Hello October! Our coastline shines with beauty as reflected in our cover photo “Peering at Point Vicente” from LA Life Photographer Lorraine Devon Wilke. Molly Cheek, our LA Life Tasting Tomato, praises Ann’s Wine Bar in Tastes of LA.  LA Life Fashion Stylist Felicia Arlin shares knock-out looks in LA Style Stories. LA Life Poetess Lady Penelope has unique thoughts in Sonnets from Suburbia.  The 3T LA Life Newsletter is now a monthly issue. Not to worry, it is still chock full of terrific columns from contributors and events happening throughout the month. Have a wonderful October Tomatoes.

 “Peering at Point Vicente” Cover Photo and Story

Lorraine Devon Wilke, has a way with the camera and words that always make her vision come alive with depth, beauty, and history. Point Vicente is definitely a place worth visiting.  Be sure to check out Lorraine Devon Wilke’s marvelous photos on her webpage and browse her entire website as it reveals the vast tapestry of Lorraine’s amazing talents.

If you get yourself on the iconic Pacific Coast Highway heading south and keep driving through one stunning beach town after another, you’ll eventually find yourself in the lush peninsula enclave known as Palos Verdes, a name that roughly translates to “green wood” (which you’ll find plentiful in the area). With rolling hills, breathtaking ocean vistas, and, yes, some concerns about slip-sliding hillsides, this area evokes passion, appreciation, and the persistent impulse to blurt, “Oh my God, it’s so freaking beautiful!” One of the most memorable stops is the Point Vicente Lighthouse. Perched on a bluff 130 feet above the sea, abutted by a popular park and the Point Vicente Interpretive Center, this 67-foot-high structure was built in 1926 and placed on the National Registry of Historic Sites in 1979. While only selectively open to visitors, anyone picnicking in the park, or simply wandering along the winding walk path at the top of the bluff, can enjoy a frame-worthy view from near or far. This view of mine, captured on a classically picturesque summer day, is aptly titled, “Peering at Point Vicente.” 

Tastes of LA: Ann’s Wine Bar

Our LA Life Tasting Tomato, Molly Cheek, definitely enjoyed her tasting experience at Ann’s Wine Bar at none other than the Hollywood Bowl. Finally, fine dining and drinking at the Bowl, Tomatoes. No doubt about it.  If you didn’t know…now you do.  All thanks to Molly.  GET THE DETAILS.

 LA Style Stories

No matter what Felicia Arlin, our LA Life Fashion Stylist, chooses to wear she always looks fantastic.   The beautiful fashion looks she’s chosen to wear and share in this week’s LA Style Stories, Street Life and Slip Into Something More Comfortable, inspire us to think out of the box.   So much to learn from her commentary as always. Remember I only highlight a snippet of Felicia’s amazing cur8edme posts so be sure to follow her on Instagram.  And she is the most amazingly insightful guide for helping you to find the right and most flattering style for you.  Just sayin’, Tomatoes. READ MORE.

Sonnets from Suburbia

Oh my…how I can relate, in more ways than one, to “My To Do List” from our esteemed LA Life Poetess Lady Penelope! I love this sonnet and you will too.  Penny Peyser (Lady Penelope) has outdone herself with “Sonnets from Suburbia: Romance Dance”. It’s masterful, brilliant and an easy and deliciously entertaining ride.  If  you haven’t already, don’t forget to order a copy of Penny Peyser’s first brilliant book, “Sonnets from Suburbia: More Candles Than Cake” to add to your collection, Tomatoes.  READ ON.

 Oct 4 & 5. Rare Books LA

Don’t you think that Union Station is the perfect location for the Rare Books LA Antiquarian Book Fair , Ladies? Presented by Rare Books LA, this rare book fair is featuring antiquarian books, maps, photography and more!

Angel City Press is also offering a series of presentations and talks by authors of the publisher’s award-winning books. Founded in 1992, Angel City Press publishes richly illustrated and carefully researched books focusing on the cultural and social history of Los Angeles. And Metro riders receive free admission to the book fair. How cool is that!

October 6. The Los Angeles Chocolate Salon

Attention Chocolate Aficionados and Fanatics!  I have two words for you…Chocolate Salon! The Los Angeles Chocolate Salon is returning for its 16th year so get ready to indulge to your heart’s content with a curated selection of some of the finest artisan, gourmet and premium chocolates that exist in the world of chocolate!  I might embarrass myself by drooling, Tomatoes.

My passion for chocolate is beyond description (can’t get through a day without it) so this epic chocolate event featuring the best of the best in chocolatiers and confectioners is a no brainer.  Your ticket includes free chocolate tastings and you might even find some yummy chocolate gifts to hide away for holiday giving.  Just don’t you eat them first! I know you know what I’m saying, Tomatoes!

Art Walks

On October 5^th Culver City’s Art Walk and Roll Festival will rock! Presented by the Culver City Arts District and Arts District residents, the streets will be open to celebrate the Culver City Creative Arts Community with artists, live music, food trucks and tasty bites from the Arts District’s amazing restaurants. And on the other side of town, October 5^th & 6^th the Fall Brewery Art Walk is happening. And it’s fab, too, Gals!

In addition to over 100 artist studios opening for the event, visitors will enjoy a variety of food trucks and a beer garden operated by The Brewery’s on-site restaurant, Barbara’s at the Brewery. The Brewery Artwalk is FREE and open to the public. Yay!

October 12. SAMO Fund Presents: Katelyn Tarver

The Santa Monica Mountains Fund (SAMO), in partnership with Tiny Porch Concerts, presents a fundraising concert by Indie-pop artist Katelyn Tarver at the Peter Strauss Ranch. You’ll enjoy an evening filled with live music, in the gorgeous Santa Monica Mountains.

Support The Santa Monica Mountain Fund and in turn support your Santa Monica National Park by attending this annual fundraiser.  There’ll be delicious food, beverages and an auction. These amazing mountains need your support to stay an intersection between people, plants and wildlife.

Every Saturday & Sunday in October– Dogtoberfest

Grab your leashes and Lederhosens, it’s time for Dogtoberfest! Woof, Woof! It’s beer festival meets dog parade at South Coast Botanic Garden’s Dogtoberfest and both humans and dogs alike are invited to join the festivities being offered every Saturday and Sunday in October. This just sounds like a blast! No dog? No worries!

You can still enjoy this amazing garden and free beer tastings, delicious Bavarian treats, Bratwursts, warm soft pretzels and relax in our VIP Bier Garten. Whether you’re bringing a pup or not, there’s something for everyone.  Those who bring their pups can enjoy a Bark Walk, a Dance Pawty, an obstacle course, and don’t forget to pick up a “barkuterie box” for your furry friends!

Through October City Plants Adoption Events

Despite the hot temps, it is fall and planting time so City Plants  is back with FREE trees to keep you shaded, cool and green at their October Tree Adoption events. Let’s hear a round of applause for TREES Tomatoes!

City Plants, whose mission is to expand and maintain LA’s green canopy to promote healthy living, maximize energy efficiency and to create jobs, helps accomplish these goals by hosting tree adoption events where you can take home a free tree! Yippee! Check out their calendar to find a tree adoption event near you. Be free, be green and be there Tomatoes.

 Oct 12 – Oct 19. Urban Wildlife Week & P22 Day

For an entire week of Urban Wildlife Week, thousands of community members and environmental organizations across the LA region come together to celebrate the majestic urban wildlife and remarkable ecosystems that thrive here in Los Angeles. Urban Wildlife Week culminates on October 19^th in Griffith Park with the absolutely amazing P-22 Day Festival which celebrates the life of P-22 the Mountain Lion of Hollywood and the nature that surrounds us.  A truly amazing week, Tomatoes.

The remarkable life of our iconic P-22, the Cat known around the world, inspired LA to move in a new direction with our relationship to the environment around us. The Urban Wildlife Week and the P-22 Day Festival is supported by groups who believe that wildlife and nature have an important role to play in our city environment and nearly every important environmental organization in SoCal is involved with the week’s events and the P-22 Day Festival.  Always free and open to the public, a variety of exciting events and educational activities offer inspiring opportunities to connect with the natural wonders that surround us every day. There will be a ton of fun for adults and kids and plenty of fresh air in the beautiful Griffith Park location for the festival. As Wallis Annenberg, President of the Annenberg Foundation, says, “It’s easy to think of Los Angeles as a concrete jungle. The truth is, we’re home to one of the most richly diverse ecosystems in the entire world. If you care about conservation, as I do—if you believe this Earth is a precious and an interconnected resource for all of us to share—then you ought to care about urban wildlife here in L.A. and around the world. We need to establish more and better wildlife crossings. And we need to use the extraordinary story of P-22 to help all the people of L.A. realize that this community is not ours alone. I’m proud we’re helping to present this celebration of P-22 and of urban wildlife as a whole—for the good of every living creature who calls L.A. home.”  We must never forget the beloved P-22, Tomatoes!

 Opens Oct 1.  Ecology of Trees

Art and science come together in the upcoming Skirball Museum exhibition, Ancient Wisdom for a Future Ecology: Trees, Time, and Technology. This art installation by artists Tiffany Shlain and Ken Goldberg draws inspiration from the complex landscape of Los Angeles and the science of tree dating. Fascinating!

As we confront escalating environmental concerns and pervasive societal inequities, trees remind us of the interconnectedness of our histories, our landscapes, and our collective futures. Tiffany Shlain and Ken Goldberg reimagine old and new ways of understanding trees at a time when technology further removes us from the natural world.

Opens Oct 17. Diane Von Furstenberg

Also opening at the Skirball on Oct 17^th is none other than the incredible Diane Von Furstenberg: Women Before Fashion exhibit.  It’s a US Debut Tomatoes and we have it!  The exhibition explores the remarkable life and work of this icon of fashion.

This expansive, multidisciplinary exhibition, enriched by a lavishly illustrated catalogue featuring interviews and scholarly essays, invites visitors to discover the extraordinary features of Diane Von Furstenberg’s career, from the 1970s to the present day. This exhibition will also include new images and audio that shed light on Von Furstenberg’s personal biography as the daughter of a Holocaust survivor and a war refugee, offering additional perspective on the factors that shaped her life and work.

October 20. Malibu Creek State Park Bird and Nature Walk Oct 20^th

If you’re looking for a lovely way to get your steps in for the day, why not join a free, docent led leisurely walk at Malibu Creek State Park? With its 8,000 acres of rolling tall grass plains, oak savannahs, and dramatic peaks, it’s no wonder many call it the Yosemite of Southern California. And you don’t have to be an expert birder to join in, Tomatoes.

Seasoned birders and beginners alike will love this beautiful and easy hike. You’ll learn about the park’s history, plants and animals as well as its birds. You’ll also learn how effectively nature is recovering here after the Woolsey Fire. Malibu Creek State Park is considered the recreational crown jewel of the Santa Monica Mountains.

 Oct 23- 27. AFI Fest

AFI FEST is a world-class five-day event, showcasing the best films from across the globe. The film festival will open with the World Premiere of Music by John Williams on Wednesday, October 23^rd and will close with the World Premiere of Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2 on Sunday, October 27^, 2024.   You will see nothing but the best at AFI Fest.

Heretic with Hugh Grant, Maria with Angelina Jolie, Here with Tom Hanks and so many more marvelous films will be screening.  With a diverse and innovative slate of programming, the film festival presents a lineup of fiction and nonfiction features and shorts presented in established AFI FEST sections, along with panels and conversations featuring both master filmmakers and new cinematic voices. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes AFI FEST as a qualifying festival for both Short Films categories of the annual Academy Awards.

Halloween Hoopla

The spooky season in LA offers a mind-boggling array of choice Halloween extravaganzas’ that will appeal to everyone of all ages.  I’ve got a few Halloween/Día de los Muertos celebration suggestions that caught my eye and appealed to my scary season sensibilities.

• Carved (Oct 4-31^st) Descanso Gardens is gorgeous this time of year but what is making it super fun is Carved, the pumpkin-filled mind blowing extravaganza.  Hundreds of carved pumpkins will line a 1-mile walk and there will be exciting new oversized sculptures made of sticks and other natural materials. The popular Pumpkin House, a hay maze, and themed food and beverage will all help to create a fun harvest festival ambiance. Fab fun for all ages!
• Boney Island (- Oct 31)  Boney Island is an interactive light-up Halloween experience that transforms Natural History Museum’s Nature Gardens into an illuminated wonderland of fun and frights with ghoulishly glowing exhibits, fascinating creatures of the night and prehistoric past, and lots of thrilling surprises
• Los Angeles Haunted Hayride (-Nov 2^nd) They claim it is the scariest and most haunting experience in LA with at least 4 scare zones complementing the iconic Haunted Hayride.  It so much more than a scary hayride…it’s a full-on Halloween experience with horror-town Midnight Falls filled with roaming monsters and a haunted mortuary.  Watch out for the Boogey Man!
• Dia Del Los Muertos Celebration (Oct 26^th ) Celebrate cherished memories of your loved ones at the 3^rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica with their Día De Los Muertos Celebration! You’ll enjoy live performance by local talent, colorful displays of community altars, a Latinx popup market, enchanting La Catrina public art sculptures and plenty of family and pet-friendly activities.
• Pasadena Ghost Walk (select dates through December) you can take a tour of one of SoCal’s most haunted cities…Pasadena… where tales of untimely death, disease, the occult, and the paranormal lurk. As the sun goes down over the buildings and theatres of Old Town Pasadena, a more sinister past is revealed. Ghostly stories accompany this 2-hour tour through the streets and alleyways of the historic district.
• Underwood Farms Fall Harvest Fest (-Oct 31^st) The farm transforms into a giant Pumpkin Patch, Pick Your Own & Fall Harvest experience with the return of The Underwood Farm Fall Harvest Festival. It’s a great day trip to the country, Gals. It includes tractor-drawn wagon rides, corn maze, pumpkin house, animal center, live bands, animal shows and more.
• Boo-zy, Bites & Frights (-Oct 31) is a Halloween Extravaganza at the Heritage Square Museum presented by Street Food Cinema. You will be thrilled, chilled, and utterly entertained with a double feature screening of Halloween classics, gourmet street food, and guided tours of hauntingly beautiful Victorian mansions, and more!