The following is a list of locations serving up traditional Thanksgiving meals and sites for families to pick up turkeys and trimmings to make their own meals. Meals are available to those in need on a first-come, first-served basis.
Laugh Factory, at 8001 Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood, will serve dinner Nov. 26 at 1, 3, 5 and 7 p.m. All are welcome.
House of Blues Hollywood, at 8430 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, will have its event Nov. 26, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. There will be a gospel show after dinner. Walk-ups are welcome.
Unity Fellowship Church, 5149 W. Jefferson Blvd., Los Angeles, continues it annual Thanksgiving feeding by taking meals to homeless people on the streets, the sick and the shut-in Nov. 26. For donations or more information, call (323) 938-8322.
Midnight Mission, at 601 S. San Pedro St., Los Angeles, and Fred Jordan Missions, will have a Thanksgiving meal and street party for the homeless and hungry on Skid Row Nov. 26.
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. will hand out Thanksgiving dinners in Watts Nov. 22, beginning at 11 a.m., at Lee's Market, 11000 S. Wilmington Ave., Los Angeles. The organization will serve until all dinners are gone. Nearly 400 dinners were distributed to area residents last year. For more information, call (323) 566-3549.
Mothers In Action will host its annual Thanksgiving Day feeding Nov. 26, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Ward Villa Senior Complex, 1117 W. Adams Blvd., Los Angeles. Donations and volunteers for the event are being accepted. For more information, call (323) 846-1645, (323) 299-3800, or visit www.mothersinaction.org.
From 6 p.m. Nov. 25 through midnight Nov. 29, the California Highway Patrol will implement its annual Thanksgiving enforcement period. During this time, the CHP will mount a focused campaign against safety belt violators and all available officers will be out on the road. The Thanksgiving holiday traditionally means heavy traffic on California's roadways. Thirty-three people were killed on California roadways during the Thanksgiving holiday in 2008. Among the 20 vehicle occupants killed in CHP jurisdiction, 35 percent were not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. In addition to keeping an eye out for vehicle occupants without seatbelts, officers will be especially watchful for impaired drivers during the period. Thanksgiving is also an Operation CARE (Combined Accident Reduction Effort) holiday. Operation CARE is a joint program of the nation's highway patrols that places special safety emphasis on interstate highways during holiday periods. CARE highways in California include Interstates 80, 40, 15 (San Bernardino to the Nevada border) and 5 (Bakersfield north to the Oregon line).
Skate the Day Away: You're welcome to do just that at Pershing Square at 5th and Hill Streets, home of Downtown on Ice. It's an annual celebration built around the outdoor skating rink, and visitors are welcome to twirl around to their heart's content. They'll also be able to hear concerts from various bands and performers on many weekday nights and weekend afternoons. There will be "Mommie and Me Stroller Skate" sessions — mothers skate and push babies across the ice in their strollers — from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on the first three Tuesdays in December and again on January 12. A free Winter Holiday Festival will run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on December 12 and 13, complete with snow for sledding, children's crafts, community youth performances, a miniature train village, a puppet show, and much more. Most of the entertainment is provided free of charge, and visitors can skate for $6 (with skates for rent at $2). It's all brought to you by the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks and a host of sponsors. Call (213) 847-4970 or visit laparks.org on the Internet for more information on Pershing Square's holiday lineup.
"Without a Car in the World: 100 Car-less Angelinos Tell Stories of Living in Los Angeles," currently at the 18th Street Arts Center until Dec. 11, is a photo exhibit that aims to address "how car culture has shaped psychological, spatial and geographic perceptions of the city," according to the gallery's Web site. Photographed by Diane Meyer, the various subjects tell their stories of giving up their cars for different reasons. The 18th Street Arts Center gallery's hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Afro-Caribbean Dance Classes with dance ethnologist Kimberly Miguel Mullen are held on Wednesdays, 7 to 8:30 p.m., at Crenshaw Yoga and Dance, 5426 S. Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles. There is live drumming, and the class is for all levels.
"Tree," by Julie Hebert and presented by Ensemble Studio Theatre-LA at [Inside] the Ford, tells the story of three generations divided by race, culture and time and how they connect when a white Southern woman discovers old love letters leading her to an African American half brother. Race relations are only one of the layers in Hebert's newest work. The play is also about family and memory. "Tree" runs Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 3 and 7 p.m., through Dec. 13. There will be no show on Nov. 26 (Thanksgiving). General admission for this play is $20. Admission for seniors and full-time students with ID are $12, and all Thursday evening performances are "pay-what-you-can." [Inside] the Ford is at the Ford Theatres complex at 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood. On-site, nonstacked parking is free.
KRST Unity Center of Spirituality will sponsor African-centered activities and programs including empowerment sessions, black gnostic studies, and more, Sundays at 10:30 a.m. The center is at 7825 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles.
Beginning Nov. 27, the "Light and Hope" stained glass window display at the Forest Lawn Museum in Glendale will mark the start of the holiday season. The "Light and Hope" display will depict the seven most significant events in the birth and the early life of Jesus Christ, including the Betrothal of Mary and Joseph, the Visitation of Mary and Elizabeth, No Room at the Inn and more. These windows were created by the Franz Mayer & Co. of Munich, Germany, and date back to 1913. Forest Lawn-Glendale is at 1712 S. Glendale Ave. Admission is free.
A pair of free nature walks to the famed Hollywood sign in Griffith Park, led by a park ranger, will be offered during the 2009 Thanksgiving holiday weekend by the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. The excursions will take place Nov. 27 and 28, 8 to 11 a.m. Park Ranger Ernie Ybarra will lead the treks, which will start at the Griffith Park Visitor Center, 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, adjacent to the Ranger Station. Those planning to participate should dress accordingly and bring drinking water and snacks. The intermediate-level hike will be 4 to 6 miles and is designed for those who have some previous hiking experience.
This second annual event will take place Nov. 27 and 28, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Lula Washington Dance Theatre, 3773 Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles. There will be numerous vendors and entrepreneurs from the community selling jewelry, handcrafted items, baked goods, handbags and more. There will also be a food court.
Lisa Price, the founder of Carol's Daughter, which specializes in beauty products and other gifts, will be at the opening of her latest store Nov. 28, noon to 3 p.m., at Westfield Culver City, 6000 Sepulveda Blvd., suite 1531, Culver City. Price will share her recipe for holiday potpourri — an original gift.
The Nation of Islam's Ministry of Health & Human Services in Los Angeles will present a town hall on what some consider the dangers of swine flu vaccines and mass vaccination Nov. 28, 1 to 3 p.m. and Nov. 29, 2 to 4 p.m., at 5350 Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles. The town hall will provide a forum for the public to get answers to questions about the safety of the Swine Flu shots.
The DLW Community Chorale will present Handel's "Messiah" Nov. 28, 2 p.m., at the First Baptist Church, 760 S. Westmoreland Ave., Los Angeles. The chorale, directed by its founder Don Lee White and assisted by Philip Roh, will sing choruses not usually heard in this oratorio.
Laval Belle will present "A Night of Live Music and Laughter" Nov. 28, 7 p.m., at the First Presbyterian Church, 1809 West Blvd., Los Angeles. This benefit concert will support children in Africa during the Christmas season. There will also be gospel jazz and comedy. Tickets for this event are $15.
"Bleeding Through" tells the story of Los Angeles' historic Angelino Heights District and the adjacent downtown area, a neighborhood where more cinematic "murders" have occurred than anywhere else in the world. Adapted from Norman Klein's highly praised novella, this work explores the shaping of a city's memory by commonplace experiences, chronicled history and cinematic influences. This event will take place Nov. 29, 3 p.m., and Dec. 3, 8 p.m., at the Southern California Library for Social Studies and Research, 6120 S. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles. Tickets are $20 and $15 for members of the library. RSVPs are required and a portion of the proceeds will go to the library.
The 2009 Hollywood Christmas Parade will take place Nov. 29, 6 p.m., along a U-shaped route throughout Hollywood beginning at Orange Street and Hollywood Boulevard, traveling East on Hollywood Boulevard, turning South on Vine Street, and then traveling West on Sunset Boulevard back to Orange Street. The Brother Team of Kyle Massey ("That's So Raven," "Corey in the House") and Christopher Massey ("Zoey 101," "City Girls") will serve as parade route reporters who will interact with parade attendees on camera. Reserved grandstand seating is available for purchase within Associated Television International's "live set" area located on Hollywood Boulevard between Orange Street and Highland Avenue. The cost is $35 per ticket. Group discounts are available.
Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard Parks is inviting all constituents of the Eighth District to kick off the shopping season in Leimert Park with the annual lighting of the Christmas tree in Leimert Park. This event will take place Nov. 30, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., in Leimert Park, at West Vernon Avenue and South Crenshaw Boulevard. Choirs are scheduled to be present and refreshments will be served.
The 18th National Training Institute of the Center for Children of Incarcerated Parents will be held Nov. 30 to Dec. 2, at the Western Justice Center, 55 S. Grand Ave., Pasadena. The institute is designed to provide descriptive and statistical information and offer practical information about service models and interventions for the children of incarcerated individuals.
Community Police Advisory Board (CPAB). Free.
Center Scene Public Programs will present a public conversation entitled "A Question of Freedom: Learning, Survival and Coming of Age in Prison," featuring author Dwayne Betts. This event will be held at The California Endowment's Center for Healthy Communities Dec. 1, 6:30 p.m., at 1000 N. Alameda St., Los Angeles. Betts is the national spokesperson for Campaign for Youth Justice, a program director at D.C. Creative Writing Workshop and the founder of YoungMenRead. One night in 1996, however, then-16-year-old Betts carjacked a man sleeping in a parking lot and subsequently spent nine years in adult prison. He uses his book and his experiences to ask questions about violence, race, opportunity and the criminal justice system. A networking reception and book signing will follow this event. Admission and parking are free. Use of public transportation is strongly encouraged.
Locke High School's National Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps annual military inspection/pass in review will be held Dec. 2. The personal inspection will occur at 8:30 a.m. and the ceremony will occur at 9:30. The community is invited to come and observe this event at 325 E. 111th St., Los Angeles.
Weekly meeting by non-profit organization dedicated to helping people improve their public-speaking skills.
The Inglewood/Airport Area Chamber of Commerce will hold a Holiday Open House Dec. 2, 5:30 to 8 p.m., at 330 E. Queen St., Inglewood. Catering will be provided by La Quinta Inns & Suites, and music will be provided by Totally Entertainment.
"Priceless Comedy" is scheduled to take place Dec. 2, 7 to 10 p.m., at the 27th Street Bakery, 4308 S. Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles. Attendees can watch comedians work their material, or sign up at 6:30 and try out their material. Baked goods at the cafe will be available for purchase and there is also free WiFi available.
Single-payer advocate and neurologist Dr. Steven Strauss will explain why he thinks the health care reform proposals coming from the White House and Congress maintain insurance company profits, while medical benefits for working people are on the chopping block. Strauss will speak Dec. 2, 7:30 p.m., at Solidarity Hall, 2170 W. Washington Blvd., Los Angeles. A $3 donation at the door is requested and dinner, with a vegetarian option, will be served at 6:30 p.m. for an $8 donation.
"Fibroids and You: A Group Appointment for Kaiser Permanente Patients" will take place Dec. 3, 1 to 5 p.m., at the Kaiser Permanente Playa Vista Clinic, 5620 Mesmer Ave., Culver City. The meeting is for women who urinate frequently, experience pelvic pain, have heavy menstrual periods, and other physical problems. These are all symptoms of uterine fibroids. Gynecologists will discuss these physical issues along with treatment methods. The meeting is for Kaiser patients only. Free parking will be available.
The Urban Life Cleaners and Art Gallery, located in the old "Bank District" at 412 S. Main St., Los Angeles, will host a business network mixer the first Thursday of every month. The next mixer will be Dec. 3, 5 to 7 p.m. The public is invited to come mingle and network with other "Urban Life" business people and residents of the Old Bank District community, promote their business, or just meet neighbors. Refreshments will be served.
Compton Mayor Eric J. Perrodin and the City Council are inviting the public to attend the city's Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on Dec. 3, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at Heritage House, 425 S. Willowbrook Ave., Compton. This event will be the kickoff for a series of December holiday events including the Compton Christmas Parade on Dec. 12, starting at 11 a.m. The ceremony will feature holiday entertainment including dancers, choirs, and a surprise grand finale. There will also be a special visit from Santa Claus. Refreshments will be provided.
Lectures and discussions about art, the environment, economics, cultural history, and more. Free.
The Jenesse Center invites the community to learn about opportunities to partner with it in moving families from crisis to self-sufficiency. Some opportunities include beautifying the facilities where families live, raising money for family-oriented programs and services, and spreading the word about ending domestic violence in homes and communities. The lunch will take place Dec. 4, noon, at 3761 Stocker St., suite 100, Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Community Action Network (LACAN). Free.
The International Black Writers & Artists/Los Angeles' manuscript workshops are held in Los Angeles on the first Saturday of each month. The next workshop will be Dec. 5, 2 to 4 p.m., at St. Elmo Village, 4830 St. Elmo Drive, Los Angeles.
"Victory: A Day of Remembering" will honor those who survived the Los Angeles Police Department's Dec. 8, 1969, SWAT team assault of the Southern California headquarters of the Black Panther Party headquarters. This event will take place Dec. 8, 6 to 10 p.m., at the Southern California Library for Social Studies and Research, 6120 S. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles. Speakers include survivors and eyewitnesses from that day, as well as a showing of the film "41st and Central."
Metro has completed its draft environmental impact report for the Crenshaw Transit Corridor, which extends about 10 miles from Wilshire Boulevard on the north to El Segundo Boulevard on the south. The results of the report, along with public comments gathered during the public hearings, will be presented to the full board on Dec. 10. The project's purpose is to improve public transit service and mobility in the Crenshaw Corridor between Wilshire and El Segundo boulevards. The overall goal of the proposed project is to improve mobility in the corridor by connecting with existing lines such as the Metro Green Line or approved transit lines such as the Exposition Light Rail Transit.
