Interesting October 2007 Events in Southern California

Hello:
What a wonderful weekend we are having after the brief showers. The grass is green and the sun is shining!

I was tooling around the internet to see what was coming up, in terms of interesting events. I find several that I will likely attend and want to share this information with my readers.

Until October 28, 2007 the Oktoberfest is open in Torrance. This is the largest Oktoberfest in Southern California. It's actually called the Alpine Village Oktoberfest, and it's located at:
833 W. Torrance Blvd, Torrance, CA 310.327.4384

This is their 40th year celebration. They are also voted by USA Today Magazine as one of the best Oktoberfests in the world. For your convenience, I am posting information from their website:
"The Oktoberfest, an eight-week event, is the largest Oktoberfest celebration in Southern California featuring plenty of good food and entertainment including an authentic Oom Pa Pah Brass Band, direct from Germany.

Dancing plus hilarious contests like yodeling, pretzel eating, wood sawing, beer stein holding, and of course the famous Chicken Dance for everyone to join in.

Alpine Village, fondly known as "The Little City from the Alps" is open seven days a week from 11am with restaurants that have nightly entertainment; an outstanding Sunday Buffet Brunch ($15.95); Alpine Market a gourmet’s delight and extensive liquor department; homemade sausages and meat products from our own award winning Butche Shop (with low sodium/low fat sausages and cold cuts); a European style bakery; 15 specialty stores for any gift imaginable including the Alpine Glass & Porcelain Store with repair and restoration services too and a wonderful open air market.

Admission to the Oktoberfest is $5 - Friday Saturday (21yrs & over only) Sunday is Family Day, 12 noon to 7pm. For information and 50% Oktoberfest discount tickets call (310)327-4384"

Another interesting, and unusual event is the upcomig Dia de los Muertos at the Hollywood Forever Cemetary. Hollywood Forever, in case you didn't know, is the site of weekend classic films that are shown for visitors that bring picnics and lawn chairs. It occurs every weekend throughout the summer. They just showed their last film for the year a few weeks ago.

Dia de loa Muertos will be held on October 27th, from 4 to 11 pm. The following information is from their website:
"We graciously and enthusiastically welcome the city of Angels and beyond to embrace, honor and celebrate the memory of the departed as we commemorate the 8 th annual Dia de Los Muertos at your historical Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Hollywood Forever, the resting place of Hollywood's immortals requests your presence for the Nations largest and most authentic Day of the Dead celebration. Witness this colorful ancient indigenous based Mexican ceremony as we welcome over 20,000 guests to celebrate life and ancient traditions fused with modern culture.
Join us as we illuminate the evening sky with the various mosaic flavors of life, remembering and paying homage to the dearly departed as we joyfully walk hand in hand with the recollections of the spirits we pay tribute to. Allow the ingrained history of this ancient tradition to capture the heart of the newly curious, sustain the hopes of the returning and quench the thirst of the surrounding souls. Hollywood Forever the only cemetery in the country which opens its gates to commemorate this tradition will hold this annual event".

In addition to attending this event, it is possible to register for their altar competition. There are prizes for the top three altars in the amounts of $3000, $2000, and $1000. Per the contest, this is in the theme of ancient Mexican and Celtic cultures (Celtic being the source of current day Halloween; Mexican including the elements of wind, earth, fire, and water). This looks to be an interesting and unusual event steeped in cultural tradition that honors the tradition of families in a different and positive way as we come to a close of this summer season. Drawing on our own Irish/Celtic background, we will be creating an altar there.
Devon the Notary