We have a couple of unique events happening in the South Bay this weekend and of course, the big Fourth of July holiday is next week.
The local Patch pages (Hermosa, Manhattan, Palos Verdes and Redondo) are currently running their Readers’ Choice 2012. They’re looking for the ‘best’ of everything in the South Bay, and this is your chance to nominate your favorites. You must nominate your choices now in order to vote for them later. To do so, visit the websites:
The will be live at stores in four cities around the U.S. this summer, and the next event happens tonight (Thursday) in Redondo Beach from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Reserve your complimentary appointment today for this exclusive event and receive a 30-minute personal styling session with a professional beauty consultant. Make an evening of it and invite a few friends for light bites, drinks and makeovers. All attendees will receive a Nexxus gift bag and will be registered for a chance to win a $150 ULTA Beauty gift card. UTLA Beauty is located at 1513 Hawthorne Blvd. in Redondo Beach. You can register at nexxusendlessstyle.com/#events.
This item falls under the heading ‘Say it isn’t so….’ This is the last weekend you can legally eat foie gras in the State of California. Yes, the powers that be have absolutely nothing better to do than ban the consumption of random foodstuff. So…. if you need a foie gras fix, head to in Hermosa Beach this weekend for a “Farewell Foie Gras” blowout. It will be all foie gras, all the time, with specials and appetizers featuring the soon to be outlawed delicacy and Chef Sean Chaney whipping up unique, delectable, sweet and savory dishes. The event kicks off Friday at 6 p.m., continues Saturday at 2 p.m. and again Sunday evening at 6 p.m. This is your last chance to lawfully savor this epicurean treat before the black market jacks up the price and die hard foie gras aficionados end up in the pokey! But wait ... it gets better! Rumor has it PETA will be on hand to protest! Should be fun! Hot’s Kitchen is located at 844 Hermosa Ave. in Hermosa Beach.
Next Wednesday is the Fourth of July and while most South Bay cities have cancelled holiday festivities due to budget cuts, there are still a couple of good old-fashioned celebrations scheduled.
On Tuesday, will be celebrating America and Anchor Brewing, this country’s oldest craft brewery (1896), with specialty brews such as Anchor Summer Beer and Liberty Ale, the first modern day IPA and the beer that started a revolution. They’ll also be tapping the last known keg in Southern California of Zymaster No. 1 Lager. Buy your first Anchor beer on draft and keep the commemorative glass. Select Beer Store & Tap Room is located at 1613 S. Pacific Coast Hwy. in Redondo Beach.
Before the festivities and fireworks begin, you’ll want to start the day at the presented by the . This very popular local event gets underway at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, July 4 in front of the Village Runner store located at 1811 S. Catalina Ave. in Riviera Village. The route starts on Catalina Avenue and heads north three blocks to Avenue I for a left turn west to the Esplanade. The course continues north to Torrance Boulevard for a U-turn to retrace the route back to the finish line. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Redondo Beach Firefighters Association and the Grad Night Program. All participants will receive a 4th of July Run T-shirt. There will be chip timing, age division awards and cash prizes to the top three overall male and female runners in the 5K run. For information and registration, visit the website.
Feel like mixing it up this year? Here’s an idea: join the Rover Rescue Team and raise funds while you run to save homeless dogs from shelters—but wait ... it gets better—dogs are welcome to run with you! Fundraising is made easy with the Rover Rescue Fundraising Package and all participants will receive a Rover Rescue T-shirt. For more information, visit the website.
Every Fourth of July, Joe Charles of GI Joe Bootcamp awards $1,000 cash to the last man, woman or child standing in his infamous Push-Up Challenge. Participants should meet at the intersection of Catalina Avenue and Elena Avenue (near the Village Runner) in Riviera Village to compete for the $1,000 prize. The event gets underway at 9:15 a.m. sharp! For more information, call 310-836-9339 or visit the website.
The El Segundo Recreation & Parks Department proudly presents the 4th of July Community Celebration and Fireworks Spectacular on Wednesday. The celebration is an all-day event with activities for the entire family and takes place in Recreation Park located at 401 E. Sheldon St. The fun gets underway at 10 a.m. with a Hula Hoop contest, water balloon toss, sack races, pie eating contest and watermelon eating contest. Enjoy live music at the softball field from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. with the music continuing at Stevenson Field from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. A new and improved fireworks show sponsored by Chevron blasts off at 9 p.m. with expanded seating opportunities including general admission, senior citizen and resident priority seating. For more information, call 310-524-2700 or visit the website.
The gets underway at 2 p.m. on Wednesday at the in Redondo Beach. There will be free paddle boarding lessons, arts & crafts, a parade and puppet show for the kids, live music for the adults and food for everyone. There will be several dining options to choose from, including local favorites and Jamba Juice, along with an assortment of traditional Fourth of July goodies such as funnel cakes, burgers and more. The fireworks start at 9 p.m. so plan to make a day of it. There are several ticket and reservation options available so visit the website at redondofireworks.com. The Seaside Lagoon is located at 200 Portofino Way in Redondo Beach. A shuttle service will be provided from the parking lot at 415 Diamond St. in Redondo Beach. Additional parking is available at the and Pier Plaza parking structures.
Every Fourth of July for as long as I can remember, a resident of the South Bay has been hosting her own fireworks show from a private barge just off Torrance Beach. This woman, who shall remain nameless, has treated hundreds of thousands of spectators to the finest firework display along the Southern California coast for years and we are incredibly fortunate to have this gracious woman right here in our sandbox. Last year, the city of Torrance cancelled the Wilson Park fireworks show indefinitely and as of right now, there are no other free firework displays on the Fourth of July in the South Bay. This is a sad state of affairs but thanks to her generosity, all are welcome to sit on the beach and line the Esplanade to watch in awe the rocket’s red glare. The show usually starts about 9 p.m. I’ll be watching it from a friend’s house on the Torrance Beach bluffs.
Are you ready for the hottest, most talked about event of the year? Walk With Sally is thrilled to announce the benefit presented by Momma Mia Worldwide on Saturday, July 21. The evening will feature the always decadent “Taste of the South Bay” with samplings from the most buzz-worthy restaurants, a silent auction and a traditionally raucous live auction. The highlight of the night is a live concert by best-selling, Grammy-nominated Smash Mouth. Tickets are on sale now and expected to sell out quickly! For more information and ticket purchase, visit the website at walkwithsally.org/whitelightwhitenight/buytickets.html. This is the one event of the summer you don’t want to miss!
Don’t forget, Triton Mixed Martial Arts Center offers a FREE Women’s Self Defense Class every Monday morning at their training facility in on Harbor Drive. This very valuable service is available free for women of every age and you don’t have to be a member of Gold’s or Triton to participate. Just check in at the front desk. For more information, visit the website at tritonmma.com.
As always, check the calendar links and ‘Things to Do’ page on my website, southbaybyjackie.com, for details on these and other events throughout the South Bay.
On The South Bay Show this morning, our guest was Nicole Mooradian, editor of Redondo Beach Patch. Don’t worry—if you missed it, you can listen to it online.
The South Bay Show presents ‘Preparing for Disaster in the South Bay’. This very instructive program airs every Friday morning on Blog Talk Radio at 7:00 AM. Tomorrow we’re going to discuss Terrorism and Disaster Preparedness with guest Kathy Dollarhide, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for St. Mary Medical Center. It will be an interesting and informative hour so tune in! You can listen to it live or at your leisure online.
Have a great South Bay weekend and a fun-filled, safe Fourth of July!
Jackie
