazilian folklore and music. Subsequent Saturdays will showcase other performance traditions from around the world.
Saturday, July 5, 10:00 am. Free for children, $5 for adults. Visit the Ford website to make reservations or call the Ford box office at 323 461-3673.
Viver Brasíl Dance Company will show kids how to "dance with mermaids, drum with kings and parade with queens" using Afro-Brazilian folklore and music. Subsequent Saturdays will showcase other performance traditions from around the world.
Saturday, July 5, 10:00 am. Free for children, $5 for adults. Visit the Ford website to make reservations or call the Ford box office at 323 461-3673.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Have some bugs with your culture
As if summer weren't already buggy enough, Culture Crawl L.A. aims to increase kids' knowledge of insects and encourages them to bring some home.
Pick up a punch card at any of the 5 participating institutions, get your free bug kit and collect a different bug at each location (plastic, not real bugs). Of course, this also encourages families to visit the California Science Center, the Getty Center, Kidspace Children's Museum, the Los Angeles Zoo, and the Natural History Museum of L.A. County this summer.
Program continues through September 1. Click the link above for more info.
Pick up a punch card at any of the 5 participating institutions, get your free bug kit and collect a different bug at each location (plastic, not real bugs). Of course, this also encourages families to visit the California Science Center, the Getty Center, Kidspace Children's Museum, the Los Angeles Zoo, and the Natural History Museum of L.A. County this summer.
Program continues through September 1. Click the link above for more info.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Cool Creepy Crawlies
The 22nd Annual Bug Fair is happening this weekend at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
The attractions include live spiders and scorpions, private bug collections for sale, two world-renowned insect chefs doing live cooking demos, plus over 60 vendors with books, entomological equipment and supplies, artwork, toys, etc.
May 17 & 18, 10 am to 5 pm. Free with admission. The Natural History Museum is downtown in Exposition Park. For more info, click here.
The attractions include live spiders and scorpions, private bug collections for sale, two world-renowned insect chefs doing live cooking demos, plus over 60 vendors with books, entomological equipment and supplies, artwork, toys, etc.
May 17 & 18, 10 am to 5 pm. Free with admission. The Natural History Museum is downtown in Exposition Park. For more info, click here.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Mermaids, Poppies and Cheese
Wow, what a range of options you have before you this weekend. There's something for everyone! Or, if you're like me and can't choose, a little of everything.
For good old-fashioned family fun, head up to the Antelope Valley for the annual Poppy Festival. Held Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm in Lancaster City Park, the festival will have all the traditional attractions: live entertainment, arts & crafts, and food, as well as a "Healthy Living Pavilion" and an International Market. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children and seniors.
For more high-brow family fare, you can check out "Splash! A Celebration of Mermaids and the Sea" at the Fowler Museum at UCLA. Sponsored by Heal the Bay and held in conjunction with the exhibition "Mami Wata: Arts for Water Spirits in Africa and Its Diasporas," this water-themed festival includes a costume contest and procession, live music, children's art workshops, face painting, and a live touch tank. Saturday, April 19, 11:30 am-3:30 pm. Free admission, $8 parking. For more info, click here.
Finally, we have a festival dedicated to every schoolkid's favorite, that comfort-food staple, the humble grilled cheese sandwich. The Grilled Cheese Invitational has apparently been traveling the country, spreading the joy of melted cheese on bread to the masses. On Saturday, it arrives in Griffith Park. It's too late to register to be a competitor, but for free you can show up, sample the "sammiches" (as they're called on the official website) and be a judge.
All I can say is, any contest that advises its entrants to "Have sex with somebody before the competition - Let your hair down and relax, then come and grill cheese. You'd be surprised how much of a difference it really makes in the grill" must be fun. 5:00-9:30 pm, somewhere in Griffith Park.
For good old-fashioned family fun, head up to the Antelope Valley for the annual Poppy Festival. Held Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm in Lancaster City Park, the festival will have all the traditional attractions: live entertainment, arts & crafts, and food, as well as a "Healthy Living Pavilion" and an International Market. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children and seniors.
For more high-brow family fare, you can check out "Splash! A Celebration of Mermaids and the Sea" at the Fowler Museum at UCLA. Sponsored by Heal the Bay and held in conjunction with the exhibition "Mami Wata: Arts for Water Spirits in Africa and Its Diasporas," this water-themed festival includes a costume contest and procession, live music, children's art workshops, face painting, and a live touch tank. Saturday, April 19, 11:30 am-3:30 pm. Free admission, $8 parking. For more info, click here.
Finally, we have a festival dedicated to every schoolkid's favorite, that comfort-food staple, the humble grilled cheese sandwich. The Grilled Cheese Invitational has apparently been traveling the country, spreading the joy of melted cheese on bread to the masses. On Saturday, it arrives in Griffith Park. It's too late to register to be a competitor, but for free you can show up, sample the "sammiches" (as they're called on the official website) and be a judge.
All I can say is, any contest that advises its entrants to "Have sex with somebody before the competition - Let your hair down and relax, then come and grill cheese. You'd be surprised how much of a difference it really makes in the grill" must be fun. 5:00-9:30 pm, somewhere in Griffith Park.
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