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Clockshop’s annual Kite Festival, UCLA hosts work about the fires, a kids' book fair at the Japanese American National Museum and more of the best things to do this weekend.
Clockshop’s free annual Kite Festival takes over the L.A. State Historic Park, giving you a chance to enter your homemade kite into a competition, check out artist-commissioned kites and an inflatable sculpture, and, of course, participate in a free kite-making workshop. The second annual Nikkei Children’s Book Festival brings children’s book authors and illustrators to the Japanese American National Museum for a fun day celebrating the love of reading.
Spend Friday afternoon and evening than at UCLA, exploring a new collection of interactive exhibits and music created by artists impacted by last year’s Palisades and Eaton fires.who are creating installations that are open 24/7 right on the boardwalk, and doing free pop-up opera and other performances at night all summer long. Being a Venice local, it’s been so fun to see these projects come in along an otherwise pretty quiet stretch of Ocean Front Walk — take a stroll there this summer and you never know what or who you might see.has your weekend music picks.
On Friday, Muna begins their two-night run at Shrine Expo Hall, and Wu Lyf plays the first of two nights at the Lodge Room. Plus, Snow Tha Product is at The Novo, Fishbone plays the Teragram, and Netflix Is a Joke has two music-focused events:at the Ford. The dream of the '90s is alive!
Saturday, the Netflix fun continues with two nights of Flight of the Conchords at the Greek; on Sunday, Rodrigo y Gabriela are at the YouTube Theater and Norah Jones is at Pacific Electric. Last weekend, I strolled down to the free jazz shows on Third Street Promenade and was happy to see so many folks out for the music.
This week, the fest continues with its marquee events, including Kamasi Washington , jazz legend Stanley Washington and many more greats taking the stage at Santa Monica’s Tongva Park. Check out dozens of artworks from established, mid-career, and emerging artists — and maybe even snap one up — at the annual Venice Art Walk, benefiting the Venice Family Clinic.
This year’s Signature Artist is L.A. artist Alison Saar; the gallery and theBring mom to pick out her own perfect gift at this spring’s Unique Markets at the Cooper Design Space penthouse. The Unique Market has a knack for finding brands that go on to become L.A. cool-kid household names, like Hedley & Bennett, P.F. Candle Co., CoolHaus, Poke'To and more. There are also free drinks, a free DIY charm-making station and a photo booth with free Polaroid prints.
The second annual Nikkei Children’s Book Festival brings children’s book authors and illustrators to the Japanese American National Museum for a fun day celebrating the love of reading. In the morning, there’s a special reading of Ken Mochizuki’sand a national leader of Authors Against Book Bans. An afternoon session features Korey Watari, the author of. Many more authors and illustrators will be on hand, plus there will be arts and crafts, signings, a pop-up book store and more.
I don’t think there’s a better place you could spend Friday afternoon and evening than at UCLA, exploring a new collection of interactive exhibits and music created by artists impacted by last year’s Palisades and Eaton fires. From a custom Fender Stratocaster crafted for San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity from trees that were damaged around the Eaton Fire to listening and viewing stations for works from local artists, including the L.A.
Field Recording Club, there are all kinds of ways to explore how the community has responded and processed grief and resilience over the past year. A panel conversation features Chris Douridas , Jessica Schwartz , Liz Koslov and Kim Yu , followed by a closing concert with works from UCLA students and faculty, including the Herbie Hancock Institute Band and the Los Angeles premiere of Will Rand’sSo much more than just a collection of art books, the annual L.A.
Art Book Fair is organized by Printed Matter and features a whole weekend of DJs, live music and exhibitions. This year’s projects include an archival show of newspapers by Chicano in Print; a curated selection of Ed Ruscha's expansive Sunset Strip project by The Getty Research Institute; artifacts of pre-Y2K Asian girlhood from the '90s band Emily’s Sassy Lime , organized by Ooga Booga; and a site-specific billboard project by Werkplaats Typografie that evolves over the course of the fair.to yourself. It’s no secret that Picasso, like many brilliant artists, had a dark side, and this new play, coming to the Odyssey straight from London, explores just that. British actor Peter Tate and Olivier Award-winning director Guy Masterson bring their production here for just two weeks. Let’s go fly a kite!
Clockshop’s free annual Kite Festival takes over the L.A. State Historic Park, giving you a chance to enter your homemade kite into a competition, check out artist-commissioned kites and an inflatable sculpture, and, of course, participate in a free kite-making workshop.
The new Apple TV series, based on the acclaimed novel of the same name by Rufi Thorpe — and starring Elle Fanning and Michelle Pfeiffer — puts a spotlight on the Orange County city of Fullerton, where it's set and was filmed.in Fullerton was her “little authorly gift” to the character of Margo, who has a baby at the age of 19 and turns to OnlyFans to make ends meet: “Yes, it was going to be terrifying and hard and she wasn’t going to know if she was going to get through it, but she was going to do it in Fullerton, dammit.
”Some of the locations featured in the show include Fullerton College, beloved local restaurants like Rutabegorz and Angelo's and Vinci's , and the pedestrian bridge that leads to the Fullerton train station and reads"Welcome to Downtown Fullerton.
"has sparked hope that California's expansion of its film and TV tax incentive program last year may be starting to have positive effects. — which stars Elle Fanning, Michelle Pfeiffer, Nick Offerman and Nicole Kidman — set in the Orange County city of Fullerton?
Author Rufi Thorpe, who wrote the book the series is based on and is an executive producer on the show, is from Orange County and has set some of her earlier books in smaller Southern California locales too —in Fullerton was her “little authorly gift” to the character of Margo, who has a baby at the age of 19 and turns to OnlyFans to make ends meet. Thorpe said she grew up visiting a friend of her mom’s, a classical pianist, in Fullerton, so she had a sense of the city’s low-key vibe: “It’s a very cute city, and just so many dentists and tax preparation offices — just so many!
” And it felt like a nice place to put her main character, who she was going to be putting through a lot: “Yes, it was going to be terrifying and hard and she wasn’t going to know if she was going to get through it, but she was going to do it in Fullerton, dammit. ”and the fact that the series received a state film and TV tax credit.
, and is the setting of a pivotal scene between Margo and her mom Shyanne, played by Pfeiffer. A little bit of Rutabegorz history : Before it became a coffeehouse in the 1970s, and later a full restaurant, for 48 years it was the office and residence of a doctor, who — according to a sign in the restaurant about the building’s history — was the first to administer the antibiotic medication penicillin to a patient in Southern California. Today, Rutabegorz is known for its quirky decorations, healthy food options and long-running $1 chip and dip special.
The Fox Theatre in Fullerton dates back to 1925 and is one of the city’s most recognizable buildings, but it hasn’t been an operational theater since 1987, when it closed and fell into disrepair. The Fullerton Historic Theatre Foundation, which is leading the ongoing restoration effort, does hold some special events there, including the 100th birthday celebration for the theater in May of 2025..
The site of many a special occasion meal for locals, with ornate decorations the restaurant closed in 2023 after a 52-year-long run. In the series, Margo is a waitress at Angelo’s and Vinci’s and has her baby shower there. And for anyone who remembers going to the restaurant, it’s nice to see the space alive again in the show. Fullerton is only one stop away from L.A.
’s Union Station on Amtrak or Metrolink. Here are some other spots to check out if you’re making a day trip:The creator of some of the most popular electric guitars in the world was a life-long resident of Fullerton. The Leo Fender Gallery is housed in theThe Cellar dates back to 1969 and was designed by one of the “imagineers” responsible for the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland .
New episodes of 'Margo's Got Money Troubles' are available to stream on Apple TV on Wednesdays. The final two episodes air May 13 and 20. The fundraiser led by environmental organizations to buy land in Big Bear Valley to prevent construction of a planned housing project not far from the famous bald eagle nest for Jackie and Shadow is about halfway over but has so far raised roughly a quarter of its $10 million goal.
Some people say the project, slated to include 50 lots for custom homes and a marina with 55 boat slips, would harm rare plants and wildlife in the area. That includes the famous bald eagles,The “Save Moon Camp” fundraiser, which officials have said is the most ambitious effort in Friends of Big Bear Valley history, has raised more than $2.5 million as of Wednesday.
If the groups don’t raise $10 million by July 31, Friends of Big Bear Valley has a backup plan.to prevent construction of a planned housing project not far from Jackie and Shadow's famous bald eagle nest is about halfway over but has so far raised roughly a quarter of its $10 million goal. Some people say the project, slated to include 50 lots for custom homes and a marina with 55 boat slips, would harm rare plants and wildlife in the area.
That includes the resident bald eagles,The “Save Moon Camp” fundraiser, which officials have said is the most ambitious effort in Friends of Big Bear Valley history, has raised more than $2.5 million as of Wednesday. Jenny Voisard, the nonprofit’s media manager, told LAist that the money has mostly come through small donations from thousands of loyal fans around the world.
She said Friends of Big Bear Valley is “deeply grateful” for the love and support the community has shown since the fundraiser launched in February. She described the donations as an “investment in conservation and humanity. ” “What happens with California's biodiversity is important to every one of us on this planet, and you are all helping to take care of that,” Voisard said.
“Biodiversity is responsible for the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink and the medicine we take. And you're all heroes. ”Voisard said she’s been struck and brought to tears by how personal the fundraiser has become to people. Some fans have been donating monthly, every payday or with their morning latte money.
Others have been writing letters to news outlets, institutions, government officials and “anybody that will listen,” she said. A third grade class at Wildwood Elementary in Yucaipa, for example, pooled together $373 for the fundraiser, Voisard said. Another elementary school in Connecticut sent a little more than $970.
“This is our next generation of environmental caretakers and stewards, and so that's why this is so important,” she said. “We need to raise the money, and it's not about the amounts. It's that they believe in what we're doing and that it's worth saving. ”There have been a few $50,000 donations, an anonymous donation of $77,000 and a $20,000 gift sent along with a handwritten letter.
Voisard said Friends of Big Bear Valley is actively reaching out to philanthropists and tribal councils to garner their support as well. If the groups don’t raise $10 million by July 31, Friends of Big Bear Valley has a backup plan. Voisard said there’s a financing option that would allow the groups to purchase the land — but with quarterly payments and a high interest rate. She acknowledged that would be “difficult” and require longer-term fundraising, but it’s an option.
The eventual goal is to have the acres be protected under the U.S. Forest Service, but some people have expressed concerns about the, including California. The Forest Service lost more than 5,800 employees last year, or about 16% of its workforce, amid Trump’s push to cut federal spending, according to But the land transfer process would take years, and Voisard said a different administration would be in charge by then.
“This land will also have special protected status, so that we don't go through all of this for nothing,” she said. The San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust is no stranger to the preservation process. It has helped conserve more than 15,000 acres of land in theT. J. Fraser moved to Big Bear Valley’s community of Fawnskin about eight years ago to escape city life in Los Angeles.
He said he's “100% opposed” to the Moon Camp project for a"myriad of reasons.
" The most important factor is protecting the bald eagles and the joy they bring to people, but he said he’s also concerned about development changing the quiet, close-knit community. “I think part of living here … is that you learn very, very quickly that we adapt to the surroundings,” he said. “We don't expect the forest to adapt to us.
” Fraser said residents’ respect extends to the squirrels, bears and coyotes in Fawnskin, which he described as “our neighbors. ” He added that the eagle livestream, which features a picturesque view from the trees towering over Big Bear Lake, may be some viewers' only connection to nature.
“I think that if they were able to look into that screen and extrapolate out into those trees, in the water, and understand that people live there, and the way that we live there is very similar to the way the eagles live in the nest,” he said. “We're all in it together. … No matter where you live, you are a product of nature and the environment.
” Fraser said he sees the fundraiser as helping Jackie and Shadow stay in the area for years but also as a message: There are some things more important than money. If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.
Federal agents arrested several people and searched multiple businesses around MacArthur Park on Wednesday as part of an investigation into drug trafficking. Agents also searched six businesses in the Westlake neighborhood and said that at least 18 people were arrested as part of the investigation, which was called “Operation Free MacArthur Park. ”The suspects are allegedly tied to distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine out of the park, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Agents also raided a home in Calabasas and found 40 pounds of fentanyl believed to be part of the network of drugs distributed to MacArthur Park, according to authorities. Federal agents swarmed MacArthur Park on Wednesday afternoon in a joint operation targeted at suspected drug dealers. Agents also searched six businesses in the Westlake neighborhood and said that at least 18 people were arrested as part of the investigation, which was called “Operation Free MacArthur Park.
” The suspects are allegedly tied to distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine out of the park, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Agents also raided a home in Calabasas and found 40 pounds of fentanyl believed to be part of the network of drugs distributed to MacArthur Park, according to authorities.
Agents in tactical gear and armored vehicles rolled through the neighborhood shortly after 2 p.m., according to images shared over social media, and an agent used a large saw to cut through a metal security door at a business storefront on Alvarado Street, NBC News reported. The investigation included six businesses in Westlake and a federal indictment names 25 people, with several who have not been found.
Authorities arrested 18 people in connection to suspected drug trafficking in and around MacArthur Park. The suspects were identified in a news conference Wednesday by federal authorities. The raids began Tuesday evening and are expected to continue, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli announced during a press conference outside the park. He was flanked by agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Los Angeles Police Department.
Armored vehicles lined Alvarado Street and more agents in tactical gear stood under the shade of a nearby tree. The Los Angeles Police Department announced it provided assistance to its federal partners and clarified the investigation was not related to immigration enforcement. Anthony Chrysanthis, special agent in charge for the DEA’s field office in Los Angeles, reiterated that the federal agency will return to Westlake.
“We will be watching this place every day, all the time. We’ve been gathering evidence for 60 days,” Chrysanthis said.
“Privately, we get phone calls every day. ‘What are you doing about this? ’ So, if you live in an area where you see drug activity, you can plan a friendly visit from law enforcement. ” Chrysanthis said the operation at the park was chosen because “this place is symbolic to Los Angeles.
” “The communities have to go back to the people. We have to make our city safe again for all people in Los Angeles. So today the message starts,” he said. Troy Feller, volunteer with the faith-based organization Dream Center, was handing out lunch to people in the park when agents arrived.
Feller saw police and agents wearing tactical gear pull up to the park.
“They started wrapping up the area really quickly. We’re out here every week and we have never seen something like this,” Feller said. By 4:30 p.m. the road closures around the park reopened. A vendor swept up the sidewalk around their stall.
Boxes of aspirin, back pain ointment and fake eyelashes spilled onto the sidewalk, along with broken glass. A hole cut through the metal security door was visible from the sidewalk where an agent used a saw to cut into the vendor’s stall. Boxes of Monistat and Neosporin hung from inside the stall.
“I found out on TV they were cutting up my store. We don’t sell drugs here. I sell creams and medicine,” Arrega said.
“They didn’t find anything. I can’t open my store until I fix my door. ” Aura Garcia, who owns Vitamins and Plus next to Arrega’s store, said law enforcement officers went to her daughter’s home and took her into custody. Garcia said officers also handcuffed her 13-year-old granddaughter in the process.
Garcia is still uncertain about whether the arrest is related to the federal operation. Their store was raided Wednesday, but she reiterated that they do not sell drugs. Susana Cruz, an employee at the market La Bendición de Dios near Alvarado and Sixth said, “They thought that we sold drugs here, but they didn’t find anything. ” Cruz said federal agents raided the market and threw all the products to the floor, which includes creams and other pharmaceutical items.
Agents also pulled down a security camera at the market. Jose Ramirez, a street vendor on Sixth and Alvarado said, watched the aftermath of the raid from the sidewalk.
“I don’t know if this is all for show, but this made people afraid and the businesses that are barely surviving, I don’t know what’s going to happen to them,” he said. “There’s other ways to combat drug trafficking. I don’t know what the mayor is thinking. ” Others in the neighborhood said they support the operation in response to the ongoing drug use at the park.
Victoria Sykes, has lived in the neighborhood for the past five years and has been visiting the area for at least two decades.
“I’ve seen people dealing drugs here on Alvarado and I personally support what happened here today because I think drugs should leave this neighborhood. It’s not safe. We need to clean it up,” Sykes said. The federal indictment names several people, including Mallaly Moreno-Lopez, 31, and Jackson Tarfur, 28, who are both from the Westmont neighborhood in South Los Angeles.
Authorities claim that the couple hand-delivered drugs to storefronts and dealers street-level dealers. Federal documents detail 27 drug deals of fentanyl and methamphetamine from March 9 to April 15 in and around MacArthur Park. The indictment references multiple street gangs, including 18th Street. Chrysanthis with the DEA said the operation is intended to send a message to the drug traffickers who operate out of the park.
“This is our park. This park belongs to the people of Los Angeles and to anyone who wants to sell drugs, I want them to look around because at any day we can come back and take it,” he said. When asked why the operation took place now, Chrysanthis said, “FIFA is coming. The Super Bowl is coming.
The Olympics are coming. It’s time to give the community back to the people of LA. ”The Bureau of Street Services estimates it can only resurface 60 lane miles this fiscal year, compared to more than 300 lane miles the prior year. Los Angeles city streets will worsen and repairing them will become more expensive unless the city overhauls its approach to maintenance, according to a report from transportation advocacy group Streets For All.
The critical condition that L.A. ’s streets could find themselves in is the result of underinvestment, opting for smaller-scale treatments and delaying compliance with long-standing federal accessibility laws, according to the report. One of the potential solutions the report names is changing the city’s charter to mandate a five-year infrastructure plan, and that’s the solution local leaders have recently angled toward too.
Los Angeles city streets will worsen and repairing them will become more expensive unless the city overhauls its approach to maintenance,“We’re looking towards a dire future for the streets of Los Angeles if we continue on the status quo,” said Josh Vredevoogd, who heads creative and research for the organization that spearheaded Measure HLA and co-authored the report published in late April. The critical condition that L.A.
’s streets could find themselves in is the result of underinvestment, opting for smaller-scale treatments and delaying compliance with long-standing federal accessibility laws, according to the report. One of the potential solutions the report names is changing the city’s charter to mandate a five-year infrastructure plan, and that’s the option local leaders have recently angled toward too.resurfacing, which treats a street from curb to curb.
While some resurfacing has since resumed, the Bureau of Street Servicesits current budget will only allow 60 lane miles of resurfacing this fiscal year compared to more than 300 lane miles the prior year.is the high price of installing curb ramps. According to federal guidelines, curb ramps must be installed in compliance with ADA standards before a road is resurfaced. They come with a high price tag at $50,000 per curb ramp, according to Streets For All.
The city has instead prioritized “large asphalt repairs” this year. That’s a method of patching when there are structural failures like potholes or extensive cracking,"but the entire street doesn't yet need full resurfacing,” said Dan Halden, a spokesperson for the Bureau of Street Services. By opting for large asphalt repairs, “City lawyers believe ADA repair requirements are not triggered,” Streets For All’s report says.
The group's report says that large asphalt repairs end up costing more per square foot than resurfacing, lead to more expensive repairs later and don’t result in any meaningful improvement to street condition. The report estimates that by not keeping up with curb ramp standards, L.A. will need to spend $4 billion to address its estimated 80,000 ramp backlog.
For years, advocates, namely Jessica Meaney of Investing in Place, have called on the city to create a long-term infrastructure development and maintenance plan, something major cities throughout the U.S. already have. Vredevoogd said such a plan, known officially as a Capital Infrastructure Program, could include a streamlined method of street maintenance.
“They repave the street. They fix all the curb ramps. They put in new trees. They add Vision Zero improvements,” he said.
“That’s what you see happening with more functional Public Works programs in other cities. ” Earlier this week, Mayor Karen Bass released a Capital Infrastructure Program focused on projects for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic games. Bass’ plan is a one-off, though, and long-term infrastructure planning and budgeting isn’t part of the regular course of city business.of a five-year-long Capital Infrastructure Program in the city charter.
If it succeeds, that recommendation would make a plan similar to what Bass released as part of the regular process of planning and budgeting. The commission also recommended creating a director of Public Works position that would oversee and implement infrastructure planning.
Her spokesperson, Chelsea Lucktenberg, said the councilmember sees charter reform “as a key part of the solution” to address the problems identified in Streets For All’s report, including how “our system is set up to prioritize short-term fixes over long-term maintenance. ”Bass’ office said the mayor’s proposed budget for next fiscal year increases funding for the city’s pavement preservation program by 21% and includes a 45% increase specifically for access ramps.at the end of March asking city departments for an analysis of curb ramp construction, including a comparison with comparable jurisdictions.
Halden, the Bureau of Street Services spokesperson, said the city is “on track” to install 300 curb ramps by this summer, when the current fiscal year ends.
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