LOBSTER FESTIVAL: We're on weekend #2 of the trio of Southern California crustacean confabs, with a stop at the Port of Los Angeles for one big, huge, really major celebration. How major? The San Pedro Fish Market is going a world's record: "World's Largest Serving of Lobster." (A half ton has been mentioned as the amount.) Other to-dos during the Sept. 13-15 gathering include tunes (English Beat will play), pirate dress-ups, people wearing hats with big claws, and the consuming of butter lobster. Will you see a bib or a hundred? You bet you will.
SAY CHEESE, LONG BEACH: Not too far off, in a land sometimes known as the LBC, a digital photog contest is set to go down for 24 hours. The upshot? Snap a great picture somewhere around Long Beach, of anything, and maybe win fifty bucks. Your pic just needs to happen between noon on Saturday, Sept. 14 and noon on Sunday, Sept. 15. Good? Good. Oh, and one other tip: What places appear in a lot of photos, and what Long Beach spots deserve a little extra love? Go forth and click click click.
"STAR TREK" DAY AT THE FAIR: No doubt about it -- you've likely seen a lot of outlandish and glittery and offbeat sights at the Los Angeles County Fair over the years, but have you seen a Klingon gnawing on a turkey leg? Or Data downing a fried pickle? Maybe not. Saturday, Sept. 14 is devoted to Trekkers. In fact, if you arrive between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. in costume, you'll get in free. Yep, the special "Star Trek" exhibit at the fair has separate admission, but, hey: You'll be at the fair in your Starfleet uniform. That's about as cool as weekends get.
FRIDAY THE 13TH: October is calling, and the major theme park Halloween attractions are just getting groaning, but there's a way to get your spooky on sooner. There are a few Friday-the-13th-ish activities around town, including a mini marathon of the films at the Aero and ghostly drinks in Beachwood Canyon. If you can make it up to the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, well, hoo boy; they really know how to mark the superstitious holiday up thataway.
SUPERNATURAL SCULPTURE: It's the final weekend for Exxopolis in Grand Park. The inflatable luminarium is cool and colorful and otherworldly, yes indeedy, but if you don't have a ticket for the free walk-through, arrive early. We're going to type "early" three times in a row to stress this: early early early. But be prepared for some hue-saturated goodness once you enter; if you've never been inside a spaceship from a '70s-era sci-fi film, that's about to change.
