From We like LA..enjoy

Dear Angelenos,

Coachella what now? While droves of locals head to the desert this weekend, we’ve got our eyes fixed firmly on the Southland. Here is a quick rundown of what’s on the radar.

For April 14-16 in Los Angles, check out a Spring Fling Night Market, the World of Barbie, the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, a Teen Takeover at UPAM, Grand Park Easy Mornings, CicLAvia in MidCity, the Renaissance Pleasure Faire, FoLAR’s 33rd Annual LA River CleanUp, and more. Scan a few options below, and be sure to check out our full guide here.

• Spring Fling Night Market -> Culver City’s Ivy Station hosts a Spring Fling Night Market this Friday featuring over 25 local vendors plus food trucks, drinks, games, and music. Runs 5 to 10 p.m. Free admission. More info here.
• World of Barbie -> World of Barbie debuts at Santa Monica Place this Friday with an immersive experience that will allow fans to step directly into Barbie’s world. The 20,000 square-foot attraction will include a number of life-size spaces like a Barbie Dreamhouse and Camper Van, to a salon filled with products and other various interactive rooms. The pop-up also plans to roll out a number of after-hours and special events including after hours parties and Sunday movie days. Tickets start at $34.50. More info here.
• Grand Park Easy Mornings  -> Grand Park’s Easy Mornings returns this Saturday with selection of relaxing, family-friendly activities focused on deepening relationships with self, community, and the park. Runs 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free to attend. More info here
• It’s Alive! A Plant Based Horror Marketplace -> The twice-yearly It’s Alive! A Plant Based Horror Marketplace returns to Common Space Brewery in Hawthorne with 30+ vendors featuring food, spooky-themed goods, jewelry, collectibles, and more. Runs noon to 5 p.m. Free admission. More info here.
• Symbiosis: Living Island -> This Saturday, Symbiosis: Living Island opens at Japan House Los Angeles. The latest exhibition the Inujima “Art House Project,” which was imagined to revitalize the depopulated island of Inujima by incorporating contemporary art into existing architectural and ecological spaces of the area. Symbiosis remains on view through July 5. Open daily and free to visit. More info here.
• Bunka Sai Festival -> This Saturday and Sunday, the 48th Annual Bunka Sai Festival comes to thhe Ken Miller Recreation Center in Torrance with a weekend of cultural performances, demos, martial arts, calligraphy lessons, and more. Runs 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both days. Free to attend. More info here.
• Renaissance Pleasure Faire  -> Starting this Saturday and Sunday, head to the Renaissance Pleasure Faire in Irwindale for a one-of-a-kind event featuring 200+ artisans, merchants, and vendors, plus costume contests, games, rides, a food court and more. Adult single-day admission starts at $42. Runs on weekends through May 21. More info here.
• CicLAvia Mid City Meets Pico Union -> L.A.’s biggest and longest running open streets initiative heads to Mid City this Sunday with a car-free course that covers a 4-mile stretch of Venice, to 7th and Washington. Runs 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free to attend. Rain or shine event! More info here.
• Skirball Puppet Festival -> Skirball Puppet Festival: Sparking Imagination celebrates the art of puppetry and the magic of storytelling this Sunday with an all-ages event featuring new and old tales presented by a lineup of family-friendly acts, including Animal Cracker Conspiracy, UCLA’s ACA Lion Dancers, The Bean and Bear Show, and more. Tickets cost $18 per adult and $15 per child. More info here.
• And remember for MORE to-dos you can read our full weekend round-up here.

This weekend’s food picks from We Like L.A. co-founder Christina Champlin 🙂

• Ayara Thai Seafood Street Party -> Ayara Thai is throwing an elaborate three-night, street food-themed seafood party to celebrate Songkran, the Thai New Year. The ticketed event runs Thursday through Saturday and will be held on the sidewalk of the Westchester restaurant to mirror the atmosphere of Bangkok with Chef Vanda cooking curbside. Served family style, the prix fixe seats four guests for $290 and includes six dishes for the entire table. The menu features a grilled platter, Laab style dry-aged salmon, sweet chili Manila clams, steamed branzino bathed in a chili-lime-garlic broth, Thai fried rice with shrimp paste, shrimp, crab, roe and a lemongrass lime tart for dessert. For tickets and more info go here.
• Meet Fresh x Jon Yao Shaved Ice Collaboration -> Michelin-Starred Chef Jon Yao (Kato) and Taiwan dessert chain Meet Fresh launch a special shaved ice collaboration in support of the Downtown Women’s Center Los Angeles starting this Saturday. Available April 15-30, the cold treat is topped with grass jelly, potaro balls, mini taro balls, boba, and condensed milk all infused with a creamy milk tea sauce. 100% of net proceeds from the dessert will be donated to Downtown Women’s Center. The special shaved ice is available at ten California Meet Fresh locations: Arcadia, Cerritos, Cupertino, Fremont, Hacienda Heights, Irvine, Livermore, Santa Clara, San Jose, and Temple City.
• Sunday Brunch & Jazz at margot -> Sunday brunch at Culver City’s margot now comes with live jazz. Each week the coastal Mediterranean restaurant hosts a live band on the outdoor dining terrace from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The market driven menu includes brunch dishes such as oatmeal pancakes, a benedict topped with house made porchetta and a selection of pastas including a wagyu bolognese. Groovy!

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• From April 13-16, virtuoso pianist Hershey Felder returns to The Wallis for a strictly limited engagement of his acclaimed work, Hershey Felder as George Gershwin Alone.

Average annual attendance at Coachella is about 125,000 per day (at least in terms of tickets sold). More than two-thirds of the the ticket buyers come from the Western United States. But how many of those legions of fans are Angelenos? Not sure you can really say.

Based on my own totally unscientific assessment, it does feel like the traffic gets a bit breezier with crowds flocking to the desert each year. That leads me to believe that quite a few locals still make the musical pilgrimage.

I don’t know if that pattern will repeat itself, but I’ll be doing my anecdotal survey this weekend as I shuttle around town. Maybe you’ll notice something too.

For those heading out to the desert this weekend to embrace the spectacle, enjoy the show. And for those of us staying in L.A., let’s hope for clear skies, and (relatively) clear freeways. Until Monday, anyway…

Will send more words soon.

-Brian