Angel City Oktoberfest
The brewery’s third annual Oktoberfest will feature two special Märzen-style German brews, Oktoberfest and Imperial Oktoberfest, as well as sausages from Tomski Sausage and Seoul Sausage Co., and plenty of pretzels. There will also be sauerkraut eating, stein hoisting, yodeling contests, and music The Munich Boom-Steiners and others. Sunday, 1-8 pm; 216 South Alameda St, Los Angeles, CA
Luckyrice Moon Festival Cocktail Feast
Their annual Cocktail Feast will return to DTLA for its second installment to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival with a night of cocktails. Whether you fancy signature BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® East Gin cocktails or other libations, a bevy of cocktails inspired by Asian ingredients will be available to sip from ETA, Gengis Cohen, General Lee’s Cocktail House, Lock & Key, Minibar Hollywood, The Bellwether, The Cannibal, and ROKU. There will also be sweets from Square Donut Ice Cream. $50/General admission, $88/VIP (9 pm entry); Friday, 10 pm; Alexandria Ballrooms, 501 S Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Music Tastes Good Festival
KCRW is bringing music and food fans together with this festival in Downtown Long Beach, featuring acts like The Specials, Iron & Wine, and Dr. Dog. $25+; Friday-Sunday; Music Tastes Good, 635 Pine Ave, Long Beach, CA 90802
Abbot Kinney Festival
Now in its 32nd year, this festival takes place along a mile-long stretch of the world-famous Abbot Kinney Boulevard, arguably the “coolest block in America”. The Boulevard’s eclectic boutiques, artisan eateries and influential art are all part of this fun festival. There’s over 300 vendors, top food trucks and booths, kids rides and games, 5 live music stages, 3 beer gardens, and more. Free; Sunday, 10 am-6 pm; Abbot Kinney Boulevard, Venice, CA 90291
Tarfest
Enjoy live music, a biergarten, food trucks, kids’ activities and more at this fun cultural event in Hancock Park. Free; Saturday, 4-10 pm; La Brea Tar Pits, 5801 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
15th Annual Galbani® Cheese Italian Feast of San Gennaro
The 15th Annual Galbani® Cheese Italian Feast of San Gennaro takes over Hollywood with their annual street festival, celebrating everything that it means to be Italian. Inspired by the 80+ year old New York City tradition, the Feast celebrates Italian culture, entertainment and cuisine by featuring great food, music, genealogy research, free kid’s corner & petting zoo, pony rides, bocce, bingo, games and more. Over thirty hours of live music and performances are scheduled throughout the weekend with special guest, Galbani Cheese’s Chef Marco demonstrating Italian recipes on Saturday at 6 pm and host a “Galbani Cheese Building Contest for Charity” at 7 pm. The festival lends support to local charities throughout the weekend, including a “Will You Marrow Me?” donor campaign for Be the Match registry, which recruits marrow donors to save lives of blood cancer patients. A local Blood Drive will be hosted Sunday, 11 am-5 pm. The Feast will also be the last stop on the Youth Cancer Baseball Tour, which takes families of children fighting cancer to Major League Baseball games. All weekend long, you are invited to enjoy complimentary Galbani Cheese samples and photo souvenirs from the Galbani photo booth. $5, Free/kids 12 and under; Friday, 5 pm-Midnight, Saturday, 11 am-Midnight, Sunday, 11 am- 10 pm; Hollywood and Highland, 1651 N. Highland Ave, Hollywood, CA
The “Original Catalina Wine Mixer”
The Original Catalina Wine Mixer is back at Descanso Beach Club on Santa Catalina Island. The Santa Catalina Island Company (SCICO), The Xceptional Music Company and Island Express Helicopters have extended the celebration into a weekend-long event celebrating the antics of the 2008 comedy, “Step Brothers.” Taking the stage at on Sunday are the cult sensation, THE DAN BAND, best known for their cameos in films like “Old School” and “The Hangover” and their original covers of female-performed pop songs. Alongside beachfront musical performances, you will also enjoy a selection of pours from soon-to-be-revealed participating wineries. Original Catalina Wine Mixer VIP ticket will have access to complimentary wine tastings from 3 – 5 pm, as well as a VIP Hospitality Suite offering complimentary food stations and a private bar beginning at 6 pm on Saturday and 2 pm on Sunday. VIP guests will also have a meet and greet opportunity with all participating talent as well as complimentary passes to a screening of “Step Brothers,” taking place inside the historic Casino Movie Theatre on Friday. $69+; Friday-Sunday; Catalina
21st Annual Redondo Beach Lobster Festival
Redondo Beach is hosting the 21 st annual Redondo Beach Lobster Festival at Seaside Lagoon. On Sunday, dig into Maine lobster dishes, while listening to Grammy-nominated bands. There will also be stand up paddle boarding lessons and a “Kiddie Area” which includes face painting, balloon art, and more. This year’s Lobster Bistro chef is South Bay native Jessica Jordan from FISHBAR Manhattan Beach who will be serving up dishes like lobster rolls, lobster mac n’ cheese, lobster tacos, lobster guacamole and chips, and lobster corn chowder. $15+; Friday, 6-11 pm, Saturday, Noon-11 pm, Sunday, Noon- 8 pm; Seaside Lagoon, 200 Portofino Way
James Beard Foundation’s Fourth Annual Taste America®
The James Beard Foundation’s Taste America® national epicurean tour visits ten American cities. Each city will enjoy an evening that starts off with a walk-around tasting reception from a lineup of celebrated local chefs, followed by a one-of-a-kind, four-course dinner crafted in collaboration with a Taste America All-Star and a Local Star chef. The Los Angeles’ weekend-long celebration will kick off at Vibiana with A Night of Culinary Stars, a dining event benefiting the James Beard Foundation. The evening will begin with a reception filled with cocktails and hors d’oeuvre from local chefs and restaurateurs, including Nyesha Arrington, Josef Centeno, Jeremy Fox, and Bruce Kalman. Afterwards, the dinner prepared by James Beard Award–winning chef and Taste America All-Star Scott Conant (Impero Caffé, New York City), along with Local Star Curtis Stone (Gwen, Hollywood), James Beard Award-nominated pastry chef Hedy Goldsmith (Sweet Hedy, Los Angeles), and Host Chef Neal Fraser (Redbird, Los Angeles) will collaborate to create a unique one-night-only menu. Aida Mollenkamp (Founder, SaltAndWind.com) will serve an emcee for the festivities. On Saturday, free in-store events will take place at Sur La Table® (1000 Westwood Boulevard). Activities include cooking demos by Suzanne Goin, book signings, culinary treats from local producers and artisans, as well as product demos and tastings from our national sponsors. Reservations for the free cooking can be made here. The James Beard Foundation donates a portion of the evening’s proceeds to the Taste America Scholarship Fund. $275+; Vibiana, 214 S Main St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Bakers Will Bake
Pastry guru, Roxana Jullapat, leads a group of over 20 local bakeries and restaurants offering confections for a good cause. The fourth annual event happens at the Hollywood Farmers Market and benefits the Micheltorena Elementary School Community Garden. Sunday, 8 am-1 pm; Hollywood Farmers Market, Ivar Ave. at Selma Ave, Hollywood, CA
Alexander’s Steakhouse
The seasons are changing and Alexander’s Steakhouse is marking the equinox with a series of Saturday night dinners observing the event. The Solstice to Equinox dinners each feature a five-course family-style menu served on the patio. Feast on everything from chilled foie gras to American Wagyu ribs. 111 N Los Robles Ave, Pasadena, CA; 626.486.1111
Sleepless: The Music Center After Hours
The Music Center’s immersive multi-sensory event returns this fall to transform the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and adjacent spaces into a portal to the past while providing a glimpse into the future. Late-night revelers will experience kaleidoscopic telescopes, space-age dance parties, vintage arcade video games and time-travel phone booths, all to a sound track provided by a line-up of some of the city’s top cosmic artists. Friday, 11:30 pm-3 am; 135 N Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA; 213.972.0711
55th Anniversary of the Watts Towers Art Center
An all-star line-up of world class musicians, singers, and dancers will come together at the 35th Annual Watts Towers Day of the Drum Festival and the 40th Annual Simon Rodia Watts Towers Jazz Festival. The two festivals are presented by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) and the Friends of Watts Towers Arts Center. The festivals’ activities are complimented by two solo exhibitions, Carlos Spivey’s “The Power of Love,” and Sammy Davis’ “It’s All About the Bass” both on view through March 5, 2017. Join in guided tours of the Watts Towers of Simon Rodia, chow down on food, and check out arts and crafts for sale. Free; Saturday & Sunday, 10 am-6 pm; 1727 East 107th St, Los Angeles, CA 90002
Cartwheel Art Tours x Atlas Obscura
Celebrate Utopia Week by meeting painters and printmakers whose community, studios, and artwork reflect their utopic visions of the world. The tour kicks off with a visit to the private home and studio of Dave Lefner, a master printer who creates detailed linocuts of vintage neon, cars and pop culture. Lefner’s studio is located inside one of the oldest and largest art colonies in the world, a vast campus of twenty-one former warehouses (including the Edison Electric Steam Power Plant and Pabst Blue Ribbon Brewery). Next, the tour visits the private studio of Michael ‘Torquato” DeNicola, an artist and surfer who creates hypnotic paintings inspired by his favorite breaks. Lastly, the group will visit Modern Multiples, a fine art print studio, founded by the late master printer Richard Duardo. Nicknamed “The West Coast Warhol,” Duardo is known for his portraits of celebrities such as Frida Kahlo, Elvis, and Jimi Hendrix. His studios were not just workspaces, but inclusive communities where artists could feed off each other’s energy. Hundreds of artists have worked with Duardo including Banksy and Shepard Fairey as well as local legends such as Chaz Bojorquez,Frank Romero, and John Valadez. During the visit, you will see a printing demo and take home a custom silkscreen print. Coffee, OJ and breakfast pastries will be provided throughout the tour. $35; Saturday, 10 am-12:30 pm; Moulton Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90031
The Gamble House 50th Anniversary as a Museum
Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Gamble House being a museum, by going back to 1966 with self-paced tours of the Gamble House for only $1 admission. There will be food trucks, fun family activities on the lawn such as soap carving, kids’ woodworking workshops, live music and much more! $1; Sunday, noon – 5 pm; The Gamble House, 4 Westmoreland Place, Pasadena, CA 91103; 626.793.3334
