South Bay Weekend Guide October 29, 2015

In just the past few days, practically every restaurant in the South Bay has sent me information on their Halloween events. It was too late to include them all – the few restaurants that are included sent me their event info weeks ago. If you don’t see anything listed here that piques your interest, call around to some of your favorite haunts – I’m sure they have something suitably ghoulish up their sleeves!

The Unified Small Business Alliance presents a FREE Italian Food Tasting & Lunch Mixer today, Thursday, October 29 from noon to 1:30 p.m. hosted by Di Roma Cucina. All local small business owners are invited to attend. Bring a friend, bring plenty of business cards, bring a smile! The event is sponsored by All Yellow Taxi. For additional information and to register, visit the Facebook event page at https://www.facebook.com/events/1720730504817006/. Di Roma Cucina is located at 23863 Hawthorne Boulevard, Torrance, CA 90505.

I always find it fascinating to meet these remarkable individuals and hear their stories, so I already bought my ticket……..The Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce presents Entrepreneurs of the South Bay on Thursday, October 29 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on New York Street at Manhattan Beach Studios. The community is invited to enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres while meeting area business owners. Hear about their achievements and gain insight into what it takes to be successful! The cost is $25 for Chamber members and $30 for non-members. For additional information and registration, visit the website at http://business.manhattanbeachchamber.com. Manhattan Beach Studios is located at 1600 Rosecrans Boulevard in Manhattan.

The final Cruise at the Beach of the season will take place Friday, October 30! Open to the public, this free event features a gathering of vintage automobiles on display in the Ruby’s Diner parking lot from 4 to 8 p.m. The season ends on a high note with the annual Halloween theme, so wear a costume for a chance at cool prizes. This is always a fun event, so stop by and say hi to Larry and the crew that work so hard all year to put this show on! Ruby’s Diner is located at 245 North Harbor Drive in Redondo Beach. If you wish to display a car or require more information, contact Larry Neville at 310-962-7438.

Halloween Events for Families

Ragin Cajun is hosting a Kid’s Costume Contest on Saturday, October 31 at 1 p.m. Contestants must be 12 years of age and younger. Come by and fuel-up on some Alligator (EEEK!) and Frog Legs (E-GAD!) before heading out for the night with all of the ghosts and ghouls – they’re actually freakishly delicious – so give ’em a try! KIDS EAT FREE!! (Off the Kids Menu, per person, with the purchase of an adult meal, available all day). For the adults, they’re whipping up a wicked batch of Blue Voodoo! C’mon, it’s a Saturday! For additional information, visit the website at http://www.ragincajun.com/. Ragin Cajun is located at 525 South Pacific Coast Highway in Redondo Beach.

The Manhattan Beach Parks and Recreation Department presents the 28 Annual Family Halloween Carnival on Saturday, October 31. The event takes place at Manhattan Heights Park from noon to 4:30 p.m. and is designed for children ages 2 to 13. A costume contest and parade gets under way at noon with several costume categories and prizes for Most Original, Scariest and Judges Choice. Costumes can always be enhanced with a little face painting and artists will be on hand to create small designs or entire face masks. Play carnival games, participate in the push-up challenge, tour the haunted house, decorate cookies and more. The cost for each activity is $.50 – $2. Tickets for all events will be sold at the Information Booth and are $.25 each. Bills over $20 will not be accepted. Tickets are also required for goodies from the Snack Stand. For additional information, visit the website at http://www.ci.manhattan-beach.ca.us/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/41714/35?selcat=16. Manhattan Heights Park is located at 1600 Manhattan Beach Boulevard in Manhattan Beach.

The City of El Segundo Recreation & Parks Department presents the annual Halloween Frolic & Haunted Stroll on Saturday, October 31. This popular, annual event takes place in the 300 and 400 blocks of Main Street between 3 and 7 p.m. and features live entertainment, food vendors and fun for the whole family. A costume contest, sponsored by the El Segundo Kiwanis Club, begins at 4:30 and all ages are encouraged to participate. Winners will be announced and prizes will be awarded following each age group competition. The El Segundo Women’s Club is sponsoring a pumpkin carving contest. Entries are due at the Judging Area by 5 p.m. and prizes will be awarded to the Most Original, Scariest, Funniest and Best Overall. While admission to the event is free, unlimited use of the games and bounce houses is $8 per child. For additional information, call 310-524-2700 or visit the website at http://www.elsegundo.org/cals/recreation.asp.

The City of Lawndale presents a Halloween Haunt on Saturday, October 31 from 4 to 8 p.m. at Lawndale Civic Center Plaza. The event features a haunted mansion, costume contests, arts and crafts, games, jumpers and DJ Ed spinning spooky tunes. A reptile show will offer children an up-close and hands-on opportunity to learn about snakes, iguanas, lizards and other reptiles. The costume contest is always a big hit and prizes will be awarded to the winners. Age divisions are as follows:

4:00 p.m. (0 -3 years)
5:15 p.m. (4 – 7 years)
7:00 p.m. (8 – 11 years)
7:30 p.m. (12 and up)

Vendors will be on site serving up a variety of food and other refreshments. This is a free event and tons of fun for the entire family. For additional information, visit the website athttp://www.lawndalecity.org/home.asp. Lawndale Civic Center Plaza is located at 14700 Burin Avenue in Lawndale.

It’s that spooky time of year when ghosts, goblins and monsters roam the streets in search of tasty morsels. These little fiends have a keen craving for sweets and it’s crucial to keep them sated. Who knows what diabolical tricks they have up their tiny sleeves? Satisfy their cravings at the annualRiviera Village Halloween Trick or Treat on Saturday, October 31 from 4 to 6 p.m. This event has become a Redondo Beach tradition, attracting thousands of children each year to participate in a safe, fun Halloween ritual. Catalina Avenue will be closed to traffic from Avenue I to Palos Verdes Boulevard to accommodate the trolling hoards. Music, face painting and other entertainment will be on tap throughout the Village and local shops will hand out candy and other treats from 4 to 6 p.m. The little creatures will surely have worked up an appetite collecting all those treats, so why not make an evening of it and stop for dinner in one of the many fabulous Village restaurants? Quite a crowd is expected, so be sure make your reservations early. So head to Redondo Beach to celebrate Halloween and enjoy all that Riviera Village has to offer. It’s a small sacrifice to keep the little ghouls at bay. For additional information, visit the website at http://rivieravillage.org/content/view/32/53/.

The City of Torrance Community Services Department invites the public to enjoy the annualHalloween Carnival on Saturday, October 31 from 4 to 8 p.m. at Wilson Park. The Carnival is a safe, family friendly alternative to trick-or-treating. It will feature games, crafts, face painting, a photo area, spooky music by DJ Ozzie, a costume parade and much more! The costume parade will take place at 6:30 p.m. Unlimited-use wristbands are $9 per child and are required to participate in carnival activities. Food will be available for purchase from on-site food trucks. The event will take place, rain or shine. Dogs and other pets are not allowed at this event. For additional information, visit the website at www.TorranceCA.Gov/Halloween or call (310) 618-2930. Wilson Park is located at 2200 Crenshaw Boulevard in Torrance.

Halloween Events for Adults

The team at Chez Mélange presents The Halloween Ball on Saturday October 31 starting at 6 p.m. and lasting until the wee hours. The event will encompass the entire venue (Chez Mélange, Bouzy and Bar Comida) and feature food stations, select wine, beer, cocktails and live music. Prizes are in store for the winner of the Best of the Ball Costume Contest! The price is $75 per person and is inclusive of tax and gratuity. For additional information and to make reservations, visit the website athttp://chezmelange.com/ or call 310-540-1222. Chez Melange is located at 1611 South Catalina Avenue in Redondo Beach.

Don your favorite costume and join Doma Kitchen in Manhattan Beach for an all-inclusive Halloween Party & Costume Contest on Saturday, October 31 from 9 p.m. to midnight. The ticketed event will include small bites prepared by Chef Kristina Miksyte along with bottomless beer, wine and music from DJ Justin Date. Guests are encouraged to wear a costume and participate in the costume contest for a chance to win a $100 Doma Kitchen gift certificate, specialty wine baskets and much more. The event is 21+ and priced at $50 per person. Tickets can be purchase on EventBrite athttps://www.eventbrite.com/e/doma-kitchens-halloween-party-costume-contest-tickets-18872222325. Halloween isn’t just for kids anymore! For additional information, visit the website at http://domakitchen.com. Doma Kitchen is located at 3562 North Sepulveda Boulevard, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

Shade Hotel in Manhattan Beach will host the annual Halloween Creepy Carnival Bash on Saturday, October 31 beginning at 7 p.m. Shade Hotel will transform into a creepy carnival scene for one of Los Angeles’ best Halloween parties. The boutique hotel will be decorated with Halloween carnival-inspired decorations and will feature an array of entertainment, including circus performers, a DJ, magician and more. The party is open to the public and while there is no charge to attend, guests will have an opportunity to purchase raffle tickets for $10 each for a chance to win a special Sunday night stay at Shade, with 100% of raffle ticket sales benefitting 29-year-old Jon Melim-Honore, a friend of the Shade family, who is battling leukemia. Guests will be able to sip on specially-crafted spooky cocktails, as well as tasty bites from zinc@shade’s menu, including Buffalo Chicken Lollipops, Kobe Beef Mini Truffle Sliders, and Chef Chris Garasic’s signature mini grilled cheese sandwiches. “Last year’s party was an incredible success and we are absolutely thrilled to host our Creepy Carnival celebration again this year,” said Shaunna McKelvey, General Manager at Shade Hotel. “This year’s spooky soiree is designed to amaze, with decorations, drinks and entertainment: come one, come all!” Guests, ghouls and goblins are encouraged to dress for the occasion! For additional information about Shade Hotel’s Halloween Circus bash, visit the website at www.shadehotel.com or call 310-546-4995. Shade Hotel is located at 1221 N. Valley Drive in Manhattan Beach.

Berry Bly Productions is proud to present South Bay Scream on Saturday, October 31 at The Portofino Hotel & Yacht Club. The festivities get under way at 9 p.m. with the South Bay’s fiercest DJs spinning the hottest club and dance tunes. The celebration includes multiple dance floors, performance artists, tarot readers, scary creatures, lighting and visual effects, smoking patio, covered self-parking and much more. Costumes are required and guests must be at least 21 to attend. It’s the biggest Halloween party in the South Bay and everybody will be there – you don’t want to miss this! Advance pre-sale tickets are only $45.00 per person and all sales are final. VIP Silver, Gold and Platinum packages are also available. For additional information and ticket purchase, visit the website at http://www.southbayscream.com/. The Portofino Hotel & Yacht Club is located at 260 Portofino Way in Redondo Beach.

Post- Halloween Remedy for Adults (Kid’s Remedy, Pepto-Bismol)

Ortega 120 hosts Tequila University from 7 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3. Named one of the ‘Top 30 Things to Do in LA’ by Where Magazine, the event is hosted by award-winning mixologist and tequila aficionado Demi Stevens. This popular class features a different tequila company every month and students quickly discover that learning has never been so…..tasty. The cost is only $20 per person with a required $10 deposit to be paid when making a reservation. Attendees will receive:

–a history of tequila and how it is made
–a brief history of how the featured tequila is produced and its background
–chips, salsa, guacamole
–tacos and churros to be paired with the featured tequila
–a tasting of the featured tequila
–one of Ortega 120’s award-winning 120 House Margaritas
–a mixology lesson in which Demi will teach the students how to make 2 of the cocktails.

One of the many things you will learn is that a fine Tequila is an experience to be savored. For additional information and to make reservations, call 310-792-4120 or visit the website athttp://www.ortega120.com/. Ortega 120 is located at 1814 South Pacific Coast Highway in Redondo Beach.

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

http://www.southbaybyjackie.com/economic-forum-2015-preparing-manhattan-beach-for-the-year-2020/

http://www.southbaybyjackie.com/adventure-to-santa-a-dreamworks-dreamplace-south-bay-galleria/

http://www.southbaybyjackie.com/g-i-joe-pier-to-pier-runwalk/ (I ran into Joe at the Pumpkin Race last weekend – he is on the mend and looking fierce as ever!)

http://www.southbaybyjackie.com/fall-fest-hermosa-design/

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 post on my website http://www.southbaybyjackie.com for details on these and other events happening throughout the South Bay.

Yesterday morning on The South Bay Show: Redondo Beach: More to Sea, our guests were Andrea Giancoli, Joy Corradetti, Bernard Ibarra and Jessica Lo Ibarra and we discussed the recent renaissance of the International Boardwalk and the proposed revitalization of the Redondo Beach Waterfront. Interesting stuff! You can listen to yesterday’s show here:http://www.southbaybyjackie.com/redondo-beach-international-boardwalk/. There’s more to sea every Wednesday morning at 8 a.m.!

This morning on The South Bay Show: South Bay Spotlight, our guests were Sandy Goodman, Co-Founder of South Bay Mo Bros and Mark Hedstrom from the Movember Foundation. We learned where and how the Movember Movement began and what fundraising events the South Bay Mo Bros and their sponsors have planned for the month. Don’t worry, if you missed the program, you can listen to it here: http://www.southbaybyjackie.com/south-bay-mo-bros-movember/. Tune in every Thursday at 8 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’re going to talk about the Manhattan Beach Economic Forum with guests Liz Griggs of Manhattan Village and Isela Buenabad from First Choice Bank. You can listen to the show tomorrow morning here:http://www.southbaybyjackie.com/manhattan-beach-economic-forum/. Tune in every Friday morning at 8 a.m. for the latest Chamber news!

Have a terrifyingly happy Halloween and fabulous South Bay weekend!

Jackie

http://www.southbaybyjackie.com