Weekend: IndieCade Festival

Trying out the games of tomorrow before tomorrow arrives? Check out what's happening in independent gaming at mondo event.

IndieCade: The International Festival of Independent Games doesn't shut the doors and close the blinds and keep fans out of what new adventures they'll be trying out in a year or two; gamers are embraced at this peek into the future. This means you not only get a look at what's to come, but you can play 200+ indie games, too. Tickets? You'll need one. The types of games you'll see? Look for "...immersive, virtual reality, table games, roleplaying, visual novels, adventure games, puzzle games, audio games," oh yeah. It's all going for the top score at the Japanese American National Museum from Oct. 6 through 8.

CicLAvia: Pedaling through the Heart of LA? As in down or up Broadway downtown, and visiting Mariachi Plaza, and calling upon Echo Park? What a true joy and thrill if you love your bike and you love your city, both, with ardor and fervor. And if you love doing really nifty outings for free, with thousands of other Southern Californians, get to the next roads-closed-to-cars CicLAvia event on Sunday, Oct. 8. Special art happenings, food trucks, tunes, and lots of love, civic and community love, will be a part of the sunny Sunday.

Make Your Mark in the Park: The Big Draw LA is on, and the month-long spectacular, which helps connect Southern Californians with loads of creative and inspiring events, is headed for Grand Park on Sunday, Oct. 8. That's where a "giant experimental drawing studio" will pop up, and thousands of visitors, of all ages, will take a pencil and get to sketching, drawing portraits, or participating in drawing games. There are fifteen drawing booths and all, and it is free, free, free to join. Ryman Arts is behind this imaginative and long-running sketch-tacular.

Formosa Café Open House: First things must be first: This Santa Monica Boulevard gem, which first opened over 90 years ago and catered to plenty of Mai Tai-seeking movie stars over the years, has not reopened. That's still ahead, but 1933 Group, which is renovating the landmark, is giving mavens of vintage nightlife spots and LA history an early look inside. Also? The Oct. 7 happening will draw attention to VoteYourMainStreet.org, and the Formosa's chance at some renovation grant money.

Pomona Pumpkin Festival opens: How long would it take for you to count some 70,000 pumpkins in a massive field? Well, no one will ask this of you, but if you swing by this autumn-sweet staple at Cal-Poly Pomona, you will have some impressive pickings. Because, yes, that's how many pumpkins will be out and ready to go home with 'kin-loving lookie-loos. Homespun activities are part of the kick-off weekend of Oct. 7 and 8, but note that the patch and festival will continue, except on Mondays, through Oct. 31. 

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