Howdy, partners! I’m so glad you decided to drop in this week because we’ve got a grab bag of goodies for you that I think you’ll get a kick out of. Nerd out on Hollywood’s Golden Age at the opening of Hollywood Heritage Museum’s newest exhibit, celebrate World Gorilla Day while you learn more about these incredible creatures at the LA Zoo, Jazz it up at the 28th Annual Central Avenue Jazz Fest, and learn how to care for citrus trees at one of LA’s original orange groves in Beverly Hills. There’s also the Ebell’s Annual Open House, of course, along with a few other goodies sprinkled in for good measure. Happy trails!
Arts, Culture, and Gorillas
Attn: Foodies. A full weekend of foodie fun continues! The LA Times Food Bowl Night Market will be a bustling center of good eats from Friday-Sunday, Sept. 22-24 in the historic Paramount Pictures Studios Backlot. “The most delicious weekend in LA happens at Night Market,” they say, so come enjoy a unique opportunity to experience the flavors and cultures that make LA such a culinary melting pot. Explore a new theme every day or choose a day based on your taste: Fiesta Friday is up first, paying homage to LA’s most iconic Latin American flavors. Or go for Saturday Night Flavor, a Smorgasbord of Global Cuisines. And last but not least, the Sunday Backlot Brunch brings us the family friendly block party option, featuring BBQ, burgers, and a whole lot more! Tickets range from $50-$600. Please note that Fri and Sat are sold out (something to think about for next year), but Sunday Brunch tickets are still available – hurry, though, only a few remain!
There will be plenty of feet tappin’ and fingers snappin’ at the 28th Annual Central Avenue Jazz Fest on Saturday, Sept. 23, where you and thousands of music lovers will flock to a “groovin’ spicy brew of hot, cool and swinging jazz, blues, and Latin jazz sounds.” Held in the “New 9th” District and hosted by City Councilmember Curren D. Price Jr., the festival will feature live performances on 2 main stages and at the Historic Dunbar Hotel spotlighting legends of jazz, such as Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday, as well as, emerging and up and coming artists, delicious food, 4 pavilions, and more! For more than two decades, the annual festival has been a staple for the community – celebrating the area’s rich cultural past, present, and future in the historic Central Avenue corridor in South Central LA, and is considered one of the last few genuine jazz celebrations left in SoCal. Event takes place from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. and is FREE for all!
Gorillas – they’re just like us! Well, not quite, but with such expressive eyes how can you look away? And in celebration of these great apes and World Gorilla Day, the LA Zoo will be giving you a double dose of appreciation with two days of fun and inspiring activities, presentations, and the debut of a children’s book (Angela & Lulingu) about its own gorilla toddler, Angela, on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 23-24. Special activities include interactive education stations by Zoo partner – GRACE, keeper talks about the seven gorillas in residence, an Evening Event: A Gathering For Gorillas, musical performances, and much more. You can also help raise funds by donating your old phones and handheld electronics. Be sure to check out the donation tips page to learn more. Tickets are $17-$22 (general admission) and free for GLAZA members. Festivities run from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
More local goodness courtesy of the Hollywood Heritage Museum is going on this weekend, starting on Saturday, Sept. 23 with the Opening Launch (and tea party) of its newest exhibit, “A Free Soul: The Unexpected Life & Legacy of Norma Shearer” (through October 16), curated by Shearer historian and collector Darin Barnes, explores why this Golden Age of Hollywood actress should have never been a film actress, let alone a superstar. She was told her eyes were too blue to register on film, she was too short and her ankles too thick to be a performer – just what a girl wants to hear. Through sheer will and determination, Norma had the last laugh as she became an international star and the Queen of MGM, the grandest studio of Hollywood’s Golden Age! Barnes will draw on his lifelong study of her life through conversations with those who knew her, archival research and the objects that he has collected that offered insight into her character. Tickets are $20 for members and $25 for non-members.
Then, on Sunday, Sept. 24, make your way back to the HHM for Coffee with a Historian: Karie Bible and Hollywood Kitchen featuring Wallace Reid happening from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Hollywood Historian Karie Bible will be on the premises filming an episode of her Facebook/YouTube show Hollywood Kitchen LIVE! Come meet Karie and have a chat over coffee and tea, followed by a screening of Karie’s episode about Wallace Reid live at The Barn. Come celebrate the life of Reid at the studio he called home, along with guest Angie Schneider, who will be bringing along some artifacts from her personal collection for a special one day only exhibit. Karie is known in the Hollywood community as Rudolph Valentino’s “Lady in Black” and Hollywood Forever Cemetery’s tour guide. The event is FREE for members. Tickets are $10 and include admission to the museum and Hollywood Kitchen presentation. Hollywood Heritage is located at 2100 N. Highland Ave.
It has arrived! The Annual Ebell of Los Angeles Community Open House is happening this Sunday, Sept. 24 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., giving you the chance to come and discover a vibrant cultural hub in the heart of Los Angeles. Ignite your passion for connection, culture, and community, while immersing yourself in a rich tapestry of art, music, theatre, community service, and membership opportunities. Embrace this rare opportunity to peer “behind the curtain” as you trace footsteps through time and wander the halls, including the renowned Wilshire Ebell Theatre, and imagine what they would say if those walls (and halls) could talk. The Ebell is an educational and philanthropic organization founded by women, for women in 1894, whose mission is to inspire women and build community through arts, culture, education, service and stewardship of its historic campus and collections. Admission is FREE; RSVP appreciated.
And Chevalier’s Books is on point again this week with 3 more book talks and 3 more notches for your lipstick case. First up, on Sunday, Sept. 24, is an “All-Ages Hijinks” session with NYT bestselling author Chris Harris. Join Harris, unanimously considered the greatest children’s author in the history of civilization, and CB for an afternoon of fun and foolery. Next up is award winning author Lisa Teasley, in-store on Tuesday, Sept. 26 to talk about and read from her latest and greatest, Fluid: Stories – a fascinating collage of 
short stories that explore a kaleidoscope of intriguing characters with vastly differing perspectives, as they navigate their lives within society’s most challenging contemporary issues. Thirdly, on Wednesday, Sept. 27, spend the evening with Cory Doctorow and Brian Merchant as they discuss their new books, The Internet Con and Blood in the Machine, respectively. About “The Con”: When the tech platforms promised a future of “connection,” they were lying. Twitter, Facebook and other Big Tech platforms are hard to leave by design. They hold hostage the people we love, the communities that matter to us, the audiences and customers we rely on. 
About “Blood”: The most urgent story in modern tech begins not in Silicon Valley but two hundred years ago in rural England, when workers known as the Luddites rose up rather than starve at the hands of factory owners who were using automated machines to erase their livelihoods. The Luddites organized guerrilla raids to smash those machines, won the support of Lord Byron, and inspired the birth of science fiction – fascinating stuff!
An Orange Grove and Local Government
Growing up in Glendora, where orange groves once thrived, I sadly remember the last of them being leveled back in the ‘80s to make way for condominiums, and that is why this next opportunity is so near and dear to my heart. The Fruitstitute & LA Parks Foundation “Citrus” Workshop Series will take place over 6 weekends at the Franklin Canyon Orange Grove, one of LA’s original citrus orchards sitting on a 4.3 acres in Beverly Hills – who knew?! – where participants will learn how to take care of citrus trees while helping FCOG become more fruitful than ever! Under the care of the LA Parks Foundation, the trees are harvested each year by volunteers who distribute the fruit to local food pantries and soup kitchens. Each workshop begins with a lecture followed by a pruning session to gain hands-on experience. The series kicks off on Saturday, Sept. 23 through Dec 2 from 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. The cost is $50 per class; snacks and water provided.
The Mid City West Neighborhood Council is back again with just one meeting for the all important Social & Racial Equity Committee on Monday, Sept. 25 at 6:30 p.m. Check Mid City’s calendar for details, agendas, and full schedule. All MCW meetings are held at the Pan Pacific Park Senior Center (lunch room) located at 141 S. Gardner St.
And wrapping up this section is your local NC, the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council (GWNC), with a Land Use Committee meeting on Tuesday, Sept 26 at 6:30 p.m. The LUC meets at the Marlborough School at 250 S. Rossmore Ave in Room C115 (parking lot off 3rd St). Check the NC’s website for cancellations, agendas, and full schedule here.
