The Brief

Severance fans, I owe you all an apology for not having the Best Things foresight to guess that Ben Stiller (and Tramell Tillman and the USC Marching Band!) would show up at that Zoolander Cinespia screening that took over my social media feed last weekend. For those of you who were there, well, it looked like a lot of fun!

Here’s to wishing everyone only incredible, serendipitous L.A. surprises this weekend, too.

More from LAist: learn more about how the Getty is helping preserve Black culture around L.A., meet a man who painted Dodger Stadium during a recent game and learn whether your fellow readers and listeners think L.A. is a coffee city. My vote is a strong "yes."

Events

Friday, August 22, 8 p.m.
Lucha VaVoom de La Liz Summer Spectacular 
The Mayan Theatre
1038 S. Hill St., Downtown L.A. 
COST: $69.01; MORE INFO

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Lucha VaVoom de La Liz

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We’re saying a long goodbye this year to the mighty Mayan, and the last Lucha VaVoom de La Liz event at the historic theater is certainly marking the end of an era — 23 years at the historic venue, to be exact. The lucha libre-burlesque-comedy show is readying their summer spectacular, The Good, The Bad, and the Fabulous, so prepare to be wowed and enjoy your last chance to experience them in their longtime home.

Saturday, August 23, 3 to 9 p.m.
El Segundo Art Walk
Main St., El Segundo 
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

Just past LAX is a creative community in El Segundo that many folks who live in other neighborhoods overlook. It’s worth the trip to the El Segundo Art Walk, where forty local businesses open their doors for studio tours, plus late hours at the El Segundo Museum of Art. Guided printed maps are available at the event, and there will be a free shuttle service between the venues.

Saturday, August 23, 2 p.m.
Mrs. Roper Romp bar crawl  
The Crest Sports Bar & Grill
1625 Cabrillo Ave., Torrance
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

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The Crest Sports Bar & Grill

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Come and knock on, well, all the doors of the participating bars in Torrance. The annual Three’s Company tribute, the Mrs. Roper Walk, invites participants to don their best muumuu and hot rollers and make a run for it through multiple spots around Torrance’s downtown area.

Sunday, August 24, 1 to 3 p.m.
Shadow For Peace: The Hiroshima and Nagasaki Experience Speaker Forum
Gardena Buddhist Church
1517 166th St., Gardena
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

Shadows For Peace aims to put history in context at this 80th anniversary event commemorating the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Speakers at the event include Howard Kakita, who will share his personal memories about visiting his grandparents in Hiroshima when the bomb exploded. The event will also be streamed live on Zoom.

Sunday, August 24, 5:30 p.m. 
Carmen 
BroadStage 
1310 11th St., Santa Monica 
COST: FROM $60.54; MORE INFO

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Pacific Ballet Dance Theatre

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The Pacific Ballet Dance Theatre comes home to Santa Monica, where the company was founded as the Santa Monica Civic Ballet in 1954. See a special, full-length ballet performance of Bizet’s Carmen. The ballet features Natasha Middleton’s choreography, and Elen Harutyunyan returns to the lead role after previously performing with the company in 2018.

Through Sunday, August 24
Black Business Scavenger Hunt 
Multiple locations
COST: FREE TO PLAY; MORE INFO

Through the weekend, visit more than 100 Black-owned businesses across food, fashion, wellness, entertainment and more at the Black Business Scavenger Hunt, founded by Prosperity Market. You can earn points and win prizes when you check out favorite spots like Alta Adams, Bridgetown Roti, Honey’s Kettle, Harold & Belle’s, Octavia’s Bookshelf, Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen, Meet Me In The Dirt and many others. The month culminates in a pop-up market at the California African American Museum on Sunday, Aug. 31, during Labor Day weekend.

Saturday, August 23, 8 p.m.
Lula Washington Dance Theatre's 45th Anniversary Celebration 
The Ford
2580 Cahuenga Blvd. E., Hollywood 
COST: FROM $29; MORE INFO 

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Lula Washington Dance Theatre

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For 45 years, L.A.'s own Lula Washington Dance Theatre has broken boundaries in choreography and represented the best of Black contemporary dance. This anniversary show includes a tribute to the late saxophonist Pharoah Sanders and features historic American pieces and new works, including Donald McKayle’s "Songs of the Disinherited," two Martha Graham solos, "Deep Song" and "Satyric Festival Song," and Talley Beatty’s "Mourner’s Bench."

Learn more about Lula Washington and her work in South L.A. in this ArtBound segment from PBS SoCal.

Through August 24, 8 p.m.  
Maestro of the Movies: Celebrating the Music of John Williams 
Hollywood Bowl 
2301 Highland Ave., Hollywood
COST: FROM $32; MORE INFO

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Timothy Norris

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Los Angeles Philharmonic

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Excuse me, did someone say there are free lightsabers at the Hollywood Bowl this weekend? Take your favorite Star Wars fan to enjoy John Williams' iconic music from the films and more favorites like excerpts of scores from Indiana Jones, Hook and Jaws. And yes, the first 500 people into the Bowl get a free lightsaber.

Outdoor Pick

Through Sunday, August 24 
Fiesta La Ballona
Veterans Memorial Park
4117 Overland Ave., Culver City 
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

A splash and dive movie (Aquaman, natch!), rides, food and drink vendors, music from classic rock to folklorico to salsa to swing, a ballet performance, Polynesian dancers and so much more are on tap at the annual Fiesta La Ballona in Culver City’s Veterans Memorial Park. Ride your bike along the Ballona Creek Trail to get there or take Metro.

Viewing Pick

August 23, 3 to 11 p.m. 
NFMLA August Monthly Film Festival: International Animation 
South Park Center
139 S. Hill St., Downtown L.A. 
COST: FROM $15; MORE INFO

Watch unique animation selections from around the world at this month’s New Filmmakers L.A. festival. The daylong event features student films — including the 24-hour animation contest results — shorts and features, all celebrating innovation in animation.

Dine & Drink Deals

August 22-23, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
The Roses crab shack pop-up
Brentwood Country Mart
225 26th St., Santa Monica
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

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Searchlight Pictures

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Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman may be fighting nonstop in the trailers for the new film The Roses, but who could fight when Negronis, rosé, Levain Bakery cookies and raspberry scones are on offer at Brentwood Country Mart? Swing by to check out this sure-to-be-popular activation.

Sunday, August 24, 12 p.m. 
Plum Fest 
Biergarten at Old World Huntington Beach
7561 Center Ave., #49, Huntington Beach 
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

Honor the favorite purple stone fruit at the 30th annual Plum Fest at Biergarten at Old World Huntington Beach. There will be a live German band, a plum menu (please tell me that my favorite plum cake is on there), a German dance troupe performance and more.

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Since 1977, Richard Santillan has been to every Opening Day game at Dodger Stadium. 

“The tradition goes from my father, to me, to my children and grandchildren. Some of my best memories are with my father and children here at Dodger Stadium,” Santillan told The LA Local, smiling under the shade of palm trees near the entrance to the ballpark Wednesday morning. He was there to protest the team less than 24 hours before Opening Day.

Santillan, like countless other loyal Dodgers fans, is grappling with his fan identity over the team’s decision to accept an invitation to the White House and owner Mark Walter’s ties to ICE detention facilities.

More than 30 people joined Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team. 

“We are demanding the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together, we have the power to make a change.”

Escatiola, a former dean of East Los Angeles College and longtime community organizer, urged fans to flex their economic power by “letting the Dodgers know that we do not support repression.”

Jorge “Coqui” Rodriguez, a lifelong Dodgers fan, spoke to the crowd and called on Dodgers ownership to divest from immigration detention centers owned and operated by GEO Group and CoreCivic.

Jorge Coqui H Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on March 25, 2026, to demand the Dodgers not to visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.

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J.W. Hendricks

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In a phone interview a day before the protest, Rodriguez told The LA Local he did not want the Dodgers using his “cheve” or beer money to fund detention centers. 

“They can’t take our parking money, our cacahuate money, our cheve money, our Dodger Dog money and invest those funds into corporations that are imprisoning people. It’s wrong,” Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez considers the Dodgers one of the most racially diverse teams and said the players need to support fans at a time when heightened immigration enforcement has become more common across L.A.

The team’s 2025’s visit to the White House drew ire from the largely Latino fan base, citing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants. 

In June, the team came under further scrutiny when rumors swirled online that federal immigration agents were using the stadium’s parking, which immigration authorities later denied in statements posted on social media accounts.

The team again came under fire after not releasing a statement on the impacts of ICE raids on its mostly Latino fan base at the height of immigration enforcement last summer. The team later agreed to invest $1 million to support families affected by immigration enforcement.

When he learned the Dodgers were pledging only $1 million to families in need, Rodriguez called the amount a  “slap in the face.” 

“These guys just bought the Lakers for billions of dollars and they give a million dollars to fight for legal services? That’s a joke,” Rodriguez said. “They need to have a moral backbone and not be investing in those companies.”

According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershawsaid last week that he is looking forward to the trip.

“I went when President [Joe] Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President [Donald] Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”

The Dodgers have yet to announce when their planned visit will take place. 

Santillan sometimes laments his decision to give up his season tickets in protest of the team. His connection to the stadium and the memories he has made there with family and friends will last a lifetime, he said. On Thursday, he will uphold his tradition and be there for the first pitch of the season, but with a heavy heart.

“It’s a family tradition, but the Dodgers have a lot of work to do,” he said.

A local favorite mom-and-pop bookshop in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say theirs is just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.

Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and shop dog Florence.

Co-owner Jeremy Kaplan said it’s been a delight to grow with the community over the years.

“Like seeing kids come back in, who were in grade school and now they’re in college,” Kaplan said.

But the building where Kaplan and wife Debbie rent was recently sold, and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.

Kaplan said he originally was given 30 days notice of the rent increase. After some research, assistance from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s office and some pro-bono legal help, Kaplan said he pushed back and got the 90-day notice he’s afforded by state law.

California Senate Bill 1103 requires landlords to give businesses with five or less employees 90 days’ notice for rent increases exceeding 10%, among other protections.

Systems Real Estate, the property management company, did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.

What can small businesses do? 

Nadia Segura, directing attorney of the Small Business Program at pro bono legal aid non-profit Bet Tzedek said California law does not currently allow for rent control for commercial tenancies.

Outside of the protections under SB 1103, Segura said small businesses like READ Books don’t have much other recourse. And even then, commercial landlords are not required to inform their tenants of their protections under the law.

“There’s still a lot of people that don’t know about SB 1103. And then it’s very sad that they tell them they have these rent increases and within a month they have to leave,” Segura said.

She said her group is seeing steep rent hikes like this for commercial tenants across the city.

“We are seeing this even more with the World Cup coming up, the Olympics coming up. And I will say it was very sad to see that also after the wildfires,” Segura said.

Part of Bet Tzedek’s ongoing work is to advocate for small businesses, working with landlords who are increasing rents to see if they are willing to give business owners longer leases that lock in rents.

What’s next 

After READ Books posted about their situation on social media, commenters chimed in to express their outrage and love for the little shop.

While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.

Owl Talk, a longtime Eagle Rock staple selling clothing and accessories in a unit in the same building as READ Books, is facing a “more than double” rent increase, according to a post on their Instagram account.

Kaplan said he’s been in touch with the office of state Assemblywoman Jessica Caloza and wants to explore the possibility of introducing legislation to set up protections for small businesses like his, including rent-control measures or a vacancy tax for landlords. Kaplan said he also reached out to the office of state Sen. Maria Durazo.

By his count, Kaplan said there are about a dozen businesses within surrounding blocks that are at risk of closing their doors or have shuttered due to rent increases or other struggles.

When READ Books was founded during the Great Recession, Kaplan said he knew it was a longshot to open a bookstore at the same time so many were struggling to stay in business.

“It was kind of interesting to be doing something that neighborhoods needed. That was important to me growing up, that was important to my children, that was important to my wife growing up,” Kaplan said.

“And then somebody comes in and says, ‘We’re gonna over double your rent.”

Topline:

Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.

Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.

Near unanimous vote: L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.

Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.

How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.

Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired. The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.