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29 Awesome Events In Southern California This Weekend

Ready for its closeup at the Annenberg Space for Photography: A springbok mantis (Miomantis caffra) at the Auckland Zoo, Auckland, New Zealand (© Photo by Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark)
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There's a festival out there for almost everyone: female filmmakers, indie gamers, Oktoberfest beer buds, ukulele players, oyster eaters, print and paper devotees, comedy lovers and David Lynch fans. Other celebrations focus on alternative transportation, VR and AR art, the anniversary of the Central Library's reopening and, of course, bacon.

THURSDAY, OCT. 11 - SATURDAY, OCT. 21
Los Angeles Exchange [LAX] Festival
various locations -- downtown L.A.
Local contemporary performances "anchored with a global reach" -- that's the goal of this art festival. Hundreds of local artists participate in performances, screenings and in dialogue with works by guest artists from outside our city's limits. For the 5th anniversary edition, the exchange city is Philadelphia.
COST: many events are free; MORE INFO

FRIDAY, OCT. 12 - SATURDAY, OCT. 13
IndieCade
Center for Media and Design, Santa Monica College -- 1660 Stewart St., Santa Monica
Charge your batteries and warm up your digits because the 11th annual festival of independent games plays host to developers, gamers and fans, who can preview and play some of the hottest indie titles from around the world. The gaming includes live action RPGs, VR/AR installations and games for tabletop, console, PC and mobile devices.
COST: Tickets start at $25; MORE INFO

FRIDAY, OCT. 12 - SUNDAY, OCT. 14
The Comedy Comedy Festival: A Comedy Festival
Japanese American Cultural & Community Center (JACCC) -- 244 S. San Pedro St., Little Tokyo
Disoriented Comedy, Asian AF and the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center team up for a massive comedy throwdown that puts the spotlight on Asian comics and troupes. The festival opens on Friday at 8 p.m. with "Picture This," a comedy and drawing show hosted by Jenny Yang and Brandie Posey and a lineup that includes Aparna Nancherla, Eugene Cordero and Asif Ali. There are tons of special guests and performers at official events and after-parties.
COST: Tickets start at $15; MORE INFO

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SELECT DATES THROUGH OCT. 31; 6 - 10 p.m.
Boney Island
Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum -- 5202 Zoo Drive, Griffth Park
For nearly two decades, the Halloween extravaganza has been held in the yard of a private home but the popular haunted house got so popular it has moved to bigger digs for its 20th anniversary. The all-ages immersive experience features skeletons performing tricks, levitating through hoops and shadow puppetry. Oddities include singing shrubbery, anti-gravity water, bantering spiders, a flock of skeletal hummingbirds and ornery cauldrons. Maestro Maxilla serves as your animated skeleton host.
Cost: $15 - $40; MORE INFO

FRIDAY, OCT. 12 - SUNDAY, OCT. 14
Female Filmmakers Festival
Downtown Independent -- 251 S. Main St., downtown L.A.
The inaugural festival presents three days of screenings and talks to celebrate female filmmakers and empower women who want to break into the industry. Highlights include the premiere of Cara Stricker's "Maverick" featuring Abbey Lee, "Skate Kitchen" by Crystal Moselle, "Salaam Bombay" by Mira Nair and the rare "Mossane" by the first sub-Saharan African female director, Safi Faye. Panels cover topics like breaking in and balancing motherhood. Speakers including Lake Bell, Jameela Jamil and Moselle. Individual tickets and passes are available.
COST: FREE - $195; MORE INFO

FRIDAY, OCT. 12 - SATURDAY, OCT. 13; 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Santa Monica AltCar Expo and Conference
Santa Monica Civic Lot and East Wing -- 1855 Main St., Santa Monica
The expo brings nearly every make and model of alternative fuel vehicle together in one place for shopping, test driving or learning about new technologies. In addition to cars and trucks, bicycles and scooters will be on hand. The conference (which requires paid registration) includes workshops and panels on a number of eco-friendly topics, from urban planning and mass transit to sustainable lifestyle choices.
COST: FREE (expo); MORE INFO

FRIDAY, OCT. 12 - SUNDAY, OCT. 14
Viet Film Fest
AMC Orange 30 -- 20 City Blvd. West, Orange
After a hiatus last year, the film festival returns for three days to showcase films from Vietnamese filmmakers and/or works about the Vietnamese experience. The 13 features and 17 short films hail from around the world. The weekend opens with Cao Thuy Nhi's "Summer in Closed Eyes" ("Nhắm Mắt Thấy Mùa Hè"), a cross-cultural love story set in Japan. There are panels, receptions and parties too.
COST: $11 - $250; MORE INFO

FRIDAY, OCT. 12; 7:30 p.m.
'The Sisters Brothers'
LACMA -- 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire
Director Jacques Audiard's ("Rust and Bone," "A Prophet") latest film is based on the novel by Patrick deWitt. The film reimagines the Western through the journeys of brothers and assassins Charlie and Eli Sisters (Joaquin Phoenix and John C. Reilly). The night also includes a post-screening conversation with Reilly.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

FRIDAY, OCT. 12; 6 - 10 p.m.
ArtNight Pasadena
Various locations in Pasadena
Time to get artsy as 19 cultural institutions open their doors to the public for a night of performance, art and music. Free shuttles run between spaces so guests can catch dance works by the Pennington Dance Group at A Room to Create, then hop over to the Jackie Robinson Foundation to view paintings by the late Laneea Tolley or the exhibition "Line & Color: The Nature of Ellsworth Kelly" at the Norton Simon. Food trucks will be at most of the participating locations.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

Ukulele players attend the record breaking attempt of the largest ukulele ensemble in Papeete, on February 24, 2018. Tahiti failed to reclaim its largest ukulele ensemble world record even though 6,302 Polynesians gathered in a stadium to play simultaneously. (Photo by GREGORY BOISSY/AFP/Getty Images)
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FRIDAY, OCT. 12 - SATURDAY, OCT. 13
4th Annual Antelope Valley Ukulele Festival
Antelope Valley College -- 3041 W. Avenue K, Lancaster
Celebrate the little instrument with a large following. The fest kicks off with a concert on Friday night with Jason Arimoto, Fred Sokolow, The Naked Waiters, Cali Rose and Lise Lee. Saturday features uke workshops for beginners, explorations of the son Jarocho genre, an open mic and hula and lei making. The festival benefits a local effort to put music back into Antelope Valley schools.
COST: $30 - $60; MORE INFO

FRIDAY, OCT. 12 - SUNDAY, OCT. 14
Desert Daze
Moreno Beach -- Vía Del Lago & Iris Ave., Moreno Valley
The cosmic fest moves from Joshua Tree to the Inland Empire this year with an eclectic music lineup that includes headliners Tame Impala (Friday), King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard (Saturday) and My Bloody Valentine (Sunday). Slowdive, Jarvis Cocker, Mercury Rev, Warpaint, Wooden Shjips and Julia Holter are also on the bill. In addition to music and installations, the festival has a Mystic Bazaar -- a program of soundbaths, yoga, shamanic ceremonies, guided plant walks and classes led by mystics. A few single-day, weekend passes and camping tickets are available.
COST: Single-day tickets start at $99 - $110; MORE INFO

SATURDAY, OCT. 13 - SUNDAY, OCT. 14; 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
4th Annual DTLA Oyster Festival at Grand Central
Grand Central Market -- 317 S. Broadway, downtown L.A.
Are you into shucking? The Oyster Gourmet hosts six oyster farmers from across North America: Chelsea Farms in Washington, Glacial Point Oysters from Alaska, Hama Hama from Washington State, Paradise Oysters from British Columbia, Rock Harbor Oysters in Massachusetts and Sol Azul Seafarms from Baja California. Guests can meet the farmers, taste the half shells and learn about the "merroir," or taste of place that changes depending on where the oysters are farmed. Other restaurants/vendors in the market will also offer specials like fried oysters and oyster po'boys.
COST: Varies; MORE INFO

SATURDAY, OCT. 13 - SUNDAY, JAN. 13, 2019
Photo Ark Exhibition
Annenberg Space For Photography -- 2000 Ave. of the Stars, Century City
National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore has embarked on an ambitious project to shoot studio-quality portraits of every species living in the world's zoos and wildlife sanctuaries, from mammals to insects. He has visited more than 40 countries and produced portraits of more than 8,000 species -- so far. The show features nearly 100 large-format prints from his opus.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

A new exhibition at the sp[a]ce gallery at Ayzenberg explores the future of VR/AR in art. (Image: Nancy Baker Cahill, 'Hollow Point 101')
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SATURDAY, OCT. 13 - SUNDAY, OCT. 26; 12 - 6 p.m.
Spatial Reality: Artists Explore the Future of XR
sp[a]ce gallery at Ayzenberg -- 39 E. Walnut St., Pasadena
This cutting-edge exhibition showcase the entire spectrum of XR, from virtual reality to augmented reality and everything in between, as used in art practices. Examine and interact with work by visual artists, painters, illustrators and sculptors who are using VR and AR to expand the boundaries of their work. Featured artists include Wesley Allsbrook, Nancy Baker Cahill, Bill Barminski, Can Büyükberber, Isaac "Cabbibo" Cohen and Jorge R. Gutierrez. Special events take place during the exhibition's run, including a Hit + Run Live Screen-Printing and music during the public opening night reception on Friday from 7- 10 p.m.
COST: FREE - $5,000; MORE INFO

SATURDAY, OCT. 13 - SUNDAY, OCT. 14
Central Library Reopening 25th Anniversary
Central Library -- 630 W. 5th St., downtown L.A.
On April 29, 1986, L.A.'s Central Library and its collections were damaged by an arson fire. Several months later, while restoration was underway, a second fire caused more damage. The new and expanded library reopened in 1993. A quarter-century later, the library celebrates its commitment to the city. Saturday activities include a scavenger hunt, a hands-on art project, a panel discussion with the architect of the renovation, special tours of the collections and a public reception (with cookies). On Sunday at 2 p.m., author Susan Orlean discusses her new book about the fire, "The Library Book." She'll be in conversation with David Ulin. (RSVP for the book launch.)
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

The food and wine event, A Taste of Italy, is an annual benefit for the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles. (Image: Courtesy IAMLA)
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SATURDAY, OCT. 13; 5 - 10 p.m.
Taste of Italy 2018
Pico House Plaza -- 424 N. Main St., downtown L.A.
Mangia! Now in its 10th year, this food and wine event supports the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles in downtown L.A. Diners can sample foods from dozens of Italian restaurants including Valentino, Drago Centro, Pizzeria Mozza and Prova. There's also live entertainment and bocce on the lawn. This year, the festival focuses on the region of Puglia (the heel of Italy's boot), known for its wines and olive oils.
COST: Tickets start at $60; MORE INFO

SATURDAY, OCT. 13; 12:30 - 5:30 p.m.
Craftoberfest Los Angeles
Rose Bowl Stadium -- 1001 Rose Bowl Dr., Pasadena
For the first time, the Greens at Brookside Golf Course, located just behind the Rose Bowl, is transformed into an Oktoberfest beer garden with restaurants serving traditional foods such as bratwurst and brezen. Attendees get unlimited pours from more than 30 craft breweries (including Eagle Rock Brewery, El Segundo Brewing Company, Smog City Brewing, Arts District Brewing, LA Ale Works Brewery, State Brewing Co.). Food is sold separately.
COST: $30 - $50; MORE INFO

SATURDAY, OCT. 13 - SUNDAY, OCT. 14
Festival of Disruption
Theatre at Ace Hotel -- 929 S. Broadway, downtown L.A.
David Lynch's festival returns with a great lineup of music, films and conversations. Among the highlights: sets by Mercury Rev, Saint Motel, TOKiMONSTA, and Wu-Tang Clan founder RZA will re-score the classic 1978 kung-fu film "The 36th Chamber of Shaolin" with tracks from the the band's discography. Conversations include David Lynch doing an audience Q&A, moderated by John Horn (host of KPCC's "The Frame"), with attendees treated to coffee and donuts. Francis Ford Coppola also participates in an audience Q&A after a screening of his 1996 film "Jack," starring Robin Williams. For "Twin Peaks" fans, the festival teams up with Showtime and Collider Games to offer the first look at "Twin Peaks VR," which lets you travel to Glastonbury Grove.
COST: Tickets start at $55; MORE INFO

SATURDAY, OCT. 13 - SUNDAY, OCT. 14; 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Fall Brewery Artwalk
The Brewery Arts Complex -- 2100 N. Main St., downtown L.A.
More than 100 residents of the art colony open their studios to the public. View works in various media -- sculpture, applied arts, painting, video and performance. In between studio visits, stop by Barbara's at the Brewery to nosh and drink.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

SATURDAY, OCT. 13; 1 - 11 p.m.
LA Decompression 2018
Los Angeles State Historic Park -- 1245 N. Spring St., downtown L.A.
L.A. Burning Man and the Los Angeles League of Arts throw an art and music celebration with performances, art cars, theme camps and tons of people watching. Get gussied up in your finest playa attire.
COST: Tickets start at $25; MORE INFO

The 10th Annual Los Angeles Printers Fair takes place in Carson this weekend. (Image: Courtesy of The International Printing Museum)
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SATURDAY, OCT. 13 - SUNDAY, OCT. 14; 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
The 10th Annual Los Angeles Printers Fair
The International Printing Museum -- 315 W. Torrance Blvd., Carson
The fair celebrates paper, letterpress (relief) printing and the art of handmade books. Held at the museum that contains a collection of working antique presses, 80 artists and vendors will show off custom posters, hand-printed cards, hand-made paper, ephemera and antique books for sale. Visitors can print their own keepsakes on antique letterpresses, have their name cast in printer's type, make paper by hand or screenprint their own shirts. Proceeds from the fair are donated back to the nonprofit museum.
COST: $5 - $10; MORE INFO

SUNDAY, OCT. 14; 7:30 p.m.
LA Fest: La Santa Cecilia
Keck Amphitheatre at Walt Disney Concert Hall -- 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A.
Grammy Award winners La Santa Cecilia blend the Pan-American rhythms of cumbia, bossa nova and bolero with rock, ska, and R&B to kick off the L.A. Phil's World Music series. Before the show, stop by the LA Fest Lounge for free tastings of the LA Phil's 100 beer or visit an immersive sound and art installation in the the theater.
COST: $55 - $123; MORE INFO

Druids, pagans and revelers gather in the centre of Stonehenge, hoping to see the sun rise, as they take part in a winter solstice ceremony at the ancient neolithic monument of Stonehenge on December 22, 2017 in Wiltshire, England. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
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SUNDAY, OCT. 14; 10:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Pagan Pride Day LA/OC
Rainbow Lagoon Park -- E. Shoreline Dr., Long Beach
Are you curious about paganism? Meet local practitioners to learn about beliefs and rituals. The day includes vendors, workshops and entertainment. Participants are asked to bring a food donation to help celebrate and share.
COST: FREE admission; MORE INFO

Channel your best brain-eating walking corpse: The Hollywood Subway Zombie Walk returns on Sunday. (Photo: Courtesy Hollywood Subway Zombie Walk/Facebook)
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SUNDAY, OCT. 14; 4:15 p.m.
10th Annual Hollywood Subway Zombie Walk
Various locations throughout Hollywood Blvd.
Reanimated corpses invade the Walk of Fame and you're invited to crawl along. Pick one of two places to meet: Gather at 4:15 p.m. at the North Hollywood Red Line Station to hop on the train to Hollywood & Highland at 4:48 p.m. Or meet at the Hollywood & Highland Metro Station by 5 p.m. From there, the walk lurches toward Hollywood and Vine then loop back around. Channel your best "Romero" zombie outfit and speed (think zombie shuffle, not a power walk).
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

SUNDAY, OCT. 14; 6 - 11 p.m.
Queer Noise
Jewel's Catch One (now Union)-- 4067 W Pico Blvd., Arlington Heights
Queer expression takes hold at a night of live music, DJs, comedy and performance. Artists include Kelela, San Cha, Bae Bae, Liza Dye and Bitchface. Jewel Thais-Williams receives the "History Maker Award" for owning the Catch, what was the longest running black gay nightclub in L.A. for 40 years. The night also serves as a launch party for the ONE Archives Foundation's membership program that supports free exhibitions, public programs and education initiatives about gay and lesbian history. This event is age 21+.
COST: $35 - $60; MORE INFO

SUNDAY, OCT. 14; 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Octubrefest
The Row -- 777 Alameda St., downtown L.A.
Smorgasburg LA celebrates Oktoberfest with a Mexican twist. In addition to the regular vendors, pop-ups will serve Mexican dishes including chorizo and Oaxacan sausage. Featured breweries offer craft beers like El Segundo Brewing Co.'s Cerveza Fresca Juicy IPA or Border X Brewing's Horchata Golden Stout. I Love Micheladas brings its micheladas -- traditional, Mango, Cucumber and the Smorgasburg LA Pineapple (served in a whole pineapple).
COST: Varies; MORE INFO

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SUNDAY, OCT. 14; 12 - 4 p.m.
Bacon Bash
Santa Anita Park -- 285 W Huntington Dr., Arcadia
The racetrack is throwing a porktastic party starring bacon and beer. Tickets include four bacon-themed tastings; four, 3-ounce craft beer tastings; club house admission; racing program and tip sheet; and a $5 betting voucher. You must be 21+ to buy the package.
COST: $35; MORE INFO

SUNDAY, OCT. 14; 2 - 5 p.m.
Carnegie Observatories Open House
Carnegie Observatories -- 813 Santa Barbara St., Pasadena
The astronomy research center holds its 17th annual, family-friendly open house. Meet astronomers, listen to talks about recent discoveries, tour the historic Hale Library and visit the machine shop where telescopes get made. No RSVP is necessary but parking is limited, so rideshare or public transportation is recommended.
COST: Free; MORE INFO

Check out rail cars and restoration projects as the Travel Town Museum holds its annual open house. (Image: Travel Town Museum Foundation/Facebook)
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SUNDAY, OCT. 14; 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Depot Day
Travel Town Museum -- 5200 Zoo Dr., Griffith Park
All aboard! The museum's annual open house is a celebration of rails and trains. There's live music, food, a bake sale, woodcarvers, blacksmiths, vintage vehicles and a glimpse into current restoration projects.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

How are you spending your weekend? Let us know on Twitter @christineziemba and @LeoHasACat.


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