Dress in character for a chance to meet William Shatner at the event. (N/b: Should you turn out fully picnic-prepared Monday eve, I prefer deviled eggs with my sauvignon.)

SIGNATURE COLLECTION BONUS
The second person to email me here with a mailing address and one fun fact about each captain in the film will be mailed a copy of the official movie poster, signed by writer/director/producer/captain William Shatner. Good luck; details for Monday’s screening below.

The Captains – an Epix Original Documentary produced and directed by William Shatner. In The Captains, he travels the world to connect with each of the actors who have played Captains over the long life of the Star Trek franchise. Shatner recalls his own experiences in the role that made him a star by interviewing Patrick Stewart, Kate Mulgrew, Scott Bakula, Avery Brooks and Chris Pine while interweaving clips from their respective shows and movies.

LOS ANGELES EVENT
FREE Outdoor Screening of The Captains, an EPIX Pictures presentation produced and directed by William Shatner with a in-person appearance and introduction by the legend himself.

WHEN:
Monday, July 25th, 2011
Gates open at 7:00PM
Festivities start at sundown

WHERE:
Hollywood Forever Memorial Park
Fairbanks Lawn
6000 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90038

SPECIAL CALL TO ACTION:
Grab you phaser (set to stun of course), strap on your best Klingon armor and get down to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum on Saturday evening. Everyone in attendance wearing Star Trek gear has a chance to win:
* A commemorative The Captains movie poster to the first 1,000 guests arriving in costume
* Limited edition The Captains t-shirts for top costume efforts
* The chance to meet and get a photo taken with William Shatner for the night’s best dressed

Here’s the official blurb, interspaced with photos from the “Preview Event”, followed by further thoughts on the festivities inspired by the Eat Real Fest Oakland:

The Eat Real Festival, the urban food extravaganza that showcases food in all its tasty forms, has just announced highlights of the lineup for the jam-packed Los Angeles event taking place at the Helms Bakery District in Culver City, CA on July 16th and 17th, 2011. Offering an extraordinary opportunity for people to celebrate not only the very best of their regional foods, but also the people who grow it and make it. Attendees will get up close and personal with their food through two days of non-stop food skills and hands on DIY demos including a “flying knives” butchery contest, an eclectic array of local food producers in the marketplace and a curated selection of delicious street eats incorporating local and sustainable ingredients all priced at $5 or less. “Eat Real takes the idea of and old-time state fair and turns it on its head,” said Anya Fernald, founder of Eat Real Festival. “For two full days, attendees can dine and sip on delicious items that highlight local, healthy and sustainable ingredients. But eating and drinking is only part of the fun. We’ll also put people in touch with their food by showing how it’s made – from making jam, sauerkraut or bread, raising backyard chickens and bees, to seeing the artistry involved in butchering a steer or pig. We celebrate the very best southern California has to offer and will activate thousands of people to demand good food, all the time.”

There is no cost for entry into the Eat Real Festival. In fact, there is no cost for any of the festival activities that includes music, workshops, demonstrations and events like the canning and butchery contests. The only cost when attending the Eat Real Festival will come from shopping in the marketplace or purchasing food from the food vendors on site. By agreeing to take part in Eat Real, vendors commit to using 1-2 local or sustainable ingredients in their food, hormone free meat and ensure that all prepared food for sale on site will be priced $5 or less. There is also space devoted to local food craft folks (cheese, charcuterie, pickles, jams, and more) and urban homesteading where attendees can learn what it takes to get in touch with your inner backyard farmer.

For the first time in the HISTORY of Bigmista’s BBQ, the team will offer their retail wares west of the 405, north of 90. Hollah at Neil’s new dream smoke rig. Mothercluck, in addition to demo’ing new ice cream to be sold under Mother Moo, will be selling her jams, Creme Caramel LA has been battling carpal tunnel to offer their best custard French flan, and Lindy & Grundy will be grilling brats served to order. The Mother in Law Kimchi Company, is flying in from NYC to demo kimchi making. Not sure why Eat Real LA needs Korean New Yorkers, but this company is a bit of a rockstar, and we shall so graciously indulge them. Of note, the fava bean “dip” we sampled from Hollywood Farmers Kitchen were kinda.. good. With beer, or without beer. (Dr., If you’re reading, I’m really not drinking. Really. O_o)

If all of this still doesn’t make you feel better about your vapid degustatory life style dotted by frequent trips to El Taurino, Kogi, Barney’s Beanery and the Griddle, attend the anti-star studded Kickoff Party ($45) which benefits Rootdown L.A. along with the Social Justice Learning Institute. Eat for the good of others, instead for the good of an event planner — not that we don’t love event planners. Best of all, this isn’t a gluttonous,AYCE, bottom-less pit, cause that’s not real. Real is what Confucius (or some other wise old Chineser) taught us: “be seventy percent full”.

Eat Real Fest LA
July 16 – 17
Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Sunday 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

-Sinosoul

Everything in this film is iconic, even the small and scarcely noticed things, but to know some of those icons are a part of Venice High is a thought I can’t deplete of joy. On that oval grade of dirt surrounding the football field is where Danny tried out and eventually lettered in track while his ne’er-do-well friends stole hubcaps. Whoever you are, you have my gratitude for connecting the cultural significance of your Centennial to this most apropos sharing of VHS’s Hollywood moment.

Prior to the viewing of the film, a school official read an email from Grease director Randal Kleiser, who sent his regrets at not being able to attend but who veritably commended the school’s long-standing commitment to academic excellence; he recounted his fond memories of filming Grease on campus. Olivia Newton-John contributed a surprise ten second “Happy Centennial, Venice High School” video message. VHS School Principal Dr. Elsa Mendoza then proceeded the lead-up to showtime with a proud thank you message to the Class of ’11, and then cued the PlayStation 3, and perhaps made the brilliant last-minute call to toggle the DVD into the newly-added 2010 “Grease Sing-A-Long” Edition. Encircling the famous lyrics were pink and blue bubbles of malt shop jukebox neon, and the fields hummed to the karaoke of three generations while children performed the shadow cast.

LA Taco Festival 2011
1st Street & Boyle Ave
Metro Gold Line: Mariachi Plaza
12-8pm; Free

Come join thousands of people at the first annual LA Taco Festival and enjoy the best flavors of Carne Asada, Carnitas, Pastor, Birria, Fish, Shrimp, Potato, etc.

Live Music, Fun for the Whole Family!

Les invitamos a celebrar el primer Festival del Taco de Los Angeles con miles de aficionados y disfrutar los ricos sabores de Carne Asada, Carnitas, Pastor, Birria, Pescado, Camarones, Papas, etc.

LA Taco Festival 2011
1st Street & Boyle Ave
Metro Gold Line: Mariachi Plaza
12-8pm; Free

Come join thousands of people at the first annual LA Taco Festival and enjoy the best flavors of Carne Asada, Carnitas, Pastor, Birria, Fish, Shrimp, Potato, etc.

Live Music, Fun for the Whole Family!

Les invitamos a celebrar el primer Festival del Taco de Los Angeles con miles de aficionados y disfrutar los ricos sabores de Carne Asada, Carnitas, Pastor, Birria, Pescado, Camarones, Papas, etc.

A Live Slide Show performance celebrating the City of Angels like it’s one big theme park!

Showman, author and humorist Charles Phoenix presents a fun-filled tour of the city’s many “lands” including Downtown and Boyle Heights – all new, and created especially for Grand Performances!

Charles is known for his retro slide shows, school bus “field trip” tours, “test kitchen” videos, coffee table books and Slide of the Week emails all celebrating classic and kitschy pop culture. You’ve seen him on Conan and the Martha Stewart Show and heard him on NPR.

Pre show will begin at 8:00 pm

>>Organist

8:30pm
>>Sign Spinners
>>Children’s Mariachi Band
>>Ballerina
>>Bob Baker’s Marionettes

Intermission

>>Charles Phoenix Los Angelesland program

Lightning in a Bottle struck again! Another wicked, whimsical weekend of beats, no-baths, and beyond is in the books for the Do LaB. Vibes (and most of the crowd) were high.

The 4-day festival sold out by Sunday, with a capacity crowd of 12,500 people – 11,000 of those camped on site at Oak Canyon Ranch, in Silverado, CA. LIB has been growing steadily since its debut in 2000, with so many people coming back year after year, it feels like a family reunion. The camping was a mini city of tents and RVs, divided into “patches” named after fruits and vegetables. (Our little settlement in the vast village was called Radish Patch, right off “Stay Outta The Lake Lane”.)

By day, the fest was like underground, anti-mainstream summer camp. Hula hooping workshops, yoga, juggling, acrobatics, dancing, chanting, crafting, and eco lectures were scheduled throughout the days. Micheline Berry, Venice-based yoga teacher, led a class in the Yoga Sanctuary called “Rock the Shakti” with DJ Drez and saxophone and flute players amongst the yogis. Energy was high and the sun was shining.

By night, the love fest shifted its focus to dancing and music and community. Walking around in the dark from stage to stage and through the camps was like navigating a forest of LED lights and people dressed up like spirit animals and feathered peaceful warrior princesses.

Friday’s DJ and live music lineup was capped by a crazed aerial circus performance by LIB veterans, the Lucent Dossier Experience. Kraddy (formerly of the Glitch Mob) shined in Saturday night’s lineup on the main Lightning stage, DJing womping glitchy dirty beats accompanied by a live drummer. Fire bursts around the stage surged at peak moments. Later, Pretty Lights took the stage, but in very un-Memorial Day un-So-Cal fashion, it started to drizzle and a couple power outages interrupted the set. Sunday’s lineup featured DJ sets from Eskmo, Bonobo, and others, culminating with Thievery Corporation playing a groovier dance set spotted with reggae and dub.

Rain or shine, day or night, the beats did not stop bumping at all the stages – Woogie, Bamboo, and Lightning – until it was time to pack it all up and disappear in a cloud of dust and gratitude on Monday afternoon. Once again, hats off to the Do LaB for leaving us all tired and inspired. Now that’s how you throw a festival.

Lightning in a Bottle struck again! Another wicked, whimsical weekend of beats, no-baths, and beyond is in the books for the Do LaB. Vibes (and most of the crowd) were high.

The 4-day festival sold out by Sunday, with a capacity crowd of 12,500 people – 11,000 of those camped on site at Oak Canyon Ranch, in Silverado, CA. LIB has been growing steadily since its debut in 2000, with so many people coming back year after year, it feels like a family reunion. The camping was a mini city of tents and RVs, divided into “patches” named after fruits and vegetables. (Our little settlement in the vast village was called Radish Patch, right off “Stay Outta The Lake Lane”.)

By day, the fest was like underground, anti-mainstream summer camp. Hula hooping workshops, yoga, juggling, acrobatics, dancing, chanting, crafting, and eco lectures were scheduled throughout the days. Micheline Berry, Venice-based yoga teacher, led a class in the Yoga Sanctuary called “Rock the Shakti” with DJ Drez and saxophone and flute players amongst the yogis. Energy was high and the sun was shining.

By night, the love fest shifted its focus to dancing and music and community. Walking around in the dark from stage to stage and through the camps was like navigating a forest of LED lights and people dressed up like spirit animals and feathered peaceful warrior princesses.

Friday’s DJ and live music lineup was capped by a crazed aerial circus performance by LIB veterans, the Lucent Dossier Experience. Kraddy (formerly of the Glitch Mob) shined in Saturday night’s lineup on the main Lightning stage, DJing womping glitchy dirty beats accompanied by a live drummer. Fire bursts around the stage surged at peak moments. Later, Pretty Lights took the stage, but in very un-Memorial Day un-So-Cal fashion, it started to drizzle and a couple power outages interrupted the set. Sunday’s lineup featured DJ sets from Eskmo, Bonobo, and others, culminating with Thievery Corporation playing a groovier dance set spotted with reggae and dub.

Rain or shine, day or night, the beats did not stop bumping at all the stages – Woogie, Bamboo, and Lightning – until it was time to pack it all up and disappear in a cloud of dust and gratitude on Monday afternoon. Once again, hats off to the Do LaB for leaving us all tired and inspired. Now that’s how you throw a festival.