The Hilltop Neighborhood Association cordially invites you to their screening of “Journey to The Center of the Earth” this Saturday night, 8/29, starting at approximately 8pm. The film will be shown on the Little League field at the top of Grand View Blvd. Bring a blanket or beach chair to sit on and enjoy the show!
The gates will actually open at 6pm for their first annual block party, to which you are also invited. Please email HilltopNA@yahoo.com for more info.
Granted, the Circus is not coming to Mar Vista, but it is coming to LA, from July 8 to August 2 in the Southland. And Mar Vista Mom readers can get a discount on tickets by using the coupon code: MOM.*
*Restrictions: Must purchase AT LEAST 4 tickets for code to be valid, enter the code in the “MC Promotion Box” on Ticketmaster, not valid on Circus Celebrity/Front Row/VIP seats, and facility fees do apply.
The Mar Vista Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library is a fantastic civic resource for our neighborhood — and a great place to take your kids for fun, free things to do this summer. (And all year long, of course!)
The LAPL has a children’s summer reading program called Treasured Islands. The idea is you sign your kids up and keep track of how much they’re reading during the summer, and they’ll earn prizes as they accumulate minutes of reading time. There are also events at the library throughout the summer as part of the program, like the story time and craft that launched it yesterday. 
(Island craft project.)
Next Wednesday, July 1, Peggy Hasegawa will be doing an origami demonstration at 4pm. The events continue on Wednesdays at 4pm: July 15 (Stories and Craft), July 29 (Stories and Craft), August 5 (“Reptile Family”), August 19 (“One World Rhythm”), and August 26 (The Finale). And did I mention it’s all free? And encourages reading? Gotta love the library!
The Mar Vista Branch has activities for Teens as well, on Tuesdays at 3pm: July 7 (Henna Tattooing), July 21 (Video Gaming), August 11 (Yoga), and August 25 (Cupcake Decoration).
For the Little Ones, the library offers Toddler/Preschool Story Time on Mondays at 11am, on an ongoing basis, and “Grandparents and Books” (or “GAB”) 6 days a week. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 3-5pm, Wednesdays and Fridays 2:30-4:30pm, and the additional time on Saturdays from 1-3pm. Join one of their volunteer Grandparents for story hour one of these days!
And just in case the adults were feeling left out, don’t worry! The library won’t let you down! The Mar Vista Branch offers its Mystery Book Club monthly on Thursdays at 6:30pm. So far this year, they’ve read and discussed The Grave Tattoo by Val McDermid, Paradise Interrupted by Penny Mickelbury, Dixie City Jam, by James Lee Burke, Echo Burning, by Lee Child, Free Fall, by Robery Crais, and A Loyal Character Dancer, by Qiu Xiaolong. (July’s title hasn’t been posted yet, so check with the branch for date and book.) The library also hosts a Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Club. Ysabel, by Guy Gavriel Kay, is the book, and they’re meeting on Tuesday, July 7th at 6:30pm to discuss it.
There are also computer classes offered on Wednesdays at 2pm, with topics ranging from Word Processing Basics to Intro to the Internet. And if you have a Crafty Soul, Quilters From The Heart meet at the library on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of each month, from 1-5pm. They provide the materials, but ask that you bring a sewing machine, if possible. All the quilts they create are donated. Isn’t that awesome?
The library is a wonderful community resource, plus they have lots of BOOKS there, which, for a reader like me, is the best part. The fact that they offer so many extra programs is like icing on the cake.
The Los Angeles Public Library, Mar Vista Branch, is located at 12006 Venice Blvd., LA, 90066, on the corner of Venice and Inglewood. (310) 390-3454. Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays, 10am-8pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12pm-8pm, Fridays and Saturdays, 10am-6pm, closed Sundays and holidays. Disclosure: please call the branch to confirm all events, as things can, and do, change.
An original post by Sarah Auerswald.
Looking for fun, inexpensive things to do with your kids this summer? Me, too!!
I’ll be posting a series of ideas here, some in Mar Vista and some a little farther away.
Let’s start with Free Family Movies, shall we?
The Vineyard Christian Fellowship in the old Bruno’s location on the corner of Venice and Centinela will be showing free movies every Wednesday night at 6:45. Free popcorn, too! This week (6/24) it’s Tale of Desperaux. Maybe I’ll see you there? Enjoy!!