So, this week’s edition is more like the “Weekend Ahead,” since pretty much everything with the exception of LAPD’s VIN etching event and Street Food Cinema’s Wine Wednesdays is happening this Saturday and Sunday, which is not a problem because not every event is gonna be up your alley anyway. And this makes decision-making easier, I say, but with such a good variety of happenings happening, it might be a little harder than you think. I’d also like to acknowledge that next Friday is September 1st. Just a reminder that time flies – so stop wasting it on trivial nonsense and start living a little, why don’tcha!
Arts, Culture, Music, and Remembrance
As Grand Performances says goodbye to yet another dynamic season of free concerts, it will do so with a bang by presenting its “Huge Summer Finale” this Saturday, August 26, from 6-10 p.m. Headlining the evening will be acclaimed cumbia sonidera band Grupo Kual? Born from cumbia sonidera royalty and hailing from Mexico City, Grupo Kual? were one of the first bands to infuse Colombian cumbia with local influences to create this unique Mexican style we now know as “sonidera.” You’re in for a festive evening under the stars, compadres, so be sure to make it out! Please RSVP here. For Location and Parking, click here.
And in a different part of LA on Sunday, August 27, GP will also be putting on a Sunday matinee concert in West Hollywood’s Plummer Park, with LA-based Afro-Cuban band Changüí Majadero providing the sounds from 4-6:30 p.m. Sway to the “infectious Latin rhythms and intricate melodies” of Changüí Majadero for an incredible Sunday evening concert. Please RSVP here. Plummer Park is located at 7377 Santa Monica Blvd.
Calling all hepcats and wannabes! The Leimert Park Jazz Festival is back, baby, this Saturday, August 26, for its 4th anniversary and it’s bigger and jazzier than ever! Make your way south to the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza’s rooftop parking deck for an entire day of all things jazz, co-emceed by Leroy Downs (KCRW) & Jose Rizo (KJAZZ), featuring Carmen Lundy, Poncho Sanchez, Gerald Clayton, and Keyon Harrold. A talented bunch of Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz alumni will also be performing, along with Veritus Miller and his band Truth Troupe, who will be opening the show with an inaugural Emerging Artists Set. Attendees can also look forward to retail pop-ups, a wine and beer lounge, food court, kids’ zone, and much more. Coveted VIP Tickets have sold out, but there is a silver lining – General Admission is FREE! Register online and you’ll also be entered into a prize drawing. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. Music from 12:30-9 p.m.
Did you know that metro Los Angeles is home to one of the largest Guatemalan populations outside of Guatemala? Well, now you do, and you can learn even more at the 7th Annual Festival Chapín Los Angeles this Saturday and Sunday, August 26-27 in Lafayette Park. Gorge on traditional delicious foods, including garnachas, shucos (Guatemalan-style hot dogs), chicken pepian, and hilachas, while enjoying live music. Or craft your little corazóns out making traditional footwear, pottery, jewelry, and purses. Learn more about the history of Guatemala, which once formed the core of the Maya civilization, one of the most sophisticated societies in world history. And, lastly, with participation from the LA County Dept. of Public Health and other health agencies, a concurrent Health Fair will be happening to provide info on beneficial programs to the community. Festival Chapín supports the promotion of Guatemalan arts and culture abroad, as well as educational institutions in Guatemala that help kids. This event is FREE for all ages from 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Looking to spend a fleeting summer evening under the stars? Great, ‘cause we’ve got you covered at Hollywood Heritage Silent Under the Stars with Valentino event at the King Gillette Ranch this Sunday, August 27. Take a drive up to the Santa Monica Mountains for an outdoor screening of the 1925 silent film The Eagle, starring Rudolph Valentino and Vilma Banky, with live musical accompaniment by Michael Mortilla. In the film, a Russian Lieutenant becomes a masked vigilante to avenge the man who stole his family’s land – until he meets his beautiful daughter. Come early to picnic and tour the property, including director Wallace Neff’s home, the gift shop, and nature center. This is a FREE event. No RSVP required. Movie starts at 7:30 p.m. The Ranch, designed for razor magnate King C. Gillette in the 1920s, is located at 26876 Mulholland Hwy. in Calabasas (please note that some roads may still be closed due to effects of last week’s storm).
Next up, JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles is celebrating its 5th Anniversary milestone with a well deserved “par-tay” this Sunday, August 27 from 4-8 p.m. With the concept of “What Japan Can Bring to the World’s Music Scene?,” the event will feature musical performances that bridge Japanese and American cultures, delicious traditional street and festival foods of Japan, and tea, beer, and sake to wash it all down. So come experience the atmosphere of a Japanese festival for FREE on Hollywood Blvd.
And as part of this special anniversary celebration, and if it’s not too last-minute, catch a FREE screening of Detective Pikachu (in honor of JH’s newest exhibit, “POKÉMON X KOGEI | Playful Encounters of Pokémon and Japanese Craft) in the Ovation Hollywood Center Courtyard with the fam on Friday, August 25 from 7-9 p.m. Arrive as early as 5 p.m. for check-in to receive a free souvenir blanket, free popcorn, discounted treats, and raffle entry. Early birds can also enjoy lawn games, crafts, and POKÉMON exhibit for free.
Next, the Holocaust Museum LA has a new and interesting offering to entice you through its doors this Sunday, August 27, and it’s a presentation of Remembrance of Things Present, a salon theatre production from The Braid (FKA Jewish Women’s Theatre), the go-to Jewish story community, which comes at a time of rising antisemitism. This curated collection of stories, brought to life by professional actors, offers “heroism, healing, and hope at a moment when they are sorely needed.” Discover how the son and grandson of legendary Tuvia Bielsky, the partisan leader who led Jewish armed resistance against the Nazis and was the subject of the film Defiance, struggle to live up to the legacy of their heroic forebear. “The Holocaust didn’t end at liberation,” remarks Ronda Spinak, The Braid’s co-founder and artistic director. “I am struck by all the ways, great and small, that it has transformed the lives of the people who were raised by survivors.” Performance is from 4-5:30 p.m. Tickets are Free for members and $25 for non-members. RSVP HERE.
Finally, I couldn’t let the weekend have all the fun, so I threw in one of my favorite hump day finds to break up the work week. If you missed last week and the week before, and so on, then you haven’t yet heard of Rooftop Cinema Club‘s perfect pairing of wine and cinema on Wine Wednesdays, and this Wed, August 30 is your chance to see what’s up with a showing of Everything Everywhere All At Once. Sip on some vino as you immerse yourself in the panoramic views of LA’s skyline and sink into one of RCC’s comfy womfy lounge chairs, complete with wireless headphones and a stunning state-of-the-art LED screen. ROW DTLA (Bldg. 1, Rooftop) is the location, 6:30 p.m. is the time. Tickets are $25 for Regular Lounge Chair seating; and $30 for Premium. Each ticket includes 1 glass of wine. Additional wine and drinks, popcorn, and other goodies will be available for purchase as well. Movie starts at 7:30 p.m.
Local Goodies and Government
Two Blocks. Two Days. Saturday and Sunday, August 26-27. Multi-Family Yard Sales on the 600/700 Block of S. Bronson Ave. and the 4000 Block of W. 7th St. in the Wilshire Park neighborhood. They’ve got all kinds of kitchen gadgets, jewelry, furniture, clothing, books, DVDs, shoes, purses, housewares, antiques, holiday décor, household & yard décor, tools, plants, collectables, and cool vintage toys from my childhood, like Cabbage Patch Dolls, Care Bears, Simpsons Dolls, and Happy Meal toys from the ‘80s and ‘90s. The Sale will be from 7 a.m. – 2 p.m. on both days, so come early and get first dibs!
Also of benefit to the local community this week – on Wednesday, August 30 – LAPD’s Wilshire Division will be hosting a VIN etching event – where they’ll inscribe your vehicle’s ID number on your catalytic converter, to help deter theft and make recovery easier if your vehicle or converter is stolen. The event is free, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., in the parking lot of Wilshire United Methodist Church at 4350 Wilshire Blvd.
Finally, your local NC, the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council, is taking a well-deserved break with no meetings on the sched until next week. Please check the NC’s website for more information and full schedule here.
And the Mid City West Neighborhood Council is following suit, with nothing on the books until mid-September. Check Mid City’s calendar for a full schedule of meetings. All MCW meetings are now held at the Pan Pacific Park Senior Center (lunch room) located at 141 S. Gardner St.
