Busy Weekend

There’s a busy weekend coming up. Somehow, two of the largest events on the LA calendar have been put on the same weekend – rather unfortunately in my opinion. The LA Times Festival of Books (held on the USC campus) is on Saturday and Sunday, and I’m excited about that (as you know I am every year). I recommend exploring the site for the things you might visit (including the book prizes shortlists – awards will be given out tonight, including special ones to Margaret Atwood and to Kevin Starr!), and then go along and have some fun – all in the name of books, reading, and the worlds that are opened up through books and reading. It should be a great day or two out, and the extra great news is that you can take the subway there. The Expo line goes right up to ten feet from the Festival. You step off at the USC/Expo stop, cross from the platform to the sidewalk, and there you are! Books! Food! Music! Etc…

CicLAvia, another event that brings thousands of people together in the city, is on Sunday. It is extra exciting this year since for the first time it has a route that fully fits with where I think the event should be in the life of the city – it runs from downtown all the way along Venice boulevard West to Venice, essentially ending a block from the beach!

This is wonderful! So why is it on the same day as part II of the book festival, the other huge weekend draw for people in the city? – Do the CicLAvia people think that people who cycle don’t read? I actually asked CicLAvia organizer Aaron Payley about this – at a Los Angeles Institute for Humanities luncheon (many LAIH people are involved with the Festival of Books every year as authors, readers, panelists, etc… I mention this just so you know that there’s some potential connectivity here, and that it made sense to ask him in that context) – and his reply was that they wanted people to be able to cycle to the festival. Several of us at the luncheon who heard the answer laughed.

Anyway, there it is. One will just have to try to make the best of it, potentially missing out on some morning events at the festival in order to do the ride to Venice and come back (since ciclavia is only from 10:00am to 3:00pm). I hope I don’t get a flat. If I do it, I’ll try to make a timelapse film as I did in previous years. (Search the blog for “Ciclavia” for those.)

Enjoy the weekend!

-cvj