Santa Anita Oktoberfest
The racetrack’s massive infield beer gardens will fill your souvenir stein while you listen to German Oomph bands and munch on giant pretzels and Dog Haus wieners. There will also be host alphorn blowing, stein-holding and costume contests, along with dachshunds and horses race all day long.
Sam Adams Octoberfest Experience
Since you were likely heading to the OC’s annual accordion festival anyway (weren’t you??), you might as well go for the full Octoberfest Experience, which will feature plenty of beer (Sam Adams and otherwise), bratwurst & pretzels, and, well, lots of accordion jamming. Also, you can be the dude who holds a 1.5 liter the longest and win lots of respect prizes. $50-120; Saturday, 11 am; 285 W Huntington Dr., Arcadia, CA 91007
The Rockefeller ‘s New Oktoberfest specials
Swing by either the Hermosa or Manhattan Beach location and sip on$13 full liter steins, or keep your glass for $20 and enjoy $11 refills. With four varieties of Paulaner on tap for the occasion, opt for the $12 4-beer flight and sample: Hefe-Weizen (Naturally Cloudy beer with mild and fruity with a delicate yeast flavor; 5.5%), Munich Lager (Premium golden blond, full-bodied lager that is slightly hoppy; 4.9%), Oktoberfest Märzen (Clear amber color, malty taste with hints of toffee and zesty bitterness; 5.8%), and Oktoberfest Weisn (Light golden color with strong malt flavors and moderately hoppy; 6.0%). Friday through end of October; 422 Pier Ave., Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 and 1209 Highland Ave., Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
Oinktoberfiesta
It’s your favorite holiday! Time to celebrate Oinktoberfiesta with the Oinkster. Fill up on horchata shakes, beerchata, bacon-wrapped Polish sausages and enjoy live mariachis. Friday, 11 am-11 pm; The Oinkster, 776 Vine St., Hollywood; 323.536.9248; 2005 Colorado Blvd., Eagle Rock; 323.255.6465
Queen Mary’s 80th Anniversary
Eighty years ago at the John Brown & Company shipyard on the banks of the Clyde River in Scotland, Job Number 534—the largest ship the world had ever seen—slid down the launchways into the water. Celebrate the royal legend of Long Beach with complementary ship admission, tours and more, including a special presentation (for the first 1,000 people to arrive) in the Grand Ballroom and the unveiling of a very special cake designed by Jose Barajas, owner of Mmm Cakes and star of TLC’s Next Great Baker. Friday, 10 am-7 pm; 1126 Queens Hwy., Long Beach, 877.3420738
Abbot Kinney Festival
The boulevard is filled with top of the line shopping and cuisine. This weekend, head to the beachy neighborhood for the all-day block party with food, booze, music, kid-friendly activities, and, of course, lots of shopping. Shop everything from art to jewelry to handcrafted goods from 300 vendors including Heist, designer Jill Aiko Yee, jeweler Nikki Montoya, and many more. Check out the stage lineup here and get a map here. Get an early bird $35 fast pass ticket to skip the lines and score VIP access to the fest’s beer and spirit gardens. Sunday, 10 am-6 pm; Venice Beach
The One Up
A funky new brick-walled lounge full of ’80s video games opens today. There will be games, cocktails and Cap’n Crunch fried chicken. Opens Friday; 13625 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks; 818.849.5181
Endless Summer at the Peninsula Beverly Hills
Soak up the warm SoCal days up on top of the Peninsula Beverly Hills with 360-degree views. The lux hotel unveils a refreshed rooftop terrace and offers access to its coveted poolside cabanas through the end of the year. Indulge in the hotel’s Endless Summer package and receive cabana and pool access, two specialty cocktails and seasonal bites from Executive Chef David Codney. $350; Through December 31, Monday-Friday, 10 am-6 pm; 9882 S Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310.975.2855
San Gennaro Feast at Dominick’s & Little Dom’s
Chef Brandon Boudet is going “balls to the wall” with an all arancini (rice ball) menu that will feature the following: Chicken Parmesan, The Shrimp Scampi, The Hipster (Carnaroli rice, market summer vegetables, house made almond milk ricotta (vegetarian & gluten free), and Spiced Apple (Arborio rice, spice roasted apples, served with a cinnamon cream). All weekend.
Los Angeles Chocolate Salon
Chocolate lovers, this one is for you. Enjoy all the gourmet chocolate you can handle at the 8th annual LA Chocolate Salon celebrating chocolate lovers everywhere. Saturday, 11 am; Pasadena Center, 300 E Green St., Pasadena 91101
Yarn Bombing Grand Central Market
Yarn Bombing LA, the fiber arts community that creates thought-provoking, community-generated installations in public spaces, sets its sights on the City’s landmark Grand Central Market for a new work that explores the question “Who/What/Where is DTLA?” Have a hand in yarn bombing LA’s oldest food hall by participating in a series of workshops where you can knit, crochet or sew portions of the hundreds of individual fabric pieces that will be part of the monumental floor-to-ceiling art work. The final piece: a Greek-inspired “yarn-polis” with an installation that looks at the coming together of crafters, pedestrians, and downtown Los Angeles districts in the space of the open-air market. This original, site-specific art piece will be unveiled in November 2014. Free; Saturday, (and October 11), 2 – 5 pm; 317 S Broadway, Hill St. Platform; Register here and receive $2 in Grand Central Market currency good for food and non-alcoholic beverages at any of the Market’s vendors.
Beetlejuice at Street Food Cinema
Summer may have officially ended, but not for Angelenos! It’s hotter than ever! So enjoy movies under the stars. Just say his name three times! Beetlejuice screens and bring your appetite to enjoy the many food trucks. Saturday, Doors at 5:30 pm; Brookside Park, Rose Bowl Dr., Pasadena 91103
Zoetic Pop Up
Zoetic, formerly known as Chartreuse – a popular vegan pop-up dinner series in Detroit heads back to Los Angeles with Chef Corinne Rice. Join a 4-course meal including locally sourced ingredients specific to the region along with live entertainment and BYOW (wine). Only 20 seats are available for this dinner so don’t hesitate. $79; Saturday, 7 pm; Big Red Sun, 560 Rose Ave., Venice, CA 90291
Mr. C Beverly Hills Partners with the Italian Bike company Colnago
This weekend a “Colnago Lounge” will be celebrated with complimentary Colnago bikes available for hotel guests along with guided training sessions, making the destination a great spot for the active traveler. Hotel guests will have access to a collection of Colnago bikes including the newest edition, the Colnago C60. Featuring sleek frames without sacrificing comfort or strength, the Colnago bikes make for a perfect ride around the city of Beverly Hills or day-trips to Malibu and Santa Monica. Mr. C Beverly Hills will house multiple bikes available to use on a complimentary first-come-first-serve basis. In addition, Colnago and Gran Fondo Italia will host a variety of scheduled cycle training sessions throughout the year. Saturday; 1224 Beverwil Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90035; 310.277.2800
Alive & Running 5K
Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services’ 16th annual Alive & Running 5K Walk/Run for Suicide Prevention will have more than 2,000 runners, walkers, spectators and volunteers from all over SoCal raising awareness and funding for Didi Hirsch’s Suicide Prevention Center. Nationally recognized for its Suicide Prevention Center and mental health and substance abuse services, Didi Hirsch operates a 24-hour English/Spanish Crisis Line, as well as Crisis Chat and Text services, that help emotionally distressed people cope with suicidal thoughts. Didi Hirsch’s crisis counselors answered more than 55,000 calls, chats and texts last year. $35; Sunday, 6:30 am; Just north of LAX at West 88th Street and La Tijera Boulevard in Westchester; For more info or to sign up: AliveandRunning@DidiHirsch.org.
“Melrose Sidewalk Sale”
Dozens of stores along Melrose Avenue from Fairfax to just past La Brea, will be participating, offering anywhere from 10-50% off. Participating stores will have racks and tables with merchandise on the sidewalk and some will have their entire store on sale. Merchandise include men’s, women’s & children’s apparel, shoes, jewelry, art, hair products, makeup, music, accessories, and more. In addition, restaurants will offer specials all day, and live in-store music and art shows. Participating merchants include: 7527 Melrose, American Vintage, Bait Clothing, Bauhausu: Denim painting & crafts station, Bliss Clothing: 15% off store, Cosmo and Nathalia Glamsquad, Diamond & Gold Exchange, For The Love of Motorcycles: 10% off every $100 purchase and giveaways, Fox That Clothing, Golden Apple Comics, Goorin Bros: Carnival theme with games & prizes, Headline Records: 10% off storewide and buy a t-shirt, get a Headline Records t-shirt, John Fluevog Shoes, Lenceria Boutique, Live Astro, London Boots: 50% off everything, Lucky Libra, Luxury Jones, Matchbox, Maya, Melrose Lightspace, Melrose Music & Comics, Melrose Umbrella Company, Monster-A-GoGo: 20% off all Kreepsville666 products, Neveux Artisan Creamer, The Originators: 50% select items in-store, Rock Etiquette: In-store styling, SportieLA, Stone Malone, Tatsu Ramen: Ramen burger and ice cream for $5, Tatyana Boutique, Tish & Snooky’s Manic Panic NYC: 20% off all Manic Panic products and 10% off all other regular priced items, Vapes of Wrath, Village Idiot: Hot dog stand out front, Zephyr Theatre. Saturday, noon-closing; Melrose Ave
Lorna Jane’s first U.S. Active Nation Day
Join in a free fitness class with “la’s hottest trainer” Christine Bullock followed by a Move Nourish Believe market serving healthy snacks, refreshments, and more. The event celebrates Active Nation Day, a day dedicated to improving women’s health and creating a more active world. Sunday, 10 am-2 pm; Santa Monica Place, Center Court, 395 Santa Monica Blvd.; RSVP: here.
Charm City Cakes West Cake Decorating Classes
Led by the bakery’s team of professional decorators, learn a variety of decorating fundamentals in themed classes. This weekend is Marie Antoinette, “Let them eat cake!” In this class, you will create a regal rococo design, inspired by the French Queen Marie Antoinette. Learn to airbrush premade roses, make fleur de lis cutouts, and pipe gold detailing on a 6” iced cake. Vegan and gluten-free cake options available. $150; Saturday, 11 am; 8302-A Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90069; 323.642.7234; Register here.
Taste of Mexico Food Festival
Feast on some of the best Mexican cuisine, Los Angeles has to offer. Participating chefs include: Vanessa Sanchez (El Borrego De Oro); Jesse Gomez (Yxta); Mama Yucas (Yucas); and Natalie Curie (El Coraloense). Join in the farmer’s market picnic from 12- 4 pm and dinner, dancing and drinks from 7-11 pm. Saturday, 12-11 pm; La Plaza De Las Culturas y Artes, 501 North Main St., Downtown, CA
The 13th Annual Galbani® Cheese Italian Feast of San Gennaro
Inspired by the 80+ year old NYC tradition, the feast celebrates Italian culture, entertainment and cuisine, and will feature great food, music, genealogy research, a free kid’s corner & petting zoo, pony rides, bocce, bingo, carnival rides, games and more. Special events going on throughout the weekend, include a “Gravy-Sauce” competition, “Galbani Cheese Building Contest for Charity” and a weekend “Will You Marrow Me?” donor campaign for Be the Match registry, which recruits marrow donors to save lives of blood cancer patients. A Blood Drive for Cedars Sinai Hospital will be hosted on-site from 11 am-5 pm on Sunday. A Procession of St. Gennaro on Hollywood Blvd. will begin at noon on Saturday. $5; Friday, 5 pm-midnight, Saturday, 11 am-midnight, Sunday, 11 am-10 pm; 1651 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood, CA; 818.508.0082
The Longines Los Angeles Masters
The Longines Los Angeles Masters is an exhilarating sporting experience and prestigious social event coming to the L.A. Convention Center September 25-28.The American Grand Slam celebrates the essence of Los Angeles lifestyle and glamour by offering guests world-class equestrian competitions, a fine dining experience with the cuisine of a 2* Michelin Chef, exquisite luxury shopping, art, and lifestyle entertainment over four days. Through Sunday, 5 pm; Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, CA 90015
Carb & Nation‘ s Chicken and Waffle Cone
Carb & Nation will start their Saturday night residency at Tested.LA with a special treat for everyone. Chef Kevin and Fata are both creating their own version of a chicken and waffle cone to be served for one-night only. After receiving an overwhelming response for their Indonesian fried chicken during their last pop-up event, they began searching for a unique way to feature the dish. Now, you have the fried chicken and waffle cone dish – created by Brooklyn Star Restaurant in New York. Saturday, 5-11 pm; Tested.LA
Silaa Thai Pop-Up from Chef Bernhard Mairinger of BierBeisl
Chef Bernhard Mairinger will be doing a pop-up at Silaa Thai and the menu will be features traditional Austrian dishes like Cured Ocean Trout with baby heirloom beets, horseradish crème fraiche;BierBeisl House Salad, crispy pork lardons, roasted corn, butter lettuce and heirloom radish;Original Wiener Schnitzel (Veal) with potato-cucumber salad, lingonberry compote and lemon; Beef Short Rib Gulasch with Spätzle; and Kaierschmarrn with roasted plum compote. (On Friday, Chef Mairinger will be feeding the dugout season ticket holders the Austrian version of a Dodger Dog! He will be serving sausages on pretzel bread with sauerkraut and a traditional plum streusel cake.) $70; Saturday, 5-11 pm; 1128 S. Robertson Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90035; resys: reservation@silaathai.com
Sales:
Kelly Wearstler Sale
If you missed Kelly Wearstler sale last year, then get on it this year! Promising a generous array of Wearstler’s eclectic clothing, accessories, jewelry and home decor at discounted prices, the one-time event is cash-only. All sales are final.Friday, 9:30 am-3 pm; The Cooper Building, 860 S. Los Angeles St., Los Angeles, CA 90014
3.1 Phillip Lim
Score up to 70% off the designer’s ready-to-wear, shoes, accessories (and possibly Pashli bags) during his two-day sample sale in DTLA. Friday, 9 am-4 pm; 721 S Los Angeles St., Los Angeles, CA 90014
Active
Score up to 80% off the lifestyle brand’s apparel, footwear, and accessories for women and men during their three-day warehouse sale. Friday & Saturday, 10 am-5 pm, Sunday, 10 am-2 pm; 12178 4th St., Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730
Alexis Bittar: Cooper Building
Score the edgy jewelry designer’s luxe pieces for as low as $49 during his three-day sample sale at the Cooper Building’s mezzanine floor. Friday, 10 am-7 pm, Saturday 10 am-3 pm; 860 S Los Angeles St.,Los Angeles, CA 90014; 213.627.3754
Fred Segal
Still ongoing is the boutique’s and Ron Robinson’s annual sale, which promises up to 50% off designer clothing, accessories, home goods, and more. 8118 Melrose Ave.,Los Angeles, CA 90048; 323.651.1800
Halston Heritage: Cooper Building
Enjoy up to 70% off the legendary designer label’s ready-to-wear, dresses and bags during its one-day sample sale. Friday, 9 am-4 pm; 860 S Los Angeles St.,Los Angeles, CA 90014; 213.627.3754
Linea Pelle
Score the LA-based luxe leather brand’s handbags for $50-200, jewelry for $10 and up, and belts for $25-50 during their three-day sample sale. Giveaways will also be in the mix. Friday & Saturday, 10 am-3 pm; 2222 Barry Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90064; 310.231.9950
Lykke Wullf
Enjoy up to 70% off the LA-based label’s tops, dresses, and more during its one-day sample sale in Echo Park. Sunday, 1-6 pm; 1350 Laveta Terrace,Los AngelesS, CA 90026
Nation Ltd, Rory Beca, James Jeans, Mo
Score basics brand Nation LTD’s luxe pieces from its holiday ’13 through fall ’14 lines for $30 and under, plus denim from James Jeans’ denim for up to 70% off, apparel from LA designer Rory Beca for $30, and jewelry from Jessica Elliot and Skinny for 60-80% off. Friday, 9 am-4 pm; 860 S Los Angeles St., Los Angeles, CA 90014; 213.627.3754
RNT23: Cooper Building
Score 70-80% off European menswear designer Ron Tomson’s blazers, jackets, dress shirts, denim, shorts and accessories from his current and A/W 2015 collections. Friday, 9 am-5 pm; 860 SLos Angeles St.,Los Angeles, CA 90014; 213.627.3754
Theory: Cooper Building
Enjoy deep discounts on the minimalist-cool label’s apparel during their one-day, cash-only sample sale at the Cooper Building. Friday, 9:30 am-3 pm; 860 SLos Angeles St.,Los Angeles, CA 90014; 213.627.3754
Vera Wang: Intercontinental LA
Get deep discounts on the gown guru’s bridal dresses from current and past seasons during her one-day sample sale at Century City’s InterContinental hotel. Sunday; 2151 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles, CA 90067; 310.284.6500