Category: 90045 Adjacent

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Westchester Family Fun This Week

Looking for something to do with the kids this weekend?

2 Parrotheads & A Parakeet
2 Parrotheads & A Parakeet – Las Vegas Oct 2003

Word came last night that Jimmy Buffett is playing a free concert tonight at the Hermosa Beach Pier.

That was crazy enough, but what really rocked me is that I found out on the Westchester Moms’ Facebook page and there was a lot of chatter about it.

Who knew there were so many Parrotheads in my backyard!

Did you get down to the concert? Drop a note in the comments so I can be really jealous. 😀

Here are a few ideas for Westchester family fun as we start gearing up for school:

Jimmy is playing as part of Discovery Channel’s 27th week-long celebration of sharks. The Fin Fest festivities this weekend are filled with various shark-themed activities starting at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 9, and Sunday, Aug. 10. There will be live music atop a huge shark mouth stage from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday and from noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday. Get more info here.

Competing with concert tonight is a showing of Despicable Me at Burton Chace Park. 7 pm. More info at beaches.lacounty.gov.

Tomorrow, catch a concert at Polliwog Park at 5 pm. This weekend you get Latin music. 1601 Manhattan Beach Blvd. More details here.

This one looks fun, too – Pippi Longstocking is playing at the Promenade Playhouse in Santa Monica. Also playing at the same venue is You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown. Info here.

Last call! The beach shuttle is running through 9/28, but the water bus is ending its summer tour on 9/1. Get more info here.

This is also last call for the OC Fair. Tomorrow/Sunday is the last day. Check the website for details.

Who else is getting a little teary-eyed? I’m so not ready to say good bye to summer yet.

Since school is going to start whether I’m ready or not, my mind naturally turns to back to school shopping. I was intrigued to see that Old Navy (a fave at my house) introduced a new way to shop (as they call it). You can reserve items online (no payment) and pick them up at the store. I love it! Learn more here.

Have you tried resale shops? I used to do more of it when my daughter was younger, but not so much lately. Here’s a great list of places to check out: Back to School Shopping That Won’t Break the Bank.

Are your kids headed back to school this week? Need one more week of camp? Real Creative Space is having Amazing Race camp this week. I might ditch work so I can join in the fun. More here.

Have a great week, Westchester!!

 

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Westchester Kids Fun This Week

Looking for something to do with the kids this week?

Here are a few ideas for Westchester Kids fun as we start winding down the Summer fun:

Summer Fun In 90045Raspberry Picking! It’s a trek, but how awesome to bring home a freezer full of berries. Two choices are Underwood Farms and Riley’s Farm.

Been to the OC Fair yet? It ends next Sunday. Wednesday through Sunday. Check the website for details and daily specials.

The Butterfly Pavillion at the Natural History Museum is closing at the end of the month. Get more information and order tickets here.

Have you been to the Westchester Farmers Market yet? It’s Wednesdays from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm. Ping me if you’re going and I’ll let you know if other families are meeting up. Get more info here.

Beach Eats is Thursday at Mother’s Beach in the Marina. Every Thursday from 5 pm to 9 pm. Get the food truck line up here.

After having a bite to eat at Beach Eats, head over to Burton Chace Park for the last appearance of the season of our local Marina del Rey Summer Symphony and Maestro Frank Fetta. The concert starts at 7 pm. Get more info here.

On Friday, you can head up to Coldwater Canyon for a Moonlight Hike with Tree People. Check-in starts at 6:30 pm.

Looking for more inspiration? Check out this list from Red Tricycle: 25 Totally Free Things To Do This Summer

School doesn’t start for a couple of weeks yet. Get out there and have some Westchester kids fun!

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Fun Family Events This Weekend In & Around Westchester

Looking for something to do with the kids this weekend?

Here are a few ideas to get you into the Westchester Kids Fun Zone frame of mind this weekend:

90045 Fun Zone
Enter the 90045 Fun Zone

Visitation Friday Night Food Trucks – invited trucks include Stuffed Crepe, Lobsta, Grilled Cheese Truck, Fishlips and others. Eric Vincent and the Diamond Cutters are the musical guests. Tonight, 5 pm to 10 pm. 8740 Emerson Ave. 90045

Art For Animals’ Sake – Bring your favorite pet photo and pet painting expert David Walega will guide you through creating your own painting. All ages. $25 includes light snacks, kid-appropriate beverages and all supplies. Proceeds will be donated to charity. Saturday, 2 pm to 5 pm. 6207 W. 87th St. 90045

Family Day at ESMoA (El Segundo Museum of Art) – Sunday, 7/20 10 am to 5 pm. Take part in a family-friendly tour of the facility and explore character design and graffiti-inspired lettering to create a one of a kind tote bag. Considered more of an “art lab” than museum, ESMoA is located at 208 Main Street 90245

Flight Path Learning Center – See scale models of various aircraft, photos depicting aviation history and the development of LAX, Howard Hughes memorabilia and a model of his famous Spruce Goose. Serious aviation buffs might want to plan for some time in the William A. Schoneberger Research Library. Open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 am to 3 pm. Free. 6661 West Imperial Hwy. 90045

Automobile Driving Museum – With a rotating collection of 150-plus classic, antique and vintage automobiles on display, museum visitors experience a wide range of vehicles. Visit on a Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. to participate in the Take a Ride program, when three different vintage cars are available to give guests 10 and older a brief passenger experience out on the road. Suggested donation: $5 per person. 610 Lairport St., El Segundo 90245

Playa Vista Concert In The Park – Featuring DSB, revered by fans as the “next best thing” to Journey. Food truck lineup includes The Lobos Truck, Sweet E’s, The Surfer Taco and others. Sunday, 7/20, 5 pm to 6:30 pm. Concert Park

Jack & The Giant – Based on the fairy tale classic, this exciting adventure comes to life with a little modern twist courtesy of Jack’s best friend, the cow. Saturday & Sunday, 11 am. $10. LA Little Theater, 12420 Santa Monica Blvd. 90025 (West LA)

Family Sail – Take a family sail from the LA Harbor and watch the sun set from the deck of a tall ship.  Sit back and relax or learn to hoist the sails and tighten the hatches .  Don’t forget the warm clothes, soft soled shoes and snacks. Ages 5 and up. Saturday, 5 pm to 8 pm. $25-$50. Los Angeles Maritime Institute, Berth 73, Suite 2, San Pedro 90731

Beach Cleanup With Heal The Bay – Bring the kids out for a family service project! Saturday, 7/19. 10 am to 12 pm. 100 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Manhattan Beach 90266

Bob Baker’s Fiesta – Bob Baker’s famous marionettes are back for their 53rd season with a revival of the Latin themed revue “Fiesta.” Friday through Sunday at various times. $15. Bob Baker Marionette Theater, 1345 W. 1st Street 90026 (downtown)

The OC Fair – So much to do, so little space to tell you about it. Check the daily schedule here. Wednesdays through Fridays, noon to midnight. Saturdays & Sundays, 10 am to midnight. Runs through August 10th. $7 to $12 with kids under 6 free. 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa 92626

And if you need more, check this out: The Best Museums for Kids in Los Angeles

Got a tip about a great family event coming up in and around Westchester? Drop us a note.

To get the latest Westchester CA kids fun zone events, follow us on twitter and facebook, where we post events as soon as we learn about them.

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Fun Things To Do This Weekend In & Around Westchester

Looking for something to do with the kids this weekend? Here are a few ideas from Red Tricycle:

The Great American Backyard Campout Turn off the televisions, computers and cell phones to connect with nature, family and friends. The Campout is a national, overnight event that encourages everyone to spend the night in their own backyard. Even the most dedicated glamper can manage that! Sat., Sundown. Your own backyard (or anywhere else you want to camp out!). Free. All ages. Details.

The Amazing Bubbleman There’s plenty of audience participation and enough spellbinding bubble tricks to keep every kiddo (and grown up) mesmerized: square bubbles, bubbles inside bubbles, fog-filled bubbles, giant bubbles, bubble volcanoes and even people inside bubbles. Sat & Sun. at 11 a.m. & 1 p.m. Santa Monica. $20-$25. All ages. Event details.

Stuffed Animal Portraits Kids love their stuffed animals almost as much as they love you! Get a free portrait of their favorite stuffed animal by author and illustrator Salina Yoon after a reading of her new book, “Found.” Sat., 10:30 a.m. – 11:15 p.m West LA. Free. Ages 3-6. Event details.

See “Frozen” on the Pier It’s everyone’s favorite movie (OK, you’re sick of it – we are too – but it makes the kids soooo happy).  On the pier, under the stars.  Olaf would love this beachy way to kick off a summer weekend. Fri., Dusk. Redondo Beach. Free. Ages 3 and up. Event details.

Pirate Invasion and Mermaid Festival Sword fights, treasure hunts, a kid’s costume contest, live music and even a pirate food court: this festival is perfect for your baby buccaneer! There’s also a Mermaid village for those who prefer to be ‘under the sea.’ Sat. & Sun., 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Long Beach. Free admission. All ages. Event details.

50 more ideas!

Next week for 4th of July.

Source: Red Tricycle

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Westside homeowners go green

The sixth annual Mar Vista Green Garden Showcase, a local Earth Day tradition that offers Westsiders a glimpse of just how many homeowners have made water conservation and energy efficiency staples of everyday life, takes place on Saturday, April 26th.

This year’s self-guided tour also features six public school learning gardens, is a streamlined version compared to last year’s schedule of 98 homes.

In keeping with the sustainability theme, destination homes are divided into walkable clusters. This year’s showcase also features a bike valet at the Venice High School Learning Garden.

Organizers said they chose to emphasize some of the best and newest examples of popular conservationist themes, including techniques to collect rainwater and prevent storm water runoff as well as solar panels and eco-conscious landscaping.

“Particularly with the drought, the tour focuses on things that can really conserve water, like eliminating grass from your yard,” said event co-chair Christy Wilhelmi. “We tried to include some new gardens as well as some well-established gardens. We really wanted to cover all the bases … [and] keep the same diversity that there’s been in the past.”

For a detailed article on the event, head over to argonautnews.com.

For an event preview and event details, visit the event’s website at www.marvistagreengardenshowcase.com.

See you there??

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Gimme a Break: Super Spring Break Camps

Red Tricycle has come up with the ultimate list of Los Angeles kids spring break camps – “great ways of giving parents and wee ones alike a well deserved (and super-fun) break.”

For their very comprehensive list, head over to redtri.com.

What are you doing with your wee ones over break?

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Otis College Report Tracks The Creative Economy

Rise of the Creative Class,” economist Richard Florida argued that the United States had transitioned out of its prior manufacturing -and services-based economies to an economy fueled by innovation.

A certain brand of smart phone may be assembled overseas, but it’s the company’s programmers, designers and its leadership and support staffers in California who reap nearly all of the product’s economic benefits and, in turn, stimulate the local economy as they spend.

If this new “creative economy” has a capital city, Los Angeles is a top contender, a study released this month by the Otis College of Art and Design in Westchester concludes.

This creative economy, namely #SiliconBeach, is to be thanked for our skyrocketing home prices here in Westchester. As a homeowner, thank you #SiliconBeach! And thank you to Westchester resident Otis College for “The 2013 Otis Report on the Creative Economy,” commissioned by Otis and written by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp.’s Kyser Center for Economic Research.

Read all about it on argonautnews.com.

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Council tables Legado Del Mar decision – developer concessions not enough to reverse tide of neighborhood opposition

Just two weeks after getting the apparent blessing of a Neighborhood Council of Westchester-Playa subcommittee, the proposed Legado Del Mar development at 138 Culver Blvd. hit another roadblock on Dec. 3. Failing to reach consensus about the adequacy of concessions offered by real estate firm Legado Co., the council punted the question of whether to support or oppose the development to its Feb. 4 meeting. The mixed-use complex would include 72 apartments, 14,500 square feet of retail space and two levels of underground parking on the undeveloped triangular parcel known to locals as “Jake’s Lot.

Read the full story on argonautnews.com.

It’s good to know that somebody listens to residents. We have a few development issues of our own in the pipeline, including Chick-Fil-A’s play to take over the Grinder location at Sepulveda & Manchester. I heard recently that the Kentwood homeowners association is gearing up to make some noise over that one.

How about you? Do you follow new development in 90045?

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El Segundo’s Candy Cane Lane Opens Tonight

El Segundo s Candy Cane Lane_optTonight, 26 homes in El Segundo in the 1200 block of East Acacia Avenue will switch on their holiday lights and welcome the first wave of visitors.

Families have been decorating their homes and yards along “Candy Cane Lane” since 1949. They spend up to a month getting ready for the annual extravaganza.

The display runs through December 23rd. Santa is expected nightly between 7 pm and 9 pm, weather permitting.

Candy Cane Lane is closed to cars, but parking is available in the surrounding neighborhood. Reviewers on Yelp love this event!

They aren’t allowing embedding, but here is a link to a local news video from 2011 that captures the excitement of the event.

Want more holiday lighting goodness? Check out this post over on Mommy Poppins.

Where are your favorite holiday lights? Share in the comments!

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