OMG! It’s officially the first day of November Tomatoes! You know what that means… “It’s Time to Fall Back” an hour on Sunday.  And it’s time to start thinking about turkeys so “The Celebrations of the Turkey” this weekend is perfect timing. Halloween may be over, but it’s still Fall so head to the Harvest Fest at Griffith Park. There will be a lot of woofing and ruff-ruffing going on at “Woofstock” this weekend. For garden flora and fauna lovers, the wondrous and lush UCLA Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden is having their monthly “Drop-In Garden Tour.” And we get to sleep an extra hour on Sunday, Tomatoes.

Celebration of Turkeys

“The Celebration of the Turkey” at the beloved “Farm Sanctuary” is filled with fun Tomatoes! This is very close to my vegetarian heart. “Turkeys Rule!” I love the thought of spending quality time with the cows, sheep, goats, turkeys, chickens, and pigs and watching our turkeys indulge in a delicious feast of pumpkin pie, cranberries, and salad while knowing they will never end up on a dinner table.  And that’s just the beginning of activities to enjoy. 

The Farm Sanctuary’s 26-acre Southern California Shelter is located on a beautiful hacienda ranch in Acton, just 45 minutes from Hollywood. In addition to providing shelter for approximately 100 animals, this Southern California Shelter offers one-hour guided tours on Saturdays and Sundays and group tours are available by appointment.

Griffith Park Harvest Festival

Head to the Griffith Park Merry Go Round, Tomatoes, to be merry and enjoy autumn in all its glory at the “The Annual Griffith Park Harvest Festival,” LA’s largest and most amazing park. Yes, summer is gone and so is Halloween …Boo Hoo… but celebrating the changing of the seasons is always special in LA especially when it benefits all our cities parks.

“The Harvest Festival” at Griffith Park is co-hosted by the Los Angeles Parks Foundation and the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation & Park.  Enjoy a day in the park with live music, food, local craft beer, games, a climbing rock wall and lots of other fun autumn activities. Admission is FREE Tomatoes and the proceeds go to benefit all our lovely parks! Woo Hoo!

November 1-3.  Pasadena Heritage Craftsman Weekend

I adore…absolutely adore a Craftsman home so you might just see me on one of the exceptionally numerous and an amazing variety of tours of American Craftsman gems that “The Pasadena Heritage Craftsman Weekend” will be offering starting today.  You can also head to Pasadena Convention Center where they are honoring the Craftsman movement with the FREE “Antique & contemporary Furnishings and Decorative Arts Sale.” You might just fall in love with the era like me Tomatoes.

The Craftsman architectural style movement, AKA the American Arts and Crafts Movement, emerged in the early 1900’s and is noted for its emphasis of ceramics, art, and other features developed by skilled craftsmen. Tracing its roots to England, Craftsmen design developed a unique and internationally lauded aesthetic in Pasadena and since Pasadena is home to the most notable homes of the Craftsman style on the West Coast, it certainly makes sense that Pasadena hosts this event. 

“The 28th Pasadena Heritage Craftsman Weekend” is the premier event of its kind on the West Coast with walking, bus and self-guided architectural tours featuring some of Pasadena’s landmark districts and the work of renowned architects. “The Antique & Contemporary Furnishing and Decorative Art Sale” is the largest show of its kind in the Western United States (remember it is free) and will feature over 50 exhibitors from all over the US showcasing and selling the highest quality of Craftsman era works.  It’s a fab event to attend Tomatoes.

November 3.  Woofstock 90210

You just gotta love the name.  Certainly, an attention getter and better yet “Woofstock” is a FREE and exciting, day-long festival for dogs and their owners in the famous 90210 area code gals. This annual pet extravaganza is also a day to provide homeless pets with loving owners while providing a ton of fun for the whole family. Nothing like a family and pet friendly event for a great cause.

There will be a plethora of pet-related vendors and specialty booths, entertainment, food trucks,  a Pet Parade Costume Contest; a Pet Talent Show; Zoom Room Agility Demonstrations and Disc Dogs Pet Show. There’s even a Sheepdog Parade Ladies! Oh my!

November 2.  Drop-In Tour

A museum of a different kind can be found at the UCLA Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden that is a delightful retreat for “LA Ladies.” It truly is an inspired and stunning garden that celebrates the glorious legacy of Mildred Mathias and her creation.  So, I highly recommend attending their monthly docent guided “Drop-In” tours and there happens to be one tomorrow Tomatoes.  Just sayin’.

There is always a docent guided tour on the first Saturday of the month at 1pm. So, make note Tomatoes. The tour includes the stories of a selection of plants in the garden, which is vast, and their relevance to human society. All ages are welcome. Just meet at the La Kretz Garden Pavilion at the northern end of the garden.

The Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden, a “living museum” and a 7-acre public garden on the UCLA campus, is free to the public Tomatoes. Approximately 5000 species in 225 families, including many tropical and subtropical plants, reside in what is considered one of the most important botanical collections in the US.  Wow!  Mildred E. Mathia was one inspirational and super-duper Tomato!  She was an extraordinary “herbarium botanist” (google it) and was certainly a trail blazer. In 1947, Mildred started working at UCLA and in 1956, Mildred was appointed director of the garden and remained so until 1974.  But she didn’t stop there.  The list of her awesome achievements and awards is as long as an arm and she left an incredible legacy. Her contributions to the UCLA Botanical Garden and to the world of horticulture were honored in 1979 by giving this special garden her name. She is worthy of our esteem and her garden is definitely worth exploring Tomatoes.