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Turn on the TV or internet and you are sure to see a lot of booty shaking these days. A LOT (J-Lo & Minaj, I’m speaking to you). So why risk having to explain Anaconda to your 5 year olds? Turn off the devices and take your family out for an adventure. Here are my top 5 picks for some family fun this weekend:  1) Italian Feast of San Gennaro If you are a low-carb family, you may want to avert your eyes and skip to the next event on my list. But if you like pasta and full flavor Italian Food, then stay right here and read about the Italian Feast of San Gennaro in Hollywood! The festival takes over the streets by Hollywood and Highland on September 26-28th, and will be full of Italian food, music, kids activities, and celebrities. There will even be a “Gravy-Sauce” competition and a “Cheese Building” contest. Admission is only $5 and free for kids under the age of 12. Got the parking blues? Take the Red Line Subway and fuuggettabouutt it!  2) Halloween Harvest Festival I don’t want you to freak out, but Halloween is coming and you will have to start thinking about things like costumes and pumpkin carving. Why not get things rolling at the opening weekend of the Harvest Festival at Pierce College? The festival and corn maze on the Pierce College campus is opening this weekend for a 6 week period from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., with the Haunted House and Trail starting at dusk. Entrance is $5 but additional fees apply for some of the activities. Visit halloweenharvestfestival.com for more details. They have U Pick pumpkins, Holiday Hill Farms Stage Show, farm animals, and for older kids, a haunted trail and Fright Fair Haunted House. Save your freaking out for THAT!  3) Thousand Oaks 50th Anniversary Parade There is always a good reason to go to a parade, so go, why don’tcha? Saturday, September 27th, is the Thousand Oaks 50th Anniversary Parade starting at 9 am on Thousand Oaks Blvd between Dusenberg and Erbes Road. Everything from the Girl Scouts to City Officials will be involved! Expect to have a ton of fun watching a Military Fly Over, Bands and Drill Teams, and Floats. It’s free, so just show up and LOVE on that parade.  4) From Set to Screen Have you taken your kids to Paramount Ranch? It’s got a cool “Old West” feel, assisted by the history of the ranch as a set for TV and film, and some fun nooks and crannies to explore. This Sunday, September 28th, at 10 am they are having a free walk called “From Set to Screen”, so you can take the kids to learn about the secrets that turn a dusty set into a realistic town. Call 805-370-2302 for details.  5) Schoolhouse Rock Live at Pepperdine
Did you learn your grammar. spelling, and government policy from the TV show Schoolhouse Rock? Now you can revisit your youth by taking the kids to Schoolhouse Rock Live at Pepperdine AND participate in a free Family Art Day too! Sunday, September 28th, the Smothers Theater is hosting the tour of Schoolhouse Rock Live, a fun musical based on the classic educational TV show. The show starts at 2pm but get there at noon to enjoy the free family art day featuring hands on art projects and Weisman Museum tours. www.arts.pepperdine.edu has the info on tickets.You know you will be there singing along with Interplanet Janet, I’m just a Bill, and Conjunction Junction what’s your...FUNCTION! You KNOW you totally sang along with that one. Share your ideas for fun family activities by following me on Twitter @nickerberger, catching the SCV Buzz on KHTS AM 1220, or watching CTV’s The Buzz. Now get out of the house and have a little fun with your kids, wouldja?
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Homework. Activities. Begging your children to eat. Begging your children NOT to eat. Practice. Sitting on the Soccer field in temperatures only fit for wildlife in Death Valley. Repeat. Weekends getting a little predictable? Try something new! Here are my top 5 picks for some family fun this weekend:  Photo by Pascal/Flickr 1) Family Festival at the Getty Center ”Chivalry in the Middle Ages” Has your child expressed interest in jousting? Is it hard to keep her or him from diving into giant turkey legs with only their hands? If so, I have the festival for you! The Getty center is doing a free family event this Saturday, September 20th, celebrating Chivalry in the Middle Ages. Activities run from 10-6, including blacksmith demonstrations, plays, storytelling, music, and jousting and medieval combat demonstrations. The event is free but parking is $15, totally worth it for all that medieval revelry. Go and enjoy-the King hath declared it so!  Photo by Ken Kanouse/Flickr 2) Shane’s Inspiration Walk & Roll at Griffith Park If you haven’t been to the lovely Shane’s Inspiration at Griffith Park, you should definitely visit this cool playground made for children of all abilities. This Sunday, September 21st, the organization Shane’s Inspiration is holding the 17th annual Walk-Run-Roll event there, and you are all invited to participate. It’s free to register but you can also use the event to help fundraise for the organization that is helping to bring the joy of play to children of ALL abilities through Social Inclusion.  Artwork by Anette Power Art 3) Thousand Oaks Arts Festival Are you feeling culture deprived? Too many days of watching reality TV and playing video games can do that to you. So take this weekend to grab a little creative time and head over to the Thousand Oaks Arts Festival. The Festival takes place on September 20th and 21st at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza and The Lakes from 10 am to 5 pm and will feature art exhibitors, live performances, and children’s hands-on artistic and interactive exhibits. It’s free parking and free admission and you can visit toartsfestival.com for all the details. There’s even wine tasting at The Lakes, and doesn’t a little wine make your kids spontaneous artwork look all that much better?  Photo by Jim Ellwanger/Flickr 4) Live Steamers at Griffith Park Remember the TV show “Silver Spoons”? Don’t lie, I know you do. Flash back to the opening where the rich dad rides a tiny little train around the living room and how jealous you were... Your dream (and quite possibly your kids as well) is about to come true. Next door to Travel Town Train Museum in Griffith Park is the Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum, and on Sundays they let you ride the incredibly detailed mini-trains around a nifty matching track. You can ride for only a $3 suggested donation between 11 am and 3pm, and next door is a picnic area for convenient post ride lunch and kid lunge. It will make you feel like “Rick-EY Schroder” all over again.  Photo by Jason D' Great/Flickr 5) 22nd Annual Thai Cultural Day
Thai Antiques, Thai Silk, Thai Kickboxing, Thai Massage, and children’s activities...wait...THAI MASSAGE? This all sounds pretty fantastic and luckily your family can experience them all and more at the Thai Culture day at Barnsdall Art Park in Los Angeles. This free event is on Sunday, September 21st, from 11-5 and includes limited free parking (although the Red Line Subway will drop you off right there at Sunset and Vermont with no hassle). A great and culture filled day for all! Plus everyone’s favorite...THAI FOOD! Share your ideas for fun family activities by following me on Twitter @nickerberger, catching the SCV Buzz on KHTS AM 1220, or watching CTV’s The Buzz.
You all know that I am always on the lookout for fun and low cost family activities in SoCal, but when I find something that is not only a great event, but helps kids in need as well, I am all over it!
This week on September 18th the La Brea Bakery is partnering with No Kid Hungry and ABC Family stars to help fight childhood hunger in America. So that's about as important as it gets, right? All you have to do is go, pay $25, eat amazing food, have delicious drinks, listen to fun music, and hang out with celebrities like Lea Thompson, Marlee Matlin, Katie Leclerc, Vanessa Marano, D.W. Moffett, and Ryan Lane. Um, COUNT ME IN!!! How does all this eating and shmoozing help our kids? Well, 100% of the money raised will go to Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry campaign, which is working to ensure that all children get the healthy food they need, every day. Sounds good, but how the heck to they pull that off? 1) Access: Connecting kids to effective nutrition programs like school breakfast and summer meals. 2) Education: Teaching low-income families to stretch their food budgets so their kids get healthy meals at home. 3) Awareness: Shining a national spotlight on the crisis of childhood hunger in America. Ok, even if there weren't baked goods involved, I would still be interested in supporting this great cause. Additionally, La Brea Bakery, the premier artisan bread brand in the country, is offering one sweet deal to customers of their cafés in Los Angeles and Disneyland to support No Kid Hungry: one dollar from every $4 specially marked two-pack of the bakery’s classic oatmeal-raisin cookies will be donated to the hunger-fighting organization through the month of September. Register and get all the info at: www.nokidhungry.org\LaBreaBakeryNKH. GO! They had me at "bakery"... Laura Nickerson is LA's go-to-mom for cheap and local family activities. Check her out @nickerberger on Twitter giving daily tips at #buzzLA, on KHTS AM 1220's SCV Buzz, or on CTV's The Buzz on Channel 3.  Photo by Bart/Flickr School is going at full speed, and even though you may still not fully understand the Common Core (What are “arrays”? Why are they now a thing?), you can at least hang with your family someplace fun while you figure it out. Here are my top 5 picks for some family fun this weekend: 1) BART AT THE BOWL “The SIIMPPP-SOONSSS”. The iconic music of the hit show is going to be featured at the Hollywood Bowl this weekend and it’s a great chance to take your whole family to the this well-known venue while the summer is still rolling. Friday-Sunday night, September 12-14th, you can experience Springfield in Hollywood by listening to some great music with scenes from the show playing along on the big screen. Special bonus? Surprise guests and a fireworks finale. Find info on tickets and here. Go, or you'll say "Doh!" (NO I DIDN'T! Yep, I did.)  2) COUNTRY FAIRE AT THE ADAMSON HOUSE Because the Valley is basically as sweltering as having a hot flash in the desert right now, it might be a good idea to head towards the cooler Malibu area for some outdoor fun. The gorgeous Adamson House is hosting a free Country Faire on Sunday, September 14th, from noon to 5pm and it’s got entertainment for young and old alike. Art Exhibits, live music, food trucks, plus kids activities are all set to go in honor of the Adamson House’s 85th anniversary. So go and enjoy some beauty and fun in the cooler air. Click here for info. 3) LA PARENT MAGAZINE PARTY AT THE AMERICANA The Americana at Brand in Glendale always has fantastic Kid’s Club activities, but this week the activities go above and beyond because LA Parent Magazine is throwing a party! The festivities are from 11-1 on Tuesday, September 16th on The Green and will have live music, face painting, gift bags, prizes, and...wait for it...Sprinkles Cupcakes, Cookies & Ice Cream. Yep, you had us at Sprinkles. All free, all fun, just head on over! Details are at www.americanaatbrand.com. Sprinkles. Cupcakes. Shall I go on? 4) OVARIAN CANCER RUN AT CBS RADFORD Whether or not you are a serious runner (not me) or more of a gentle stroller (me), odds are good that your kids love to run-even if it’s just running away from you when it’s time for a bath. So why not let them run like crazy and do a Kiddie K in the name of a good cause? The Ovarian Cancer Run is being held on Sunday, September 14th, at CBS Radford and they are raising money for Ovarian Cancer research and education. There are full runs for the adults if you are so inspired, but the Kiddie K is at 9:15 and only costs $5 per child under 11. Visit their website to register in advance an remember to hydrate those little ones. Go and have some fun running! Or watching your children run while you sip an iced latte!
Photo credit: SP Photography/Flickr
It’s Grandparents Day! I’m not sure that I fully understand what that means as far as execution is concerned, but I do know that GRANDPARENTS ROCK! So take them out for some fun grandparently activities. 1) Do you like Taramosalata, Octapodaki, and ...Tina Fey? You might be just Greek enough for the LA Greekfest. It’s Friday, September 5th, through Sunday, September 7th, and tickets are under $5, with completely free admission on Friday. It’s a little bit of a drive to Central LA at 1324 S. Normandie Ave, but worth it for the copious parking and the chance to party like Nia Vardalos at her wedding reception.  Photo credit: Tom Simpson/Flickr 2) What woman hasn’t dreamed of having seven handy men waiting on her hand and foot? What about trading in for..one bat? Ok, maybe the reality of that is marginally uncomfortable to imagine, but there is a lot of fun to be had in a theatrical version of that story, especially when it’s free. This Saturday, September 6th, you can see free Fairy Tales in the Park at Foxfield Park in Westlake Village at 11:30 am. This is super fun theatre for your little ones, and this week’s show is “Snow White and the One Bat”. You are free to bring your own seven men if you like. And remember, sharing is caring. 3) We ALL want to “let it go” on Frozen, well, everyone except for your kids. They will stay in the frozen zone until they leave home and fall in love with a cuddly and short dude with a big orange nose. So why not just give in to it and take your little cuties to the Frozen Sing-a-long at the El Capitan? This is your last weekend to cart your kids to Hollywood (try the subway, another great and low cost bit of entertainment) in their shiny blue dress and matted blond wig. Just do it. There will be another movie to obsess about...someday...  4) We all know that wearing something from Lululemon when dropping off your kids at school is pretty much a standard uniform, but why not get some actual exercise in those stretchy pants? Lululemon at the Calabasas Commons is offering an in store yoga class from 9:30-10:30 for free on Sunday, September 7th. So go, and use those attractive yet supportive pants! 5) If you have children with disabilities, there’s a fantastic chance for you to join up with other families at Brandon’s Village playground at Gates Canyon Park in Calabasas. This is a fully-accessible playground and the group Brandon’s Buddies will be meeting up on Saturday, September 6th, from 11-1 for Integrated Play, Arts and Crafts, and Entertainment. You can visit www.kenproject.com for info and a calendar of events. It’s free fun at the park that children and families of all abilities to enjoy-that’s MY kind of “Buddies”!
Share your ideas for fun family activities by following me on Twitter @nickerberger, catching the SCV Buzz on KHTS AM 1220, or watching CTV’s The Buzz. |
AuthorLaura Nickerson, Queen of cheap and local family activities, Momblogger of 2, Host of CTV's The Buzz and KHTS AM 1220's SCV Buzz, visit #buzzLA for daily tips. Archives
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