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Things To Do in LA this Weekend: Abbot Kinney, Underwood Farms, Watts Tower

Photo courtesy of Underwood Family Farms
Photo courtesy of Underwood Family Farms
9/26/19 - By Toby B

See, this is why I like fall. Our Mondays through Fridays are filled with serious, go-to-school-and-learn-things Important Business. And possibly homework (just for the kids, thank Heavens). But the weekends, man, do they make up for it! For starters: Halloween comes at us with a spooky vengeance this weekend, with world class theme park approved ooking and spooking at Knott's Berry Farm and Legoland, and at that LA original, Underwood Farms. (These join the pumpkin patches and fests that have already gotten an early and/ or supercute start.)

And talk about festivals: this weekend we have festivals that are westside eclectic, aquatic by way of Aztec, and infused with the beat of the drum. We have one that smells like wet dog, and a birthday party for a singing cowboy. You can touch a truck and have victuals with a viola. It's bananas! 

You might even end the weekend a little smarter than when you started. This weekend's mind expanders include conquering the kingdom, defending the realm, exploring wide open spaces, and learning all the notes. You'll be reading en españ​ol and speaking for the trees. Remember: it's not work if you're doing it for fun!

Keep reading for our most playful weekend picks...

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Things To Do All Weekend

Baja Splash Cultural Festival

Long Beach
The Aquarium  of the Pacific celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with the 23rd Annual Baja Splash Festival. Where else can you see ancient Aztec dance performed in the shadow of a shark tank? READ MORE

Annual Watts Towers Day of the Drum Festival & Jazz Festival

Watts
On Saturday, Watts Towers Arts Center plays host to the 42nd anniversary of the Annual Watts Towers Day of the Drum Festival, a free festival featuring world-class live music and drumming performances, drum circles, dancing, art exhibitions, arts and crafts for sale, international food, and more. On Sunday, the 47th Annual Simon Rodia Watts Towers Jazz Festival follows, with free performances throughout the day. READ MORE

Knott's Spooky Farm

Buena Park
Knott's Berry Farm invites kids to a non-scare Halloween celebration that's about cheer, not fear. Kids can dress in all their Halloween finery to go trick-or-treating around the town of Calico’s shops and buildings, plus enjoy additional Halloween activities. READ MORE

27th Annual Fall Harvest Festival at Underwood Farms

Moorpark
Underwood Family Farms' annual Fall Harvest Festival features pig races, animal shows, a corn maze and gourd tunnel, a combine slide, tractor rides, Farmer Craig’s Chicken Show, hay pyramids, and animals to feed, as well as a gigantic pumpkin patch. READ MORE

Hocus Pocus (PG)

Hollywood
Amok! Amok! Amok! Hocus Pocus returns for its annual spellbinding engagement at the El Capitan, starting with a special opening night Fan Event. READ MORE

Exhibit : The Lion Guard (Discovery Cube LA)

Sylmar
Zuka zama! Kids can explore the Pride Lands with Kion and his friends in the newest exhibit at the Discovery Cube LA. READ MORE

South Bay Galleria Fall Carnival

Redondo Beach
South Bay Galleria's Fall Carnival offers family fun including rides, games, and food. READ MORE

Kiddee Matinees

Hollywood
On Saturdays and Sundays, families can catch a matinee screening of a kid-friendly movie at the New Beverly Cinema.   READ MORE
Photo courtesy of The Port of Hueneme Banana Festival
Photo courtesy of The Port of Hueneme Banana Festival

Things To Do Saturday, September 29

Surf City Surf Dog

Huntington Beach
Fido can once again hang ten with the return of the Surf City Surf Dog comPETition! READ MORE

The Port of Hueneme Banana Festival

Port Hueneme
The Port of Hueneme Banana Festival is back! Guests can enjoy a variety of delicious foods, which may include banana empanadas, banana splits, banana funnel cakes, banana lumpia, banana cream pie melts, banana Italian ice, banana popcorn, banana cupcakes, and chocolate-covered bananas. Both parking and admission are free. READ MORE

Free Entrance Days in the National Parks

Multiple Locations
On select days throughout the year, all national parks are open to the public with no admission fee. Veterans Day marks the last freebie for 2024.  READ MORE

Saturday Morning Stories and More

Cheviot Hills
Erin go bookstore! Luke Robertson visits Children's Book World for a St. Patrick's Day storytime. Every Saturday morning Children's Book World offers free children's entertainment March 2020 schedule:      March 7: Andrew & Polly Mini-Concert (all ages) March 14: St. Patrick’s Day Storytime with Luke Robertson (ages 4 – 7) March 21: Kevin Noble Maillard Storytime & Signing (ages 3 – 7) March 28: Roda Ahmed Launch Party & Signing (ages 4 –... READ MORE

Disney's Pixar in Concert

Orange
Clips from each of Pixar's movies are shown on screen while a symphony orchestra plays the score live at the Musco Center. READ MORE

SFY: Symphonies for Youth

Downtown
The LA Philharmonic is back with another season of its Symphonies for Youth series, designed for kids ages five to 11. The first concert of the season offers a kid-friendly take on one of Shakespeare’s most popular stories and one of Mendelssohn’s most famous musical works: A Midsummer Night’s Dream: . READ MORE

Teddy Bear Concert - Meet the String Family

Eagle Rock
At these concerts, kids are welcome... and so are favorite teddy bears! July's concert introduces the String Family. READ MORE

Southern California Children's Museum's Touch-a-Truck Month

Pasadena
A month of truck touching comes to a close with one last session at the Southern California Children's Museum. READ MORE

Opera at the Beach/ Opera in the Park

Santa Monica
Where's the best place to watch an opera?  The beach of course, and also the park. Angelenos can watch a live broadcast of LA Opera's Madame Butterfly​ at their choice of two venues, both outdoors and under the stars. READ MORE

Olde Tyme Fall Festival

Buena Park
There's no place like Boo-uena Park for the Halloween season. To kick off the spooktacular time, the City and Buena Park Historical Society present the 3rd annual Olde Tyme Fall Festival. READ MORE

Los Angeles International Ukulele Festival

Torrance
Ukulele fans of all experience levels - from expert players to curious spectators -  are invited to the 2023 Los Angeles International Ukulele Festival.  Ticket holders can enjoy all-star performances, participate in unlimited workshops as well as classes and presentations for beginners of all ages, shop the ukulele marketplace, and indulge in Hawaiian food. New this year: the festival offers free classes for complete beginners in the George Nakano Theatre throughout the day (main festival access not included).  READ MORE

Los Angeles Libros Festival

Downtown
The Los Angeles Libros Festival is a free bilingual book festival that celebrates the diversity of LA, and the importance of bilingualism for families and communities in the LA region. Guests can enjoy Spanish-language and bilingual storytelling, performances, creative workshops, and award-winning authors. READ MORE

Angels Post-Game Fireworks

Anaheim
The Angels' game ends with a bang on select Saturday nights—a fireworks kind of bang.   Some games may include additional promotions. READ MORE

Street Food Cinema 2024

Glendale: Up; Downtown: The Addams Family
Street Food Cinema goes on adventure with a screening of Up! at the LA Arboret--  squirrel!   READ MORE

Helms Sunset Cinema

Culver City: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
I'll be right here. At the Helms Bakery. Watching a free screening of E.T. READ MORE

Brick or Treat

Carlsbad
Legoland offers a festive kid-centric Halloween celebration on select weekends this fall. The fun includes tons of candy, an all-new show lineup, never-before-seen exclusive Lego characters, and more. New features for 2024: LEGO T-Rex Guy transforms Dino Valley into the Prehistoric Pumpkin Patch, where sweet treats await, as well as a chance to build your very own LEGO pumpkin.  READ MORE

Marina Del Rey Free Movie Nights

Marina del Rey: Beetlejuice
Free outdoor movie nights return to Marina Del Rey's Burton Chace Park. The waterfront park makes a lovely setting for a picnic to watch films under the stars. Fire up the DeLorian for the opening night film, Back to the Future 2. READ MORE
Writing for Plants, A Botany Workshop. Photo courtesy of the Hammer Museum
Writing for Plants, A Botany Workshop. Photo courtesy of the Hammer Museum

Things To Do Sunday, September 30

Abbot Kinney Festival

Venice
Please note: there is no Abbot Kinney Festival scheduled for 2024. The event is expected to return in September 2025. Vendors line both sides of Abbot Kinney at the annual Abbot Kinney Festival - many with a decidedly green edge (this is Venice, after all).  An eclectic range of musicians is scheduled to perform on multiple stages along the 3/4 mile stretch, and food trucks aplenty satisfy every gastronomical whim. READ MORE

Wiggle Waggle Walk & Run 2024

Pasadena
The Annual Wiggle Waggle Walk is a family-friendly event that raises funds for the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA.   READ MORE

Studio Ghibli Fest 2024

Multiple Locations: The Secret World of Arrietty
Studio Ghibli animated classics return to theaters in this annual series. Screenings may either be subtitled or dubbed.  August's first film is Ponyo, a fish out of water tale. READ MORE

A Colorful Afternoon: Cornelia Funke's Adventures Through the Bauhaus

West LA
Children's author Cornelia Funke reads her latest story about William Dampier—pirate, adventurer, explorer, and ghost—and his encounters with other ghosts and spirits at the Getty Center. READ MORE

Gene Autry's Birthday Celebration

Griffith Park
Gene Autry's birthday is celebrated at his namesake museum with a film screening and Gene Autry-themed tours of the galleries. READ MORE

Kids Koncerts at the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum

The summer series closes out with a performance by Mista Cookie Jar. READ MORE

Stories in the Afternoon

Pasadena
Stories in the Afternoon uses stories to explore the world and subject matter of great paintings. Participants then create masterpieces of their own. Not ready for winter?  Neither is The Little Yellow Leaf, who doesn't want to fall from the tree in November's story. READ MORE

Snoopy, Come Home

Santa Ana
"You got a used dog, Charlie Brown." Snoopy goes in search of his original owner in Snoopy, Come Home. READ MORE

826LA@Hammer: Writing for Plants, A Botany Workshop

Westwood
Kids can become resident botanists for one day at the Hammer, observing, charting, and writing imagined histories of a few bizarre, beautiful, and rare plants. READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

National Parks - Multiple Locations
Musco Center for the Arts, Chapman University
Multiple Locations, including Santa Monica Pier
Buena Park Historical Society
Torrance Cultural Arts Center
Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Rotating locations, including the Autry Museum
Participating Theaters, such as Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE