Los Angeles Greater Area
36th Asian Pacific Film Festival
The premier showcase for the best and brightest of Asian Pacific American and international cinema, the festival’s 2020 highlights include the winners of HBO’s APA Visionaries Short Film Competition and much more. Tickets to view on sale now through October 31.
Frogtown virtual artwalk
Like all Frogtown Artwalks, this one unfolds along the Los Angeles River – but this time it’s online, with the river as virtual backdrop. Browse art from local artists, explore poetry, workshops and live events, and celebrate the waterway and its natural habitat.
Drive into Stranger Things
Set your car for the early ‘80s and head for Hawkins, where the unexplained happens every day. With real-life locations from the series and mind-blowing effects, it’s an unsettling trip to the Upside Down, packed with unforeseen occurrences … and disturbing secrets.
Montana Avenue al fresco
Montana has always been an intriguing shop-and-dine destination with a sunny, breezy vibe. Now, Santa Monica’s hippest avenue is throwing special neighborhood Saturdays filled with sales, eats and treats throughout October. Get out and explore.
San Francisco Bay Area
Yosemite, off commute
The same spectacular scenery, but with smaller crowds and milder weather: There’s a lot to like about the fall season in Yosemite, when the National Park offers a quieter, more peaceful experience. Here are 14 of the best crowd-free spots to take advantage of the off-peak autumn season.
Pumpkin, spice, and everything nice
Sure, we all love Starbucks’ pumpkin spice lattes. But the Bay Area presents ample opportunity to shop seasonally and locally in satisfying your autumnal sweet tooth. Among the top gourd-fueled food items now available are Manresa Bread’s gluten-free pumpkin muffins, Humphry Slocombe’s Pumpkin 5 Spice Ice Cream, and Dynamo Donut’s pumpkin-chocolate chip donut. Yum.
From chef to advocate
In 2018 and 2019, Chef Figo’s David Nayfeld was riding high as the owner and chef of one of San Francisco’s most popular new restaurants. Then came the pandemic and everything suddenly stopped, as it did for so many others in the restaurant industry. But rather than throw in the towel, Nayfeld has emerged as a leading activist voice for saving restaurants in the Bay Area. Read more here.
Music to their ears
After a long, long 6 months of shut-down, San Francisco gave the green light for expanded live outdoor music and entertainment across the city. This comes as great news for the artists as well as the restaurants and other local businesses that will be hiring them to attract more customers. Sounds like a win-win.