Lots to do this weekend!
The biggest event, of course, is the Second Annual Women’s March LA, which will take place in Downtown LA, starting at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, at Pershing Square. (And by “big,” we mean last year’s event attracted about 750,000 people.) Whether this year’s event is quite as huge remains to be seen, but whether you’re marching or not it will be good to be aware of the crowds, transportation issues and street closures. (Public transit is a good bet if you’re going, but last year even buses and trains were so crowded there were delays.) This year, there will also be a live stream of the speakers, presenters and performers, on the event’s Facebook page…so you can also join in that way if you’re not there in person.
For political action closer to home and away from the crowds, you could attend the City’s Regional Budget Day, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday at the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens. Neighborhood Council Budget Advocates will be learing more about the City budget and how to make their spending priorities known…and all area stakeholders are invited to join the discussion and get involved. For more information, see the link above.
There are also some lovely local library events closer to home. First, at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, the John C. Fremont Library , 6121 Melrose Ave., will hand out roles for its next Reader’s Theater play-reading performance.  The play is S.N. Behrman’s “But For Whom Charlie,” a sardonic study dealing with the heirs of a world famous playwright and their various relationships with the two men who run an important literary foundation.” There are ten parts and the reading of the play will take place on February 17th (2:00 pm). (Note that the reading, under the direction of critic/playwright Rick Talcove, requires no memorization, costumes or sets, just your participation and enthusiasm. The last library’s last staged reading showcased community members as well as experienced professional actors and was enjoyed by all.)
Also, a bit later, at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Fremont Library, the monthly Needles Arts Circle, led by crochet teacher Julie Kadoi, can teach you how to make your kitty hat for next year’s march…or you can just bring your current knitting, mending or crochet project and work on it in great company. All needleworkers and learners over the age of 7 are welcome.
Meanwhile, at the Wilshire Branch Library, 149 N. St. Andrews Pl., starting at 2 p.m. on Saturday, you can enjoy a lecture on the “incredible diversity” of plant life in Oaxaca, Mexico. Call the library at 323-957-4550 if you’d like more information.
And finally on Saturday (and also all day Sunday), the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services will be hosting a “Happy New Pet” adoption event. You can kick off the New Year by finding a new furry, four-pawed family member…with reduced adoption fees on all cats and dogs. The shelters have hundreds of dogs and cats available, “in all sizes, ages, and breeds, ready to be adopted into a great home for the new year,” and the goal is to find new homes for all of them. Note that all LA City Shelter pets are vaccinated, spayed or neutered, and microchipped…and see the link above for more information.
Moving into Sunday, you could start the day, at 11 a.m., with a performance – suitable for all ages – of the famous Bob Baker Marionettes at the Miracle Mile Toy Hall, 5464 Wilshire Blvd. The charming, handmade puppets perform, dance, and interact with the audience…and you can meet and greet them and their puppeteers following the show. Tickets are $10 at the link above.
Later, from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, another Los Angeles institution, UCLA’s William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, 2250 Cimarron Street (at Adams Blvd.), will celebrate its grand reopening after being closed since April 2015 for a seismic retrofit and book storage expansion project. (The library specializes in rare books and manuscripts, focusing on England and the Continent from the Tudor period through the eighteenth century…as well as Oscar Wilde, book arts, and Montana and the West.) With guided tours of the library’s new and refurbished spaces, a comprehensive exhibit of the building’s history, and fun activities (including lawn games, refreshments and other suprises) for the entire family, the library’s staff plans for an exciting 1920s-themed event to honor the building’s history. For reservations, see http://www.1718.ucla.edu/events/grand-reopening2018/
For a look into the future instead of the past, you could also check out a talk on “The Future of Transportation in LA,” hosted by the League of Women Voters at the Los Angeles Central Library in downtown LA, starting at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. Denny Zane, Executive Director of MoveLA, will be the featured speaker. Tickets are free, but space is limited, so please make reservations at the above link if you’re interested.
Finally, once again this weekend (and in addition to the downtown crowds mentioned above for Saturday), there are a couple of local traffic issues to be aware of.
First is the continuing re-paving and safety improvement project on 6th Street, between La Brea and Fairfax. This weekend, both Saturday and Sunday, both lanes of 6th Street, between Hauser Boulevard and La Brea Avenue, will be closed between 6:30 AM and 4:00 PM to complete the second half of the scheduled work.
And finally, there will be a closure of westbound Wilshire Blvd., at Wilton Place, for jet grouting in preparation for Purple Line subway construction. The closure will be from 3 a.m. Saturday through 6 p.m. on Sunday – much more limited than the full weeked closures in that area for the last several months, but still worth being aware of if you’re in the neighborhood. See the link above for full details.
Have a great weekend!
