“The Father’s Day Chalk Festival” ain’t just about chalk Tomatoes and I’ll tell you why.  You know I love home tours and this weekend “Dwell on Design” is hosting tours of awesome homes and a design event.  Paul Simon is in town gals! Actually, his “Words and Music” traveling exhibition is making a stop at the Skirball.  Culver City is starting the summer with their “Spiked Lemonade Tasting” Happy Hour.  And here’s to all the Fathers in your life! Perhaps one of these events might appeal to the Dad in your Tomato life.  Or… he might just want to chill at the beach.

June 17-18. Chalk Festival Pasadena

For centuries artists have painted beautiful images with chalk on the boulevards and squares of great cities, using the pavements as the street surfaces as their canvas. Well, tomatoes, Pasadena is no different. More than 600 artists from all over the world turn the pavement of “Paseo Colorado” in Pasadena into breathtaking masterpieces and they’ve been doing this every Father’s Day Weekend for the past 25 years. And boy oh boy “The Father’s Day Chalk Festival” is amazing!

Methinks there is much for a Dad to like at The Chalk Festival because it also offers live music, shopping, food and Police Classic Car Show!  Hey, the guys in your life might be partial to that.

For 25 years Pasadena has been celebrating this art form, known in Italy as “Madonnari” or street painters. 2010, The Pasadena Chalk Festival was officially named the largest street painting festival by the Guinness World Record, using over 25,000 sticks of chalk. In fact, previous festivals have attracted artists and design teams from many regions of the country, across Southern California, and virtually every Los Angeles-area community.

Leading art schools, museums and cultural centers are also represented at the festival. The Pasadena Chalk Festival is produced by Paseo Colorado and the Light Bringer Project, as a financial benefit for the nonprofit arts organization, raising proceeds for vital arts and learning programs in the schools and cultural opportunities for those of all ages. Each artist volunteers to 20 hours of his or her talent and energies to make this possible.

June 23-25. Dwell on Design

The Dwell on Design is America’s largest design event, and of course, it in is our City of Angels ladies.  Curated by the editors of Dwell magazine at the LA Convention Center, this fest of modern design and architecture has something for everyone from the professional to the amateur.  My absolute favorite thing is their home tours  and this year gals they are showing off 10 homes during the event.  Wow oh Wow!

Get an inside peak inside these one-of-a-kind homes, selected by the editors of Dwell and experience incredible modern architecture and design first-hand. The Dwell on Design Showroom Event features three dynamic days of exhibitions, more than 2,000 innovative modern furnishings and products with over 300 brands chosen by the DoD’s expert team, a plethora of educational opportunities and exhibitions, 30 on-stage programs with over 60 speakers. And with tiny homes all the rage there will be a tiny prefab luxury home on display in case you are considering a simpler lifestyle, Tomatoes.  

June 21.  Spiked Lemonade Tasting

I do love Lemonade! But…hmmm…this is a new twist.  Head to Downtown Culver City to find out who makes the best fresh squeezed lemonade in town (with a little something added to it) ! Yes Tomatoes, it’s spiked but there’ll be making virgins for the under-age crowd as well tomatoes. We are certainly the right age to enjoy the samples of lemonade spiked or otherwise. What a wonderful way to relax after a long summer day and ladies the samples of lemonade are free. Yeah!

While you’re there, enjoy treats, tours, ticket giveaways and live music throughout the downtown area. It’s also a great time to explore Downtown Culver City with its wonderful mix of historic buildings, boutiques, theaters, galleries and unique restaurants opening onto tree-lined streets. Take advantage of Downtown’s universal valet parking system: drop your car off at any one of four locations or free parking is also available for up to one hour in any of Downtown’s three municipal parking structures. Or just leave your car at home and take the Metro’s Expo Line to the Culver City Station.

Aug. 27-Sept 3. Words and Music  

The Paul Simon “Words and Music” traveling exhibit at the Skirball, organized by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, reveals the man and the legendary artist behind the music, celebrates his amazing career and creative process and illustrates how the artist’s music has reflected social and cultural ideals. That’s a lot ladies and I think a unique opportunity to learn more about the artist that set the “gold standard” for songwriting. The Dad’s in your tomato life just might enjoy it too.

The Skirball has nearly doubled the size of the exhibit for the LA presentation by including artifacts from Simon’s private archive which includes instruments, records, sheet music, handwritten lyrics, photography, costumes, and stage marquette’s, as well as listening stations, performance footage spanning Simon’s six-decade career and a newly created music lab developed by the Skirball. You can always count on the Skirball to do a great job ladies.