Yes! Wait your turn Santa! Can you believe that Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukah…the whole shebang, is just around the corner Tomatoes?! Although Thanksgiving is first up, a few festive holiday events have invaded my newsletter. The Jackalope Indie Artisan Fair will get you ready for the holiday gift giving season. The Moonlight Forest at the Arboretum has just about everything for celebrating the season. And an early heads up… “The Heritage Square’s Holiday Lamplight Celebration” is an out of this world Victorian Celebration. And…we do have “The Great LA Walk”, a non-holiday tradition, to dispel the myths that nobody walks in LA. Cuz we do, don’t we Tomatoes?

November 23. The Great Walk

Get a jump on calorie burning before Turkey Day with “The Great Walk,” which starting in Arcadia through Pasedena to Highland Park and ending in DTLA. Tomatoes can join the 14th annual walk anywhere along the route. Angelinos will put the myth that nobody walks in LA to rest by hitting the sidewalks. So strut your stuff Tomatoes!

“The Great Los Angeles Walk” grew from dozens of participants to hundreds and continues to expand each year as more Angelinos join in to explore their city on foot. The Walk is completely free and don’t forget it is up to you to decide how much or how little of the walk you want to do. It starts rain or shine at 9am at Pershing Square. After hitting the ocean and taking celebratory photos, there will be a celebratory after party, Tomatoes!

November 16 & 17.  Jackalope Indie Artisan Fair

Kick off your holiday shopping, Tomatoes, with the “Jackalope Indie Artisan Fair” in Old Pasadena’s Central Park. Shoppers can expect to find trendsetting indie goods from over 200 makers, including original fashion & jewelry design, paper goods, ceramics, baskets, candles, innovative home décor, housewares, art, photography and food. Wow! A shopping mecca!

And there’s grab bags Tomatoes! Grab bags will be handled in the form of a scavenger hunt.  The first 25 people to check in at the information booth both Saturday and Sunday, will get a ticket with instructions on where to snag a bag from participating artisans! The Jackalope Artisan Fair is FREE, open to all ages and is handicap accessible. Leashed precious pets are welcome too.  Get in the shopping mood Tomatoes because the holidays are upon us. 

till January 12.  Moonlight Forest at the Arboretum

Tomatoes will find gorgeous lanterns, roaming Peacocks, amazing performances, and free parking at the Arboretum’s Moonlight Forest Magical Lantern Art Festival!,”sponsored by Monrovia BMV. The Moonlight Forest displays hundreds of individual lanterns each one handcrafted by skilled artisans. Wow! Don’t miss the chance to experience this magical garden Tomatoes!

The Moonlight Forest is a family-friendly walk-through event where colorful designs of animals, plants and Chinese culture come to life in the form of ancient Chinese lantern art. Artisans from the Sichuan Province of China construct and design the lanterns.  This family friendly and romantic event creates a night full of light and magic.   You can also enjoy live acrobats, dancers and delicious food while your eyes are popping with the glow of the lights. Get your tickets before they sell out.

Till January 5. Christmas from around the World

The Ronald Reagan Museum out does itself during the holidays with the incredible Christmas Tree Display with 26 gloriously decorated trees representing the 26 countries President Ronald Reagan visited during his time in office.  And included is the White House Tree with the “Reagan Red” decorations and dozens of hand-blown glass ornaments. Now that is really something to see Tomatoes.

All the Christmas Tree decorations encompass the bright and festive colors of the Caribbean, the crystals of the Nordic countries and the traditional decorations of England and Europe. The Vatican tree is entirely covered with white ornaments and features a life-size white peacock adorning the tree’s branches. Also on display is the collection of beautiful hand-crafted Menorahs that were given to President Reagan while in the White House. And for the first time ever, the Reagan Libraries holiday exhibition includes “An American Winter, Impressions in Watercolor by Thomas William Jones”. Admired American artist, Thomas William Jones, is known for his mastery of the watercolor medium. Not too shabby Tomatoes.

Lea Lane’s “Places I Remember: Tales, Truths, Delights from 100 Countries,” is a unique combination of travel memoir, travel almanac, personal journal and an illustrated album that also makes it a beautiful coffee table book. Get the book.

December 7 & 8.  Heritage Square Lamplight Celebration

You gals know how much I love Heritage Square.  Well, here’s your chance to experience a spectacular trip back in time at the “Annual Heritage Square Holiday Lamplight Celebrations.” The Historic Victorian Homes will glow with festive spirit and will be filled with lots of holiday cheer. Hop to it Ladies! The tickets for this event  sell out really fast!

The festivities include singing, dancing and re-enactments of holiday rituals past with costumed docents wandering from one historic home to another with stories and interactive customs of the era.  In addition, guests can enjoy a festive wine and cheese reception including sweet deserts. Yep that is included in the ticket price. Heritage Square Museum is truly one of LA’s hidden gems and visiting it during the holidays is super special Tomatoes.