Toby B

Toby is our uber-busy events editor for Mommy Poppins LA. Feel free to email Toby about events for our LA area calendar.

Latest posts by Toby

Weekend Fun for LA Kids: Puppet Festival, Poppy Festival, Fiesta Broadway

Submitted by Toby B on Thu, 04/25/2019 - 3:06am

Kiss a pig at America's Family Pet Expo. Photo by Keren Lynn Photography

This weekend is about celebrating something; I'm just not sure what it is. Is your STEAM throwback or cutting edge? Are you hanging by a string or got no strings on you? That mother you keep talking about—is it Mother Earth or a mother-to-be?

As you take to the streets, are you exploring your hometown? Are you donning a cape to save the day? Or are you just running in ~~circles~~ diamonds?

Look at you all in orange! Are you done up for the Dutch King's birthday, or are you a field of poppies? Is it Cinco de Mayo, or New Year's, or have I just lost count? Despite the confusion, it's actually easy as pie: it's all of that and more!

Keep reading for our completely not confusing selection of picks for this weekend....

Trash & Recycling Fun: Sanitation Yard Open Houses for Kids Who Love Garbage Trucks

Submitted by Toby B on Wed, 04/24/2019 - 6:38am

Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Sanitation & Environment

Vroom Vroom! Does the sound of the garbage truck coming down the street send your kids running to watch? Spring kicks off city yard open houses and recycling fair season, and these events are hugely popular with kids of a certain age. If your kiddos have any curiosity about what goes on in a garbage truck, this is their chance to satisfy it, at one of the most eagerly awaited free activities in LA. Public tours (also detailed below) are often available throughout the year (call first); but the spring open houses are a must-do for little one who live for the roar of the garbage truck.

Free Cinco de Mayo Celebrations that Are Great for Families

Submitted by Toby B on Sun, 04/21/2019 - 10:53pm

Ballet Folklórico de San Juan Capistrano performs at Fiesta de Mayo Celebration. Photo courtesy of San Clemente Outlets

First let's set the record straight: Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day. What the day actually celebrates is an underdog Mexican victory over a French military attack on Puebla, Mexico in 1862. The holiday is mostly observed in Puebla and in Southern California, where there's little mention of the French, but much swinging at piñatas and dancing to mariachis. After all, by the first weekend of May, who needs more excuse than that to revel in the sunshine? Many of the Cinco de Mayo events you'll see advertised are pub crawls, but we've hunted down celebrations the whole family can enjoy.

There are free Cinco de Mayo fests throughout LA and the OC, starting as early as a week before, so get in the spirit to dance, watch parades, and (of course) eat.

Fun & Free Easter Weekend Events for LA Kids: All About Eggs and Bunnies

Submitted by Toby B on Thu, 04/18/2019 - 2:00am

Everywhere you look, there's an Easter egg hunt to be found. Under that tree: an egg hunt. Behind the bushes, there’s one more. In fact, I see dozens of them, and you can find them in our Easter egg hunt round-up! Grab your basket and collect them all (but make sure you leave enough for the other mommies).

See, here’s the deal: There is literally an egg hunt on every block, every corner, every square inch of Los Angeles this weekend. And every egg that you find? You open it up and—surprise!—it tells you about another egg hunt. Some egg hunts are in gardens; some are in malls; some are on the farm; some come with breakfast. (Eggs and breakfast? Weird.)

Actually, the trick this weekend is going to be not finding an egg hunt. There are a few other things out there: you might luck onto bubbles and Bolero, pachyderms and penguins, Earth Day and natural wonders, ice tales and dog tails and fish laying eggs...

......

...did someone say ... eggs?

Eggs. Eggy egg eggs. Lots and lots of eggs.

Hop on over to our most egg-citing picks for this weekend…

Weekend Fun for LA Kids: Book Fair, Earth Day, and Cowboys

Submitted by Toby B on Thu, 04/11/2019 - 12:48am

Listen to a great children's story at the festival. Photo courtesy of LA Times Festival of Books

Look, I can vamp for three paragraphs about all the amazing stuff going on this weekend, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s all Book Fair, all the time. The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books has favorite authors showing up for meet and greets, readings on the free stages, ticketed panels if you can spare two bucks, books books books, and then some more books. It's one of the few times when my kid says, “Mommy may I buy that?” and I say “Why not get two?!”

The Book Fair is mostly in the daytime hours, so if you want to attend a movie or see a show, your nighttime is totes clear. And I suppose there are a few other happenings that are worthy of your attention, such as the rootin', tootin-est Cowboy fest this side of the Mississippi, egg hunts at Kidspace, Pershing Square, and the Point Fermin Lighthouse, a Whale of a day, and a tribute to first responder heroes, a tribute to the Great Spirit and Torrance's sister city, a Jamboree, multiple egg-stravaganzas, an arty open house, and celebrations of spring time and mother Earth.

Oh, and it’s also like a day before your taxes are due so, if you haven’t done them: yikes, and er, get on it? Maybe you can find a book on taxes at the Book Fair (if you're looking for something to do).

Book it to the rest of this post to check out our book-marked events....

Weekend Fun for LA Kids: Children's Earth Day, Renaissance Faire, and the Lucky Band

Submitted by Toby B on Thu, 04/04/2019 - 4:29am

Celebrate spring at the LA Zoo. Photo by Jamie Pham/GLAZA

Is that a spring in your step or just the imminent approach of Spring Break? For some lucky Angelenos, Spring Break is as early as next week. For others, the Bunny has a few more days to work his magic.

Either way, there is plenty of springtime revelry to be had. There are trucks for touching, adventures for having, root beer for plundering, science for stemming, words for whomping, and ships to be assembled brick by brick.

Big tickets this weekend: a free, sensory friendly concert from Mommy Poppins faves the Lucky Band, a visit with everyone's favorite Steam Engine, and the most pleasurable faire this side of the Renaissance.

Saturday also represents your chance to get tickets for June's hottest event, Ticket to Explore JPL . Tickets are free but in short supply, so the usual rules apply: wait til I've secured my tickets before trying for yours. Not quite as hard to get your hands on, but worth the effort just the same, tickets for the panel sessions at the LA Times Festival of Books become available starting Sunday.

So what are you waiting for...spring to it!

Weekend Fun for LA Kids: Boysenberries, Cherry Blossoms, Mariachi Women, and Bunnies

Submitted by Toby B on Thu, 03/28/2019 - 12:05am

I hope you've planted your eggs, because Holy Peeps! It's Easter this weekend! Or maybe it's just... April Fools! Or maybe, to extend this prank, it's Not Even April yet—but in the ultimate unexpected double switcheroo plot twist, Easter is starting, at least as far as the plethora of spring/ egg/ bunny activities that come our way this time of year.

Starting now, you can ride the rails, work the fields, ride the rides, and most importantly meet the bunnies—all in the name of vernal appreciation.

For other fun, be sure to check our calendar for some berry fine opportunities. You can round the bases with the boys of spring or find your Irish side with the mujeres mariachi, Wonder of wonders, you can see an elephant fly, explore the space between heaven and earth, and perhaps the greatest wonder of all: you can see your world.... unplugged.

For the record, Easter is April 21. You've got time. Ish.

Keep reading for our springiest picks for this weekend.....

Weekend Fun for LA Kids: Swallows, Peacocks, Marathon, and Airport Art

Submitted by Toby B on Thu, 03/21/2019 - 12:44am

Photo courtesy of Santa Monica Airport Artwalk

Parenting—it's a marathon. And a sprint. And a scrimmage. And a mad, chaotic free-for-all. Then again, sometimes a marathon is just a 26-mile excuse for Momma to get out of the house.

Remember last week when everyone was all "butterflies! butterflies everywhere!"? Not to be outdone, the swallows are making a show of their return from winter break and are getting a parade in welcome. With a 6000-mile flight from South America, I think they earned it! The peacocks are also getting a day in their honor, but they're not going anywhere—just standing around looking pretty.

Other creatures being celebrated this weekend include whales, faeries, Stooges, and vegans, not to mention artists, makers, and dream catcher makers. Bonus: these winning choices won't leave you gasping for breath with blisters on your blisters.

On your mark, get set, keep reading for our raciest picks for this weekend!