As summer comes to an end and fall weather makes its way into Beverly Hills, the Arts and Culture Commission is ringing in the new season with several outdoor events. At a meeting on Sept. 10, the commission provided details on the annual Day of Wellness and upcoming Great Outdoors at Greystone. They also discussed the acquisition of Judy Chicago’s Trinity at The Wallis, which was approved by City Council following the commission’s meeting, and they teased a few events that will take place in the coming months.
The second annual Day of Wellness will take place on Sept. 22. The event was started in 2023 by the Recreation and Parks Commission, the Human Relations Commission and the Health and Safety Commission to bring people together in an outdoor space after the pandemic. As a result of months without any social gatherings, the event was intended to focus on mental health, but it also incorporates classes such as yoga and Pilates. This year, the event will include different types of yoga and different types of sound baths, as recommended by last year’s participants. It will also include 52 informational booths—an increase from 40 booths at last year’s event— and 21 indoor sessions. These sessions include a range of activities and lectures, from Zumba to cancer support groups.
“The idea is to just show folks that while this is available to you from the community, we also utilize a lot of our own leaders to lead other rec classes, so we try to tap into those teachers just to give them some exposure and to show the community that these are folks you have access to on a regular basis,” said Human Services Outreach Manager Enisha Clark. “Just reach out and connect with our community services department, and we can make sure that you experience this kind of programming regularly.”
According to Clark, last year’s Day of Wellness had an unexpectedly large turnout, and participants who took a survey after attending the event gave it an average rating of 4.8 out of 5. She hopes attendees will be even happier with this year’s added offerings. The event will take place at the Roxbury Park Community Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is free to the public.
After the presentation, Commission Chair Karla Gordy Bristol expressed her enthusiasm for the event after a memorable inaugural Day of Wellness in September 2023. “I did attend the inaugural, last year, it was wonderful, well attended, great vendors,” she said. “I won’t name it, but a great juice company was there giving out plentiful bottles of juice that everyone got addicted to, and I’ve been a regular customer ever since.”
The day before the Day of Wellness, the Greystone Mansion and Gardens is hosting their annual event, The Great Outdoors at Greystone. At the Arts and Culture Commission meeting, Sarah Scrimshaw, the venue supervisor, presented this year’s preview. “This event celebrates everything about having this wonderful park,” she said. Throughout the property, guests can participate in gardening classes led by Master Gardener George Pessin, or stroll through cypress lane, which will be transformed into “poetry lane.” This year’s event will feature the same poems as last year, as Scrimshaw explained, to give even more exposure to the featured poets. The event is free to the public and will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
After Scrimshaw’s presentation, the commission discussed how proud they are that the event has continued to grow in popularity. “It sounds amazing,” said Gordy Bristol. “Congratulations on everything you’re doing at Greystone and the high turnout you consistently get up there. It’s a beautiful property.”
The Great Outdoors at Greystone started in 2021 and has continued to grow in popularity, welcoming more than 500 guests to the property in 2023. It marks the anniversary of the park, which was dedicated to the city in September 1971. As Scrimshaw remarked, September is also the month that the Doheny family moved into the mansion in 1928.
Later at the meeting, Recreation Services Manager Matthew Brown gave a report on other events that will take place throughout the rest of the month and into October. The annual Next Night Street Festival will take place on Sept. 28 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m,. Greystone in the Movies will take place on Oct. 10, featuring a showing of “Dead Ringer,” and a tour of the filming locations throughout the mansion. And the Fall Art Show will return on the weekend of Oct. 19 and 20, spanning four blocks of Beverly Gardens Park and featuring 235 artists.