Category Archives: sightseeing

Day 71: 84th Annual Great Sand Sculpture Competition (Long Beach)

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Salty air and sandy toes are calling! Head to Long Beach to see some crazy sand sculptures this weekend. Continue reading →

Day 33: Ciclavia!

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http://www.ciclavia.org/

Ciclavia to the Sea

What, no driving in Los Angeles?  Ditch that SUV, or for you Westsiders; your Prius, for your bike, skates or just plain walking shoes.  Ciclavia returns April 21st, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. and will transform Venice Blvd. from downtown L.A. to the Sea.  Bring your kids, dogs and smiles…

Day 31: East Meets West: Iconic Central Park and Santa Monica Pier Team Up

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Pure genius!  For fun and for free, Central Park and the Santa Monica Pier are coming together…

Whether your personal brand of summer concert nostalgia evokes wide-open green-spaces or idyllic sandy beaches, the key ingredients in the U.S.’s two largest cities are “make it big, make it fun, make it free.” In a rare harmonizing of coastal rivalry, New York’s Central Park and Los Angeles’ Santa Monica Pier are teaming up to raise the bar on large-scale community programming (this means your summer just got a little more kick-ass).

The City Parks Foundation is in its 28th year of producing Central Park’s SummerStage, while the Santa Monica Pier Corp’s Twilight Concert Series heads into its 29th.  And while these coastal institutions hold keys to the most incredible public spaces and music traditions, both are also nonprofits, bound by limited budgets (read: no ticket revenues). So in a recent moment of ‘duh, genius,’ a partnership was formed to combine the might of the two premier outdoor Summer fests. “It’s a win-win if we can go after artists together, and get them in front of both huge and influential audiences.  The same is true for partners and sponsors,” said James Burke, City Parks Foundation’s director of Arts & Cultural Programs.

2013-01-23-ShowcaseAud.jpgBooking agents and producers exchange at the summer music showcase

The new alliance was kicked off last week with a showcase at the Highline Ballroom in Chelsea’s meat-packing district.  The audience, mostly talent agents, artist managers and producers, was treated to a preview of the upcoming season with the return of funk icon Shuggie Otis, DJ Kool Herc, and a string of up-and-comers including Brooklyn’s People Get Ready, Ofei, and Joshua Nelson.

The partnership is part of a larger brand overhaul of the Santa Monica Pier to ready itself for Los Angeles’ new EXPO line which, in two years, will connect Los Angeles’ downtown with Santa Monica’s Pier and beaches. The upgrades include new branding, new food and retail, and most notably a cadre of expert Programming Curators developing an annual programming calendar across different categories, including FILM INDEPENDENT (film), the founder of The Echo and promoter of the Hollywood Bowl (music), CARS + Machine Project (arts), Joel Brand (active lifestyle) and Heal the Bay (educational programming). 

So whether you prefer to catch a show stretched out on a grassy lawn surrounded by a metropolitan skyline, or with sand between your toes as waves crash softly in the background, keep your eye on the Park and Pier, this is the year for big, fun and free.

Day 26: Dia De Los Muertos

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http://www.olvera-street.com/html/dia_de_los_muertos.html

In case you missed this year’s crowning event at Hollywood Forever, there is still time to celebrate Dia De Los Muertos this week at Olvera Street .

Not to be confused with Halloween, it is a day for honoring our beloved ones who have passed.  This ancient Mexican tradtions brings together family, friends and loved ones.  So check out the calaveras, the alters and bring your stories of deceased loved ones to share.

Day 24: The Getty Villa

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http://www.getty.edu/visit/

Not in the mood to fight the Mother’s Day brunch crowds today?  Why not postpone your celebration for this Thursday, May 12th and take her up to The Getty Villa in Malibu for some Tea by the Sea? 

According to The Getty Website. “Tea by the Sea is a special dining experience inspired by the Mediterranean herbs, vegetables, and fruits that grow at the Villa. Feast on a Mediterranean-inspired menu of sweet and savory sandwiches and pastries, along with fruits, cheeses, and a varied selection of teas. After tea, you can tour the Villa’s authentically re-created first-century Roman gardens with knowledgeable docents, then spend the rest of the afternoon savoring the Villa’s exhibitions and permanent collection.”

$36 per person.
Thursdays from 1:00-3:00
Please reserve in advance. Call (310) 440-7300 or get tickets online.

Day 23: Petersen Automotive Museum

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http://www.petersen.org/

You are going to need a bib to walk through this place. I was definitely drooling over this little hottie!  The Petersen Automotive Museum is a great place to host events or just take a stroll around and see the history of cars. 

Last time we were there, it was to go to the Gold Standard, a benefit for Heal the Bay featuring Jonathan Gold’s (L.A. Weekly’s Pulitzer Prize winning food critic) favorite L.A. restaurants. After eating ourselves silly, we decided to do a lap around the museum.  Both my dad and husband re-lived their childhood days when they saw the Helms Bakery truck. It had these beautiful wooden drawers and used to drive around L.A. delivering fresh baked good daily.  And we thought food trucks were a new thing…

Father’s day is coming up, maybe we’ll stop here, wander around and then go the Farmer’s Market for dinner???