What to Know
- CicLAvia — Heart of LA rolls on Sunday, Oct. 15
- Free; the open-streets events will cover 7.8 miles of DTLA and several nearby neighborhoods, with visits to Mariachi Plaza and Chinatown
- Bike, skate, or stroll; non-motorized transportation is welcome
CicLAvia — Heart of LA: The open-streets, closed-to-cars events have been expanding in 2023 — the new CicLAminis are shorter and pedestrian-focused — but this centerpiece route is one of the biggies. It unfurls through DTLA and beyond over nearly eight miles, giving cyclists and those on foot a chance to explore numerous neighborhoods, including Boyle Heights and Little Tokyo. Sweet: The 6th Street Viaduct is a showy star of the free Oct. 15 outing.
ArtNight Pasadena: Another mondo freebie is popping up at the start of the weekend, up in the Crown City, where several scintillating spots, including the Armory Center for the Arts and the Gamble House, will welcome visitors for free. Enticing exhibits, live performances, food trucks, and the chance to hobnob during a time when these places are usually closed are part of the scene. Be there/everywhere on Oct. 13 from 6 to 10 p.m. (check the site for what's afoot).
Partial Solar Eclipse: Astronomies — these are the avid fans who do adore an important occasion involving our nearest star or the planets — are invited to swing by Griffith Observatory on the morning of Saturday, Oct. 14. Why? There's a partial solar eclipse set to wow observers, and safely, too. If you'd like to join this safe viewing experience, the Griffith Park landmark can help via on-site solar telescopes or a live online broadcast; both are free. (Seeking safe viewing glasses, a requirement during the eclipse, to watch the event? The observatory's Stellar Emporium has them.)
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Depot Day: We do love an open house, and if huge locomotives and rail cars are some of the stars, well, we are there. And if this is free? We're doubly there, or very much there, which we hope to be on Oct. 15. The "there" in this story? It's Travel Town Museum, in Griffith Park, which has long been a fascinating go-to for those who obsess over vintage trains. The day will include model displays, talks, and peeks inside decades-old sleepers.
Fall-O-Ween: Talk about charming and so very pay-nothing-ish: Heritage Hill Historical Park in Lake Forest will be dressed in its autumn best over six days, over two weekends, beginning on Oct. 13. SoCalers in search of seasonal spirit are invited to stop by, for free, to snap photographs, take part in homespun activities, and walk their dressed-up pets, too. Oh yes, costumes are encouraged at this family-sweet tradition, a gift to all from OC Parks.
Ghosts to Mourning Tours: Heritage Square in Los Angeles, just off the Arroyo Parkway, has lots in common with Heritage Hill, that storied OC destination, beyond the name. But on Oct. 13, it is all about searching for spirits on a ticketed tour, one that will take you inside the park's Victorian manors. Then on Oct. 15? A Victorian Mourning Faire — this is also ticketed — will settle, like a spectral veil, over the atmospheric area. Be sure to book your spot at one/both in advance.
The Scene
Want to find new things to do in Los Angeles? The Scene's lifestyle stories have you covered. Here's your go-to source on where the fun is across SoCal and for the weekend.
Los Angeles Catio Tour: Roam the county and eye several different catios, which provide felines safe outdoor experiences, and a "doggio," too, on this first-ever catio-focused tour. The starting point? It's Pasadena Humane. Tickets? Find them here. The beneficiary? It's Teranga Ranch, "a wildlife education organization that educates Californians about local wildlife and teaches them how to coexist."
