Los Angeles

Weekend roundup

October 7-10

Events

Ax throwing booth at Maple Block Meat Co.'s annual Blocktoberfest photo courtesy Maple Block Meat Co

Blocktoberfest at Maple Block Meat Co.

Oct. 10. Come celebrate Maple Block Meat Co.’s sixth anniversary at its annual Blocktoberfest with an all-you-can-eat whole hog barbecue. Executive chef/owner Daniel Weinstock and pit master chef Rudy Suazo are building a wood fire pit in the side parking lot and will personally tend the hog through the overnight process. This year, there will be Burgers by Standing’s with butcher/grilling expert Jose Rivera and the Axe Throwing Social Club for a fun day of beers, burgers, live music and whole hog barbecue. Noon-4 p.m. 3973 Sepulveda Blvd., Culver City, 310.313.6328. mapleblockmeat.com | Tickets

Black bear eating a pumpkin at the LA Zoo photo courtesy LA Zoo

Boo at the L.A. Zoo

Through Oct. 31. The Los Angeles Zoo goes wild this October with the return of Boo at the L.A. Zoo, featuring Halloween decor, a spooky stroll with photo ops, an extinct-animal graveyard, weird and wacky animal facts, and educational opportunities. On the weekends, there will be special animal feedings, merry-not-scary entertainment, take-home crafts, and, during the last two weekends in October, trick-or-treat candy stations scattered throughout the Zoo grounds. Open daily 10 a.m.-4 p.m. See website for more info. 5333 Zoo Drive, L.A., 323.644.4200. lazoo.org

Nights of Jack featuring a team with hanging carved pumpkins photo credit Line 8 Photography

“Nights of the Jack”

Through Oct. 31. Get in the Halloween spirit with the return of “Nights of the Jack” at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas. This season, the interactive walking trail filled with thousands of hand-carved, illuminated pumpkins now spans two-thirds of a mile to provide a safe and festive fall outing. Guests can enjoy hot cider, seasonal cocktails from the Spookeasy bar or festive fall treats while taking in the spooky sights. Open daily from 6-10 p.m. Weekdays: $34.99 GA; Weekends: $39.99 GA, $59.99 VIP, free for ages 2 and under. 26800 Mulholland Hwy., Calabasas. nightsofthejack.com

Food + Drink

Food spread from LOAM photo courtesy Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles

LOAM at Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles

Opens Oct. 8. Make a stop at Ace Hotel DTLA’s new all-day dining destination LOAM—helmed by chef Joshua Guarneri (Bar Avalon, Hearth & Hound)—for dinner, daytime coffee and grab-and-go counter service, with full breakfast, lunch and weekend brunch service to open later this month. The plant-forward menu features dishes such as beetroot reuben; pea pancake with vadouvan vinaigrette; and smoked black cod with artichoke and almond milk. Open daily from 7 a.m.-4 p.m. for daytime coffee and grab-and-go counter service; open W-Su from 5-11 p.m. for dinner service. 927 S. Broadway, downtown, 213.235.9660. acehotel.com

New fall cocktails at Portuguese Bend Distilling photo courtesy Cove Collective

New Fall Cocktail Menu at Portuguese Bend Distilling

Available Oct. 8. Long Beach’s very own Portuguese Bend Distilling is embracing the new season by unveiling a creative fall cocktail menu. Guests can order libations such as the rum-based Black Beard with fig syrup and mole bitters; gin-based Bodega Sour with lemon juice piloncillo syrup, spiced cabernet syrup and topped with vanilla whip; vodka-based Moonlight Delight with Ancho Reyes, lime juice, falernum, roasted arbol chili and bitters; and more. Su, W-Th noon-9 p.m.; F-Sa noon-10 p.m. 300 The Promenade N., Long Beach, 562.435.4411. portuguesebenddistilling.com

Mexi Papa with friend cooking taco meat photo courtesy Mexi Papa

Street Taco Wars 2021: Carnitas Edition

Oct. 9. Come hungry to downtown Santa Monica for this tasty carnitas competition, presented by Mexi Papi and his foodie friend Jeffrey Merrihue (pictured), where you can see which taquero will be crowned the king of carnitas tacos. This competition will feature taqueros hailing from southwestern United States and Mexico who will be be judged by a panel of global experts. Guests can purchase tacos from each of competitor, as well as look forward to food trucks onsite, merchandise for purchase, music and dancing. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. $25 GA, $40 VIP, free for kids under 12. 1324 5th St., Santa Monica. mexipapa.net

Arts + Culture

Headshot of Sandra Bernhard photo courtesy Sandra Bernhard

Sandra Bernhard’s: Madness & Mayhem

Oct. 8. Comedian and actress Sandra Bernhard returns to the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts as among the first few artists to perform before a live audience in the Bram Goldsmith Theater since COVID-19-forced a shutdown in 2020. Bernhard’s: Madness & Mayhem is a night of comedy and live music as she looks back on recent times and looks ahead to predict the future with her one-of-a-kind mix of social commentary, music and a glimpse into her world. 7:30 p.m. $69-$99. 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310.746.4000. thewallis.org

Yael Bartana, "What if Women Ruled the World?", 2017. Performance view, FIlmby Aarhus, European Capital of Culture Aarhus 2017, Denmark. Courtesy of the artist. Photo by Brigit Kaulfuss

Hammer Museum and ICA LA’s Witch Hunt

Opens Oct. 10. The Hammer Museum at UCLA and the Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (ICA LA) present Witch Hunt, an incisive international survey of 16 critically acclaimed artists from 13 countries whose practices deploy feminist, queer, and decolonial strategies to explore current and historical political events, social conditions, and artistic legacies. The 15 projects employ a variety of mediums and consistently argue for the value of a critical feminist perspective within the subject matter, production, and presentation of contemporary art. 10899 Wilshire Blvd., L.A., 310.443.7000. hammer.ucla.edu

Chen Haiyan, "Horse and Rose," 2005, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, promised gift of the Fondation INK, © Chen Haiyan, photo courtesy of the artist

Ink Dreams at LACMA

Through Dec. 12. See art from a new point of view with Ink Dreams, the first presentation of work from the Fondation INK Collection, a 400-piece collection of contemporary art in the spirit of ink that was promised to LACMA in 2018. Comprising photography, sculpture, video and painting, this exhibition examines the impact of ink on the global contemporary art world, and features works by artists from Asia, Europe, and North America, including Chen Haiyan (pictured is Horse and Rose), Shirazeh Houshiary, Lin Tianmiao, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Xu Bing, and others. 5905 Wilshire Blvd., L.A., 323.857.6010. lacma.org

Photo credits: Still from “Clemency” (2019) courtesy Academy Museum. “Nights of Jack” by Line 8 Photography. Portuguese Bend Distilling courtesy Cove Collective. Sandra Bernhard courtesy Sandra Bernhard. Yael Bartana, “What if Women Ruled the World?” (2017) courtesy of the artist/by Brigit Kaulfuss. Chen Haiyan, “Horse and Rose,” 2005, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, promised gift of the Fondation INK, © Chen Haiyan, photo courtesy of the artist. All other images are courtesy of the businesses and venues.

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