National Dance Day: If you've samba'd in the soup aisle, and shimmied by the steaks, and done a little tango by the tangerines, then you're clearly the sort of person who doesn't mind dancing in public. If this is you, limbo to Grand Park on Saturday, July 29 for this jubilant, performance-filled Dizzy Feet Foundation event. The free tap-a-toe to-do will include routines from Keone & Mari of "World of Dance" and a host of local dance troupes, including Infinite Flow — A Wheelchair Dance Company and GROOV3. Participation is part of the party, as is a chance to dance on the Grand Park fountain splash pad.
Midsummer Scream: No ifs, ands, eeks about it: Autumn has arrived early, if unofficially, in Southern California, when the mondo Halloween conventions roll into town. This huge 'n haunted affair lands, with the grace of a werewolf, at the Long Beach Convention Center on Saturday, July 29 and Sunday, July 30. Professional-helmed panels, workshops on home haunts, and vendors galore are just a few of the ghostly highlights (er, creepy, shadow-casting lowlights?)
Disneyland Railroad Returns: Get excited, Mouseketeers: The historic train is ready to circle The Happiest Place on Earth again, starting on Saturday, July 29, following a multi-month closure to make way for Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge construction. The Mark Twain Riverboat, the Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes, and the Sailing Ship Columbia will also resume their runs on the 29th, which comes less than two weeks after another re-opening at the Rivers of America: "Fantasmic!" Where's it all at? Why in Disneyland Park in Anaheim, of course.
California Watermelon Festival: It's not all about devouring hunks of reddish, melon-major goodness, though that'll be a major slice of the Hansen Dam Soccer Complex happening. There are also the Watermelon Games to root for, so prepare to see a watermelon smooshed by a few roundhouse kicks (that's one of the competitions). Saturday, July 29 and Sunday, July 30 are the dates, interesting foodstuffs like watermelon salsas and salads will be a part of the cool-down cuisines, and a petting zoo, live bands, and more diversions fill out the weekend.
Foodie Fun: Luckyrice, "the original Asian Food Festival," hosts a dish-packed night devoted to the "Flavor Infusions of the Asian Diaspora," including Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese, Malaysian, and several more. The place and date? Be at Virbiana on Friday, July 28. Also on the 28th? East LA Meets Napa, a night full of memorable wines, raises money to help "...uninsured patients get primary health care." The gourmet, give-back event happens at LA Live.
