With the posting of my article “Going Native”last week, it might be just the right time to take a “Plant Hike” in Griffith Park. Welcome back “626 Night Market” to Santa Anita Park and enjoy tasty cuisine. “Summer Music Strolls” go a long way to relaxing and lifting your spirits. Celebrate the anniversary of Disneyland’s opening with the virtual event “From the Magic City to the Magic Kingdom.” I don’t know what “An Octoroon” is but I do know it’s a big hit at The Fountain Theatre. This week’s podcast is all about dreams. And join us for a LIVE Facebook event on July 20.

 Did you know unlocking the messages in your dreams can improve relationships, careers, health, wealth and so much more? Listen in to this fascinating conversation with Kelly Sullivan Walden, one of America’s premiere dream analysts. LISTEN IN

July 18. Plant Hike

Got a hankerin’ for a fun hike, Tomatoes?  Well, you’ll find the “Plant Hike with Jorge Ochoa” in the wondrous Griffith Park, not just beautiful, but filled with intriguing information about flora and fauna features along the trail with a focus on the fruiting season of native plants.  I love hike and walks with an expert guide and there’s no better than Jorge Ochoa. 

I’s all organized by the marvelous “Friends of Griffith Park” who are the much-needed voice of the park. Friends of Griffith Park is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) charitable group that promotes the enlightened stewardship of Griffith Park so it can survive and thrive well beyond the 21st century. The hike can be brisk with a moderate climb and, with it being summer, hot.  So be sure to bring water, hat and wear sunscreen and good footwear.  And then enjoy, Tomatoes.

July 17 and 18. Summer Music Strolls

The after-hours “Summer Music Strolls” at Descanso Gardens features classical music from the Sakura Cello Quintet, the sounds of sitar from the Paul Livingston Ensemble and mystical music from the Middle East performed by the Yuval Ron Ensemble. A delightful way to spend time this weekend, Gals.

Strolling in the beautiful landscape of Descanso Gardens is only enhanced by amazing music played by top notch musicians.   SAKURA Cello’s have been described by Mark Swed of the LA Times as “brilliant” and “superb”. The AROHI Ensemble with Paul Livingston, has been featured on Grammy-winning records, intertwines the rhythm of South Asia with Western chamber music.  The Yuval Ron Music – with guest flamenco artist Manuel Gutierrez and Andres Vadin – explores the Jewish and Gypsy traditions of Andalusia, Spain.in the Middle Ages with a vision for the 21st century.  A wide variety of exquisite sounds while you stroll, Tomatoes.

July 20. Join Us for a Facebook LIVE Celebration

We’re excited to celebrate the audiobook version of Gayle Martz’s wonderful memoir, It’s in the Bag, that tells the story of how she founded SHERPA Bag and changed traveling with pets forever. Media personality Valerie Smaldone, who heads the audiobook group of The Three Tomatoes publishing, narrated the book and she will be interviewing Gayle. Just go to Facebook or YouTube at 6 PM ET on July 20.

626 Night Market

The “626 Night Market” events are back for a 9th season at Santa Anita Park. Yippee! This Californian festival features 250+ food vendors, merchandise, crafts, arts, games, music, and entertainment attractions in a super-duper event that appeals to all ages.  Be sure to come hungry, Tomatoes!

626 Night Market, the original and largest night market in the United States is inspired by the famous open-air nighttime bazaars of Asia, where people come together to eat, drink, socialize, and be entertained. An interesting tidbit: the large-scale market is named after the 626-area code, Tomatoes.

July 17.  From the Magic City to the Magic Kingdom

Tomorrow is the anniversary of the opening of Disneyland on July 17, 1955, and you will have the opportunity to be totally fascinated by what led to the development of Disneyland with the virtual event, “From Magic City to the Magic Kingdom.”

The magic of Walt Disney and Disney Studios first contribution ever to the Golden Gate International Exposition in 1939 happened on Treasure Island! Wow! This was just the beginning of Disney’s vision of Disneyland developing.  Who knew? Well, Tomatoes can discover bunches more from the virtual event, “From Magic City to the Magic Kingdom,”with speaker, Anne Schnoebelen, who is the Vice President and Historian of the Treasure Island Museum. I sure as heck didn’t know there was a Treasure Island Museum. 

till Sept 19. An Octoroon

If you are worried about crowding into a packed theatre, then this outdoor theatre experience at The Fountain Theatre is perfect.  The exterior set up is remarkable and so is the LA premiere of, “An Octoroon”, now playing.  It is a groundbreaking hit and the reviews are “off the charts”, Tomatoes. 

“An Octoroon”, the landmark play by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, inaugurates the new outdoor stage at the Fountain Theatre with Judith Moreland directing is the winner of the Obie Award for Best American Play.  The New York Times hailed it as “this decade’s most eloquent theatrical statement on race in America today.” The Guardian declared it “brilliant” and “extraordinary.”

“An Octoroon” is a radical, incendiary and subversively funny riff on Dion Boucicault’s once-popular 1859 mustache-twirling melodrama set on a Louisiana plantation. A spectacular collision of the antebellum South and 21st-century cultural politics, “An Octoroon” twists a funhouse world of larger-than-life stereotypes into blistering social commentary to create a gasp-inducing satire.  Don’t wait too long to book your tickets, Tomatoes.