Day of the Dead celebration

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.

Earth Day at Wilshire Center

Tomorrow is Earth Day! Founded on April 22, 1970, Earth Day marks the beginning of the modern environmental movement and is commemorated annually as a day to learn about and focus on efforts to protect the natural world.

Here in Los Angeles, tomorrow is also the 2nd Annual Wilshire Center Earth Day festival.

The full title of the event is the Wilshire Center Earth Day/Car Free Day, but I'm not sure what the "Car Free" part entails. There are no road closures planned, and I can't find any information about what, if anything, is being done to encourage people to go car-free. I guess if you can do without your car for a day, then go for it!

You'd think they'd at least put some info about how to get to the event using public transportation on the official web site. As it turns out, the Metro Red Line stops about a block away. Get off at the Wilshire/Western stop.

The event itself takes place from 11 am to 2 pm in Wilshire Center, at 3700 Wilshire Blvd. There will be live music, drumming, ethnic dance performances, a farmer's market, a fruit tree giveaway, and electronic waste recycling. Everything is free and open to the public. For more information, click the link above.

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:

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.

Celebrate historic preservation in Pasadena

Sorry for the long absence! I started a new job in Kansas last week, so it's been a busy 10 days of packing, traveling and working 6 days a week. But I haven't forgotten about you or the need to keep you posted on affordable happenings back in L.A.

This Saturday is the annual Celebration on the Colorado Street Bridge in Pasadena. Sponsored by Pasadena Heritage, which supports historic preservation in Pasadena, this evening event will incorporate live music, dancing, vintage cars, food and drink from local eateries and children's activities.

Saturday, July 19, 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm. Admission is $15 for adults and $7 for children ages 7-12. Children age 6 and under are free. For more information or to purchase discount tickets, call (626) 441-6333 or visit the Pasadena Heritage web site.

Amazing art under your feet

This weekend is the 2008 Pasadena Chalk Festival. Billed as the world’s largest street painting festival, it will draw nearly 600 artists from across Southern California who will use pastels to create artwork covering an area equal to two city blocks.

The two-day celebration of sidewalk painting and competition will take place inside Paseo Colorado, June 14-15, from 10 am to 7 pm. Prizes will be awarded in 10 categories, including Best of Show, Best 3D Effect and Most Humorous.

Admission is free. Click the link above for more info.

Options for Memorial Day Weekend

You have your choice of street fairs and festivals over the 3-day weekend.

There's the Memorial Day Street Fair on Saturday and Sunday. The location is given as Wilshire Blvd. and Alvarado, which is right next to Macarthur Park downtown. Organized by Hispanic Events Marketing, this festival should attract lots of Spanish-speaking families. Expect food, live music and carnival rides. Free.

Then there's Topanga Days, an annual celebration in Topanga Canyon. Now in its 35th year, the festival includes two stages of live music and dance performances, an arts & crafts fair, and a parade on Monday. Expect lots of hippies, vegetarians and nature lovers. Tickets are $18 for adults and $10 for kids.

Finally, there's the 35th Annual Valley Greek Festival at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Northridge. Three days of traditional Greek music and dancing, Greek food and pastries, and Greek handicrafts. There will also be cooking demos and tours of the church. Expect a lot of Greeks. Free.

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.

Earth Day in May?

WorldFest, billed as "LA's Largest Earth Day Festival!", takes place on Saturday, May 10. Earth Day, you may recall, was April 22. So while it's not actually on or near Earth Day, it still looks like a really great environmental-awareness event.

The festival will include several different venues, including a main stage with bands and celebrity speakers, an Earth Lounge with smaller acts, a Healthy Hut with presentations on diet, health and exercise, and a Kids' Zone. Information on eco-friendly products and green non-profits, as well as live animal adoptions.

Woodley Park, Encino. 10 am - 6:30 pm. $7 admission for adults, $5 seniors, kids under 12 are free. Click here for more info.

Classic Cars in Culver City

This Saturday, May 10, is the "Cruisin' Back to the 50's" Culver City Car Show.

George Barris, creator of the Batmobile, the Munsters' Koach and the Beverly Hillbillies' jalopy, will present some of his iconic creations for film and TV. Over 400 classic cars and hot rods will be on display, along with food, live music and vendors.

Downtown Culver City, on Culver and Washington between Duquesne and Ince. 9 am to 3 pm. Free.

Festival of Books

For you bookish types (and yes, they do exist here in Los Angeles, contrary to popular belief), this weekend is the annual L.A. Times Festival of Books at UCLA. Non-stop panels on all aspects of the literary world, from writing to publishing, will run both days, along with entertainment, children's activities, readings, book signings, famous authors, and of course, lots and lots of books for sale.

The festival takes place on the UCLA campus, Saturday and Sunday, April 26-27. Admission is free and parking is available at UCLA lots for $8. There will be free shuttles from outlying lots.

Outdoor events are free, but tickets are required for the indoor panels and speaker sessions. These can be purchased in advance for 75 cents at various locations and through Ticketmaster. Some tickets will be available on site. Click here for more info on ticketing procedures.

ARTWATER in Atwater

This Saturday, April 26, is the ARTWATER Festival in Atwater Village. If you haven't been to Atwater Village lately, it's a vibrant, funky neighborhood with many new restaurants, galleries and boutiques. "A Celebration of Music and Arts" will take place along Glendale Blvd. between Brunswick and Glenfeliz from 2 to 10 p.m. There will be three stages for live music and dance performances, local artisan vendors and interactive art activities. Free.

Happy Earth Day!

The City of Los Angeles is having its official Earth Day celebration in the Mid-Wilshire district. Wilshire Blvd. between Western and Harvard is car-free today, and there will be an all-day street festival with live music, green vendors and demonstrations, and kids' activities. 10 am-5 pm. Free.

Free family arts festival

The next Getty Family Festival will be Sunday, May 4, at the Getty Villa in Malibu.
Held in conjunction with the exhibition The Color of Life, the all-day festival includes live performance, flamenco dancing, music by Fishtank Ensemble, storytelling and children's art workshops.

It's free but a ticket is required. (Parking is $8 per vehicle.) Tickets available beginning tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. Call (310) 440-7300 or visit the Getty website for more info or to make a reservation.

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.