This Week: The Garland's Celebratory October

The chic hotel has a line-up of '70s-style cocktails in honor of founder Beverly Garland's birth month.

A Toast to an Icon: If you've ever watched a film starring the incredibly talented Beverly Garland, or visited her namesake hotel in North Hollywood, you know that the actor and hotelier left an impressive legacy. To honor her memory, and her birth month (it's October, yes), The Garland is featuring a line-up of special themed martinis, all month long, in tribute to Ms. Garland. The drinks' vibe? The 1970s, which complements the style of the hotel. The reason the martini was chosen? It was Ms. Garland's favorite sip. Raise a glass to her fine inn, her great movies and TV work, and to the decade that still glows on Vineland Avenue.

Nights of the Jack: It can seem like a lot of Halloween happenings cluster around Saturdays and Sundays, with the occasional Friday thrown in, just to fright-up the festivities. But Thursdays have been growing as a pre-weekend eve way to swing into a spooky October weekend. Look to Calabasas, and King Gillette Ranch, for this half-mile trail of pumpkin wonders. There are tickets available for Thursday, Oct. 17, as well as a number of nights later in October. But isn't making a weeknight adventure out of this pumpkin-y place rather whimsical? And October, of all months, is all about the whimsy. Find your ticket here.

Cal Poly Pomona Pumpkin Patch: And speaking of weekday pumpkin-focused erranding, there's this massive patch, one that is famous for boasting 40,000 pumpkins (well, at the start of its season). This agra-amazing place opened with a festival over the first weekend of October, but the patch is still going strong, with thousands of not-so-pricey pumpkins still available for purchase. Also not-so-pricey? It is free to enter. True, some of the special activities happen on the weekend days, but if you're looking for a peaceful pumpkin communion on a Tuesday or Wednesday morning, this is a good place (it's closed Mondays, do note).

Fall in Food Form: We're now quickly approaching the middle of October, which means that if you're going to seek out seasonal treats and eats specifically tailored to the tenth month, the time is nigh. For come November? Turkey and stuffing and cranberries do kick in, rather quickly. Look to Dog Haus, which has a special Octoberwürst Dog, a frankfurter that's raising money for No Kid Hungry. And at Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken? It's full-on pumpkin spice time (if you prefer your pumpkin spice in pastry form, and/or as a bun for a chicken sammie).

Scarecrow Road Trip: And speaking of making it to the halfway point of October... how are your scarecrow sightings going? If you're not near a cornfield, they're probably on the low side. There's a way to see several, spread out over a large area, by making for the Santa Ynez Wine Country region. Several businesses have created humorous or mysterious or fanciful figures, and placed them outside, all so people may snap photos and savor a truly seasonal decoration. It's a decoration we don't see too much 'round LA, so head for Buellton, Solvang, and the other SYV towns before October 2019 wraps.

Copyright F
Contact Us