Best Things To Do This Weekend In Los Angeles And SoCal: Oct. 6 – 8

The family-friendly Halloween event returns with hundreds of carved pumpkins lining the garden’s lit pathways. View sculptures made of sticks and other natural materials and an expanded “Rhizome” installation by Tom and Lien Dekyvere, and don’t forget to visit the Pumpkin House. Halloween-themed food and beverages will be available for purchase.

Inspired by Angela Davis’ Freedom is A Constant Struggle, the art exhibition Ordinary People transcends traditional art boundaries. The museum has tapped several L.A.-based organizations to serve as guest curators, each showcasing their art practices that emphasize community and support through social practice. Participating organizations include Crenshaw Dairy Mart, QUA – LGBTQ Ukrainians in America, Tlaloc Studios, AMBOS Project, People’s Pottery Project and Slanguage Studio. There’s an AfterDark exhibition preview party on Friday, Oct. 6 from 7 to 10 pm. (Admission is $20 per person.)

Sovern LA, a nonprofit healing justice center, holds an opening reception for the group fashion exhibition titled In Our Hands: Upcycling & Accessibility, which features five L.A.-based BIPOC upcycling designers, artists and healers. The show highlights the conscious efforts of the designers toward sustainability and accessibility in their work through the creative process of upcycling — the reuse of materials to create something of higher quality or value. The opening reception includes a community conversation with the artists, DJ, food truck and refreshments. The show runs through
Saturday, Dec. 9, culminating in a night market.

The GRAMMY Museum celebrates the 50th anniversary of hip-hop with the new 5,000-square-foot exhibition Hip-Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit. The exhibit explores the origins of hip-hop music, dance, graffiti, fashion, business, activism and history, providing visitors with context and culture. On display are artifacts, including the Notorious B.I.G.’s iconic red leather pea jacket and LL Cool J’s red Kangol bucket hat, plus a Sonic Playground with five interactive stations for DJing, rapping and sampling.

The historic Union Station’s ticket concourse hosts an antiquarian book fair with leading specialists and exhibitors in antique books, ephemera and maps. In conjunction with the book fair, Angel City Press presents lectures by its authors who focus on the cultural and social history of Los Angeles.

Join the Academy Museum’s Education team in this weekend’s family drop-in workshop: Creating spooky props inspired by the William Castle films screening at the museum’s Family Matinees series in October: The Tingler (1959) and House on Haunted Hill (1958). Castle was best known for his eerie flicks and gimmicky PR campaigns that accompanied them. At this workshop, create props that could be a perfect fit for a haunted house or William Castle trick.

The Milk Carton Kids are launching and co-presenting the first ever Los Angeles Folk Festival in conjunction with the LA Philharmonic. Day one acts include: Sierra Ferrell, Valerie June, Davíd Garza & Freaklórico and Tré Burt. Day two features Waxahatchee, The Milk Carton Kids, Haley Heynderickx and Willie Watson. Comedians Mae Martin, Nick Thune and other special guests will also make appearances throughout the weekend.

The one-day outdoor film festival screens a selection of short films celebrating Venice’s historical, artistic and cultural legacy. The fest also debuts clips from the recently launched Venice Heritage Museum’s (VHM) Oral History Project. The event features empanadas by The Empanada Factory and refreshments from Firestone Walker and Sapere Wines. All proceeds from the VHM Film Festival directly benefit the Venice Heritage Museum project and gallery, which is set to open this winter.

The Getty hosts its second annual family event in honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Learn about SoCal’s vibrant Native American cultures through activities focusing on traditional and contemporary Indigenous perspectives and narratives. Savor a tasting menu with several native ingredients, take in a hands-on art workshop, learn about native plants and enjoy live music performances throughout the afternoon.

Felipe Esparza, the first Latino to win NBC’s Last Comic Standing in 2010, brings The Bigfoo Tour to L.A. Prepare for his arrival by watching his Netflix special Bad Decisions/Malas Decisiones — two live performances, one in English and one in Spanish.

More than 100 animators, filmmakers and visual artists teamed up to create Our Frasier Remake, a collaborative, frame-by-frame reimagining of an episode from the NBC sitcom, which originally ran from 1993-2004. Now, this screening, set to release one day before Paramount Plus’s Frasier reboot, takes on the season 1 finale, “My Coffee With Niles.” The episode has been split into 185 sections, with a different artist is responsible for each section, remaking it frame by frame in varied styles, including animation, stop-motion, embroidery and puppetry.

The Tony Award-winning tap dancer Savion Glover returns to The Soraya with his new piece, SoUNDz’ SaCRoSaNcT, which combines dance and theater. The evening explores his life onstage and off and includes references to his mentors, such as Gregory Hines.

Pasadena Humane hosts Wildlife Day on Sunday at the shelter. The all-ages event features a vendor marketplace with wildlife-themed merchandise, interactive crafts for children, educational talks, giveaways and animal ambassador meet-and-greets. A team of wildlife experts will be on hand to answer questions and offer tips on coexisting with wildlife and the hazing of wild animals when necessary.

Watch the macabre Addams family in action. While Gomez and Morticia welcome a new addition — a baby boy named Pubert — Pugsley and Wednesday are less than thrilled about their new brother. While they plot ways to get rid of Pubert, Uncle Fester’s new love might not be as forthcoming as she seems. The 1993 film was directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and stars Raul Julia, Anjelica Huston, Christina Ricci, and Jimmy Workman. DJ Raul Campos spins before the film. All ages.

This spin on Oktoberfest features a variety of dumpling styles plus an array of other foods, beer selections from 14 craft breweries, and live entertainment. Those 21+ need wristbands ($40) to enter the beer garden, but you’ll get unlimited samples. No children are allowed in the beer garden. All food is sold separately.

Various locations
Dine LA returns for its fall edition, celebrating “15 years of culture through cuisine.” Enjoy exclusive lunch and dinner menus at hundreds of local restaurants. For example, the natural wine bar and restaurant Good Clean Fun in DTLA offers a caviar bump with Champagne as a first course on its multicourse menu ($95). WeHo vegan bar APB and Niku Nashi, the plant-based sushi concept with a permanent residency inside the bar, have assembled a dinner bento box for $25. Teleferic Barcelona in Brentwood offers guests a selection of authentic Spanish tapas and paellas for just $55/person. Dine LA specials apply to dine-in eating, not delivery or take-out. No tickets are required; ask for the Dine LA Restaurant Week menu.

Pasadena Magazine debuts the culinary event, the Taste of Pasadena 2023. Held in the Convention Center’s Exhibit Hall C. Guests can try varied culinary offerings: beer, wine, and handcrafted cocktails; live music; and experiences. Participating restaurants include Arth Bar + Kitchen, Celestino Ristorante, Champion’s Curry, Engine Co. No. 28, Farina Pizza, Granville, Great Maple, Lunasia Modern Dim Sum & Cuisine, The Luggage Room Pizzeria & La Grande Orange and The Raymond 1886. Dozens of other vendors will provide desserts and drinks.

The finale of Gustavo Arellano’s annual tortilla tournament takes place at this weekend’s Smorgasburg. Arellano and KCRW’s Good Food host Evan Kleiman host a day of food, music, the I Love Micheladas beer garden and friendly competition among the “Fuerte Four” tortillas (the last four who made it through a tough bracket). The day pits Heritage Brewery & Barbecue + HomeState (flour) and Taco María + Pan Victoria (corn). Get there early or stay late to enjoy the offerings from more than 90 vendors at Smorgasburg from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The family-friendly food festival returns, bringing people together for the love of food, community and fashion. The fest connects brands and restaurants, offering collaborative food and merch items only available at the festival. Participating restaurants include Funke, Yangban, Katz’s Deli, Dulan’s Soul Food Kitchen, Broad Street Oyster Co., Yazawa, Park’s Barbecue and dozens more.

Now in its 16th year, La Feria de Los Moles showcases the best varieties of mole sauces and other traditional Mexican dishes. Popular in Puebla and Oaxaca, mole’s true origin is obscured, though it’s widely accepted that the dish rose from a collision of indigenous and Spanish cultures in Mexico. Food is available for purchase a la carte.