Memorial Day Weekend Events

As our country pauses on Monday to take time to honor the soldiers who lost their lives in defense of our country, we also have the opportunity to celebrate and enjoy the freedoms obtained in those battles. If you are without plans over the long weekend, there are many ways to enjoy your time with friends and family throughout our area. 

Friday Night Wine Tastings
Barnsdall Park's Friday Wine Tastings are an annual hit in Los Feliz. At $30/person, tickets will earn guests a selection of four wines from Silverlake Wine. Bring a blanket to lay down on the grass and sip your samples among friends! The first tasting of the 2015 season is tonight! The drive from your home at Palazzo Westwood Village to Barnsdall Park is about 45 minutes.

Disneyland's 60th Anniversary
Starting tonight, Disneyland will celebrate its "diamond year" 60th anniversary with three new shows, and structures be adorned in diamond everything! One million lights will make the Disney Paint the Night Parade one of the brightest in Disney's history! It takes about 90 minutes to get to Disneyland from Palazzo Westwood Village.

Main Street Memorial Day Weekend Block Party
Located in Santa Monica's Circle Bar, the block party includes food and drink specials, live DJs and more! Tickets start at $10. The festivities run from 3PM through 2 AM on Sunday, May 24. For more information, please visit their official website. Circle Bar is a little under 30 minutes away from Westwood.

Fiesta Hermosa
Fiesta Hermosa, the largest arts and crafts fair in Southern California, lasts May 23-25 from 10 AM through 6 PM. There are many reasons why this fiesta has been an annual event in Hermosa Beach since 1972 - aside from the arts and crafts, music, play areas for children, the wine and beer garden and more keep residents and visitors coming back! Hermosa Beach is about one hour away from Westwood.

Other Ideas
If none of these events appeal to you, there are many, many more going on this weekend. You could also get creative and take a drive up and down the coast or head to the beach! If staying closer to home suits you, take the time to walk around Westwood Village with friends or visiting family members!

Regardless of your plans, we wish you a safe and happy holiday weekend! Thank you to all of our servicemen and women!

Additional sources consulted: 
Time Out Los Angeles
CBS Los Angeles

Bike Week LA

Westwood Village has been making strides to become a more bicycle-friendly community throughout the past year with the addition of new bike lanes, and this week you may have noticed an increase in bicycle traffic in Westwood. The reason behind this increase is the celebration of National Bike Week in Los Angeles County. You may have had colleagues, friends, or even yourself, who participated in Bike to Work Day today. If you did not realize that today was Bike to Work Day, don't despair. There is one final opportunity to get in on the National Bike Week festivities in Los Angeles tomorrow evening at the Bike Night at Union Station.

Metro's Bike Night at Union Station begins tomorrow at 5:30 PM and lasts until 8:30 PM. Celebrate and network with other Los Angeles-area cyclists, and take advantage of the food, music, crafts, contests and more! Music will be provided by local band The Lions, and giveaways include bike reflectors, t-shirts, patch kits and tap cards. The party will take place in the Old Ticketing Room at the station.

After the party at Union Station ends, there will be an after party at Angel City Brewery. Entry into the brewery is guaranteed with a Bike Night wristband, as long as you head over between 8:30 and 9. However, once you're in, you can enjoy specials the rest of the evening, as you socialize with fellow bike enthusiasts!

From your apartment home at Palazzo Westwood Village, it is about a 34 minute commute to Union Station, without traffic. However, if you work downtown, head over to the party after the workday is over! 

In other Metro news, more information about a new bike-sharing program is reported to be released next month! According to Los Angeles Daily News, this program will make 1,090 bikes available throughout 65 stations. The project aims to launch next spring. There are also plans to expand the number of bike hubs, which act as parking lots for bikes.

Do you regularly commute to work on your bicycle? How do you think Westwood can become more bike-friendly in the future? Share you thoughts with us on the Palazzo Westwood Village Facebook and Twitter pages! 

Additional sources consulted:
Metro
Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition

What to Do on Mother's Day

Hopefully, this is not new information to you, but Mother's Day is this Sunday, May 10! If your mom is indecisive about what she wants or you feel like you have bought her everything you possibly could throughout Mother's Days past, we have some ideas to inspire you! 

Brunch
Let's face it, you can never go wrong with a great meal! Moms are usually pretty content when they don't have to cook for themselves, but when you add a mimosa to the mix, even better! Check out the brunch lineup at Gracias Madre, which includes a habanero-infused Mexican Mimosa! According to Time Out Los Angeles, Moms will receive a complimentary Karma Chamomilian cocktail! Gracias Madre is a quick 15-minute drive from your apartment home at Palazzo Westwood Village.

If Mexican food isn't Mom's favorite type of cuisine, consider Tanzy Westwood! On Sunday, all moms will receive a rose with their meal and will be entered to win a 24-karat gold rose! Treat Mom to red velvet pancakes or Dungeness crab, in addition to Tanzy's regular brunch options! How's this for convenience - Tanzy is just a 5-minute walk away from the apartments!

Events
Head to Room 5 Lounge on Sunday for where L.A. and Helix Collective will partner with Opera on Tap Los Angeles for a special holiday show from 6:30 to 9:30 PM. The evening will be an eclectic mix of poetry, music and storytelling, complete with pizza and drinks! 

If Mom is an art fan, head over to LACMA where Paul McCarthy will host a talk and reception in regards to skateboard decks he recently painted for the Skatesian charity project.

If Mom loves to "LOL," take her to the StandUp! For Girls Real Girl foundation benefit show at the Hollywood Improv. Performers include Sarah Silverman, Jessica St. Clair, Retta and more. The evening also includes cocktails and a silent auction.

Where are your favorite places to treat Mom in Westwood? Share your plans and ideas for Mother's Day in Westwood with us on Palazzo Westwood Village's Facebook and Twitter pages. Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!

Sources consulted:
Time Out Los Angeles
LAist

Vegan Beer & Food Festival

Vegan diets have spread across the country, but many consider California the capital of the diet. For those of you who do not consume animal products, and even for those who do, there is an exciting festival coming up to celebrate vegans - the Vegan Beer & Food Festival! 2015 will be the sixth year for this event, which offers some of the best vegan bites and brews! 

This year's festival will be held on May 16 at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena. Guests of the festival will have a selection of more than 100 beers from 50 breweries, and food from more than 40 food trucks, restaurants and vendors at their fingertips! Brewers include Ace Cider, Beach City Bell's, Dr. Jekyll's, Lagunitas, New Belgium and many, many more. Food that will be on site includes Anthem Vegan, Grilled Cheese Truck, Life is Sweet Bakeshop, The Rabbit Hole Cafe and more! To view the full list of food and beer that will be available, click here.

If the food and beer selection is not enough to convince you, there is also a stellar live music lineup. Participating artists include Jamestown Revival, The White Buffalo, The Drowning Men, Petty Cash, Joel Jerome and Lucy & La Mer! 

What are some things you should try at the event? LAist recommends Real Food Daily's "fauxnut," comparable to the cronut; Suncafe's chili fries; and Clean South's fried "chicken." To view all of their recommendations, click here. 

If you are interested in attending the event, tickets can be purchased online or the day of the event. Tickets are between $50 and $80. Please note, food is not included in the ticket price. If you are interested in buying tickets online, click here.

From Palazzo Westwood Village apartment homes to Rose Bowl Stadium, it is approximately a 45-minute drive, via the 405 and Hwy. 134 E. If you love vegan food and beer, it would make a fun day trip to take with friends!

Have you ever attended a vegan beer or food festival? What vendors do you look forward to trying at this festival? Share your thoughts on Palazzo Westwood Village's Facebook and Twitter pages!