Jackie's South Bay Weekend Guide for October 23, 2014

There are a few Halloween events taking place this weekend but if you haven’t yet figured out what you’re doing on the spookiest night of the year - it’s a Friday! - be sure to check out the upcoming events listed on my website. There are plenty of opportunities to terrify little kids, small animals and total strangers.

Walk With Sally and The Deck will be hosting a Pink Party on Thursday, October 23 in celebration of all the fabulous activities that took place around the South Bay during the month of October for the WWS Breast Friends campaign. The party starts at 6 p.m. followed by a candle lighting to remember loved ones lost taking place at 7 p.m. at the ocean’s edge. Pre-sale tickets are $30, at the door, $35. The price of admission includes two drink tickets for a choice off pink beer, sangria or rose. Be sure to wear pink! For additional information and to purchase tickets, visit the website at http://www.walkwithsally.org/breastfriends/pink-party-tickets/. The Deck is located at 1272 The Strand in Hermosa Beach.

Del Amo Fashion Center presents the Simon Kidgits Club Halloween Spooktacular on Saturday, October 25 from 10 a.m. to noon in JoAnn’s Court. The event will feature a magician, as well as several activity stations and games for children to enjoy, including mini pumpkin decorating, Halloween coloring fun and seasonal crafts like creating scary spider plates, a Halloween magnet and a Halloween mask. This is a terrific opportunity to prep the little ones for the scariest night of the year! For additional information, visit the website at http://www.simon.com/mall/del-amo-fashion-center or call 310-542-8525. Del Amo Fashion Center is located at 3525 Carson Street in Torrance.

Pug Nation Rescue of Los Angeles presents the annual Pugtacular Spooktacular on Saturday, October 25 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Torrance Park. The event features food, vendors, raffles, dog adoptions and two costume contests – one for Pugs and another for all breeds. One of the big sponsors will provide bags of dog treats with every paid admission. There is a $10 admission fee which goes toward the support of the Pug rescue organization. For additional information, visit the website at http://www.journeyoffaith.com/homepage-banners/journey-junction. Torrance Park is located at 2001 Santa Fe Avenue in Torrance.

Everyone is welcome to spend a family friendly afternoon at The Journey Junction on Saturday, October 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event features pony rides, a petting zoo, bounce houses, carnival games, climbing wall, Euro bungee jump, toddler games and live DJ. The DJ will be hosting games throughout the day beginning with a Cakewalk at 11 a.m., Sack Races at noon and Pie Eating contests at 1 p.m. Food will be available from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. from In-N-Out Burger and Bart’s Carts Hot Dogs. There will also be popcorn, cotton candy, and snow cones to satisfy your sweet tooth. Tickets are $8 per person in advance, $10 at the door. Children under age two are free. For additional information and ticket purchase, visit the website at http://www.journeyoffaith.com/homepage-banners/journey-junction. Journey of Faith is located at 1243 Artesia Boulevard in Manhattan Beach.

Tabula Rasa Essentials and Old Venice Restaurant will host a Craft Beer Tasting on Saturday, October 25 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Guests will spend the afternoon learning about the difference a varietal specific glass can make when tasting various brews. Attendees will taste four different beers hand selected by Julie of Old Venice. Featured beers are Mythos Lager, Weinstephaner Hefeweizen, Orval Authentic Trappist Ale and Trestles Left Coast IPA. Following the tasting, guests will enjoy a variety of pizza courtesy of Old Venice. Tickets are $75 per person and include a take-home set of four craft beer glasses, beer tasting and pizza. To make a reservation, call Tabula Rasa at 310-318-3385. For additional information, visit the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/tabularasamb. Old Venice Restaurant is located at 1001 Manhattan Avenue in Manhattan Beach.

NextStep presents the sixth annual 900 Club Charity Poker Tournament on Saturday, October 25. The 900 Club is a private, members-only establishment located in Manhattan Beach and this is your chance to gain entrance to this exclusive retreat! The event will bring together members the 900 Club, celebrity guests, local businesses and friends in support of NextStep. Check-in starts at noon with the tournament getting underway at 1 p.m. The buy-in is $100 and rebuys will be available. Players will enjoy free appetizers all day and free cocktails until 3 p.m.! There are only 70 seats available so you have a real chance to win some incredible prizes! This is your chance to help make an immediate impact within your local community! To sponsor the event or donate an in-kind prize, please contact Jill Yi at jilly@nextstepfitness.org or 310-546-5666. For ticket purchase, visit the website at http://www.nextstepfitness.org/events. Hey, it’s fun, it’s for a great cause and its tax deductible! The 900 Club is located at 900 Manhattan Avenue in Manhattan Beach.

Riviera Village is hosting a Pop-Up Sidewalk Sale on Saturday, October 25 and Sunday, October 26 beginning at 10 a.m. Shoppers will enjoy the sunshine and sea breezes in Riviera Village while strolling along sidewalks overflowing with extraordinary sales and fabulous finds. Come on down, shop for bargains, and enjoy the eclectic mix of shops and restaurants that will be putting out special selections for the weekend. Participating businesses include: Fowler & Moore, Village Runner, L’Atelier, Ribbons, Jonathan, Fringe, Lisa Z, Safari, Dance Forever, Soil, French Farmhouse, Lollipop, Fernando’s, Harmony Works, Le Tete, Jeff Dion and Alandrea. Discover great bargains in a great setting! For additional information, visit the website at http://www.rivieravillage.org/. The Sidewalk Sale will take place on Catalina, Avenue I and Elena Avenue west of Pacific Coast Highway and Palos Verdes Boulevard.

Support local education and children with special needs by signing up for the annual Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk. This special walk will take place on Sunday, October 26 and goes from the Manhattan Beach Pier to the Hermosa Beach Pier and back. Check-in begins at 8 a.m. with the walk starting at 9 a.m. Participants can register at http://www.skechersfriendshipwalk.com/site/PageServer. The event will also include a Kids Zone featuring bounce houses, children’s games and various booths. The whole family can participate in this annual walk along the shore! For additional information and to register, visit the website at www.SkechersFriendshipWalk.com.

The City of Manhattan Beach Parks & Recreation Department, LA Car Guy and Skechers proudly present the 24 Annual World Famous Pumpkin Race from noon to 6 p.m. at the Manhattan Beach Pier. This national award-winning event is a favorite with locals and has been a Beach Cities tradition since 1990. Anyone can enter the race and Pumpkin Racecar kits are available for $20 at the Live Oak Park Tennis Office while supplies last. The race is fun, easy and free to enter! No registration is required and costumes are encouraged. Compete in single elimination Open Qualifying from noon to 4 p.m. for your chance to race in the Championship Finals beginning at 4 p.m. If you don’t feel the need for speed, there will be plenty of other activities on the schedule including train rides, Gordy the Pumpkin Racecar, arts and crafts, Pumpkinrace Land and a 40 foot wave. An awards ceremony takes place immediately following the finals with prizes awarded for Best of Show, Best Team Spirit, Best Crash and the coveted Championship Trophy. It’s time to grab your pit crew and put the pedal to the pumpkin! For more information, visit the website at http://www.pumpkinrace.com/.

The Downtown Manhattan Beach Business and Professional Association will host a Trick or Treat on Sunday, October 26 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to coincide with the World Famous Pumpkin Race. Participating businesses will have the event flyer posted in their windows and guests must wear a costume to receive treats. In addition, be sure to stop by the DTMB Farmers’ Market booth for a few tricks and special treats. The lower portion of Manhattan Beach Boulevard will be closed to traffic for this family friendly event. For additional information, visit the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/downtownmanhattanbeach.

Join the vintage treasure hunt on Sunday, October 26 at the Torrance Antique Street Faire from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in historic downtown Torrance. Over 200 sellers will be set up along the tree lined streets with antiques, collectibles, vintage clothes, furniture, jewelry, toys, tools, home decor and more…all on sale at bargain prices! The monthly event features live entertainment with DJ Ozzie in the park, Stacy Robin & Friends in the Plaza and live music in front of the coffee shop and Just Luigis. Dave Brownlee and the Torrance Roadshow Appraisals will be on hand to value your treasures. If you’re thinking of adding a new member to your family, Romp Rescue Pet Adoption will be set up in the park. As always, admission and parking are FREE. For additional information, visit the website at http://www.torranceantiquefaire.com/ or call 310-328-6107.

ShopLocal.US presents the inaugural South Bay Business Mavericks Gala & Grant Awards on Wednesday, October 29 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Toyota USA Automobile Museum. The evening will kick off with an intriguing panel discussion featuring some of the South Bay’s most prominent leaders and business mavericks as they share the big ideas that inspired them to launch their business and make – or break – the rules in their industry. Find out what makes these mavericks tick and continue to take risks that help their businesses thrive even in turbulent times. Gain insight from incredibly powerful lessons and what it takes to set off on a trajectory to success as a business maverick. The three winners of the Local Business Grant Awards will be publicly announced that evening. Over $5,000 in total grant awards and prizes will be given to the winners. General Admission tickets (pre-registered) are $40 – a table of ten is $300. Wine, dine, meet, mix, mingle and learn what it takes to be a business maverick! For additional information and to register, visit the website at http://shoplocal.us/south-bay-business-mavericks/. The Toyota USA Automobile Museum is located at 19600 Van Ness Avenue in Torrance.

The publicity blitz has begun for the fourth annual Dancing with the South Bay Stars event presented by the Torrance Cultural Arts Foundation. The event takes place February 7, 2015. Why the four month lead time? I was invited to participate this year. That’s right - I seem to have misplaced my reasoning and agreed to dance in front of 500 audience members, along with eleven other residents of the South Bay. It’s sure to be a wild competition and we’ll all have a great time, but the best part, it’s all for charity! You can support our efforts by purchasing tickets to the event and/or voting on-line for the charity your dancer represents. Each vote is $1 and you can vote as much as you like, so if you want to donate $10, that’s 10 votes. These votes only make up half the score, so it’s important for each charity to rack up those votes. The other half of the score will be based on the dancers’ performance. Since this is my Weekend Guide, I’m shamelessly asking for your support. I’ll be dancing for the Manhattan Beach CERT Association. They provide a vitally important service for the South Bay community and I’m thrilled to represent them. You can cast your votes NOW at http://www.torrancearts.org/dancing-with-the-south-bay-stars-iv/ and I really hope to see you at the show!

These are just a few of the events taking place this weekend, so be sure to check the calendar links and ‘Things to Do’ page on my website http://www.southbaybyjackie.com for details on these and other events happening throughout the South Bay.

This morning on The South Bay Show – South Bay Spotlight, Joe and I ran down this weekend’s events. Don’t worry, if you missed the program, you can listen to it here: http://southbaybyjackie.com/october-23-2014-weekend-round-up/. Tune in every Thursday at 7 a.m. to keep up with what’s going down in the South Bay!

Tomorrow morning on The South Bay Show – Manhattan Beach 360, we’ll be talking about the various Halloween activities taking place in Manhattan Beach this year with guests Mike Murphy of the Marriot and Al Wise of Toyota. You can listen to tomorrow’s show here: http://southbaybyjackie.com/october-24-2014-mb-halloween-activities/. Tune in every Friday at 8 a.m. for all the latest Chamber news and events!

The South Bay by Jackie Weekend Guide is brought to you by British Choice. British Choice is a professional cleaning service operating out of El Segundo and serving the greater South Bay area since 1986. They work around your schedule, are extremely efficient, reasonably priced and they go the extra mile to keep your home sparkling. For a free estimate, contact Jacqueline Fortune at 310-676-9053. British Choice is the right choice for all your cleaning needs!

Have a fabulous South Bay weekend!

Jackie

http://www.southbaybyjackie.com