Serving Larchmont Village, Hancock Park, and the Greater Wilshire neighborhoods of Los Angeles since 2011.

The Week Ahead – Events for October 1-7, 2022

Come check out “the biggest genre film festival in the nation” with screenings at several historic theaters around town.

 

Welcome to October, y’all! The weather is still pretty toasty, but that doesn’t take away from the holiday feels, and I know Halloween is the end-all for a lot of people who like to get things started as soon as September gives way to October. Well, for all those folks, I’m sorry to say there are only a few Halloweeny events in this collection, but I promise there will be much more to come in the weeks ahead. However, there are still plenty of great non-holiday options on this week’s agenda that include a gala, a block party, a horror film festival, Gronk, Japanese railroads, and a walking tour of a 122 yr-old cemetery. I hope this will do!

 

Arts, Culture, and Inspiration

 

Celebrate the most “electrifying” night of the year at the world’s greatest automotive museum. If you have an extra $1500 to spare, and enjoy philanthropic endeavors and galas, then the 28th Annual Petersen Automotive Museum Gala is the event for you. This annual fundraising extravaganza, taking place this Saturday, October 1 from 5-10 p.m., will provide guests with immersive experiences, live performances, gourmet dining, and an exciting live auction with one-of-a-kind items up for grabs.  The Petersen continues to become the center for automotive thought by presenting mobility’s past, present, and future. Your generous donations give over 25,000 low income students free field trips to the museum, help preserve its 1M image collection, and provides select students the chance to participate in its new Teen Auto Workshop, all while advancing its mission to explore and present the history of the automobile. Purchase Gala tickets here. 

I have to admit that I’ve never heard of “the biggest genre film festival in the nation,” Beyond Fest, until now, but I’m still happy to report it will have its most extensive line-up ever this year. This special 10th anniversary slate includes 63 features, with world premieres of Halloween Ends, My Best Friend’s Exorcism, and Christmas Bloody Christmas; special screenings of Hellraiser, Smile, and The Menu; in-person tributes to Park Chan-wook and William Shatner, and a tribute to IMAX’s “creative and technical excellence,” featuring a rare quartet of repertory screenings. In partnership with the American Cinematheque, Beyond Fest will screen at several legendary theaters around town, including the IMAX at the TCL Chinese, Hollywood Legion, Aero, and the Los Feliz 3. Get tickets and see the full schedule here. Screenings are on Now – Tuesday, October 11, so come experience “the most inspired and eclectic cinema” from across the globe. 

Chevalier’s Books continues to keep its calendar full of free in-store book talks and whatnot this week, beginning on Monday, October 3 with a Book Talk and Fall Wreath Tutorial! (I get excited about crafting, so I felt an exclamation point was necessary.) Anyhoo, come and meet author Alisa Tenise Chew and learn a thing or two about “wreathing” and other seasonal delights from her book, From Harvest to Home. Kindly RSVP here. Next on the sched is a discussion and book launch of We Won’t be Here Tomorrow by Margaret Killjoy, on Thursday, October 6 at 7 p.m. Spaceships, man-eating mermaids, swords, demons, ghouls, thieves, hitchhikers, and life in the margins are what these stories are all about, and good reason to get you excited for Halloween. Killjoy’s stories have appeared for years in science fiction and fantasy magazines both major and indie. This book is a ‘best of’ collection with previously published work along with brand new material. Noice! Rsvp here. Check Chevalier’s full calendar here.

And come get inspired at the Ebell’s Opening Day Lunch, when this 128-year-old institution welcomes renowned NY Times best-selling author Lisa See on Thursday, October 6. Listen as she shares insights into her life, her writing process, and the importance of women in her stories. Some of See’s books include The Island of Sea Women, Shanghai Girls and Peony in Love, which “brilliantly illuminate the strong bonds between women and are celebrated for their lyrical stories about Chinese characters and culture.” She also sits on the boards of the LA Opera, National Historic Preservation Trust, and The Music Center, and is a member of The Trusteeship (impressive, no?). Opening Day will also feature musical excerpts from the opera based on See’s first book and libretto, On Gold Mountain. The Social begins at 11:30 a.m. and the Luncheon at noon. Tickets are $45 for members and $60 for non-members. 

This next one is so cool, I can hardly stand it. Legendary LA artist, Glugio “Gronk” Nicandro will be your professor for the evening at a Craft Contemporary “Maker Night” this Thursday, October 6 from 6-8 p.m. Come out to Miracle Mile for a Mask Making Class with Gronk, using cardboard, paint, tape, and other recycled materials often seen in the artist’s work. Into what kind of character or persona will your mask transform you? This workshop has limited capacity, so early arrival is highly recommended. Advanced RSVP is required. This is a very special opportunity, so be sure to reserve your spot before it fills up. The event will take place in-person, outdoors. Tickets are $12 and free for members, and includes materials and drinks. Payment is due upon arrival.

New exhibit alert! The Engines of Progress: Images of Railroad Culture in Modern Japan has made its way to The Japan Foundation LA and is open Now through October 31. The speeding steam locomotive is “an enduring symbol of technological progress and an emblem of modern ideas of enlightenment, exploration, and empire.” Celebrating the 150th anniversary of the first rail line in Japan, this exhibition focuses on railroad culture as captured in mass-produced woodblock prints and related objects. It shows how railroads were fundamental in Japan’s rapid transformation in the age of  Bunmei Kaika (civilization and development). These objects and prints come from Paulette and Jack Lantz, who have spent decades assembling what is likely the largest private collection of Japanese railroad prints from the Meiji period and beyond. Open Mon-Sat 12-6 p.m.; closed on Sundays (and Oct.10). Admission is free.

 

History and Halloween

 

October has finally arrived! And with it comes a bunch of fall and Halloween events around town (and beyond) to enjoy. Boo at the LA Zoo is one such goodie and it opens this Saturday, October 1. Enjoy spooktacular sights daily, along with special entertainment and activities on the weekends, such as open-air live shows, animal pumpkin feedings, themed photo ops, education stations, and more.  The Halloween spirit will be in full effect for all 31 days of October at the LA Zoo, with daily hours from 10 a.m.– 4 p.m. The last two weekends of the month will also feature trick or treating stations. Costumes are encouraged! Become a member today and get free daytime access to special programming like Boo at the LA Zoo and more. Boo is free with paid admission or GLAZA membership. Get more info and purchase tickets here. 

On Sunday, October 2, the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles “digs up the dirt” on Hollywood’s history with its 39th Annual Hollywood Forever Cemetery Walking Tour. Learn about Tinsel Town and some of its juicy scandals through an in-person walking tour of this 122 yr-old cemetery. Visit the final resting places of early Hollywood stars, movie moguls, and pioneers, hearing fascinating tales from historians and living history interludes. Highlights include gravesite visits to Hollywood founder Harvey Wilcox, silent film heartthrob Rudolph Valentino, filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille, slain director William Desmond Taylor, and over 20 other Hollywood legends. Guided tour groups (of 25) will depart from the parking lot behind the Cathedral Mausoleum every 20 minutes, from 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.; tours are approximately 2.5-3 hrs. long. Tickets are $16 for ADSLA members and $20 for General Admission.

Clear your Sunday, October 2 morning, people, because Save Beverly Fairfax’s Annual Block Party has arrived. Stop by and meet your neighbors as they celebrate this richly historic district, while you nosh on free donuts and coffee from LA-Donut, and the kiddos enjoy fun activities. And if you didn’t already know, Save Beverly Fairfax is a coalition of owners and residents that live in the Beverly Fairfax Historic District, advocating to preserve and protect its architectural and cultural history: Starting in the late 1800s, many neighborhoods throughout the country had racially restrictive covenants in place, which prohibited an owner from selling or leasing to people of color or ethnic minorities, including Jewish Americans. With no racial covenants in place, the BFD became the destination of many Jewish Americans in the 1920s, and a sanctuary for numerous Holocaust survivors after WWII. Fun Fact: Some residents live in the same apartment buildings their grandparents once called home (love that!). The party will take place at 340 N. Sierra Bonita from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

 

Local Government

 

Greater Wilshire Neighborhood CouncilYour local NC, the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council has two just on the books this week and it’s a Resilience Committee meeting on Monday, October 3 and Sustainability Committee meeting on Tuesday, October 4. Click here to view the calendar for deets.

And the Mid City West Neighborhood Council has just one in-person and one virtual assemblage on the sched this week, and it starts on Monday, October 3 with the Homelessness, Refugees, and Renters Rights Committee, and ends with its weekly Wednesday Walks on Wednesday, October 5. Click here to check Mid City’s calendar for details.

 

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Julia Christiansen
Julia Christiansen
Julia is a native Angeleno and jack of all trades, having worked in television, visual effects, professional sports, health and wellness, and custom design. She currently resides in El Segundo.

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