Gab Chabrán
covers what's happening in food and culture for LAist.
Published May 9, 2025 5:00 AM
A country levain loaf from Colossus Bakery, a naturally leavened sourdough bread that's fermented for 36 hours.
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Danielle G Adams
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Courtesy Colossus
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Topline:
Across L.A., a group of bakers and pizza makers are slowing down the production of their products, yielding some seriously delicious results.
How long are we talking about here? Sourdough bread in Long Beach takes a day-and-a-half from start to finish, and New York-style pizza even more. Because what is time anyway?
Who's doing this? We visited Colossus, which has locations in Long Beach and San Pedro, Danny Boy's Famous Original Pizza in downtown L.A. and Grá in Historic Filipinotown to learn their secrets.
Flash back to the pandemic, when everyone you knew made sourdough bread because all they had was time on their hands. That new obsession birthed a million loaves of bread.
There was a whole rabbit hole to fall into, including how to source a sourdough starter, the length of fermentation, consistency, taste and crumb. People began showing pictures of their home-grown loaves, and naming their sourdough starters as if they were their children.
Post-pandemic, it led to a new appreciation of something that had been under our noses for some time — the handful of L.A. bakeries making artisanal sourdough bread.
While you can get sourdough rolls in your local supermarket, commercially made bread often doesn't follow traditional sourdough baking methods, likely supplementing with yeast to get a quicker fermentation.
But other bakeries, like Lodge Bread, Clark Street Bakery, and Bub & Grandma's, have committed to the full-on, time-consuming process, taking at least two days to allow different tastes and textures to bubble up (literally). And now, it's spreading to other dough-centered foods, like pizza, as pizza makers experiment with techniques allowing the rise to take four to five days.
What is it about slow fermentation that has captured the attention of bakers and pizza makers? I spoke to some people leading this trend.
Something in the air
At Colossus, located in Long Beach and San Pedro (and soon to be Anaheim), Kristin Colazas Rodriguez has been slowly perfecting her recipe for naturally leavened sourdough loaves for over five years.
Colazas Rodriguez cultivated her bread-making style when working in the Bay Area in the early 2010s. There, she worked alongside ex-employees of Tartine Bakery, the famed bakery that started in San Francisco and built its reputation on slow-fermented sourdough bread. The technique fascinated Colazas Rodriguez, who brought it down to Long Beach and began making her own version of the bread, and selling it at local farmer markets before expanding to open Colossus.
The sourdough starter at Colossus, affectionately named Jesus, is the basis for their naturally leavened sourdough loaves.
Kristin Colazas Rodriguez, owner of Colossus, taking time to prepare the naturally fermented dough.
Her team starts each morning by making the dough, adding a portion of their starter, and allowing it to ferment at room temperature for five to six hours.
Kristen Colazas Rodriguez, owner and operator of Colossus Bread
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Courtesy Colossus
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Then, it's time for cold fermentation, where the dough is put in the refrigerator overnight, slowing the fermentation process. This also forms lactic acid bacteria, which gives the dough its sour flavor.
After roughly 36 hours, the dough is finally ready to be baked into a stretchy, crunchy loaf of bread.
Her work is best exemplified by their country levain, a tangy, sliced sourdough loaf. Its large open crumb makes it perfect for a sandwich, or toast with butter and jam. For me, no other type of bread comes close.
Colazas Rodriguez's passion for sourdough isn't simply artisanal; she also feels it contributes to a healthy way of life.
"We can manipulate it, improve the nutritional quality of the starches and enzymes, and unlock its minerals," she said. "I don't think we would have a product that was as healthy if we were throwing in instant yeast, if we weren't correctly fermenting, and if we weren't long fermenting those grains."
A customer looks over the bakery case fulled with naturally leavened bread displayed at Colossus in Long Beach.
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Brian Feinzimer
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LAist
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The pizza dough whisperer
Chef Daniel Holzman, owner of DannyBoy's Famous Original Pizza inside the Wells Fargo building in downtown L.A., with another location in Westwood, makes acclaimed New York-style pizza.
But it comes with a twist. Instead of proofing the dough for a day, as is customary for New York style, Holzman, who has formal training as a chef, extends the fermentation for four or even five days. It's been somewhat controversial.
"I was told I was doing it wrong, and I've been consistently told we're doing it wrong," Holzman said.
Daniel Holzman of Danny Boy's Famous Original Pizza with his prized take on New York-style pizza
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Brian Feinzimer
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LAist
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Daniel Holzman of Danny Boy's Famous Original Pizza shows the gluten structure that's formed after the long fermentation process.
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Brian Feinzimer
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LAist
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Wrongness be damned, as plenty of customers (and I) discovered, the pizza he creates is buttery, flaky, soft and chewy. Holzman's pizza dough, however, doesn't use a sourdough starter. Instead, he uses commercial yeast for the long fermentation, even though it's typically used to speed up the fermentation process.
The yeast produces carbon dioxide, which allows the dough to rise and creates micro blisters, or bubbles, in the crust, similar to the bubbles in beer. This results in a crispy crust on the outside yet an airy, light texture on the inside. While that is happening, the formation of the gluten structure occurs, which gives the dough its elasticity and chewy quality.
As an illustration, Holzman recently made a viral social media video where he walks shows a series of proofing boxes containing furled pizza dough balls.
Each box holds dough at a different stage of the fermentation process. You can see the texture developing as he pokes his finger in each one. By the time he reaches day three, the dough is producing complex structures resembling spiderwebs. It's impressive to see, and not something you expect in traditional pizza.
A New York-style pepperoni pizza being sliced at Danny Boy's Famous Original Pizza in Westwood.
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Brian Feinzimer
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LAist
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He said part of the reason long-fermented New York-style pizza isn't more common is not a cooking issue; instead, it involves real estate. In New York, space is much more scarce, and access to large refrigeration areas is a challenge.
In less-cramped Los Angeles, Holzman was able to experiment before honing in on his now trademark style.
" We use the same ingredients and method that we would use in New York," he said. "Ultimately, we concluded that fermentation would be one thing we would extend."
Easier on the body
A little further down the road in Historic Filipinotown is Grá ('love' in Gaelic), founded by owner Michael McSharry. He's originally from Ireland, but was living in London, working in advertising, when he discovered he had a gluten intolerance.
" At that point, I had to stop eating pizza, bread, stop drinking beer, and all those kinds of carbs," he said.
But when he tried sourdough pizza, he discovered he could eat it and still feel OK.
Michael McSharry, the founder of Grá, during the fermentation process for his sourdough pizza.
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Brian Feinzimer
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LAist
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Michael McSharry of Grá turns his sough dough starter.
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Brian Feinzimer
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LAist
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While it's a bit of a grey area, scientifically speaking, it seems that some people with a gluten intolerance can eat sourdough bread. The long fermentation is theorized to help break down the gluten, making it easier to consume.
Fast-forward almost a decade to Los Angeles, where McSharry decided to open a restaurant focusing on sourdough pizza, natural wine and fermented foods.
McSharry described it as "food that not only tastes good, but nourishes the soul." He wanted his pizza to be as healthy as possible, which is where fermentation comes in.
As he prepared to finalize his menu for Grá, McSharry planned a last-minute trip to the famed Irish cooking school Ballymaloe Cookery School in County Cork. There, he studied under celebrity chef Darina Allen for a weekend course about fermentation.
Upon completing the course, he was given a sourdough starter as a parting gift, which he brought back to Los Angeles.
McSharry explains that his fermentation program at Grá takes approximately 40 hours, with the dough assembled in the morning and used for the following evening during their dinner service.
The dough is made from whole grain and 00 flour (a very finely milled Italian flour used in pizza and pasta).
" It took me a while to dial in the recipe, or should I say the principles behind the processes that exist within the pizza we have today", McSharry said.
In great detail, McSharry described all the elements of the process to get his sourdough just right, from the proofing stage to the temperature of the water and the oven. He recounted working 8-10 hours daily for over six months in his apartment before the restaurant opened, tweaking each element to achieve his desired result.
The Banger pizza at Grá made with tomato sauce, mozzarella, salami, ‘nduja, fermented mustard seeds, honey & basil
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Brian Feinzimer
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LAist
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Diners sit for dinner service inside of Grá
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Brian Feinzimer
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LAist
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After locking in his dough recipe, McSharry and his team decided to fire the pizza at 750 degrees inside a wood-burning oven.
" It's another element to this very natural process. So you're working with Mother Nature in the fermentation and then with Mother Nature with real fire, and it's exciting," McSharry added.
The sourdough pizza at Gra isn't particularly sour in flavor. Instead, it takes on a soft and chewy texture, similar to a Neapolitan-style pizza. This format works well with various topping combinations on the menu, as is the case with a couple of house favorites, such as The Banger ($27), made with salami, nduja, fermented mustard seeds, and honey, and their Kimchi Pizza ($27), which contains tomato kimchi sauce, gouda, buffalo mozzarella, green onions, and sesame seeds.
The punch of flavor and freshness brings home precisely what McSharry aims to achieve.
By including other fermented foods — kimchi and fermented mustard seeds — McSharry hopes to extend the notion that the natural process can be applied to different foods, not just sourdough.
While he runs a business, he believes fermented foods are an extension of a more global way of thinking.
" One of our main focuses is having good working relationships with the farmers and doing our little bit to save the planet, like with upcycling," McSharry said. "This is an important characteristic of maximizing the return."
What to know about CA's other tax the rich measure
By Carolyn Jones | CalMatters
Published October 21, 2026 11:00 AM
Teacher Emily Adams’ eighth-grade science class at Lawson Middle School in Cupertino on Aug. 26, 2025.
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Florence Middleton
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CalMatters
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Topline:
If Proposition 3 looks familiar, it’s because this is the third time the income tax measure has appeared on California ballots. But this time might be the last.
Why it matters: Prop. 3 would permanently extend an income tax on the wealthy to fund schools, healthcare and other state services. It first appeared on the ballot as a temporary tax in 2012 to help schools through the Great Recession, and voters renewed it in 2016. Now, its supporters are asking voters to make it permanent before it expires in 2031.
More details: Prop. 3 would extend a tax on individuals who earn more than $371,000 or couples who earn more than $743,000 annually. It generated between $5 billion and $15 billion a year, fluctuating with the stock market, interest rates and other factors that affect the income of the state’s top earners.
Read on... for more about Prop. 3.
If Proposition 3 looks familiar, it’s because this is the third time the income tax measure has appeared on California ballots. But this time might be the last.
Prop. 3 would permanently extend an income tax on the wealthy to fund schools, healthcare and other state services. It first appeared on the ballot as a temporary tax in 2012 to help schools through the Great Recession, and voters renewed it in 2016. Now, its supporters are asking voters to make it permanent before it expires in 2031.
“I can’t overstate how important this is,” said David Goldberg, president of the California Teachers Association, the state’s largest teachers union and a primary supporter of the measure. “It’s only a tax on the wealthiest Californians, but it’s vital for our schools.”
Prop. 3 would extend a tax on individuals who earn more than $371,000 or couples who earn more than $743,000 annually. It generated between $5 billion and $15 billion a year, fluctuating with the stock market, interest rates and other factors that affect the income of the state’s top earners.
Top earners would continue paying an income tax rate of 12.3% if the measure passes. Tack on the state’s additional 1% tax on income over $1 million for mental health services and California’s highest-earners wind up with an income tax rate of 13.3%, the highest in the nation.
The bulk of the money would be funnelled through the state’s Proposition 98 funding mechanism, which guarantees 40% of the state budget be set aside for K-12 schools and community colleges. If the money surpasses a certain level, the extra would go toward a budget rainy day fund.
Prop. 3 would also pay for healthcare and other services because it frees up money the state would ordinarily spend on schools for other services, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office. Of the Prop. 98 money, 89% goes to K-12 schools and 11% goes to community colleges.
In flush years, the income tax makes up about 15% of the state’s overall K-12 education budget. If it doesn’t pass, school districts will be forced to lay off up to 50,000 teachers and make other cuts, Goldberg said.
Union’s big push
The teachers union is aggressively supporting the measure. It collected thousands of signatures to win a spot on the ballot and sent members to knock on more than 200,000 doors throughout the state. Goldberg described the campaign as “one of our biggest, most ambitious efforts yet.”
The powerful union as well as other groups have raised more than $40 million to pass Prop. 3. Opponents, which include taxpayer associations, have raised $5,500.
The measure appears to have an edge with voters. According to a Public Policy Institute of California poll conducted in September, 58% of likely voters said they planned to vote yes on the measure. Among Democrats, 82% said they favored it, while 18% of Republicans said they did.
Prop. 3 is not the only tax-the-rich measure on the Nov. 3 ballot. Proposition 40 would levy a 5% tax on Californians with assets of more than $1 billion, with 90% of the money going toward healthcare and the rest divided between schools, food assistance programs and other services. The teachers union opposes Prop. 40 because it argues schools wouldn’t receive enough of the money, Goldberg said.
“We’re not campaigning against Prop. 40. We’re just prioritizing Prop. 3,” Goldberg said.
The union decided to put the measure on the ballot now, more than four years before the current tax expires, because schools typically plan their budgets many years in advance and need plenty of advance warning of significant changes in revenues, Goldberg said.
‘Not sustainable’
Susan Shelley, vice president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Association, questioned whether schools need more money, considering the state’s recent investments and declining enrollment.
“We have fewer and fewer students. Does this mean we need fewer teachers? Maybe it does,” Shelley said. “It’s time to revisit some of these costs. Some districts have unaffordable labor contracts, fewer students … It’s not sustainable.”
In addition, she said, California already has the highest personal income tax rate – 13.3% – in the country. Adding more will only drive the wealthiest residents – and their money – from the state, which will have a disproportionate impact on state revenues, she said. According to the Legislative Analyst’s Office, the state’s top 2% of earners pay about half the state’s income taxes.
California’s K-12 enrollment has declined steadily for at least a decade, with schools losing more than 500,000 students since the mid-2010s. Families are having fewer children, immigration is down and many families have left California because of the high cost of living.
Still, California has among the country’s highest student-to-teacher ratios. In 2022-23, California had one teacher for every 22 students, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The national average was 1:15. In New York, it was just over 1:11.
That’s why California schools need more money, said Rob Manwaring, senior policy and fiscal adviser at the advocacy group Children Now.
“Those ratios mean that students who need extra help aren’t getting it, which is why we have such a large achievement gap in California,” Manwaring said. “It’s dire.”
He also noted that federal budget cuts will continue affecting California, including its schools, and the state will need revenue to backfill those costs. The chance of an economic downturn in the next few years will also imperil school funding.
“No one wants to project out too far, but schools might see some very tight budgets,” Manwaring said.
State workers march along 16th Street during a SEIU Local 1000 picket outside the CalHR building in Sacramento on July 22, 2026.
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Fred Greaves
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CalMatters
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Topline:
California state workers say they're tired of governors balancing the budget "on their backs" and are beginning a statewide strike today.
Why now: The state workers who are planning the first-ever statewide walkout in 44 years this week once were on much better terms with their boss, Gov. Gavin Newsom. SEIU Local 1000, state government’s largest union, kicked in one of the single biggest checks to Newsom’s 2018 campaign, a $500,000 contribution. It followed up with $1 million more to help Newsom fend off a recall in 2021. That alliance made sense for the union, especially considering that Newsom’s Republican opponents were much less friendly to labor.
The backstory: Newsom at two key moments pressed public employees to accept pay cuts. The first happened in the panic of the early pandemic when the governor braced for a severe recession. Unions agreed to wage cuts of roughly 9% and in exchange workers received days off that they could save and bank for later. The second wage cut happened in 2025 when the governor sought to close a severe budget deficit. Most unions, including Local 1000, again accepted deals for two years of wage reductions in exchange for days off. They also agreed to defer raises until next year.
Read on... for more on the statewide strike.
The state workers who are planning the first-ever statewide walkout in 44 years this week once were on much better terms with their boss, Gov. Gavin Newsom.
SEIU Local 1000, state government’s largest union, kicked in one of the single biggest checks to Newsom’s 2018 campaign, a $500,000 contribution. It followed up with $1 million more to help Newsom fend off a recall in 2021.
That alliance made sense for the union, especially considering that Newsom’s Republican opponents were much less friendly to labor.
But today the two sides are far apart with Local 1000 preparing its first statewide strike since signing its first collective bargaining agreement in 1982 as it accuses Newsom of bad-faith bargaining. Its members are trolling Newsom online with memes likening him to infamous Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, caricaturing him as a sci-fi villain and mocking his presidential ambitions.
What happened to the labor love fest?
At the bottom line, Newsom was stingier with public employees than voters who think of him as a labor-aligned Democrat might assume. He demanded wage reductions from state workers over three years of his tenure and limited raises to 3% in financially flush times. He also took a hard line in calling employees back to the office four days a week after many grew accustomed to working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The fact the state has refused to bargain in good faith is what got so many members active,” said Anica Walls, president of Local 1000. The union represents about 100,000 workers. “They’re just kind of tired of always feeling the budget is balanced on state employees’ backs.”
That feeling goes back more than 20 years for some California public employees. Like many workers, they accepted furloughs and wage reductions during the Great Recession. That period lasted from 2008 to 2013 under former governors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jerry Brown. But Brown then pressed for more concessions, including an additional paycheck deduction to fund retiree healthcare and higher worker contributions toward pensions.
Union leaders had high hopes Newsom would end the trend of temporary pay cuts and givebacks, as shown by the campaign contributions he gained in 2018.
It didn’t work out that way.
Here’s a look at some of the issues that led the state’s largest public employee union to break with Newsom and put him on the spot with its first statewide strike.
Money, money, money
California state government spending surged during the Newsom administration, climbing from $201.4 billion in the 2018-19 financial year to $321 billion in Newsom’s 2025-26 budget. That’s a 59% increase.
Payroll is up, too, but at a slower rate. Compensation for state workers hit $25.2 billion in 2025, about 32% more than 2019.
To be sure, Newsom gave bonuses to many public employees — especially prison staff — when the state was flush with money just after the pandemic. But he’s been thriftier with wage increases. They topped out 3% in most contracts.
Meanwhile, Newsom at two key moments pressed public employees to accept pay cuts. The first happened in the panic of the early pandemic when the governor braced for a severe recession. Unions agreed to wage cuts of roughly 9% and in exchange workers received days off that they could save and bank for later.
The second wage cut happened in 2025 when the governor sought to close a severe budget deficit. Most unions, including Local 1000, again accepted deals for two years of wage reductions in exchange for days off. They also agreed to defer raises until next year.
One union did not accept those terms, the California Association of Professional Scientists. The scientist union was the first to strike against Newsom, holding a three-day walkout in 2023. It viewed the contract it negotiated in 2024 as critical, and it didn’t want to give up its raises when Newsom asked.
But, just before an agreed-upon raise was supposed to take effect last summer, it learned that the state budget didn’t include money for the wage increase.
The conflict again angered public employees who expected a pay boost. The union appealed to state lawmakers, who funded the raises in a follow-on spending bill.
“We negotiated that collective bargaining agreement in good faith and believe a deal is a deal,” said the union’s vice president, Justin Garcia.
Working from home
California government changed overnight during the pandemic, when Newsom ordered employees to work from home unless the nature of their job required them to report to a prison or state hospital. That was a major cultural adjustment for a bureaucracy known for time cards, rigid schedules and a refusal to pay for workers’ office parking.
The Newsom administration commended workers for making the change and it publicized a dashboard that showed state employees were just as efficient at home as they were in the office.
But as time passed Newsom said he grew concerned that remote work stifled the in-person collaboration that he argued was important for a successful organization. He called employees back to the office two days a week in 2024, and four days a week beginning last summer.
Many state workers want more flexibility. They point to a 2025 state audit that found the state could save $225 million a year by allowing more remote work.
Retirement plans diverge
State workers hired before 2013 have a better retirement deal than public employees who joined since then. That issue is not front-and-center in the Local 1000 strike, but it’s bubbling up as newer workers learn about their colleagues’ benefits.
Former Gov. Brown championed the law that trimmed pension benefits. It came out of the Great Recession, which caused California’s major pension funds to hemorrhage billions of dollars and highlighted a generous pension enhancement that former Gov. Gray Davis had signed into law a dozen years earlier.
Now, public employees work longer and pay more of their own income toward their pensions. Newsom last month vetoed a bill that would have sweetened retirement formulas for police and firefighters, a proposal that likely will return to Newsom’s successor in the near future.
“What people thought before was a cush state job because we had good retirement, the ability to retire with a pension, that does not look the same to people who came after 2013,” said Walls, the Local 1000 president.
Where else can they go?
Local 1000 and other state government unions might be frustrated with Newsom, but they tend to get a better hearing from Democrats than Republicans. Schwarzenegger, after all, championed four failed ballot measures that would have stripped them of their power and influence.
“They (unions) have to make converts in the church in which they worship,” said Don Perata, a union-aligned Democrat and former Senate president pro tem who battled with Schwarzenegger.
He praised Local 1000 members for carrying state government through the pandemic and for taking on difficult jobs to serve Californians. He recognized governors and lawmakers have to pass balanced budgets, and said that means they should be more careful in running up the cost of programs that might eat away at funding that could be used to pay public employees better.
“It’s past time to show there’s recognition and not just by blowing smoke at them,” Perata said.
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Long Beach Search and Rescue team fills sandbags at the Claremont Lot for Long Beach residents on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026.
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Thomas R. Cordova
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Long Beach Post
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Topline:
Two upcoming events at Long Beach City College will give Long Beach residents the chance to stockpile sandbags in advance of what is expected to be a particularly strong El Niño season.
When are the giveaways? On Saturday, Oct. 24, residents can pick up sandbags for free at the LBCC Trades, Technology and Community Learning Campus (1305 E Pacific Coast Highway). A second distribution will be held on Saturday, Nov. 7, in Lot M of the Liberal Arts College (4901 E. Carson St.). Each event runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., and community members will be able to drive up to the distribution sites, where staff will help them fill their cars with up to 10 sandbags. IDs will not be required to receive sand and sandbags.
Why now: At a recent press conference amid the waves fueled by Tropical Storm Rachel, Mayor Rex Richardson emphasized that residents all across Long Beach will likely feel the effects of storms and flooding this El Niño season.
Two upcoming events at Long Beach City College will give Long Beach residents the chance to stockpile sandbags in advance of what is expected to be a particularly strong El Niño season.
On Saturday, Oct. 24, residents can pick up sandbags for free at the LBCC Trades, Technology and Community Learning Campus (1305 E Pacific Coast Highway). A second distribution will be held on Saturday, Nov. 7, in Lot M of the Liberal Arts College (4901 E. Carson St.). Each event runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., and community members will be able to drive up to the distribution sites, where staff will help them fill their cars with up to 10 sandbags. IDs will not be required to receive sand and sandbags.
At a recent press conference amid the waves fueled by Tropical Storm Rachel, Mayor Rex Richardson emphasized that residents all across Long Beach will likely feel the effects of storms and flooding this El Niño season.
“Do not be caught off guard,” he said. “Prepare right now.”
Some of these effects will not be limited to the coast. Low-lying areas throughout Long Beach are especially susceptible to flooding, according to a city press release.
Richardson urged city residents to pick up sandbags before they need them — and to keep them throughout the rainy season, which typically lasts from December through March.
In addition to the upcoming distribution events, residents can also pick up empty sandbags at all neighborhood fire stations. (Station locations are available here.) Sand is available at stations 7, 12, 13 and 14, and residents are encouraged to bring shovels to fill sandbags themselves.
City officials encouraged community members to stay informed during the rainy season by signing up for Alert Long Beach and checking the city’s landing page for emergency updates. City Manager Tom Modica urged residents to take steps to fortify their properties, gather emergency supplies and develop plans for emergency weather.
Find additional resources on how to prepare for and navigate El Niño here.
Kool & the Gang will play Pershing Square's free "I Love Funk" festival this weekend.
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Tim Mosenfelder
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Getty Images
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In this edition:
The L.A. Times Food Bowl, Venice Yoga Festival storytelling grand champions and more of the best things to do this weekend and beyond.
Highlights:
Try bites from the hottest restaurants in L.A. at the annual L.A. Times Food Bowl, this year taking place at the massive Barkar Hangar in Santa Monica. Roy Choi, Chainsaw, Baroo, Rustic Canyon and many, many more will have tastes and treats — all included in your ticket.
Get your vinyasa on, or just meditate by the ocean waves with fellow yogis and community members at the free Venice Yoga Festival at Muscle Beach. In addition to free classes with local practitioners, the day also features live music and kirtan, kids’ activities, workshops and talks.
Five Moth StorySlam and Grand Slam champs join forces at the Hermosa Beach Playhouse for It’s Funny NOW. True stories, live on stage and only the best — you really can’t go wrong, just don’t forget to bring the tissues.
While those of us closer to LAX wait around for the People Mover to finally make its much-delayed debut (oh, how I remember fondly taking a video of its virgin run around the terminals when I got off a plane a few months ago … ), those in the Valley and parts north have had the last laugh as the new Burbank terminal makes the area’s best airport even better. Sigh.
But who needs to go anywhere? We’ve got plenty going on right here. And remember to get your ballot in and use our voter guides as your one-stop-ballot-info stop. Election Day is Nov. 3!
Music
In music around the region this week, highlights from Licorice Pizza's recommendations include:
Thursday, Oct. 22, 6 p.m. Natural History Museum 900 Exposition Blvd., Expo Park COST: $25; MORE INFO
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Courtesy TriStar Pictures
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The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County’s Movies Under the Microscope series is back with an ‘80s sci-fi flair, followed by a discussion about how movie science and real science overlap. This week, Val Kilmer (RIP) leads a pack of teen scientists building a laser for the government in the 1985 classic Real Genius. The screening is followed by a panel featuring Dr. David Saltzberg, professor of physics and astronomy at UCLA and science consultant on The Big Bang Theory and Oppenheimer; Cody Ziglar, comic and writer for Futurama and Rick and Morty; Jason Patrick Galit, lead consultant for InterMyth and pop culture educator; and Beth Werling, the senior collections manager of history (Material Culture) at NHM. NHM’s Joel Quizon will moderate the panel.
Treasures and Trivia Thrifting Event
Friday to Sunday, Oct. 23-25 465 N. Halstead St., Pasadena COST: $40; MORE INFO
Benefiting the Children’s Hospital of LA, Treasures and Trivia is an upscale thrifting event where you can find high-end clothing, furniture, art, housewares, holiday décor and more. Find your next prized possession among rows and rows of unique vintage items.
Side B: the sounds
Through Saturday, Oct. 24 David Zwirner Gallery 606 N. Western Ave., Melrose Hill COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Courtesy David Zwirner Gallery
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Did you know there’s a jazz listening room at David Zwirner through this weekend? "Side B: the sounds" is part of the current exhibition at the airy gallery space in Melrose Hill, Roy DeCarava: the sound i saw. There are a few events this weekend at the space, including a screening of the 1984 documentary Conversations with Roy DeCarava (Oct. 22), a reading by Harmony Holiday (Oct. 23) and a live jazz performance organized with the Sam First jazz club (Oct. 24). You can follow the full schedule of events here.
Grand Ave. Arts: All Access
Saturday, Oct. 24, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Downtown L.A. COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Grand Ave. Arts
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Grand Ave. is the place to be on Saturday, when 14 leading arts and cultural institutions open their doors for the tenth anniversary of Grand Ave Arts: All Access. From the Ahmanson to Colburn, REDCAT to MOCA, DATALAND and more, all of the institutions along Grand Ave. are planning performances and exhibitions, including a special performance of ¡SÍ SE PUEDE! from Center Theatre Group, an instrument petting zoo at Colburn and Gloria Molina Grand Park’s Downtown Día de los Muertos celebration. Plus, it’s all free!
Public Spirits: Festival of Performance Art
Friday, Oct. 23, 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Various locations Chinatown COST: FREE; MORE INFO
The Performance Art Museum is hosting an all-day festival of interpretive art, with performances by Jade Guanaro Kuriki-Olivo (Puppies Puppies), Pau S. Pescador, Da Ron Vinson and Ryat Yezbick. Each artist approaches performance “as a form of public speech and a means of intervening in civic life in a spirit of resistance and critical response to the political climate.”
City of San Fernando Día de los Muertos Festival
Saturday, Oct. 24, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. San Fernando Recreation Park 208 Park Ave., San Fernando COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Courtesy the City of San Fernando
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Bring the whole family to experience the rich tradition of Día de los Muertos! This lively event honors the memories of loved ones, and the city of San Fernando asks you to join in the sacred tradition by building your own altar.
L.A. Times Food Bowl
Friday and Saturday, Oct. 23-24 Barkar Hangar 3021 Airport Ave., Santa Monica COST: FROM $170; MORE INFO
Try bites from the hottest restaurants in L.A. at the annual L.A. Times Food Bowl, this year taking place at the massive Barkar Hangar in Santa Monica. Roy Choi, Chainsaw, Baroo, Rustic Canyon and many, many more will have tastes and treats — all included in your ticket.
It's Funny NOW: Five Moth Champions Live
Saturday, October 24, 8 p.m. Hermosa Beach Playhouse 710 Pier Ave., Hermosa Beach COST: FROM $21.24; MORE INFO
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Courtesy RimoVision
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Five Moth StorySlam and Grand Slam champs join forces at the Hermosa Beach Playhouse for It’s Funny NOW. True stories, live on stage and only the best — you really can’t go wrong, just don’t forget to bring the tissues.
Venice Yoga Festival and block party
Saturday, Oct. 24, 12 p.m. to sunset Venice Basketball Courts 1708-1978 Ocean Front Walk, Venice COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Get your vinyasa on, or just meditate by the ocean waves with fellow yogis and community members at the free Venice Yoga Festival at Muscle Beach. In addition to free classes with local practitioners, the day also features live music and kirtan, kids’ activities, workshops and talks.
Blind Runner
Through Sunday, Nov. 8 South Coast Repertory 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa COST: FROM $41; MORE INFO
”Blind Runner” will be at South Coast Rep for a few weeks.
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Matt Stasi
/
South Coast Repertory
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Mehr Theatre Group’s Blind Runner tells the story of three Iranians in a race against themselves — and time — using projection, immersive imagery and a story performed entirely in Persian with English supertitles. The unique show premiered at New York’s St. Ann's Warehouse in January 2025 as part of the Under the Radar Festival. With text and direction by award-winning Iranian theatre artist Amir Reza Koohestani, Blind Runner runs through Nov. 8 at South Coast Rep. Shows on Oct. 25 and 28 feature artist talkbacks.
