A grove of ancient redwood trees in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
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Greg Rosalsky
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NPR
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Topline:
If you're in the middle of making summer plans consider visiting a California state park - for free. Through the California State Library Parks Pass program, each of the state’s libraries — of which there are over 1,180 — are offering cardholders a limited number of passes to most state parks.
What the pass gets you: If you’re a library cardholder, each pass gives you free day-entry to a California state park near you for one passenger vehicle (with up to nine people in it) — or one highway-licensed motorcycle. And depending on how your local library is handling the program, which launched in 2022, you’ll be able to keep and use that pass for a certain amount of time before having to return it.
California State Park Adventure Pass: Another free option is the CA State Park Adventure Pass. If there’s a fourth grader in your household, you’re eligible. It gives one family (up to three adults and other kids) and friends who can fit in the same car free entry to 54 participating state parks. The pass is valid for the one-year period during which the child is in the fourth grade, from Sept. 1 to Aug. 31.
Summer in the Bay Area is almost here. And if you’re itching to explore our state, and you have a library card, you can check out a free pass to over 200 state parks around California.
If you’re a library cardholder, each pass gives you free day-entry to a California state park near you for one passenger vehicle (with up to nine people in it) — or one highway-licensed motorcycle. And depending on how your local library is handling the program, which launched in 2022, you’ll be able to keep and use that pass for a certain amount of time before having to return it.
The pass is valid for use any day of the week, including holidays (but only if space in the park is available). Still, it’s important to note that not every state park in California will accept the California State Library Parks Pass.
The California Department of Parks and Recreation say the pass won’t be accepted “at units operated b
How do I check out the Parks Pass from my local library?
Each library may have different preferences for how you check out a pass, but your best bet is almost certainly by visiting in person.
Different public libraries have received different numbers of passes, with the minimum being three passes per library.
y federal and local government, private agencies or concessionaires.” In the Bay Area, for example, Angel Island, Pacifica State Beach and San Bruno Mountain State Park won’t accept a California State Library Parks Pass for free entry.
If you have a library card with a public library system that has multiple locations — like in San Francisco or Oakland, for example — the California State Library Parks Passes most likely will be spread out between these locations. Contact your local branch ahead of time to confirm the location of the pass.
Your library gets to decide how many days you can keep a pass, so make sure you know that return date when you check out a pass.
Your library may also allow you to place a hold on a pass, just like you would a book — this is, for example, what the San Francisco Public Library allows for cardholders. You may be able to place a hold on a pass in person at your local library, or online by logging into your library card account. Placing a hold on a pass could be a good way to plan in advance for an upcoming trip where you want to use the free pass.
That’ll really depend on your local library — because each library gets to decide how long a pass can be checked out.
Contact your local library to find out how long they’re loaning their passes for, and to make sure you return your pass in a timely manner so the next person can enjoy it.
Can I use the pass to enter multiple state parks?
Yes, you can use it to enter as many eligible state parks as you like during the loan period.
This is another reason placing a hold on a pass may be a helpful way to plan ahead for a few days of travel (or a road trip) to enable you to visit multiple state parks.
What’s the catch?
Remember that not all state parks are participating in this program, and the passes don’t cover camping fees. The Department of Parks and Recreation also says that the pass won’t cover “per-person entry or tour fees (such as museums), boat use, camping, group use or sites, special events, additional/extra vehicle fees, sanitation disposal use or … supplemental fees.”
Also, libraries can decide on the number of days a pass can be checked out, and each library will get a minimum of just three passes to give out. So if your local library doesn’t have many passes on offer, and they allow cardholders to keep a pass for several days, you may have to wait for your turn.
Mount Diablo State Park in Alamo, with the tallest mountain in the San Francisco Bay Area, July 2016.
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Smith Collection
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Gado/Getty Images
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What if I don’t have a library card?
Getting a library card is fairly simple, and will allow you to access not only a California State Library Parks Pass, but also the full range of your local library’s books, media, records and library services like laptop and internet access.
To apply for a library card, you must:
Be a California resident.
Provide a government-issued photo ID such as your valid driver’s license, state ID, passport, consulate ID card or active military ID.
Find your local library near you. You may be able to apply for a library card in person or online — but be sure to check whether the pandemic has changed your local library’s opening times if you go in person.
Except where otherwise noted, these passes can be used at every California state park, excluding units operated by federal and local government, private agencies or concessionaires (like Angel Island in the Bay Area).
Valid for the calendar year, this pass gives free vehicle day-use access to certain California state parks (PDF) for CalWORKs recipients, SSI recipients, and people whose incomes fall under a certain threshold.
A lifetime pass for honorably discharged veterans living in California who also meet certain requirements listed here. Pass holders can use all basic facilities (day-use, camping and boating) in California state parks for free.
Forget Hollywood, this place is bringing big names
By Audrey Ngo
Published August 22, 2026 5:00 AM
The Richard Pryor Booth at The Stand Up Comedy Club in Bellflower.
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Audrey Ngo
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LAist
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Topline:
Forget Hollywood. A comedy club in downtown Bellflower is quietly pulling in big-name headliners.
Like: Jo Koy, Deon Cole, Stormy Daniels have all performed at The Stand Up Comedy Store in this suburb.
Read on ... to learn why a former comedian decided to build a comedy outpost far away from Hollywood.
Bellflower isn’t exactly known for its stand-up comedy culture. But that may be changing.
Since 2021, comedians like Tisha Campbell, Frankie Quiñones and Jo Koy have taken the stage at The Stand Up Comedy Club in downtown Bellflower.
“We knew that the Downeys, the Cerritos, the Lakewoods, the Long Beaches, the Norwalks, and Compton and Paramount would come,” said general manager and co-owner John Giries. “That was our bet, and it's been working.”
Jo Koy (left) and Finesse Mitchell (right) take the stage at The Stand Up Comedy Club in Bellflower.
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Courtesy The Stand Up Comedy Club
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From a comedy magazine to a comedy club
Giries, a former stand-up comedian himself, grew up in Bellflower. He co-created and helped run The Stand Up Comedy Magazine in the mid-aughts, along with his late friend and fellow comedian Julian Vazquez. Names such as Maz Jobrani, Sebastian Maniscalco and Rachel Feinstein all graced its cover.
After Vazquez’s passing in 2020, Giries decided to put the magazine on hold indefinitely and launch a comedy club.
The Stand Up Comedy Club in Bellflower.
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Audrey Ngo
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LAist
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Giries’ family was an investor in Hambone’s BBQ Smokehouse on Belmont Street, next door to the Bellflower Theatre, downtown. He recalled seeing that theater for the first time and how it felt like something out of a movie…
“It was one of those moments like "Field of Dreams" where Kevin Costner saw the baseball diamond being built in the cornfield,” Giries said. “And I kind of looked at it and said, ‘you know, I can see it.’”
Tisha Campbell takes the stage at The Stand Up Comedy Club in Bellflower.
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Courtesy The Stand Up Comedy Club
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After doing gut renovations and waiting through the first year of the pandemic, Giries and his wife and co-owner, Scarlett, opened the club in June 2021.
The roughly 2,400-square-foot space space seats 140 and has a full bar with a steakhouse feel. Photos and memorabilia of Robin Williams, Richard Pryor and Phyllis Diller pay tribute to some of comedy’s legends.
Why Bellflower, not Hollywood
Giries had always planned to have famous comedians perform here. He chose Bellflower because it didn’t have the competition of legacy clubs such as the Improv, The Comedy Store or the Laugh Factory. It was also a closer alternative for locals who didn’t want to brave Hollywood traffic and pay for valet parking.
Interior of The Stand Up Comedy Club in Bellflower.
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Audrey Ngo
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LAist
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Interior and stage of The Stand Up Comedy Club in Bellflower.
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Audrey Ngo
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LAist
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“[Bellflower] fit the criteria of what we wanted to do. It's not in the desert. You're not by the beach and it's easy to get to if you live in a five to 10 mile radius,” Giries said.
“So never L.A. Never thought about it once.”
Landing the headliners
For the first three years of opening the club, Giries focused on getting big-name acts. He had already made connections with notable performers through his magazine, and was able to enlist help from talent bookers including Richard Barrett, who was the entertainment director for The Comedy and Magic Club in Hermosa Beach. Giries credits Barrett as “one of the best bookers in L.A.”
Since then, Deon Cole, Sheryl Underwood, Paul Reiser, Billy Gardell, Chaunté Wayans and others have taken the stage.
That list is growing.
The Stand Up Comedy Club Where: 9831 Belmont St., Bellflower Check the club's event calendar for upcoming lineups
Stormy Daniels visited the club in July on her "Unicorns in the Kitchen" storytelling and comedy tour. Last week, Jamie Foxx produced and hosted a comedy special featuring Donald Ray “Speedy” Caldwell. All four shows were sold out.
Giries recognizes that the club is still young, but is proud of what they’ve accomplished since opening five years ago.
“No one remembers, ‘Hey, they've been here for 30 years,'" Giries said. “They just remember, ‘Man, that club was kind of cool. They really took care of us. That was really funny stuff there.’”
Robert Garrova
explores the weird and secret bits of SoCal that would excite even the most jaded Angelenos. He also covers mental health.
Updated August 22, 2026 5:00 AM
Published August 22, 2026 5:00 AM
A box of fasteners and tools
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Benjamin Lehman via Unsplash
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Topline:
Even in the era of YouTube tutorials and AI assistants, learning weekend warrior skills — like how to fix a leaky faucet or the brakes on your kid’s bike — is sometimes better IRL.
When: On Saturday, Aug. 29, a community of DIYers will come together at a Skillshare Fair, co-organized by the Los Angeles Tool Library and the Democratic Socialists of America, Los Angeles.
What you'll learn: Clothing repair and alterations, how to use power tools, gardening techniques and more.
Why: Hoang-Creton said the benefits of these events are manifold: It’s great to keep stuff out of the landfill and save money, but it’s also a place to make friends and build community.
Read on ... for event details.
Even in the era of YouTube tutorials and AI assistants, learning weekend warrior skills — like how to fix a leaky faucet or the brakes on your kid’s bike — is sometimes better IRL.
On Saturday, Aug. 29, a community of DIYers will come together at a Skillshare Fair to teach and learn about things like clothing repair and alterations, how to use power tools, gardening techniques and more. The event is organized by the Los Angeles Tool Library in Koreatown and the Democratic Socialists of America, Los Angeles.
Skillshare Fair When: Aug, 29, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Where: Immanuel Presbyterian Church (basement level), 3300 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles
Vi Hoang-Creton, an event coordinator with the Los Angeles Tool Library, said the benefits of hosting events like this are manifold. It’s great to keep stuff out of the landfill, but it’s also a place to make friends and build community — and save money.
“I mean who doesn’t want to save money, as the economy gets worse and worse, people are trying to lean on each other,” Hoang-Creton said.
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What is this: It’s the second iteration of the small neighborhood literary festival. RSVPs are ten times larger than last year for doubled the amount of events.
Read on ... for festival highlights this closing weekend ...
Reading, writing, and drilling down on the craft — that’s the focus this weekend at the 2nd Annual Los Feliz Writers Festival. Various free workshops are happening at multiple venues across the neighborhood such as Barnsdall Art Park, Fred 62, and the Vermont Triangle.
A tradition of writers
Festival founder Sammy Ginsberg has a passion for small literary festivals. She fell in love with them while studying abroad in the United Kingdom, and once she moved back to Los Angeles, her love continued.
Sammy Ginsberg (right) poses for a picture at a Los Feliz Writers with L.A. Poet Laureate Brian-Sonia Wallace (left).
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Sammy Ginsberg
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Sammy Ginsberg
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Last year she set about hosting one in her own neighborhood, Los Feliz.
“There's a tradition of writers and artists being in Los Feliz. Joan Didion lived in Los Feliz for a bit. Charles Bukowski went to Jumbo's [Clown Room],” Ginsberg said.
Last year’s inaugural festival had six events and about 100 people. This year, there are 1,000 RSVPs for its 13 events.
Local Feliz
Writers living in Los Feliz are leading all of the workshops. Like William J. Meyer, who’s published his fantasy and sci-fi writing as podcasts. His workshop is at the diner Fred 62 this afternoon, focused on how to write with audio in mind.
Attendees at a Los Feliz Writers Festival event.
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Sammy Ginsberg
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Sammy Ginsberg
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“It's about taking that writing and making it fun for an audio recording. Tone, voice, and things like that,” said Ginsberg.
Willa Lane is a writer and tarot reader. She’ll perform tarot readings today at her workshop in Barnsdall Art Park, using the cards and their symbolism as writing prompts.
Willa Lane sits in front of a table with her tarot cards.
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Willa Lane
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Willa Lane
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“Sylvia Plath had a deck of tarot cards that she used. So a lot of artists and creatives have been using tarot to inform their work at some level,” Lane said.
Today’s events culminate in a live reading of a zine put together by Los Feliz Writers for the festival. The Barnsdall Art Park event will feature a mix of short stories, a screenplay, an audio play, and more.
“ I wanted to represent different voices in the neighborhood and different backgrounds and I really think that this does,” Ginsberg said.
A literary event for every neighborhood
The festival continues through tomorrow with an open mic at the Vermont Triangle, a panel and performances from writers of color, and a mixer for activists and writers.
Kevin Tidmarsh
is rooting for Stonehenge the marmot. Don't tell the others.
Published August 21, 2026 2:33 PM
This marmot's name is Open Kite. Researchers say this "girl boss" didn't have a mate this year, so she "was able to allocate all of her energy to self-maintenance."
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Courtesy Dan Blumstein/UCLA
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Topline:
Fat Marmot Week, the brainchild of UCLA researchers, is happening next week to highlight one of the longest ongoing animal studies amid federal funding cuts.
What it is: Eight competitors will face off — five females and three males — and there’ll also be a “true” winner who’s announced at the end based on the lab’s observations on which marmot gained the most weight this spring and summer.
Where the idea came from: UCLA’s Dan Blumstein had the idea for Fat Marmot Week ever since Fat Bear Week went viral – but it took two of his graduate researchers, Katie Adler and Emily Renkey, to organize it this year and see it into fruition.
About the marmots: Their names range from Dawn, who is reportedly a “a very special boy who enjoys the taste of rocks,” to a “proud mama” named 1 and a “girl boss” with no mate named Open Kite.
When to vote: The first round of voting will be Monday, Aug. 24, followed by the semifinals on Wednesday, Aug. 26 and the final showdown on Friday Aug. 28. Voting runs from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PDT.
Read on... tolearn lots of fun marmot facts.
The Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory may run the second-longest study of individually identifiable mammals in the world, but they’re not afraid of trying something new.
The lab is launching a bracket-style competition, Fat Marmot Week, for people all over the world to vote for their favorite chunky ground squirrel.
The UCLA researchers who work there have faced a loss of federal funding in recent years, so they’re now pursuing creative fundraising efforts, including a (G-rated) OnlyFans account for marmot content called OnlyMarms and a meme coin created by supporters of the project.
Where the idea came from
Dan Blumstein, a UCLA ecology and evolutionary biology professor who came up with OnlyMarms, said he’s wanted to do a Fat Marmot Week ever since the success of Fat Bear Week, in which the public votes on grizzly bears bulking up for the winter in Alaska. But it took two of his graduate researchers, Katie Adler and Emily Renkey, along with another volunteer who helps with logistics, to see it to fruition.
“ Science isn't just writing the papers, it's also the communication side of things,” said Adler, who’s also the lab’s field team leader.
Like bears, marmots prepare for the winter by fattening up, with some more than doubling in weight from about 5.5 pounds to as much as 13. But unlike bears, marmots are true hibernators. For months, their body temperature drops very low, and they breathe and have a heartbeat about once a minute. (Blumstein described a hibernating marmot as “sort of a fuzzy stone.”)
These two specimens are called Dawn and Dan's Hat.
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Courtesy Dan Blumstein/UCLA
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Adler, who's on her third year of marmot field observations, said the individual marmots are consistent enough that she can "see what they're doing a little bit and then know exactly who it is."
“I think it’s fun to think of this from an outside perspective – why do we like marmots and how can we share that with other people?” Renkey said.
Marmot fun facts
LAist asked the UCLA researchers about their favorite marmot trivia. Here’s what they said:
”They get all of their water from plants,” Adler said. “ That's why they can live in these huge meadows that don't have running water near them.”
They can run very fast — about 11 miles per hour.
Physiologically speaking, “aging declines or flattens out during hibernation,” Blumstein said.
“Other species listen to their alarm calls,” Blumstein said. “They provide information for the meadows.”
”Pups triple their mass between coming out of the burrow and going back in for hibernation, which is pretty insane,” Renkey said. “They're impressive eaters.”
About the marmots
The marmots are all given names to help tell them apart based on markings the researchers dye on their fur.
Their names range from Dawn, who is reportedly a “a very special boy who enjoys the taste of rocks,” to a “proud mama” named 1 and a “girl boss” with no mate named Open Kite.
“Our parties are quite boring to other people because all we do is talk about the marmots,” Blumstein said. “It's a soap opera.”
Faced with federal funding cuts, Blumstein realized he had to get creative, starting with the OnlyMarms account.
But he said he wasn’t expecting the “extraordinary” response – the $OnlyMarms meme coin has made more than $100,000 in transaction fees, though it’s still short of the $225,000 to $300,000 they need to fundraise to bring in more graduate student research.
Blumstein said while all funding is welcome, including the OnlyMarms subscriptions, it’s much easier for them to accept direct donations for tax purposes. The money will go to support researchers like Renkey and Adler’s contributions to the nearly 65 years of marmot research at the lab.
How to support the lab
No donations will be required to participate in Fat Marmot Week — this one’s just for fun. However, the lab is still looking for money to support its ongoing research.
You can donate directly to the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory here, and UCLA’s Blumstein Lab Fund here.
The tournament
Eight competitors will face off — five females and three males. There’ll also be a “true” winner announced at the end based on the lab’s measurements on which marmot gained the most weight this spring and summer.
The first round of voting will be Monday, Aug. 24, followed by the semifinals on Wednesday, Aug. 26, and the final showdown on Friday, Aug. 28. Voting runs from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PDT.
“Everyone should vote. It's very exciting,” Renkey said. “They're huge this summer.”
