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

Weekend Buzz – Events for June 9-10, 2018

The LA Tar Pits Museum will be open late on Fridays all summer.

With almost all local schools out for the summer as of today, summer events are definitely in full swing…and at least a couple are jumping in with an early start on Fridays.

Among those welcoming the weekend early is the Late Night Fridays at the Tar Pits event series, running on Fridays starting today through August 31.  Every summer Friday, from 5 to 8 p.m., the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum will be open late with free general admission.  You can visit the excavation sites throughout the park outside, and inside watch scientists prepare fossils in the Fossil Lab, stand next to mammoths, saber-toothed cats, giant ground sloths, dire wolves, and more.  Plus, there will be special behind-the-scenes tours of the Fossil Lab, and special screenings of “Cave of Forgotten Dreams,” a 3D documentary in which filmmaker Werner Herzog takes viewers into France’s Chauvet Cave, where the walls are covered with the world’s oldest cave paintings, going back 30,000 years.  Museum admission is free for the event, but please reserve tickets in advance at the link above…and please note that seating for Cave of Forgotten Dreams and space on the Behind-the-Scenes Tours are both limited.

Also starting tonight (Friday, from 6-8 p.m.), and continuing on Saturday night (7-10 p.m.), just a few blocks east, you can enjoy a special closeup magic show at Milk Jar Cookies,  5466 Wilshire Blvd.  Any purchase will earn a free performance by Magician Phil Van Tee, a.k.a. “El Ropo.”

On Saturday, starting at 10 a.m., tech and robot fans of all ages should get a kick out of  “Hebocon: A tournament of deliberately terrible robots.”  According to the organizers, Hebocon is “an event where people with no robot building skills gather with their robots and make them fight.”  And that refreshing “no skills” description is serious.  In fact, participants specifically “need a lack of skill, lack of perseverance, and lack of concentration. This is an unmotivated event where we praise those who participate with ‘Heboi’ (crappy, useless, poorly made) robots, not the victors, and impose penalties to those who participate with sophisticated robots.”  It’s part of a larger LAUSD-sponsored STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) event at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, 3650 McClintock Ave., which is also free and open to the public.

For those seeking slightly more refined pursuits, and also starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, is LACMA‘s Dapper Day + LACMA Celebrates David Hockney.  Participants will step out in style as the museum celebrates the vibrant new exhibition David Hockney: 82 Portraits and 1 Still-life. It’s a full day and night of art, fashion, film, music, and dancing. And from vintage-inspired classics to chic, contemporary looks, guests are invited to bring their own style to the party.  Events include a Dapper Day® Marketplace, with selection of vendors including classic, fun, and vintage fashions and accessories. There will also be docent-led tours of the Hockney exhibit, picnicking on the lawn (bring your own blanket and food, or purchase it from LACMA restaurants and concession stands), and a screening of “Mondo Hollywood,” a cinematic trip back to back to L.A. circa 1964, with the artists, designers, hairdressers, and cross-dressers who defined the era when David Hockney first made California his home.  There will also be a Latin Sounds concert featuring Lily Hernandez & Orquesta…and then dancing continues with tunes by DJ Professor Watson in front of Urban Light.   For more information, and tickets, see the link above.

The other really big event this weekend is the annual LA Pride Festival.  The festivities start at noon on Saturday, with a huge program of live music and other entertainment at West Hollywood Park (along San Vicente Blvd., between Melrose Ave. and Santa Monica Blvd. – see link for full schedule and performer lineup).  And then, on Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., there’s the annual LA Pride Parade, along Santa Monica Blvd., between Fairfax and Doheny).  Come join thousands of people from LA’s LGBTQ+ community, and their straight allies, for a day of fun, #JUSTBE moments, and the spirit of unity and togetherness.

Starting at noon on Sunday, the dapper set may meet again, as the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles goes back in time to the Art Deco era with a vintage fashion show at the glorious Art Deco former Bullocks Wilshire department store.  The show will highlight the many fashions that the well-dressed man or woman of the era might require – from decadent evening attire for a night out at the Coconut Grove (from The Evening Room) to Resort Wear to romp in on Catalina Island (from the Playdeck).  Male and female models will circulate in the room with live piano accompaniment.  Following the fashion show, there will also be a docent-led tour of the famous Bullocks Wilshire Tea Room, Mr. Bullock’s private office and dinning room, the perfume hall and other areas of the landmark building, as well as a display of garments and accessories with the Bullock’s Wilshire label, in the tea room…and Southwestern Law School’s collection of historic photos of the way the rooms originally looked.  The event is limited to ADSL members, but you can join at the link above, and then a code will be provided to access the event website for tickets.

Click to see full size flier

A bit later and closer to home on Sunday, starting at 3 p.m., the Brookside neighborhood will turn out for its annual block party, on the 800 block of S. Keniston. As usual, there will be music, barbeque, a potluck, live auction, watermelon and pie eating contests, a bounce house, pony rides, a petting zoo, face painting, a dessert competition, and more.  See the flier at right for more details.

Click to see full size flier

And finally on Sunday evening, the Mid-City West Community Council celebrates its 15th anniversary with a free screening of the Disney favorite, “Moana,” at Hancock Park, adjacent to the La Brea Tar Pits.  The gathering begins at 6 p.m. (bring a blanket and picnic food), and the film starts at 7:45 p.m.

Have a great, glorious summer weekend!

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Elizabeth Fuller
Elizabeth Fuller
Elizabeth Fuller was born and raised in Minneapolis, MN but has lived in LA since 1991 - with deep roots in both the Sycamore Square and West Adams Heights-Sugar Hill neighborhoods. She spent 10 years with the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council, volunteers at Wilshire Crest Elementary School, and has been writing for the Buzz since 2015.

Related Articles

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Calendar

Latest Articles

.printfriendly { padding: 0 0 60px 50px; }