-Weekend-Whaddup-Labor Day Edition
The LA County Fair Is On!
If you like food on a stick, fried things, animals or rides, it’s that time again… drag the family down to the LA County fair, to Pomona of all places. Pomona is fine and all, but it’s 60 miles east. Whatever. It’s 23 days of all of the above and they’ve got this crazy cool nighttime Chinese lantern display. This year you’ll have to do without the horse racing, sorry. It’s not my fault so don’t complain to me.
The Whaddup:
The new attractions at the fair’s 92nd edition include Luminasia, an array of custom-built Chinese lanterns that will be making its California debut. Nearly 50 artisans traveled more than 7,000 miles from Zigong, China, to transform the fair’s hillside into a nighttime attraction depicting such iconic landmarks as the Great Wall of China, the Eiffel Tower and the Hollywood sign, along with giant dragons, flowers and a pagoda. It will be open from 6p.m. until closing time.
The Hall of Heroes is a mixture of interactive science displays, with ties to such comic book superheroes as Batman, Spider-Man and Superman. It also pays tribute to real-life heroes in law enforcement, the military, firefighting along with civilian good Samaritans.
Other new attractions include the Grinding Gears nightclub, featuring a live band; aerial artists; and a DJ spinning top 40 tunes and electronic dance music; and “Mid-Century Modern — Retro, Classic, Cool,” a display of the art, architecture and revolutionary products of post-World War II America.
The Flower & Garden Pavilion will depict the beauty of China through art, poetry and elaborate floral designs. The Atrium will reproduce China’s tropical rainforests with animals and plants native to the country.
Four acres devoted to growing a range of California crops have been added to The Farm at the Fairplex, which also includes the Big Red Barn, which houses the state’s largest petting zoo, milking demonstrations and agricultural exhibits.
The fair’s lagoon will be home to its exotic animals, including lemurs, peacocks, monkeys, kangaroos, camels, birds and a variety of reptiles and insects. Zor the fire dancer will perform nightly at the lagoon.
Additions to the fair’s food unique offerings include a triple-decker Krispy Kreme cheeseburger, with three beef patties and three slices of cheese between two Krispy Kreme doughnuts; and the ramen burger, a ground beef chuck patty between two buns made from freshly cut ramen noodles.
There will be more than 300 food choices at the fair, including Mexican, Italian, Asian and Greek food. Some of Los Angeles’ best food trucks will also be there.
The fair’s End of Summer Concert Series begins today with Zendaya, with special guest Trevor Jackson. Other artists scheduled to perform include Boyz II Men (Sept. 11); Heart (Sept. 26); LL Cool J (Sept. 27); and Earth, Wind & Fire (Sept. 28).
The weekend fair admission prices are $19, $15 for adults age 60 and older and $12 for children ages 6 to 12. The weekday prices are $12, $10 for adults age 60 and over and $8 for children ages 6 to 12. Children ages 5 and under are free throughout the fair. A season pass is available for $29.99.
Additional fees are required for admission to Luminasia and concerts. Discounted tickets priced at $11 for adults and $6 for children ages 6-12 are available at participating Ralphs and Cardenas stores.
The admission price for adults age 60 and over on Wednesdays is $6, with a coupon available on the fair’s website, lacountyfair.com.
Coupons for $5 admission after 5 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays are also available on the fair’s website.
Admission is free from noon-3 p.m. on Sept. 5, 12, 19 and 26 for fair visitors who donate five canned goods. Free admission is also available from noon to 3 p.m. Thursdays by donating at least five new or unwrapped school supplies.
On the opening weekend, the fair will be open from 3 p.m.-midnight today, 10a.m.-midnight Saturday and Sunday and 10a.m.-10p.m. Monday. The hours for the rest of the fair are noon-10 p.m. Wednesdays; noon-11p.m. Thursdays; noon-midnight Fridays; 10a.m.-midnight Saturdays; and 10 a.m.-10p.m. Sundays.
Following Labor Day, the fair will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday and re-open Thursday. It will then be closed Mondays and Tuesdays for the remainder of its run.
Metrolink will have new late night weekend service from the fair to Union Station to enable fairgoers to stay until closing on Saturdays and Sundays. The Saturday train will depart the Fairplex Station at 12:20 a.m.
Sunday and the Sunday train will leave at 10 p.m. All Metrolink San Bernardino Line trains will make special weekend stops at Fairplex Station, except for Trains 351, 352 and 353 on Saturdays and Train 351 on Sunday.
The Aug. 29 opening is the earliest in the fair’s history, one day earlier than last year’s Aug. 30 opening, which had been the earliest. Aug. 29 is the earliest possible date the fair can open if it continues opening on the Friday before Labor Day. It will close Sept. 28.
Chicken Charlie’s is also a crowd favorite serving up fried twinkies and Oreos and even deep fried frog legs.
There will be some new nighttime entertainment like a dance party for all ages and a steampunk rock band. The fair runs through the end of September.
‘Made in America’ Festival
Grand Park in Downtown L.A.
This Labor Day Weekend
The Whaddup:
They made it in Philly. But can they make it in L.A.?
That’s one of many questions surrounding the debut of the Budweiser Made in America music festival, which will take over downtown Los Angeles’ Grand Park this Labor Day weekend.
The concert, the brainchild of rap mogul Shawn Carter — better known as Jay Z — will be the first paid event at the 2-year-old park that stretches between City Hall and the Music Center. Up to 50,000 people are expected to attend Saturday and Sunday to see acts including Kanye West, Imagine Dragons and John Mayer.
If promoters draw that many people, it would be the park’s biggest crowd yet and a test of all that goes with it — including parking, traffic flow amid the street closures and crowd control. There are also concerns that the availability of beer at the venue could cause problems.
Happy Birthday L.A.
when: Aug 30 at 6 a.m. to 1 p.m.
where: El Pueblo de Los Angeles, 200 N. Main St., Los Angeles, Ca
cost: Free
ages: All Ages
the Whaddup:
What do you get for the city that has everything? You don’t get it anything – you just come enjoy the celebration! This is the 233rd Anniversary of the founding of Los Angeles, and the city is throwing itself a birthday party on Olvera Street (the oldest street in town) with Los Pobladores historic re-enactments, artisan demonstrations, exhibits, food, entertainment and plenty of birthday cake!
more info:
Youth Adventures With A Ranger
when: Aug 31 at 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
where: Rocky Oaks Park, 107 Kanan Dume Rd., Malibu, Ca
cost: Free
ages: 2-7
the Whaddup:
Join a Ranger to explore nature while learning all about the local animals and plants.
more info:
A Midsummer Nights Dream – Just For Your Kids
when: Weekends in August
where: Media Park, 9070 Venice Blvd., Culver City
cost: Free
ages: All Ages
the Whaddup:
If you like English (and I do) there are plenty of amazing places to catch Shakespeare happening all over town this summer. But if you’re a kid, there is only one you absolutely won’t want to miss. It’s this one -A Midsummer Night’s Dream brought to you by The Actors’ Gang. Every year they do a show, using the real language but costumes and characters that kids adore. Never has the bard been so contemporary – or so concise!
Shows run every Saturday and Sunday at 11 a.m. for the month of August. Bring a picnic, lawnchairs, sunscreen (plenty of it, as shade is sparse) and blankets!
more info:
Shakespeare at the Old Zoo
when: Thursday-Sunday through August
where: Griffith Park, Old Zoo, 4730 Crystal Springs Dr., Los Angeles, Ca
cost: Free
ages: 5 and up
the Whaddup:
The Independent Shakespeare Company does shows every summer at the Old Zoo. Here are some reasons to go:
1. Free Shakespeare! Isn’t that enough? But wait, there’s more…
2. One of the most beautiful, best kept secrets of an outdoor space: the Old Zoo in Griffith Park.
3. Bring a picnic and catch one of the special shows throughout the summer where there are fantastic Players in the Park or Invertigo Dance pre-shows for the whole family.
4. Explore and play before the show.
This summer you can see Taming of the Shrew or Twelfth Night. Check the website to see which is playing tonight. Bring bug spray and warm clothes, as it gets chilly when the sun goes down. Blankets and low chairs are permitted, tall chairs and dogs are not. Shows run all summer Thursday-Sunday at 7 p.m.
more info: