We have officially entered the Holidays, Tomatoes! Hannukah celebrations are continuing all around town, but the magical “Skirball Hanukkah Celebrations” is always a standout. The “Botanicum’s Holiday Family Faire” not only celebrates Hannukah but Christmas, Kwanza, holiday fun and shopping. You can also shop…till you drop… at a variety of fab Holiday Markets. Music to my ears. The brilliant The Zip Code Plays are back for Season 3. And We have a must-read article today for Tomatoes of every age by author and musician Lorraine Devon Wilke on how our society views women as we age…How Dare We!

Skirball Hanukkah

“Happy Hanukkah”, LA Tomatoes! Ain’t it grand that whole families will finally be able to gather together again to celebrate Hanukkah, making 2021 especially remarkable and celebratory! And nobody does it better than The Skirball Cultural Center with a variety of ways  for you to celebrate the Hanukkah Season in person and online, Ladies.

“The Hanukkah Festival” at the Skirball on December 5 will be magically filled with music, storytelling, art making, candle lighting, and more.  On December 3, you can enjoy a “Hanukkah Happy Hour,” virtually, that will be an exploration of the Jewish Festival of Light and the magic of Hanukkah. And that’s not all, Tomatoes!

Dec. 7.  Tune in on Facebook or YouTube to Watch this LIVE Event.

December Holiday Markets

If you are a Tomato dreading the massive deluge of shoppers at the malls and department stores this shopping crazed month, then independent Holiday Markets will certainly be more enjoyable, put you in the holiday spirit and keep you safer besides giving you a ton of unique and handmade gift choices, Gals.

• “The Craft Contemporary Holiday Marketplace” (Dec. 4 & 5) , at the Craft Contemporary Museum in the Wilshire District, will give you a crafty start to the Holiday season with handcrafted works of art.  The “Union Station
•  Holiday Festival & Artisan Market” ( Dec 4) is back at the Stations South Patio with 30 of the most sought after artists and artisans.
• At the “Pawliday Market” (Dec 11) you can shop and find the purr-fect gift for a loved one.
• The “Unique Holiday Market” (Dec 11 & 12) will be filled with a plethora of wonderful shopping opportunities that support local businesses.
• Hugo’s Tacos parking lot in Atwater Village will be promoting unique specialty goods made by local creatives and makers at the “Handmade Market Collective” (Dec 12).
• And last but not least…the “Holiday Community Market”  (Dec 4th) at Rose Lane Farms in North Hollywood will have plenty of lovingly made goods for everyone on your list.

Get ready to shop to your heart’s delight, Tomatoes.

Dec 11.  Botanicum’s Holiday Family Faire

Just in time for the holidays, the “Holiday Family Faire” is hitting all the bases celebrating Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanza with festive music, food, drink, stories, shopping, and special performances. There’s a heck of a lot of wonderful things happening at this super Holiday Faire, Tomatoes!

Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum is a spectacular and unique outdoor venue hosting the “Holiday Family Faire” in gorgeous Topanga Canyon. It just happens to be another fab place to shop artisan art with a performance of Harry Nilsson’s “The Point” featuring a 14 piece band at the center of the Faire.  Additional performances will include aerialist acts by cirque performer Lexi Pearl, carolers and singing madrigals will roam the grounds, and Theatricum company members will tell winter holiday stories. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be available for family photo ops, an artisan marketplace will offer holiday gifts and crafts, along with festive food and drink.  You can have a blast while doing good, Tomatoes, because all the proceeds will go to support Theatricum Botanicum’s extensive artistic and educational programming.

GET YOURS TODAY. 

The Zip Code Plays Have Returned

Antaeus Theatre company created a remarkable theatre adventure in 2020 in response to the Pandemic, followed by a Season 2 and now “The Zip Code Plays Season 3” has arrived. As in previous seasons, Season 3 still celebrates the unique history and culture of LA and features Kitty Swink, an amazing Tomato actress, in the first of the 6 original audio plays. Time to jump for joy, Tomatoes!

I just think “The Zip Code Plays” is a genius concept, Tomatoes. The new selection of audio plays for “The Zip Code Plays Season 3”, written by Antaeus Playwrights Lab members and recorded by Antaeus actors, will be available for FREE on all major podcast platforms. Each season, the company introduces listeners to the comedy, drama and sometimes a surprising history of various Los Angeles neighborhoods with each play set in a different L.A. zip code. My super talented friend, Kitty Swink, is featured in “91201: Gendale, “The Six Pianos of Miradero”. Five more LA Zip Codes are represented by the audio plays; “91505: Burbank, “True Sound”, 90262: Lynwood, “Blue Like You”, 90027: Griffith Park, “The Fire In-Between”, 90039: Frogtown, “Anaxyrus Boreas”, 90028: Hollywood, “Marie Dressler: Good Gal”. In my humble opinion, “The Zip Code Plays” are a marvelous way to reflect and celebrate our dear city of Los Angeles and enjoy great theatre from the comfort of your home, Tomatoes.

GET THE BOOKS.