Westchester/Playa del Rey HomeTown News

01/11/2024

This Saturday! Get some shopping done for the holidays and support local businesses and artisans! 🛍

Don't forget to bring items for the LAX Food Pantry drive!

20/10/2024

Westchester’s favorite independent bookstore, The Book Jewel, is inviting kids 4-12 to participate in its annual Halloween-themed Scary Story and Picture Contest! 👻🎃

Aspiring writers (ages 7-12) are asked to submit their best original weird tales to the shop by October 23 at 7 p.m. Stories should be scary, yet family-appropriate, and be five minutes or less when read aloud. Participants must be available to share their creative fiction at The Book Jewel during its authors’ reading event on October 27 at noon.📖💀

Artists ages 4-6 are invited to have their parents drop off a drawing for the Scary Picture Contest by October 23 at 7 p.m.

The Book Jewel will be awarding gift cards to winners in every age group!

More details at thebookjewel.com.

18/10/2024

Lots of Halloween fun happening this weekend, including the Visitation School Carnival, Trunk or Treat at the Airport Police Facility, Haunting of Hannon Library and the Howl-o-ween Costume Contest & Paw'rade at RUNWAY Playa Vista!

Check out our event roundup here: https://thehtn.com/local-halloween-event-guide-2024

16/10/2024

Ghosts, witches and other mysterious creatures will be lurking in the stacks at LMU’s 12th Annual Haunting of Hannon Library! 👻💀📖

Attendees are guaranteed to have a wickedly fun time at this literary fright fest, courtesy of LMU’s Theater Arts program, and written and directed by Kevin Wetmore.

This year’s theme is “Secret, Dark, and Midnight Things,” and will take attendees through a labyrinth of books, while they explore the haunted plays of Shakespeare.

An adult version of the event will take place on October 18 and 19 from 8 to 11 p.m. A family-friendly version, featuring notable characters from children’s literature, will take place on October 19 from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Limited tickets are available at: https://www.eventbrite.com/d/ca--buena-park/lmu-haunting-of-hannon

15/10/2024

*VOTING IS NOW CLOSED! WINNERS ANNOUNCED IN OUR NOVEMBER EDITION!* It's time to vote for your favorite pics in our Fifth Annual Pet Photo Contest! 🎉🐾

Scroll through our album and give your "like" to any pet that has a great photo, looks cute, puts a smile on your face or makes you laugh! You can vote through October 18 and the top two pets with the most photo likes will win a gift card to their favorite local pet store! We'll also select one pet as a "Hometown Favorite." 😍

If looking at these photos inspires you to want a pet of your own or add to your family, please check out one of our local rescues!

Thank you to everyone who submitted photos for this fun contest and shared how special their pets are to their family!

14/10/2024

It's carnival time in the NINE double oh FOUR FIVE! 🎡🎉

The fun starts this Friday at Visitation School with rides, games, face painting, bingo, line dancing, food, a beer garden and more! 🥳

Schedule:
Friday, October 18, 5 - 10 PM
Saturday, October 19, 12 - 10 PM
Sunday, October 20, 12 - 5 PM

Pre-order tickets by October 15 to save on activities! 🎪

Details:
vizcarnival2024.givesmart.com

11/10/2024

It's pancake breakfast time at Fire Station #5!

Stop by this Sunday, October 13 from 8 am to 11:30 a.m. and join the Playa Venice Sunrise Rotary in raising money to support the firehouse, while enjoying a yummy breakfast, kids' activities and demonstrations from firefighters!

10/10/2024

Reservations now open! 🍽

Westchester's Tomat opens on October 15th for pastries and coffee, with dinner service and rooftop drinks starting on October 30! 🍅🍸

Reserve a table at: https://www.tomat.la

09/10/2024

Get your costumes ready! Autumn is here, and Westchester/Playa is full of frightening fun events and activities that the whole family can enjoy this month. Mark your calendars for weekends filled with spine-tingling mazes, carnivals with rides and scary delicious treats, creepy ghost stories and more!

Check out our round-up here: https://thehtn.com/local-halloween-event-guide-2024/

05/10/2024

Last chance to send in your photos for our 5th Annual Pet Photo Contest! 🐕🐈🐾

Email us your photos at [email protected] to be added to our photo gallery and have a chance to win a prize for your pet!

Details: https://thehtn.com/fifth-annual-pet-photo-contest/

04/10/2024

Check out the October edition of the HTN out now! 🎉

In this month's edition...👇
👻 Mark your calendars for fun Halloween events, including RUNWAY Playa Vista's Howl'oween Pet Parade and the Y's Spooktacular
🌳 Learn what's happening at Westchester Park and hear from volunteers who are making a difference
⭐️ Meet this year's Playa Venice Cultural Dinner honoree
📸 View photos from WAM Block Party in our event recap
🍎 Read what's new at local campuses in our "Spotlight on Schools"
💪 Get tips on strength training for pickleball
🔎 Check out what our advertisers are sharing and more!

24/09/2024

We're looking for a new monthly columnist! 💡📰

Send us your ideas at [email protected]!

24/09/2024

Join the Neighborhood Council of Westchester/Playa for their Public Safety Meeting tomorrow to hear from Sheriff Luna and others!

Details: https://ncwpdr.org/event/public-safety-committee-meeting-14/

23/09/2024

Have fun playing classic casino games while raising money for a good cause at the Westchester Mental Health Guild's Casino Night!

The event is this Saturday, so it's your last chance to buy tickets for an evening of gambling, entertainment and raising money for mental health.

Get the details here: http://westchestermhg.org/

21/09/2024

Head to WAM Block Party today until 8 pm on Emerson Ave. between 80th Place and 80th Street!

18/09/2024

Have the cutest critter in Westchester/Playa? Share their photo to participate in our 5th Annual Pet Photo Contest! 🐕🐈😍

All of the photos received will be uploaded here to create the cutest gallery of Westchester/Playa pets. Viewers will be able to give all their favorite dogs, cats, guinea pigs and more, a thumbs up, and the top two pets will be named our community’s “Cutest Pets” for 2024.

Learn more here:

When you take your pet for a walk, do people stop you for photos? Does your pet have its own Instagram account? Is your phone filled with photos of your pup,

12/09/2024

The whole family is invited to the Westchester Elks lodge’s 24th Annual Car Show & Chili Cook Off this Saturday (September 14) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.! 🚗🚘🏎

Get there early to participate in the judging for the chili cook-off and vote for your favorite recipe, and then cruise the parking lot to admire the coolest classic cars in town.

The event is free to attend, but a BBQ lunch and raffle tickets are available to purchase to support the club’s projects and causes. The lodge is located at 8025 W. Manchester Ave. in Playa del Rey.

08/09/2024

Happy Anniversary Westchester Farmers' Market! Festivities kick off at 9 am!

Hey y'all, we're celebrating TOMORROW - cheers to 8 years of building community through healthy choices and family fun and guess what?!

is joining to say a few words (11:30 at the band staging area) with CD11 deputy team hosting community booth office hours (9-1pm).

Big shout out of so much gratitude and appreciation to our community of shoppers and market sponsors - Westchester Town Center BID district , it's with your support that we continue to build and thrive with each season!!! 🧡🎉

08/09/2024

We're so excited to welcome Tomat to the neighborhood! The farm-to-table Californian restaurant, located next to The Book Jewel, will open this fall, and we can't wait to check out the menu! 🍅🫑🌶🥬🥖

Owned by Playa del Rey residents and married duo chef Harry Posner and Natalie Dial, Tomat will be open for coffee and pastries daily at 8 am and dinner Wednesday to Sunday starting at 5 pm. The rooftop terrace will also be open during that time.🍾

The restaurant is currently hiring for all positions
Email [email protected] to learn more.

06/09/2024

Check out the September edition out now!🙌

Get the scoop on the Westchester Arts & Music Block Party, meet a local baker who is serving up freshly-baked cookies to neighbors, learn about One Voice Westchester in our "Hear from your Community" column, go back in time with some of our fave photographs from the historical society's archive, participate in our 5th Annual Pet Photo Contest, mark your calendars for the best upcoming events, and more!

24/08/2024

Happy 4th anniversary to The Book Jewel! Join the celebration tomorrow at their anniversary party with a book swap and refreshments!📚❤️🥳

16/08/2024

Check out our Best Of edition out now! 🥳

Celebrate the 2024 Best Of honorees, learn about Ayara's 20th anniversary, view some of our fave moments from the parade, read about a local author's book on pets and overcoming grief, save the date for upcoming events and more! 🏆🙌

Thank you to all our readers, voters, Community Partners, advertisers and community for making this edition possible! ❤️

08/08/2024

We can't get enough of the Olympics and are so excited to welcome the games to Los Angeles in 2028! 🏅

Here's a flashback photo from a 1984 Olympic picnic at Westchester Park! We ❤️ the mascot, Sam the Eagle!

What mascot would you like to see for the 2028 Olympics? 🤔 Should Sam make a comeback? 🦅

If your were at the 1984 games, we'd love to hear about your experience! 👇

Thanks to Mike and the Westchester/Playa Historical Society for sharing this from their archives!

07/08/2024

Ballet Beyond Borders starts today at LMU!

Check out the event schedule and enjoy experiencing this event where the world of artistry and inspiration collide!

19/07/2024

Save the date! Ballet Beyond Borders is heading back to Westchester on August 7 through 10! The community is invited to experience this event where the worlds of artistry and inspiration collide at LMU!

At this four-day celebration of global cultural exchange, attendees will find a diverse range of activities including film screenings, classes, workshops and a conference on global topics.