First and foremost, Memorial Day is about the members of the armed forces who gave their lives in our nation’s service. Their sacrifice is unimaginable, our debt to them beyond measure. To those lost, and to those who serve our nation and all it stands for, we salute you.

The weekend is not all somber reflection; Memorial Day also means a long weekend, and the unofficial start of summer. Festival is the word of the day: throughout the Southland folks gather to enjoy yummies and winged wonders, and to celebrate different cultures (including Greek, Scottish, and Topangan). Discovery Cube opens new exhibits that explore the different sides of super powers. (It's just science.) The Aquarium of the Pacific opens a new wing that encourages us all to be super heroes for the ocean.

And, of course, Memorial Day weekend closes with tributes to our fallen heroes. Ceremonies are being held at the Nixon Presidential Library, in Burbank and Canoga Park, and at Woodlawn and Forest Lawn Cemeteries.

Read on for some of our favorite picks for this three-day holiday weekend...

It's Mother's Day, and Momma wants something good. Something unique. Maybe something handmade. Most likely something handmade.

For the record, Momma is well-rounded. She likes apes, and she likes butterflies. She likes gardens. She likes big cars; she likes fast skates. She likes firemen and men in tiaras. She likes to drink the tea.

Momma likes rockets in flight and stars on ice. She likes getting in free and being treated like the queen she is. 

But mostly she likes spending time with her kids. We get one weekend to call our own, Mommas; make it count!

Keep reading for our best suggestions for a Mother of a weekend! 

NOTE: California public schools are performing distance learning due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Whether they will open again or resort to summer school is up in the air. Below is the 2019-2002 LAUSD school calendar. Or click if you are looking for the 2020-2021 LAUSD school calendars.

Summer vacation ain't what it used to be. The majority of SoCal school districts now opt for an August start date, with vanishingly few stragglers sticking with the old-school, post-Labor Day start. And beware assuming that school starts and finishes roughly when it did last year, because schedules seem to change all the time. 2020 is a leap year, and that extra day may impact the school calendar as well.

This year Alhambra is first out of the gate, leading the back-to-school race with a pool-party-pooper start date of August 9; but in a radical change of course, Torrance goes from last man standing to a late August start. Hermosa Beach is now the only district on our list with a September start date, with classes beginning on September 5. 

Wondering where your district fits in, and how much time you have left for these 50 Free Things To Do in Summer? Bookmark our list below with start and finish dates for the 2019-2020 school year all over LA County. And if what you read makes you wonder about what other school options are available to you, maybe our school guide can help.

Everywhere you look, there's an Easter egg hunt to be found. Under that tree: an egg hunt. Behind the bushes, there’s one more. In fact, I see dozens of them, and you can find them in our Easter egg hunt round-up! Grab your basket and collect them all (but make sure you leave enough for the other mommies).

See, here’s the deal: There is literally an egg hunt on every block, every corner, every square inch of Los Angeles this weekend. And every egg that you find? You open it up and—surprise!—it tells you about another egg hunt. Some egg hunts are in gardens; some are in malls; some are on the farm; some come with breakfast. (Eggs and breakfast? Weird.)  

Actually, the trick this weekend is going to be not finding an egg hunt. There are a few other things out there: you might luck onto bubbles and Bolero, pachyderms and penguins, Earth Day and natural wonders, ice tales and dog tails and fish laying eggs...

......

...did someone say ... eggs?

Eggs. Eggy egg eggs. Lots and lots of eggs. 

Hop on over to our most egg-citing picks for this weekend…

This weekend is about more than just the long weekend (though it is a long weekend). This weekend asks us to examine the power of the individual: to do good, to achieve, to entertain and inform.

Whether your skill is trick shotting, krill eating, or sheep herding, whether your area of expertise is geekdom or brick-building or onomatopoeia, this weekend reminds us that we can all rise up and achieve great things.

On Monday in particular, we look at the American presidency and the power of one individual to impact the lives of so many. LA is lucky to have two presidential libraries in the region, both of which offer up observances of the holiday. Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you are going to do with your kids on this long weekend. 

Read on for our most statesmanlike picks for this weekend …

If your kids are hyped up about The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part opening February 8, you could make them feel special by taking them to experience it live and interactive right now at the LEGO Space Hollywood. The free pop-up photo op experience offers tons of Instagrammable moments, interactive installations, and fun reveals from the new movie. And don’t think for a second they would make a LEGO space without giving you the opportunity to play with LEGOs. 

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is 'What are you doing for others?'" This weekend, families can join together to answer that question, by participating in the MLK Day of Service. A day spent giving back is just one way to honor Dr. King's memory. There are parades, celebrations, and concerts throughout the weekend to bring our families and communities together in honor of his legacy.

Little ones can learn from Dr. King's example as well, with a number of events this weekend particularly geared toward young children. Kids can listen to inspiring stories , participate in service projects, and share their dreams for the future.

Inspiration can be found on other fronts with founding fathers  and kung fu figure skaters, blood moons and behind the scenes, bulldogs and boars, ephemeral art and fast moving motocross, high flying acrobats and dancing on, what do call em? feet, all serving as examples of what one can achieve. Now is a good time to ask our children: how do you try to make a difference? And where do you find your inspiration?

Keep reading for some of our most inspired picks for this weekend.

Happy Holidays, folks! We're smack dab in the middle of a festivity frenzy, with Christmas and Kwanzaa coming on strong. (Those of us who are been-there, dreidel'd-that, done with Hanukkah can turn our attention to the Baby New Year's impending arrival. And Mary Poppins!)

This weekend offers the last chance to put the finishing touches on Christmas, before the big guy comes down the chimney late Monday night. Across Southern California, lights are twinkling, nuts are cracking, and reindeer are romping, as moms and dads scramble to buy last minute gifts (while finding time for a seasonal spectacle or two).

And then comes Christmas. No doubt many of you plan to spend Christmas Day at home with friends and family. For those of you looking for activities outside the home, good news: we're here to help. First up, we offer 25 Things To Do on Christmas Day. And if your kitchen closes on Christmas Day, we present a list of restaurants that are open. Christmas is the gift that keeps on giving, and after the presents are all exchanged we can still enjoy the gift of other people being gone. (Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and the freeways much more bearable.) For holiday cheer that continues on into next week, might we suggest some of LA's finest Christmas light displays, or some in Orange County (and, if you're willing to spend a little, some holiday light displays are worth the ticket price). 

And this year we have a special surprise under our tree: Mommy Poppins has just launched sites in Washington, DC and Chicago!  Thank you, Santa, it's exactly what we wanted!