Holy Moly Tomatoes! The “Los Angeles Chocolate Salon is back and worth a double swoon. “The Other Art Fair” caters to everyone and more art awaits you at the return of the “Frogtown Art Walk”. “The Secret World of Archy & Mehitable” is genius and a must-see play. “Folar’s River Fest” is a first. Music and yummy avocados are the focus at the “California Avocado Festival.” “LA Style Stories” addresses the Ying and Yang of fall & summer. Lady Penelope offers funny insight.  And what about a tour of Walt Disney Concert Hall. It’s fascinating!

Sept 25. Chocolate Salon

Attention Chocolate Aficionados and Fanatics!  I have two words for you…Chocolate Salon! “The Los Angeles Chocolate Salon” is returning for its 14th 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!

LA Style Stories

One week it is blazing hot and the next I’m bringing out the sweater to carry for cool fall temps. What’s a gal to do with this ongoing fight between summer & fall in LA?! Listen to our awesome LA Fashion Stylist, Felicia Arlin, in this week’s “Peaceful Coexistence” Style Stories…that’s what.  And don’t forget to follow Felicia’s Instagram because I only highlight a snippet of her amazing and inspirational posts here. GET THE DETAILS.

Thru Oct 15. The Secret World of Archy & Mehitable  

Well, the title is a mouthful Tomatoes but, “The Secret World of Archy & Mehitable,” now running at The Whitefire Theatre, is a delightful, remarkable and unforgettable gem of a play. Hop to it, Ladies! Make your reservations right this second because the show only runs on Saturdays with a matinee and an evening performance.

The off the charts talent of the cast and the creative team is staggering.  The Secret World of Archy & Mehitabel is short, funny, sweet and very unique with a lovely message. I loved every minute of it! But don’t just trust my opinion, this show has received a plethora of wonderful reviews. Arts Beat LA says; “fantastic belly laughs – what a cast, what a script!… don’t miss this wonderful production!”  The Secret World of Archy & Mehitabel is a one act play that takes the best of journalist Don Marquis’s newspaper columns and weaves them into a comedic tour-de-force performed by a superb troupe of seasoned pros. In addition to Archy, a cockroach with the soul of a poet, you’ll meet his best friend Mehitabel the Cat, an alley cat who claims to have been Cleopatra in a past life, as well as a full complement of talking spiders, flies, gnats, rats, ticks, fleas, and many other denizens of the underside each with his or her own personality and worldview. I highly recommend seeing it!

Sept 23 – Sept 25. The Other Art Fair

Los Angeles’ favorite independent artist showcase, “The Other Art Fair,” presented by Saatchi Art, is back giving Tomatoes the opportunity to meet a carefully curated selection of over 140 independent artists and browse thousands of pieces all under one roof, Tomatoes.

“The Other Art Fair” is once again located at Barker Hanger. Whether you’re a first-time art buyer, seasoned collector, curator, investor, gallery owner, art lover or anything in between, you are guaranteed to find something to add to (or start!) your collection. Plus, with unique immersive experiences, live DJ sets, event tours, conversations with some of the art scene’s leading names, live art activations and a fully stocked bar awaiting you, what more do you need to enjoy this cultural experience in Santa Monica.

Sonnets from Suburbia

In this week’s sonnet, Our Lady Penelope confesses to possessing a strange habit. I must admit this made me chuckle but also reminded me to not put the “Cart Before the Horse.” GET THE DETAILS.

Sept 24 Frogtown Artwalk

Back in person for the first time since 2018, the 13^th “Frogtown Artwalk” welcomes visitors back to the neighborhood for a day/evening of community events and arts along the L.A. River in Elysian Valley (aka Frogtown). You can seek out galleries, music and literary performances, and projections underneath a freeway overpass, Tomatoes.

Studio tours, bites for sale, kids crafts, hula hooping, pedicab rides, performances, dance, a chalk walk, a literary lounge, poetry and spoken word artists, and pop-up installations and more await you and it is FREE to attend Wow! It’s super cool that they strive to be a car-free and low-impact festival especially with street parking in Elysian Valley very limited,  There are lots of ways to transport yourselves to the Artwalk without a car, Tomatoes.

Sept 25 FoLAR’s First River Fest

Hosted at LA Historic Park, “FOLAR’s River Fest” will celebrate FoLAR’s hard work and accomplishments and the LA River’s deep connection to art, environmental justice, community health, and climate adaptation.  This free open air film festival will feature environmental short films on a 45 ft. screen! And that ain’t all Tomatoes!

FoLAR will debut its very own beer with Frogtown Brewery along with a green carpet, food trucks, raffles, music, booths and activations mobile education center aka FoLAR’s River Rover. Remember this is a fundraiser so FoLAR can continue their amazing work so donating any amount no matter how small, always helps.  You will be supporting River Fest, their K-12 education, habitat restoration events, and other programs that bring together their mission of building capacity for communities, students, and future leaders to advocate for nature, climate, and equity on the LA River. Bravo FoLAR!

Oct 1 & 2. California Avocado Festival

Carpinteria Valley along with Santa Barbara County, is the 3rd largest producer of avocados in North America. So, it’s a no-brainer for them to celebrate the importance of the avocado and host one of the largest, FREE, family friendly music festivals in California. Yes, Ladies, “The California Avocado Festival” is back with over 60 music acts on three stages! Yay! And Yum!

AVOFEST will feature unique viewing parties for live musical performances, access to Avocado Festival foods, links to commercial vendors and sponsors, virtual contests and pop-up stores with special, early access to collectible merchandise, including three T-shirt designs and the 36th Annual California Avocado Festival poster. The California Avocado Festival is also a platform for local nonprofits and service organizations to raise funds for their worthy causes, and most importantly, raising scholarship funds for local youth.

Walt Disney Hall Self-Guided Tours

One of LA’s most iconic buildings of Los Angeles, and one I particularly adore, is the Frank Gehry designed Walt Disney Concert Hall.  Wouldn’t you just love to tour the interior and all the nooks and crannies?! Well, the self-guided audio tours are open to the public with tours running daily all year round. What a great outing, Tomatoes!

The tour takes visitors through the history of Walt Disney Concert Hall from conception to completion. Award winning actor John Lithgow, narrates the tour, providing insight from visionary architect Frank Gehry and other key contributors. New technology allows visitors to use their smartphones to follow the tour and hear behind-the-scenes details about the planning, thought and design that went into the construction. Walt Disney Concert Hall is an architectural and auditory masterpiece with a very rich history and the tour is full of surprises, Tomatoes.