Saturday, October 1, 2011

Los Angeles October Parenting Radar Screen PLUS Ticket Giveaway!


Return to Routine
Date Night Ticket Giveaway for Poor Behavior
Now that you've survived Back to School and the abrupt shift to homework-filled evenings, we think you should book a babysitter and take an evening off! We've got a ticket giveaway to a new play, an update on the marvelous, ongoing Pacific Standard Time exhibits (which are great for kids, too), and are excited about the fall movie line-up. Restored, you'll be ready to plunge into the many wonderful family events that take place in October including The Big Draw, a chance to track Juno's mission to Jupiter, and college football games around town. We'll be back in a few weeks with a Halloween round up, but don't wait too long to think about finding perfect costumes for the big day, which falls on a Monday night this year. 

Ticket Giveaway: This month's ticket giveaway is for adults: the World Premiere of the new play Poor Behavior. A weekend in the country turns into a high stakes game of marital mixed doubles and asks "Is it adultery if they already think you've done it?" Written by Theresa Rebeck (Mauritius), and directed by Doug Hughes (Doubt), Poor Behavior runs through October 16th at Center Theatre Group. Enter to win 4 tickets for Friday, October 7th at 8:00 PM by writing to us at familysavvy@gmail.com -- please remember to include a cell number. Contest entry deadline is 10am on Tuesday, October 4th.  Special offer for Kids Off the Couch subscribers: Discount tickets available for $35 (Reg. $45 - $55)! Call 213.628.2772 and mention the code WEEKEND or purchase online. 

This Weekend: The new LEED-certified West Hollywood Library opens this weekend. Come investigate during the12th Annual West Hollywood Book Fair on Sunday, October 2. Pacific Standard Time is in full effect, and the PST website is a fabulous resource that can help you figure out how to take advantage of a region-wide exhibition that explores the birth of the California art scene from 1945-1980. As part of the opening of its PST-related show, NOW DIG THIS!, the Hammer will be free to the public on Sunday, October 2; LACMA will be open for free on October 2, as well, so all your design-istas should check out their cool new show, California Design 1930-1965: "Living in a Modern Way".

Elementary: All through October, arts institutions will celebrate Big Draw LA, with pop-up programming with artists at various institutions, including the Getty, the Fowler and the Huntington. Participate this weekend on the lawn of The Huntington this Saturday, October 1, and at the Fowler on two Sundays, October 2 and 16. It's already that creepy crawly time of year at the Natural History Museum's wonderfulSpider Pavilion. Click here for our Popcorn Adventure that combines this magical spot with Charlotte's Web. And, did you know that it's Hispanic Heritage Month? Tromp to Pasadena now that the days are cooler for a delightful afternoon filled with music and dance at The Norton Simon Museum for The Art of Dance! Baile Folklorico of Mexico,Sunday, October 9, 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM. 

Middle School: Keep track of the latest JPL mission to Mars by taking part in a Day of Discovery with the Pasadena Museum of California Art and Jet Propulsion Laboratoryon Sunday, October 16, 12:00 - 5:00 PM -- a full day of programs featuring speakers from Jet Propulsion Laboratory and art activities for families inspired by the exhibition Beneath the Surface: NASA's Juno Mission to Jupiter. There's nothing better than a football game with one of our excellent local teams - the USC Trojans -- playing at the Coliseum on October 1 and 29, and the UCLA Bruins -- playing at the Rose Bowl on October 8 and 29. And playing each other on November 26. Catch a glimpse of the future Annenberg Cultural Center in Beverly Hills at Il Teatro Alla Moda Theater in Fashion, a special four-week engagement starting next week.

Teens: Movie buffs can take a week-long crash course in the films of a master by showing up at Mad as Hell: Sidney Lumet's Cinema of Fighting Back at the Aero Theater between October 5-12. Fans of Duff Goldman's Ace of Cakes and Sugar Highwill be thrilled to know that the Food Network star is soon to open an LA bakery,Charm City Cakes West. While this is a very pricey ticket, if you have a rabid sports fan in the house, consider this rare opportunity to visit the LA Sports Museum with museum founder, Gary Cypres.The Sports Museum of Los Angeles, open by invitation only, is the largest and broadest known collection of iconic sports memorabilia and collectibles in the world. And, there are still tickets for the live orchestra screening ofLord of the Rings on October 15 in Anaheim's Honda Center.

Adults: Moneyball, starring Brad Pitt, is in theaters now and next week brings Ryan Gosling and George Clooney in Ides of March. For those of you who will find it hard to resist the remake of Footloose, that opens on October 14. Now is the perfect time to grab a great meal at a great price: Dine LA returns for two weeks this month: October 2-7 and October 9-14.

Planning Ahead: Your #1 job right now is to scramble to find an age-appropriate (as in not too sexy) costume for each kid -- before they're sold out! Then, take a second to think about planning your winter holidays: book flights, figure out where grandparents are going to sleep, and get tickets for The Joffrey Ballet's acclaimed production of "The Nutcracker," December 1-4 for six performances only at the Music Center's Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

One More Thing: Check out this mini-documentary, narrated by Tom Hanks, about ferry boat captains, Coast Guardsmen and civilian boaters who rescued citizens from lower Manhattan on 9/11. 


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