Inspire the next generation of museum visitors and bring the whole family together for Catalina Museum for Art & History’s Family Free Day on Sunday, January 30 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors can enjoy the museum’s collection and special exhibitions in addition to a family art project offered in the Hinchliffe Family Atrium from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Up to two adults may each claim a free ticket when accompanied by a visitor age 17 or younger. Four Family Free Days are offered each year; each adult free ticket must be used on the day of the event. 

Historian and founder of the Old Hollywood Walking Tour, April Clemmer, traces the origins of Hollywood as part of the February edition of First Fridays at the Museum: Old Hollywood with April Clemmer on Friday, February 4 at 6 p.m. In this virtual representation, April weaves together the events that led to Hollywood being located in a tiny suburb of Los Angeles, originally meant to be a cultured yet rustic retreat for those escaping harsh winters and city life. With detailed research and archival photographs, April illustrates how factors as diverse as a world war to a last-minute lucky guess led to the creation of Hollywood as we know it today, as well as the film industry’s use of Catalina Island to represent exotic locales around the world. This virtual event will take place on Zoom and is free for museum members and $5 for non-members. 

For more information on the museum’s calendar of events, visit CatalinaMuseum.org/Calendar.

WHEN:

Family Free Day is on Sunday, January 30 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; First Fridays at the Museum: Old Hollywood with April Clemmer is held virtually on Friday, February 4 from 6 to 7:15 p.m.

WHERE:

217 Metropole Avenue, Avalon, CA 90704.

Old Hollywood with April Clemmer is a virtual event; registration is required here. 

Catalina Museum for Art & History remains committed to the health and wellness of museum guests, employees and the surrounding community. Enhanced safety measures have been put in place including increased frequency of cleaning services and disinfecting all high-touch surfaces, and the addition of hand sanitizing stations. The museum encourages visitors to pre-purchase tickets and to use credit or debit cards for transactions. Catalina Museum for Art & History is operating in accordance with the most current guidance from state and local health agencies. 

The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday and closed on Mondays. For more information about the Catalina Museum for Art & History, visit CatalinaMuseum.org. To stay connected, follow the museum’s social media platforms @CatalinaMuseum on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Credit: Catalina Museum for Art & History

Celebrate the new year and ring in 2022 at Universal Studios Hollywood’s festive EVE event, the biggest party in Hollywood, on Friday, December 31 with extended hours until 2:00 a.m.

EVE is included in the price of theme park admission and is a special park-wide celebration that invites guests to spend the day and party by night while enjoying its popular and award-winning rides and attractions. 

What a way to celebrate as guests and partygoers can rejoice in new year festivities with a cast of leading characters, including Max, Snowball, Gidget, Chloe and Duke from Illumination’s all-new, award-winning “The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash!” ride or mark the occasion with prehistoric dinosaurs at “Jurassic World—The Ride,” featuring the stunningly realistic Indominus rex.

EVE is also the ideal location to bid farewell to 2021 as the world ushers in 2022 and new beginnings.  Starting at 9:00 p.m., the theme park transitions into party central as multiple entertainment hubs will energize guests with live music and DJs, playing everything from pop, rock, and hip-hop to EDM to Latin music. Plus, iconic photo ops around the park will allow guests to capture and share their memories of the special night. The event culminates with a traditional New Year’s Eve countdown and dazzling fireworks display.

A selection of food and beverages, including desserts, champagne, beer, wine, and cocktails, as well as 2022 memorabilia will be available for purchase.

While ringing in the New Year, guests can enjoy the return of yuletide favorite, “Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter,” featuring “The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts ^TM Castle” which brings the iconic Hogwarts castle to life through an impressive light projection show. Family traditions continue with “Grinchmas” as guests can share the joyful season with The Grinch, his faithful dog Max, and the Who-ville Whos.

Holiday entertainment at Universal Studios Hollywood runs daily now through Sunday, January 9, 2022.

To purchase tickets to Universal Studios Hollywood, which includes Holidays and EVE access, guests can click here.

Pass Members benefit from special offers for the event. To learn more and to purchase tickets, Pass Members can click here.

More information is available at www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com.

Credit: Universal Studios Hollywood.

This holiday season, Caruso warmly invites locals and visitors to indulge in the spirit of the season across Los Angeles at The Grove ,The Americana at Brand and Palisades Village.

The iconic properties will be transformed into festive wonderlands, each one thoughtfully decked out in holiday décor set against a majestic centerpiece: a stunning Christmas Tree, soaring high above guests and brimming with baubles, bows and bells for all to admire

Amongst a calendar of robust holiday programming, carolers and brass bands will serve as the soundtrack to shopping and dining, while the famed fountains at The Grove and The Americana at Brand dance to beloved holiday tunes.

“Caruso has become synonymous with Christmas in California,” says Sunil Watumull, Caruso’s Executive Vice President of Operations. “Our properties are alive with the magic of the season: glittering lights, merry melodies and nightly snowfalls. We take great pride in being a part of so many cherished traditions for our communities and look forward to granting every holiday wish our guests may have this year.”

Flurries Without the Frost Bite

Those longing for a glimpse of snow can head to The Grove and The Americana at Brand, which will host twice nightly snowfalls, transforming the properties into Winter Wonderlands – without the freezing temperatures (November 26 – December 25 at 7 and 8 p.m.)

Meet Santa Aboard His New Sleigh

Santa Claus will wave hello, wishing guests a holly, jolly season as he rides through The Grove and The Americana at Brand aboard his newest sleigh: a festive Trolley. The twice-nightly appearances will be complemented by snowfall and brass band performances. (November 26 – December 25, 7 & 8 pm.)

For the ultimate family photo, guests can reserve a private trolley ride with Old St. Nick at The Grove. Packages include a personal meet-and-greet with Santa along with a choice from classic sips and sweets or a four-course dinner served on the Trolley. (November 26 – December 24, by reservations only via Bistro1759@caruso.com).

The Festival of Lights

In celebration of Chanukah, The Grove and Palisades Village will light their menorahs each evening from November 28 to December 5. In partnership with the Chabad Jewish Community Center of Pacific Palisades, Palisades Village will host a community menorah lighting ceremony on the first night of the holiday, November 28. The Grove, together with Village Synagogue, will celebrate the holiday with a ceremonial lighting on the evening of December 2.

Spirited Dining

Home to the city’s hottest dining destinations, there is no shortage of choice when it comes to holiday gatherings at Caruso. Enjoy Fountain-side dining at Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill and La Piazza at The Grove, or take in views of one of the tallest Christmas trees in California on Bar Verde’s balcony. Home to the city’s hottest dining destinations, there is no shortage of choice when it comes to holiday gatherings at Caruso. Enjoy Fountain-side dining at Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill and La Piazza at The Grove, or take in views of one of the tallest Christmas trees in California on Bar Verde’s balcony. Guests can also enjoy a meal along the trolley tracks at The Americana at Brand at Amici Trattoria and Ombra Cocktail Bar, or sample festive libations including Hot Toddy’s and Champagne cocktails at Palisades Village’s Hank’s and The Draycott.

Gifting Made Easy

Finding the perfect gift will be a breeze this season with help from Caruso Concierge. The award-winning Concierge is available to all guests, with an array of five-star services including private shopping appointments, gift wrapping services, dining reservations, movie tickets, and more.

For more information on this season’s happenings at The Grove, The Americana at Brand and Palisades Village and more, please visit Winterland.Caruso.com.

Credit: Caruso.

The Santa Monica community is invited to a one-day pop-up art event to experience Ocean Avenue and Palisades Park in a new way on Saturday, December 4 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The temporary art installation component between Broadway and Colorado Avenue will remain on view through early 2022. 

The pop-up event is hosted through the City of Santa Monica’s Ocean Avenue Artists in Residence Program, part of the Ocean Avenue Project. The project aims to revitalize and enhance public use of the streetscape. The first phase of the Ocean Avenue Project focused on roadway enhancements including a protected bike lane and expansion of the eastern sidewalk for additional outdoor dining. For the next phase, Here LA, the interdisciplinary design firm selected as the Ocean Avenue Artists in Residence, will lead an arts-based community engagement process to gather feedback about how the street could be improved to better utilize its public spaces, support local businesses, and connect to adjacent corridors.  

On Saturday, December 4, the interactive event will explore ways of improving the street for a more people-centered experience and will feature:  

• A temporary large-scale art installation mounted atop the park’s edge, between Broadway and Colorado Avenue. The installation features transparent wire letters that spell out the phrase, “WE ARE A DROP WE ARE THE OCEAN” (rendering pictured above), providing a moment of reflection as well as photo opportunities. The installation seeks to draw attention to the west side of the street and to create a unique visual that further complements the views. The installation will remain on view through early 2022. 
• Prototypes of large play furniture in various colors and shapes that invite climbing and interacting. 
• A colorful activity where participants show their feedback on how they think the street could be improved by throwing a powdered color ball on the ground in front of their favorite option. The activity will create a mural of color on the ground. 

The event and activities were informed by conversations with local stakeholders and over 500 survey responses from the Santa Monica community. Here LA found that what people valued most about the street is its natural setting, the unique location of the street and park atop the bluff, and of course, the view. Competing with this natural beauty however is the street itself, which is a key gateway to nearby destinations. Much of the corridor’s physical space is dedicated to roadway and vehicles, which separates people from the park and views. To bridge this divide, Here LA is using urban planning and temporary artistic activations to explore ways of improving the street for a more pedestrian-friendly experience and to enliven the space and engage passersby. 

For more information, visit SantaMonica.gov/Ocean-Avenue-Project.  

Credit: City of Santa Monica.

 Universal Studios Hollywood celebrates the most wonderful time of the year with the return of yuletide favorites and family traditions, “Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” and “Grinchmas,” beginning Friday, November 26 and running daily through Sunday, January 2, 2022. The holiday festivities are included in the price of admission.

Families will rejoice at the arrival of “Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter,” where the quaint wizarding village of Hogsmeade™ is transformed to reflect the holiday spirit featuring merry décor and jolly ambiance. Guests can take delight in special holiday a cappella performances from the Hogwarts Frog Choir, stroll through the village shops while sipping a delicious Hot Butterbeer™ and enjoy savory festive fare at the Three Broomsticks™. 

Beginning at dusk each night, “The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts™ Castle” dazzles with stunning imagery and animation as the impressive light projection show illuminates Hogwarts™ School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, bringing the iconic Hogwarts™ castle to life and infusing the land with the sounds of an arrangement of music from the Harry Potter film series.

Guests can commemorate their Christmas visit to Hogsmeade™ Village with a variety of exclusive keepsake items available for purchase, including personalized ornaments, garland, scarves and stockings.

The jolly “Grinchmas” Who-lebration returns in festive fashion as holiday park-goers will be rockin’ around the topsy-turvy 65 foot-tall “Grinchmas” tree in Universal Plaza, adorned with hundreds of ornaments and thousands of LED lights. A dazzling tree lighting ceremony accompanied by a snowfall flurry will take place every evening, bringing good tidings and season’s greetings as guests celebrate with The Grinch, his faithful dog Max and the Who-ville Whos, who will be performing on select nights. A selection of themed Who-tacular sweet treats, including hot cocoa will be available for purchase.

In addition to the theme park, spirited holiday décor will permeate Universal CityWalk. Guests to the outdoor entertainment destination will be enchanted by the spectacular 40-foot tall Christmas tree, featuring more than 200,000 LED lights. The ever popular Voodoo Doughnut will entice guests with a variety of festive designs and flavors to celebrate the season. 

More information is available at www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com. Like Universal Studios Hollywood on Facebook and follow @UniStudios on Instagram and Twitter.

Admission to Universal CityWalk is free. More information is available at www.CityWalkHollywood.com.

Credit: Universal Studios Hollywood. Images were also provided.

Holiday Crafts Day for Kids at the International Printing Museum Saturday, December 11, 2021 from 10 am to 4 pm

Our Krazy Krafts Day for Kids returns with a wintery twist. Join us on December 11th for a HOLIDAY KRAFTS DAY at the Printing Museum, a creative day of printing and crafts for the whole family. All are welcome, whether you are a kid or a kid at heart that just loves to make stuff!

Activities throughout the day include letterpress printing cards, bookmarks, keepsakes, fun wrapping paper, and ornaments. Participants will also be able to try colorful paper marbling, typing a note to grandma or Santa on vintage typewriters, screen printing t-shirts, bookbinding, special tours, and more! A great opportunity to make some holiday decorations and gifts.

Tickets are $10 and are available online and at the door. For more info visit printmuseum.org

Credit: The International Printing Museum.

CicLAvia-South LA presented by Metro

On Sunday, December 5, CicLAvia will open up 5.3-miles of streets in South LA connecting the neighborhoods of South Central, Exposition Park, Leimert Park and Crenshaw. For all ages and abilities, the public is invited to bike, skate, scooter, run, walk, skateboard, hitch a free ride on a pedi-cab, spectate and enjoy the route. CicLAvia is a free, open event – show up anywhere along the route at any time, and have fun!

CicLAvia turns public streets into public parks for a day. Instead of building permanent infrastructure, CicLAvia builds unifying social fabric, joyously connecting culturally diverse neighborhoods and neighbors to each other through open streets. Whether one bikes, walks, strolls, skates, or jogs, CicLAvia creates more incredible moments and experiences enjoying our city streets together. Inspired by Bogotá’s weekly ciclovía, CicLAvia temporarily closes streets to car traffic and opens them to Angelenos to use as a public park.

Only people-powered vehicles allowed. No electric scooters, skateboards, hoverboards, unicycles, motorcycles and other non-people-powered vehicles allowed at CicLAvia. Class 1 e-bike pedal-assist allowed. Class 2 e-bikes allowed when throttle is powered off. Class 3 e-bikes allowed when pedal-assist is powered off. Motorized wheelchairs are allowed. Learn more here.

We’re closely following LA County Public Health guidelines as we approach the event. Masks are now required on public transit and in all indoor public places in Los Angeles County, as well as at events with over 10,000 attendees. If you forget your mask, we will have complimentary masks available at our Info Booths and CicLAvia branded masks for sale if you want to add one to your collection.

Participants assume all known and unknown risks of participation in CicLAvia. More information regarding participants rights can be found here: https://www.ciclavia.org/south_la21

Local Gems: Miles of Food & Culture in South LA Near and Along the Route:

·         Parks on and around – Rancho Cienega Recreation Center, Exposition Park, MLK Jr. Park, Gilbert Lindsay Recreation Center, Central Ave Jazz Park

·         Lula Washington Dance Theater

·         Vision Theater in Leimert Park Plaza

·         Museum of African American Art on Crenshaw

·         Golden State Mutual Life Insurance building for Architecture buffs

·         Ralph J. Bunche House, first person of color to win the Nobel Peace Prize

·         Thomas Jefferson H.S. which has produced more prominent jazz musicians and composers than any other public or private H.S. in California   

·         Dr. Maya Angelou Community H.S., the campus has become an outdoor art gallery of incredible ‘street artists’

·         California African American Museum, California Science Center, Natural History Museum and Lucas Museum of Narrative Art (under construction) in Exposition Park

·         University of Southern California

CicLAvia – South LA Hub Highlights:

·         Vaccination Clinic with Shared Harvest Fund, including boosters and shots for children 5-11

·         LACMA and Lucas Museum of Narrative Art to give out Art Kits

·         California Science Center hosting “Shell Stories” activity

·         A Place Called Home hosting art activity and photo opportunity

·         SoCal Gas hosting photobooth

·         CHP and City of LA’s Office of Traffic Safety to provide free bike helmets to children, while supplies last

·         Las Fotos Project hosting photobooth

·         Santa Monica Mountain Foundation

·         Community Services Unlimited to offer self-guided tours and mini-workshops at their Urban mini farm

·         Los Angeles Public Library giving away free books when you sign up for library card

WHO:

Free for all, CicLAvia connects communities to each other across an expansive city, creating a safe place to bike, walk, skate, roll, and dance through Los Angeles County. CicLAvia is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that catalyzes vibrant public spaces, active transportation, and good health through car-free streets. CicLAvia engages with people to transform our relationship with our communities and with each other.

WHERE & WHEN:

• CicLAvia-South LA; Sunday, December 5, 2021; 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. – The 5.3-mile open streets route connects the neighborhoods of South Central, Exposition Park, Leimert Park and Crenshaw, encompassing Crenshaw Blvd. between West Exposition Blvd. and Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., and along MLK, Jr. Blvd. to South Central Avenue.

  

HOW & MORE INFORMATION: 
• Visit https://www.ciclavia.org/south_la21 for more detailed information
• https://www.ciclavia.org/; info@ciclavia.org; 213-355-8500
• Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ciclavia

• Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ciclavia & Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ciclavia/

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CicLAviaLA

Credit: CicLAvia-South LA presented by Metro.