A local annual festival which took place this year from Friday, September 19 to Sunday, September…read more21. I decided to go Friday evening after work which ended up having slightly less scheduled events. However, the benefit was that there were lesser crowds, and the cool, end of summer breeze around the perimeter of the church was just the right temperature. The big draw for me was definitely the food. Specifically, I had a craving for moussaka. As luck would have it, by the time it was my turn in line the moussaka was almost out, so I was lucky to have one of the last pieces. Although the dish was only slightly warm, the taste was undeniably fresh and satisfying. My colleague and I talked about dishes to check out, and he raved about how delicious the roasted leg of lamb dish was. He also mentioned that the dance competition can be pretty entertaining. The group that was up that evening ranged from adolescents to the elderly, and it was clear early on the spirited elderly folks had both the charm and technique down to win it all. "Opa!!!" the audience would cheer them on. The surrounding area included vendors for jewelry, artwork, and even an AARP booth for ax-throwing. Decently sized festival and friendly folks around.

What a wonderful surprise! I stumbled upon this local Greek festival when driving up Rosemead and…read moresaw the buzz of excitement around St. Anthony Orthodox Church. Blue and white tents canvas the parking lot and house the vendors and bar. The festival offered a generous seating area where groups of all sizes could savor their meals and desserts to the tune of live music. The large dance floor means people of all ages joined in the group dances, creating a joyful atmosphere that was contagious! There is souvlaki that draws you in and the indoor hall where they serve plated meals. My favorite part of this enchanting event had to be the lovely grandmas who brought their energy and warmth to serve up their baked desserts, with a side of heartfelt smiles. We love the experience, and what this festival represents!

I have been participating in the Montrose Arts and Crafts Festival as a designer of jewelry. While…read morethe advertising and promotion is pretty good, there are too many jewelry people, someone walked by my booth and said" jewelry again"! That made me feel badly since I take time to hand design and make all my pieces, I sign up early and pay to be among the early vendors. This year, there were lots of people but they were not buying jewelry. The security is very good with the security guard at night. Unloading and loading are fairly organized as well. from a vendor perspective I've done better in prior years, from a shopper perspective, the fair is fun and the variety is fairly good.

It was so nice to attend the two street length Art Festival in Montrose; it was a beautiful day,…read morewith the warm sun beaming down on this wonderful event. I enjoyed seeing all the woodworking sculptures and unique paintings and photographic works. My wife liked the jewelry and custom clothing. We both wanted to get the Apple Cobbler, but it ran out within two hours of the festival opening. I'm hoping they will have more today, so that we can enjoy some of the food available!

My family and I visited Thanksgiving weekend and had a blast wandering around all the light…read moredisplays in the garden! This isn't necessarily a holiday-themed "Christmas" light experience, but it put us all in the holiday mood nonetheless. The themed light displays are well curated, the event is organized, staff are friendly, and the free parking is orderly and well managed. There are ten different themed exhibits found on the mile-long path. By far our favorite was the Ancient Forest, but the Garden of Good Fortune and the Fantasy Forest were close seconds! They do a wonderful job of using the light displays to really compliment and highlight the giant oak trees and other featured plants - as well as excellent music choices to really immerse you in a serene fantasy forest type experience. Some of the exhibits are interactive, like the Symphony of Oaks where you can step on the lights to make them change colors and sing - so fun! They also had a large village of tiny stained glass houses and other buildings you could actually enter and walk through - really beautiful. Another display I loved was the giant light built to resemble the moon - it was placed directly over one of the ponds and the reflection was magnificent! And everyone loves the massive, sprawling field of tulip lights which has a rotating show that will occasionally send waves of lights towards you. We spent a good hour and a half meandering around the path, which is well maintained and mostly flat with plenty of maps to find your way around the exhibits. The staff did a great job of respecting ticket entry times and the exhibits are so well laid out that we hardly noticed the crowds. Very well done! They don't sell tickets at the door so be sure to purchase online in advance. Booking our timed entry tickets was very easy via their website. They also take advanced reservations for their on-site Farmhouse restaurant and for valet parking. The restaurant and gift shop area was packed so I'd recommend restaurant reservations. But the parking was ample, even at 6pm on a Saturday and so well staffed and managed that we found a spot easily with zero chaos. This was my first visit to Descanso Gardens and now I'm wishing I had seen it in the daylight so I could compare haha! Tickets are a tad pricey but ee loved their Enchanted Forest of Light and can highly recommend it. Plus you're supporting a local botanical garden! I'll definitely be back to see all the splendor of the garden in the daytime.

Wow! What an unexpectedly cool experience!…read more Pro tips: 1. Bring whatever you like to keep you very warm in weather that seems cool normally but in the woods is icy cold. It was 51 and according to the weather app felt like 47 but I'm here to tell you it was COLD COLD more like 32 imho and head, hands, neck and feet coverage is a must so you can enjoy it. Suggest a warm beanie, gloves, and a down type jacket. Definitely jeans or long pants. I grabbed a blanket from my car to wear! 2. It's an easy walk, but for those with wheelchairs or canes or walkers it can be bumpy and some areas are a bit tricky. Also given all the rain, it can be dirty dusty muddy so wear shoes you don't care about. 3. Bring your best camera bc the photo ops both with people and without are plentiful. Make sure everything is charged as there's no common area to charge things easily. I'm sure you can try the restaurant or store in case of emergencies. Or go back to your car. 4. Be prepared to walk a very slow mile. Lots to see and photograph. Took me about 1:15 and I took my time. You can definitely do this much faster if solo and not easily amused or maybe not big on pics. And you can take a lot longer if you like detail and creativity amidst a natural space. 5. It's dark despite tons of lighting so be wise when walking. 6. Parking is free and easy. Just follow the signs or people. There is a walk to the line from the car. Lots of walking in general. 7. Our park reservations were for 6pm. I arrived around 6:10 and the line took about 20 mins. Was done by 7:40. 8. Cute shopping at the beginning before entering an next to the line to get in. It is an outdoor nursery type shop and two small indoor Knick knack type stores. Prices are typical tourist type prices. Also next to it is a coffee and pastry stand but you have to go first and then get in line or get out of line if you have people to hold your place as there's a line to get goodies. 9. Farmhouse is a restaurant on site. Checkout their Yelp. Make reservations as they book up fast. Good for groups. Food imo is average. Standouts were the beet salad, French fries, short rib appetizer, salmon and halibut. They use minimal seasoning at this place so if your health requires less sodium you're good! Get the pan fried crispy skin salmon lol. 10. If you're trying to cut costs there's an El Pollo Loco right as you exit the freeway coming here and before going up the hill to the park. 11. Great holiday thing to do with a large group. Entertainment for most everyone. If you're an outdoorsy, artsy, creative loving, enjoy exercise and family time type, this will be right up your alley!

I really do miss live shows and getting a chance to get that feeling of happiness when you go to…read moreshows with friends, listen to great live music, and make memories. With the pandemic still very much so at large, we are very limited to these types of experiences, but Insomniac was able to pull this off, while still keeping everyone safe. The only downfall (and quite big IMO), was the wait time to enter the first weekend. We waited over an hour to enter GA, and eventually was asked if we wanted to upgrade to VIP for $50. I wish we were asked this in the beginning, but I wonder if they've been able to fix this problem since then. Also, if anyone has attended this and knows the link to the official playlist on Spotify, please send it my way! I'd love to bookmark this entire playlist to listen in my car.

Tickets are $69.99 during the week, $89.99 Fridays and Saturdays, $79.99 on Sundays. An additional…read more$59.95 to upgrade to VIP (up to 8 people per car) and another $20.00 for the service fee. Yeah, it adds up and it doesn't seem worth it, but if there's 8 of you in the car and split the tab, it isn't too bad. We came through on a Friday night. We opted for the VIP package and bypassed pretty much everyone (that line looked like a thousand miles long, so that alone threw all regrets, doubts and second thoughts out the window!) Bypassing the long line was one thing, but then my passengers' bladders decided to go in sync and in unison all needed a bathroom break BEFORE the drive. The VIP package came in handy once again - they have a separate set of porta-potties for VIP peeps, too! Needless to say, there were no lines there either. So, yeah, off to a good start. I didn't really know what to expect, so I decided not to expect too much. There were a lot of mixed reviews on Yelp (complaints were mostly about the cost) so I kept an open mind. THE VERDICT: Totally WORTH IT. This whole production was well put-together. It was beautifully created with a lot of imagination. The engineering and construction alone were astonishing, how long did it take them to put it all up! And I really liked that they coordinated all the lights' movements with the music coming off the assigned radio station (107.9.) And those souls braving the cold as they entertained us with their dance moves... KUDOS! (I didn't get to see what's in the VIP box but going by how each of my passengers went through it like the Tasmanian Devil, I'm gonna assume whatever was in there was fun!) If this is your thing, here are a few tips: 1) Entry is at Holly and Huntington NOT at the main entrance. If you do end up at the main entrance, they'll reroute you. No worries. 2) You can come through as early as 30 minutes before your scheduled time, but try to be there within that window just for the sake of being considerate. The whole thing is about 45 minutes to an hour, all depending on how slow or fast you go. 3) CLEAN YOUR WINDSHIELDS! I meant to, but I completely forgot. But even with the semi-dirty glass, it was still pretty good. 4) Sunroofs are great! I didn't have one (wouldn't have mattered if I did since I was the one behind the wheel) but I was sorta jealous of the peeps who made full use of it. I imagine that's the best way to experience it. 5) You are allowed to open your windows. Just watch out for fog machines... 6) Take your time and let it all sink in. If you can afford it, I highly recommend it, something cool to do social distancing style. It's an event for all ages and a great excuse to get out of the house more especially during these challenging times.

626 night market is an annual summer tradition for me and I love the vibes of it!…read more There's a ton of food and merchandise vendors here, so there is something for everyone. Food is a bit on the pricey side and you may not necessarily be blown away by anything, but I'd say the appeal here is moreso all the options. Alongside this, they have some carnival games and a DJ (who was surprisingly really good). Overall, I definitely think that this is worth checking out! The 626 night market has expanded to other areas, such as Orange County, but is the original one and I would say the better one.

Another year, another 626 Night Market! It was our second time coming to the 626 Night Market at…read morethe Santa Anita Park and we'll be back for a third! We opted to go to the August one (they also had a June one). As usual, we bought our tickets in advance to save some money. Remember where you park because it's a burn to walk all day in the sun and then walk around in circles at night looking for your car (we know from experience). Getting in was a breeze and there are vendor booths immediately there to greet you with art, jewelry, collectibles, etc. Lots of cool stuff to look at, but some of it is a smidge too pricey for what it is so it depends on how much you really want something. Of course everyone comes here for the food and they have it in spades! Make sure to do a lap around to check out all the food booths before committing! First we tried Teriyaki Jerk Chicken Mac from Mac Daddy - it originally looked like a small box, but they really packed it with meat on top of the mac and cheese. The meat was a bit too dry and overpowered by paprika so it didn't really go with the mac and cheese. Next, we tried Quesabirria Tacos and Birria Loaded Fries from Las Chelaguas. The tacos were good but pretty small. The Birria Loaded Fries were bomb! Such a huge portion and very filling! We had to waddle off our caloric intake thus far, so we made our way to Lemon Tea Squeeze for drinks. They served lemonade and iced tea drinks in collector cups (we got the bear cup while our friends got the cow cup). Unlimited refills are always a plus in the heat so we made our way back before the end of the night. We grabbed some Mango Sticky Rice to go from Pink Mango, and while we were there we also tried the Mango Sticky Rice with Ube Rice and topped with ice cream - perfect dessert to end the night with! Pink Mango had the longest line out of all the food vendors we tried though, creating a traffic jam with people trying to walk past/through. The night market also gets incredibly more crowded at night, so if you don't want to deal with sweaty people throwing elbows you're best bet is going during the day where you can spread out and take your time (they also offer cooling/misting stations during the day but close them at night). Overall we had a great time and we'll be sure to make this an ongoing yearly tradition. It's always cool to try out food we might not normally have tried and get introduced to vendors worth checking out again. Remember to bring sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat! Word to the wise if you have to use the restrooms - skip the porta potties on the side and just go inside the racetrack to use the normal restrooms (it's the road less traveled and infinitely more cleaner).

Christmas is in the air! After the tree lighting ceremony in San Marino, my boyfriend and I took a…read morenice, scenic walk along Christmas tree lane (AKA, St.Alban's street right off of Huntington drive). It's a hop, skip, and a stone's throw away from the San Marino Christmas Tree/Fire Department! It was a nice, quiet walk past the beautifully decorated million-dollar homes. Although it's not as vast and expansive as most Christmas Tree lanes in Southern California, it is definitely a sight to see each year!

BIG TREES! I wish I could say more about this but it is not like the other where you see hella…read moreChristmas decorations on the house. Just really big trees that are decorated. It cool if you happening to pass by, not to seek out and visit. Just remember BIG trees!

I enjoy going to Holiday craft fairs because I prefer to support local small businesses, and I…read moretypically find cute, unique gifts. In addition to doing a little holiday shopping I specifically came here to see my girl, fellow fabulous YE, Hannah S. When I arrived, the festivities were in full swing. There were two stages set up - one on each end. The front stage featured performers from the local school. I was impressed with their musical talents. The young girl that was singing had a great voice. A local band was playing at the other stage a few blocks down. I took my time strolling through the vendor booths while looking for Hannah. I finally spotted her festive booth - The Curio Cat. Hannah looked adorable in her Santa Cowboy Hat. I immediately gave her a great big hug! I just love her energy and her amazing smile. The Curio Cat is a student research academy dedicated to helping children expand their knowledge in Biology, Chemistry, & Computer Science through research & development. It was founded by Hannah & her husband Derek (who is also very sweet). They teach kids useful skills while boosting their self-confidence. (thecuriocat.com) The setup of this Holiday Fair was nice and well organized. It was family oriented and pet friendly. There were also food trucks and fun activities for kids. Santa was even there for photos.

This is a really wonderful, local community holiday street fair focused on family friendly…read moreactivities that is sure to put you in the holiday spirit! Almost all the booths are decorated out for Christmas and all are local vendors so it's a great place to support the area community while Christmas shopping. Not only do they have tons of vendors, but they also have so many fun activities- especially for the kiddos! They have a little parade led by Arcadia's beloved mascot Perdy the Peacock with the local high school band too. They have tons of lawn games like bean bag toss and a large play area. There's live music on both ends of the fair and tons of food trucks! And they even had a big snow machine!! It was so fun to play in the "snow" in SoCal haha! And the kids absolutely loved it! We tried the Chicken Satay burrito from the ThaiMexCocina truck and the Pulled Pork fries from the Locke Down BBQ truck and everything was fantastic! A lot of the trucks were giving out samples too - all were excellent! The fair takes place on a Saturday in early December from 10am-4pm. Parking is street parking or in the local garages that are within reasonable walking distance. Attendance is free so it's definitely worth a visit! I've also participated in this fair as a vendor and the city of Arcadia does a great job for the customers AND vendors! It's very organized and well laid out. We're definitely planning on participating next year and doing our Christmas shopping here again.

What great way to enjoy a beautiful Saturday Evening! A very relaxing setting under the dark star…read morefilled sky, the moon peaking a bit behind some rouge clouds, with my folding chair and my delicious "Yelp-Corn" (Thanks to Katie and her busy band of popcorn warriors!) I have the perfect setting to watch the classic sensation "Psycho" (1960) I'm glad that after much procrastination I finally made it here! The big screen was perfect especially in this dark night and for this black & white movie, The sound system was good enough to drown the surrounding noise, Food wasn't a problem- we are in Old Pasadena after all. I had such a great time and I know that my friends Jackie S. & Bray O. did too. Thank you to everyone who made this outdoor movie possible! A big thumbs up to you guys! Until next time!

This is the cutest date…read more To bring your mate Only thing that I wish. Is that I wasn't here with my sis.... *Sigh*