South Bay Weekend Guide November 26, 2015

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody! Who’s running in the Turkey Trot this morning? There are so many great reasons to take part in this annual event: the obvious health benefits; supporting a worthy cause; an extra piece of pie; guiltless hours on the couch watching football…..and I probably shouldn’t mention this, but it’s the perfect excuse to get out of the kitchen. Just sayin’……

The City of Torrance presents the annual Torrance Turkey Trot this morning, Thursday, November 26. A time-honored tradition here in the South Bay, the annual Harry Sutter Memorial Thanksgiving Day 3 Mile Fun Run – aka Turkey Trot – gets under way at 8 a.m. at Sam’s Club in Torrance. All registered participants will receive a commemorative Turkey Trot shirt. The Village Runner and other sponsors will be providing great prizes – including mountain bikes! – for the after-race raffle. The City of Torrance invites runners and spectators to bring a can of food for a special Thanksgiving Food Drive. While you run or watch, the canned foods will be distributed to people in need throughout the South Bay. For additional information, visit the website at http://www.torranceca.gov/Parks/20996.htm. Sam’s Club is located at 2601 Skypark Drive in Torrance.

Mixt Studio in Hermosa Beach is partnering with Community Making Workshops to host a FREE Small Business Saturday event, Make +Take: Modern Handmade Gift Tags on Saturday, November 28 from 1 to 3 p.m. Create modern paper gift tags using stamps, decals and inks. Elevate your holiday gifts with unique tags made by you! The event will be led by Stacy Wong from Community Making Workshops and all supplies and materials will be provided. All ages are welcome. For additional information, visit the website at http://communitymakingworkshops.bigcartel.com/. Mixt Studio is located at 422 Pacific Coast Highway, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254.

November 28 is Small Business Saturday! With the holidays just around the corner, this is a great opportunity to make a dent in that shopping list while supporting local merchants. Approximately 83 cents of every dollar spent locally stays within the community and supports everything from team sports to infrastructure improvements. The South Bay has numerous downtown areas which are home to a vast assortment of shops, services and dining establishments. You really can find everything you need right around the corner! This season, shop local and keep those all-important tax dollars in the neighborhood!

The Torrance Police Officers’ Association will be hosting and escorting the Santa Float from November 30 to December 21. Santa will be touring Torrance neighborhoods over the next couple of weeks and taking notes! The Santa Float leaves the Station promptly at 5 p.m. each night. To view the float schedule, visit the website athttp://torrancepoa.com/events/santa-float1/santa-float-schedule.

Buffalo Fire Department presents the South Bay Open Blues Jam on Sunday, November 29 from noon to 4 p.m. The monthly jam session will take place the last Sunday of every month and local musicians are encouraged to sit in. Enjoy great eats and drinks while listening to some rockin’ blues and the best part….there’s no cover charge! Spread the word and come on down for a new way to spend Sunday Funday! For additional information, call 310-320-2332. Buffalo Fire Department is located at 1261 Cabrillo Avenue in Torrance.

The Redondo Beach Police Officers’ Association, in conjunction with the Redondo Beach Firefighters’ Association, is proud to present the 2015 Santa Sleigh Tour of Redondo Beach. Starting November 30, Santa and his Elves will once again travel the streets of Redondo Beach. The tour will begin in the north end of town, ending in the south end of town on December 17. December 18, 19 and 20 will be used as make-up days if needed. Originally started by volunteer police and firefighters several decades ago, the Santa Sleigh has always been staffed by off-duty police officers and firefighters. This is an opportunity for Redondo Beach’s public safety personnel to give back to the community and thank them for their support. Come out and meet Santa and the police officers, firefighters and city employees that work the streets in your city every day! To view the route, visit the website athttp://redondobeachpoa.com/images/articles/SantaSleighScheduleandRoutes2015.pdf. Due to the size of Santa’s sleigh, and safety considerations, Santa will not be stopping on busy streets such as Manhattan Bch Bl, Aviation Bl, Artesia, Grant Av, 190th St, Prospect, PCH, Catalina. His helpers will pull the sled as near to the curb as possible so he can see each and every one you. If weather becomes a factor, that night’s area will be skipped and made up at the end. For additional information, visit the website at http://redondobeachpd.com/.

The Santa Float will be making the rounds of Manhattan Beach over the next couple of weeks! Santa will work his way through Manhattan Beach neighborhoods from November 30 through December 18. Sponsored by Kiwanis of Manhattan Beach and escorted by the Manhattan Beach Police Reserves, the float will stop in the middle of each block for photo ops and lists. To view the route map and schedule, visit the website at http://www.manhattanbeachsantafloat.com/routes.

Taking place for over 40 years, the Sleepy Hollow Christmas Lights Extravaganza (also known as Candy Cane Lane) is one of the largest holiday decoration displays in the country. You can walk or drive through the neighborhood reveling in the sights, sounds and scents of the season. It’s a wonderful way to spend the evening and one the entire family will enjoy and remember for years to come. The wildly extravagant decorations are on display from December 1 through January 1 from about 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. You don’t want to miss this! For additional information and directions, visit the website athttp://www.yelp.com/biz/sleepy-hollow-christmas-lights-torrance.

Torrance Memorial presents the annual Holiday Festival from December 1 through December 6. The Holiday Festival is a one-of-a-kind holiday event that includes beautifully decorated trees, holiday gifts, entertainment, children’s activities, a food court, Santa photos, opportunity drawing, live and online auctions and special events featuring a fashion show, dinner gala and lunch with Santa. The Holiday Festival is an important tradition at Torrance Memorial and a cornerstone in fundraising efforts. This signature event is vital in helping Torrance achieve high quality medical services for all residents of the South Bay. This year, all proceeds will support the construction of the new main patient tower. Tickets for the public exhibit can be purchased at the door. General Admission is $5 and children 2 and under will be admitted free. Seniors will receive free admission on Wednesday, December 2 and Thursday, December 3. Reservations and ticket purchase are required for the special events.

-The Festival Fashion Show takes place on Tuesday, December 1. Tickets are $125 per person.
-The Festival Dinner Gala takes place on Friday, December 4. Tickets are $300 per person or $550 per couple.
-The Santa Lunch will take place on Sunday, December 6. Tickets are $10 per person.

The events take place in the parking lot at Medical Center Drive and Skypark Drive in Torrance. For additional information and ticket purchase, visit the website at http://www.torrancememorial.org/Holiday_Festival.aspx.

I recently attended a media preview of the new holiday attraction at South Bay Galleria, Adventure to Santa – A Dreamworks Dreamplace. This is a super fun, interactive experience the kids will really enjoy – I certainly did! It is FREE (unless you purchase the photo package) but you must make a reservation! Spots are booking up fast so don’t wait. You can read about my experience and watch some video here: http://www.southbaybyjackie.com/adventure-to-santa-south-bay-galleria/.

Here’s a heads up on a few future events you’ll want to plan for now!

http://www.southbaybyjackie.com/riviera-village-holiday-stroll/

http://www.southbaybyjackie.com/lomita-and-rancho-palos-verdes-santa-sleigh-tour/

http://www.southbaybyjackie.com/mb-chamber-business-connection-luncheon/

http://www.southbaybyjackie.com/alpine-village-christmas-faire/

http://www.southbaybyjackie.com/terranea-holiday-tree-lighting/

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

Joe and I are taking the week off and will be airing re-runs of some of the recent, most popular shows. The shows are already posted to my website here: http://www.southbaybyjackie.com/blog-talk-radio.php. Take a moment and catch up with what’s going down in the South Bay!

Happy Thanksgiving and have a fabulous South Bay weekend!

Jackie

http://www.southbaybyjackie.com