Honor a veteran this week on Veterans Day, experience the latest in automotive technology at the LA Auto Show, get into the Hanukka spirit at Temple Israel of Hollywood, and the Christmas spirit pre-Thanksgiving at The Grove’s tree lighting ceremony, or at Mariah Carey’s Christmas concert at The Bowl (ain’t nobody does it better). Support local artists and female entrepreneurs at a local Larchmont Village event or at one down the street at The Grove. Have a chat with some of your fav actors and creators at Vulture Magazine’s Vulture Festival, check out some spectacular light displays around LA, or come experience films like you never have before at the reopening of the legendary Egyptian Theatre. So much to do, so little time…

Arts, Culture, Vulture, and Automotive Innovation

The winter holiday season really kicks of strong this week, starting with Temple Israel of Hollywood’s annual Chanukah Marketplace and Brisket Throwdown – fun for the whole family and a one-stop Chanukah gift shop experience, supporting local artisans and small businesses while raising funds for all three TIOH schools.  Also, this year brings the return of the traditional BRISKET THROWDOWN, a brisket Top Chef-style competition, with community voting and a panel of judges who will crown the winner. The festivities take place from 9:30 am – 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 12, at TIOH – 7300 Hollywood Blvd. Tickets and more information available here.

Next, if you’re interested in supporting local female artists and creators, then come on down to the Original Farmers Market this Saturday, Nov 11 from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. and do just that. Pop-up market event, Supporting Female Entrepreneurs: A Crafty Pre-Holiday Extravaganza is the first in LA by hosts – Creative Babe Market – and the OFM is ecstatic to be the locale for this Jurassic Park inspired shopping experience. Centered around helping small female owned businesses thrive, there’ll be more than 100 vendors with clothing, jewelry, home goods, and more to open your hearts and wallets to. There’ll also be a live DJ, face painting, tooth gems (ok, that’s cool), photo ops with animatronic dinosaurs and the Jurassic Park Jeep! Pick up some great gifts and have a good time while you’re at it. The market will be set up in the North Market parking lot in front of Chipotle and BHC Chicken. Admission and Parking is FREE (with validation). See you there!

It’s also time again to support local artists AND a local school at the Keller Williams Pop-Up Gallery Fundraiser, happening this Saturday, Nov 11 from 6-9 p.m. Join KW in its Larchmont Village office for its 10th Annual Pop-Up Gallery benefiting Larchmont Charter School. Come mingle with local artists, collectors, and the community for a festive evening of art and music, complete with complimentary drinks, appetizers, and desserts from neighborhood restaurants and sponsors. Don’t miss this opportunity to support your neighborhood and its people! KWL is located at 118 N. Larchmont Blvd.

Next up is the Annual Vulture Festival, “a pop culture spectacle where Vulture Magazine comes to life right before your very eyes”. Curated by the mag’s editors, it’s a weekend of live and in-person panels with some of your favorite stars and creators, “where we can all obsess together over the culture we love and talk about stuff.” From their mouths to God’s ears. And with this year’s lineup, Vulture Festival Is Gonna Be Weird, welcoming Weird Al Yankovic for the first time, Henry Winkler, Amber Tamblyn, Cord Jefferson, Billy Porter, and many more! Tickets range from $15-$30 per panel discussion. The Fest will take place at nya Studios in Hollywood at 1541 N Cahuenga Blvd. this Sat and Sun, Nov 11-12. Times and panels vary, so be sure to check the full schedule for more info.

Another great option for you this week, and for the next 10 days in fact, is the Ultra Cinematheque 70: Hollywood, which is kicking off on Sat, Nov 11 at the newly-renovated 101-yr-old Egyptian Theatre! The American Cinematheque is thrilled to announce its homecoming with a festival of large-format classics at this legendary Hollywood movie palace. For ten whole days and nights, you can watch a slate of glorious 70mm selections that includes Boogie Nights, West Side Story, Spartacus, The Master, The Wild Bunch, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Nope, Lawrence of Arabia, and rare 70mm screenings of Aliens, which originally played at the Egyptian Theatre on July 14, 1986! So come join your fellow cinema nerds, enjoy a beautiful and historic old theater, and get caught up in a great story – now through Tues, Nov 21. Tickets are $17 for general admission and $12 for members.

And another 10-day fest for you and yours: all roads lead to LA’s Annual 10-day automotive festival – the 2023 LA Auto Show – happening once again at its forever home, the LA Convention Center. Starting Fri, Nov 17 through Sun, Nov 26, the who’s who of the auto industry will be in town unveiling the future of mobility in the car culture capital of the world – sunny Cali-forn-i-a! Founded in 1907, the LA Auto Show is one of the biggest and most influential auto shows in the world, and with more than 1,000,000 sf of event space to show it off, there’s more than enough room for a little bit of everything. Providing a platform for the convergence of technology and the automobile, you’ll be able to experience it up close with Indoor and Outdoor Test Drives and Rides, Cool Collectibles and Exclusive Merch, Vintage Car Displays, Activations, Special Exhibits, Food Trucks, and much more! Ticket prices and packages range from $10-$110. 

Holiday Stuff

If you’re already in Christmas mode, you’re in luck because Christmas at The Grove starts this week on Mon, Nov 13 with its 22nd Annual Tree Lighting Celebration! Join your fellow holiday revelers as The Grove officially kicks off the holly jolly season with a magical evening, featuring special performances by David Foster, Katharine McPhee, and other special guests. Delight in the lighting of the tree, the season’s first snowfall, a fireworks spectacular, Santa’s grand arrival, and more. This event is complimentary and open to the public. Space is limited. And if you’d rather revel from a distance, the show will also be available through streaming service Veeps. Festivities take place from 7-10 p.m.

Ice Skating!! Get in your favorite form of seasonal exercise/making a fool of yourself at the soon to be open Holiday Ice Skating Rink in Pershing Square. Starting Thurs, Nov 16, get as close to a winter wonderland in LA as you can at an ice rink nestled among DTLA skyscrapers. Come glide around and pretend you’re somewhere wintry at Pershing Square’s outdoor holiday skating rink. And be sure to lookout for special events happening throughout the month as well. Skate rentals are included in admission ($20 per hour).  Lockers and skating aids for the kiddos are $5 extra. Rink open through Jan 7.

Tree lighting, ice skating, holiday lights – It’s all happening so fast!! The L.A. Zoo Lights: Animals Aglow experience is also back this week for another season of lighting up your world. Come explore an immersive landscape filled with dazzling new lantern sculptures of animals among blooming flowers, towering trees, and more, for a nature-focused holiday celebration! Ticket prices vary depending on day of the week, check website for deets. Zoo Lights is on display from Fri, Nov 17 – Jan 7.

Also lighting up our lives this Friday is the third edition of Lightscape at the L.A. County Arboretum. Located a little east of LA in Arcadia, the Aboretum’s uplit trees and illuminated installations will once again dot the roughly mile-long pathway for the 2023 season, which has been “reimagined” this year with an expanded trail. The light cathedral will, of course, make its return, as will the fire garden, one of the event’s favorite highlights. Santa will also be there on select dates! Tickets range from $29-$35 and $14-$18 for kids (under 3 are free).  Lightscape will be yours to behold from Fri, Nov 17 – Jan 2. 

And last but not least for holiday stuff this week is The Queen of Christmas herself, gracing us Angelenos with her presence and a spectacular holiday concert at the Hollywood Bowl, getting us revved up for the happiest time of the year! Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas One and All! will be bringing the Christmas cheer to town on the evenings of Fri, Nov 17 and Sun, Nov 19. Don’t miss out on Mariah’s signature high note, and a chance to sing along and prove to everyone you missed your calling as a backup singer. Tickets are still available and start at around $100, depending on the night – but don’t wait! Friday concert: 7:30 p.m., gates at 6 p.m. Sunday concert: 7 p.m.; gates at 5:30 p.m.

Local Government 

Finally, in addition to our usual notes about local neighborhood council meetings this week, you can also check in at meetings of two of our larger local neighborhood associations.  Up first, on Tuesday, November 14, at 7 p.m., the Larchmont Village Neighborhood Association will be holding its semi-annual meeting via Zoom.  Join in to hear from association board members, local officials, and neighbors about current happenings and issues in the Larchmont area. The meeting is open to all, but please register here for the link.

And next, on Wednesday, November 15, starting at 7 p.m., join the Windsor Square Association for its Annual Town Hall meeting, held at the Ebell of Los Angeles, 743 S. Lucerne Blvd.  This year, association members will be joined by LA Mayor Karen Bass, City Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, and state Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur, discussing the state of Windsor Square and the City.  The event is free, but please RSVP here.

Meanwhile, our friends at the Mid City West Neighborhood Council have three meetings scheduled this week, starting with the all important Public Safety & Well-Being Committee on Mon, Nov 13. That’s followed by a General Board meeting on Tues, Nov 14, and the Transportation & Sustainability Committee on Wed, Nov 15. Check Mid City’s website for details, agendas, and full schedule. All MCW meetings are held at the Pan Pacific Park Senior Center (lunch room) located at 141 S. Gardner St.

And fially, the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council (GWNC) has just one meeting on the schedule as the Transportation Committee meets on Thurs, Nov 16 at the JC Fremont Library (6121 Melrose Ave). Meeting starts at 6:30 p.m.