THE TOP 5 THINGS TO DO WITH YOUR KIDS WEEKEND by Laura Nickerson 9/26-9/28

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!

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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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