The Riviera Village Summer Festival is nice intimate and fun not very many things for the kids to…read moredo. It is more shopping and beer garden and more than anything else. There are a lot of vendors that sells clothes jewelry knickknacks a little pricey because they are considered crafted go early parking is hard to find even if there's a lot of it.

The Riviera Village Summer Festival occurs annually during the month of June. I nearly forgot to…read moreattend until I was driving to the Village to have breakfast. Luckily, I found free street parking, but there's plenty of metered parking nearby. They close the middle of the street to pedestrian traffic only, so those metered spots are unavailable. It's great. Dogs are allowed, so people bring them and the rest of the family for games, dining, music, and shopping. The vendors are lined up in the middle of the street. Vendors are selling clothing, jewelry, hats, and art, just to name a few. The main stage is usually set up near HT Grill. All the restaurants and shops that are normally open on Saturdays are open during the festival.

The Carnival of my youth! If you want homemade filipino, mexican, fair, and other foods, come here…read more There is unique entertainment, carnival games, a craft bazaar, vintage items, and rides! Best of all it benefits the parish of St. Anthony of Padua. After a year hiatus (because of safety concerns online, the fair is back and better for 2025. Check them out May 16, 17, 18, 2025

Love the time here at St. Anthony's. Great church, parishioners and community togetherness in all…read morethe volunteers! We are here every year!

This local festival has been on my bucket list for local cultural activities for years and I…read morefinally made it! Growing up in Chicago, I miss having access to delicious, authentic Greek food within a few mile radius. When a colleague, a very passionate volunteer of the festival, shared that she would be working the weekend, my hubs and I jumped at the chance to check it out. We're so glad we did. Thankfully, i walked around and noticed the line for the Dining hall with the full menu. Of course, I had to have the layered eggplant Moussaka and bless the volunteer serving who recommended I buy the double portion because my husband enjoyed sampling my order. Desserts are offered first and you dont ever want to miss that. I tried the Baklava Cheesecake. So yummy. There are additional booths and outdoor seating. Such a great community builder and I will definitely be back next year.

Large outdoor Greek festival that has been highly recommended to me by the locals who attend every…read moreyear. Yes, everything is expensive, but seeing as how it is located in a church, I'm assuming this is the church's way to have a fun fundraiser. There is an admission fee on top of the premium you pay for the food, but if you go to their website, you can get a coupon for one free admission. Parking: They have dedicated handicap spots on the curb right in front. Everyone else either did street parking, or parked in the empty elementary school lot across the street. Kids: They have a bouncy house and an inflatable slide, but you need to get a wristband for each child. Wristbands cost $10 and I believe they are unlimited for the day. They also sell candy in the area where they sell the wristbands. Food: It was cool to also see them roast the lamb off in one corner. I just wish they didn't use such a skinny lamb. The fries on the lamb plate were nice and crispy, and you get 3 pieces of lamb. They had a large pastry & cookie selection with a sampler deal. As someone who is not an expert in Greek desserts, I wish they made it clear on the menu which ones are the pastries by having it on one side of the menu and cookies on the other side. The items I wanted to try were all pastries and unfortunately they don't have a pastry sampler deal. Prices reflect per pastry or for cookies, you get 2. It wasn't until we were ready to go that I stumbled upon their indoor dining hall. It was packed in there as well as the shaded umbrella tables, so I guess I would have had to roast in the sun anyways. In the dining hall, they have pretty much the same offerings as outside, except there is rice pudding as well. While they did have the hot foods in a warm buffet server, the only way to get to it is by standing in line and waiting patiently to get to the last station, slowly scooting through each section since the line is roped off single file. Bathrooms: They have a bathroom inside the dining hall as well as across the outdoor tables. Inside the dining hall, the women's bathroom had 3 stalls and thankfully the line wasn't ridiculously long as they tend to be at festivals. They had live music, but it was too loud for my comfort. They also sold water ($2) and the bottle says that they donate a portion to mental health, which we really do need in America. Cool event, especially to go with friends. I'm really glad I came but this is a one-time experience for me. For me, the heat, the price, and the loud atmosphere is just not worth coming back - I much prefer going to an indoor artisanal specialty shop. Now I just really want to make a trip to Greece, lol.

It's always a treat to enjoy the Bunka-sai every year. I love to look at all the creations of…read morebonsai and ikebana as well as take in a demonstration or two. Performances from dancers, martial arts, drumming and more. There are vendor booths to peruse and food booths and always gotta get some dango. It's a great community event I look forward to coming to every year.

Want to experience Japanese culture without leaving California?…read more The Bunka Sai/cultural festival in conjunction with the Torrance-Kashiwa Japan Sister City Association has a two day celebration every April at the Ken Miller Recreation Center at the corner of Torrance Avenue & Madrona with plenty of free parking and free entry. Bunka Sai (boon kah sah ee) showcases Japanese dance, music, martial arts, flower arranging, Taiko drumming, Shodō/calligraphy, Origami, Bonsai/miniature trees, Kami Shibai/story telling using illustrations on paper framed by a portable stage. All this is presented at the outdoor, indoor stage, and various presentation rooms.   Also there is a Japanese Hand Craft Market where many crafts people and artists show their aesthetic products for sale. It's hard not to buy anything since many of the items are so enticing. I bought an elegant, understated black silk scarf with subtle, rich gold & silver threading that originally came from an antique Kimono.  Traditional Japanese culture emphasizes recycling of goods to repurpose & revitalize them in a "Waste Not, Want Not" philosophy which is a wise way of reducing pollution & waste which is so needed in our wasteful, modern world.   Come hungry. There is: 1) Beef or Chicken Teriyaki combo  2) Yaki Soba/Rāmen noodles sautéed w/ sweet, savory Tonkatsu sauce that resembles a fruitier, more mellow Worchester sauce  3) Japanese Curry from India via Great Britain   4) Kaki Kōri/snow cones w/ fruit flavours  5) Sātā Andāgī (sah tah ahn dah ghee) from Okinawa, southernmost Japanese prefecture, that is like a donut hole w/ crispy outside and mildly sweet, firm, moist, rich cakiness inside  This can be a good leisurely 5 hours  where you can see interesting events sandwiched in between by hands on activities & eating numerous street foods.  I've included a timetable list of activities for the 47th Bunka Sai for Sunday, April 24 as a sampler of what to see and do for the 2023 48th event.  5- stars

[UPDATE 1: Review #32]…read more Went back to the Festival on Sunday to purchase another piece of Ms. Michiko Miyazaki's 3D artwork. She was so nice... gave my daughter a mini blue crane origami. H immediately headed for the Arts & Crafts booth to color a fish & fan. Then we wandered over to a display of plants, flowers, & bonsai trees. Our second to the last stop (we were planning to watch the Taiko Drums) was an origami table with a "grumpy, old man" (he wasn't, just looked like it). ;-) My l'il one wanted to make a flower that kinda looks like a tulip but the instructor was teaching everyone how to make a box. Needless to say... it was an interesting session with a 3 year old who skipped her nap & was somewhat cranky for having to wait. H kept chatting & mumbling through the instructions, then all of a sudden he shouts "HEY!" & shocks H to sit up straight & focus. LOL He also jokes in between the folds to "take our time but hurry up." What a contradictory man. =D Anyway, we got it done but it took awhile (see photo for finished product). We ended the afternoon with a couple of performances by the Taiko Center of L.A. (their most viewed YouTube performance was in the Princess of China music video). Cool! This Festival is definitely an enjoyable family-friendly event that supports the local community.

It's 40th Annual Bunka-Sai Japanese Cultural Festival in Torrance. Proceeds to benefit the Student…read moreCultural Exchange Program at the Miller Recreation Center on April 21(Sat) and 22(Sun) from 11am to 5pm. The admission and parking were free. The festival included all types of Japanese arts and crafts with performances and food. They featured Sumi-e paintings done by students from Kawai Sumi-e Club of Gardena. I was happy to see the tradition carries on with these type of clubs in our digital world. I just wish there were more choices on the food and snack to try and explore.

Fun event for the holidays! They have Santa and Mrs. Claus and lots of elves for some nice…read morepicture-taking. The trees are amazingly decorated. Lots of cute stuff for sale at the boutique. Lots of entertainment, some snacks, and the chance to win your own Christmas tree! I put my ticket in for the Barbie tree.

Tis' the season! This was my first time attending the holiday festival held by Torrance Memorial…read moreFoundation. This year is the 38th annual festival and they are raising funds to benefit the cardiovascular institute. The schedule for the current festival is Nov 30, Dec 1, Dec 2, closed Dec 3, Dec 4, and Dec 5. Parking is easy in the west structure and you have to walk over to the vaccination checkpoint. There are 28 beautifully decorated trees with various themes such as "Pretty in Pink" sponsored by the hospital's radiation oncology department, USC Fight On!, Eeyore is Coming to Town, Chinese Celebration, Capture the Spirit of Christmas and many more. I took a photo of the super cute unicorn themed tree. There are five live auction trees with the themes Night Before Christmas, The Great Merrier Reef (see my photo), Santa's World: The Early Years, and Santa's Paw's. In another part of the big tent, there is a snack station and beverages for purchase. Torrance Bakery was also present and we purchased a gingerbread cookie and their famous chocolate chews. There is also a section of Christmas decorations for purchase (more cute stuff!) and a separate section of various items (toys, stuffed animals, jewelry, etc.) for less than $5. I bought a couple of ornaments and a magnet. There are also Hannukah items. Depending what time you attend, there are various entertainment such as hula dancers, a high school jazz band, and dance groups. When we attended, there was no one on the stage in the evening but, they had Christmas music playing. There are games for the kiddos. Santa and his elves are also there for photo opps. The big raffle prizes for the special raffle are: 2022 Camry XSE for 1st place, 2nd place a specially designed festival tree, and third $500 cash. Overall, great vibes and a wonderful event for a good cause. It is the hard work and dedication by the volunteers that make this a very nice event. I hope to attend every year. Happy holidays!

5 stars for the Trolls! Truthfully I didn't know about this botanical garden although I have…read moredriven past it numerous times. Being aware the Trolls exhibit was there for a 6 month run, I quickly researched the facility. Of course, I barely made it either a few days to spare before it leaves. The gardens are spacious with paths to walk and benches to relax at. I didn't see much blooming right now (which could be attributed to the heat we've been having), but I'm sure other times of year the flowers are plentiful. Like I said, I came for the Trolls and they didn't disappoint. 12 strategically placed throughout the garden. There is a map to help locate them easier. I have seen several Trolls by the artist around the world, so I was expecting smaller Trolls (and they were) due to it being a traveling exhibit. Naturally, each Troll provided photo ops. Less than 2 hours of exploring and enjoying and we left satisfied with our time there. Also, a Halloween event has already started so we enjoyed many of the festive decorations around the gardens which will be lit up at night. Now that I know about this place, I will check the calendar often for new exhibits or events. The Trolls exhibit is through October 4th!

I was in LA today but wanted to get in earlier into the area so I wouldnt battle too much traffic,…read morebut in the end still stuck in miserable 405 traffic, so nevermind on that dumb plan haha. But, what I can smile about is that I got to enjoy the South Coast Botanical Garden before an afternoon commitment. I love botanical gardens and being outside and so anytime I can find some free time, I am busy being a Mowgli (as my ex husband used to call me haha). I made a beeline to get here because today was the last day of the Troll exhibition. I've chased these Trolls all around the world and love finding them. The bigger than life Trolls are the concept and creation by Thomas Dambo and they can be found all over Denmark and the US. I need to check to see if he has brought his Trolls elsewhere but I am in love with these Trolls! They are so adorable, whimsical and fun! They are also made out of sustainable or recycled wood, so there is an environmental friendly component to Dambo's works! He has also brought his Troll to Burning Man the past of couple of years too. My dream would be to see them on the playa sometime! Maybe in 2027!! This garden was great and I really enjoyed it. Its well laid out with so many beautiful trees, plants, flowers, etc. My only gripe was that today being Oct 4, it was like close to 100F and it was super hot! I ended up staying about 1.5 hours here and it was quite hot by the time I left around 12:30pm, but I did get to find all 12 of the Trolls so that made me super happy!! There was also a butterfly exhibition here but that costed another $9 and also I didnt have time today to see it. I'd definitely come back again and maybe when the weather is cooler, I wouldnt feel like I was melting!! Great botanical garden! Loved it!

The annual Redondo Beach classic car show offers good, free family fun. My little ones enjoyed…read moregetting some sun as we strolled the Redondo Beach Boardwalk above the water and ogled fantastically restored cars. We saw a pristine Ford Model T, a handful of equally impressive Ford Model As, dozens of marvelous Chevys, beautiful coupes, impeccable hot rods, wood finished wagons, powerful bootlegger trucks... Over 100 cars were displayed at the 12th Annual Rods, Rides & Relics Car Show. The show was presented by the Redondo Beach Pier Association and a DJ played oldies but goodies. My boys really loved seeing their toy cars reimagined in real life. We voted for car #49! We look forward to next year's show.