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

St. Patrick's Day Weekend 2023 in Los Angeles: Irish Feasts and More Things to Do

Submitted by Toby B on Wed, 03/15/2023 - 8:45am

Enjoy Irish-tinged festivities. St. Patrick's Day Festival at the Bowers Museum. Photo courtesy of the Museum.

St. Patrick's Day weekend in Los Angeles brings pots of gold, and maybe we'll finally get a rainbow after all this rain. Talk about the luck of the Irish!

The weekend gets off to a delectable start with some Irish fare at the Original Farmers Market and Tanaka Farms. And then it's all about the beasties: the trained creatures at America's Teaching Zoo in their annual Spring Spectacular, prehistoric dinos riding the STEAM train to Perris, and the reliable return of the Capistrano swallows. And for making it through this marathon of a weekend, we'll earn our reward: the reopening of the newly imagined Mickey's Toontown at Disneyland - and that's no blarney!

As we welcome spring with open arms, take part in iconic seasonal activities that kids will enjoy, like spring wildflower hikes, and visit the Butterfly Pavilion at the Natural History Museum. Plus, start planning camps with the help of our summer camp guide.

26 Best Things To Do in Los Angeles in March 2023 with Kids

Submitted by Toby B on Sun, 02/26/2023 - 1:45am

Don your lucky green. Photo courtesy of the Ventura County St. Patrick's Day Parade

Los Angeles in March means we're transitioning from winter to spring. It's been a strange Los Angeles winter, with more precipitation than we're used to seeing on these famous streets, so we're likely in for a gorgeous blooming spring. March marks the start of springtime, with many outdoor festivals taking place this month.

Recent indoor cabin fever welcomes family-friendly festivals galore throughout March to enjoy the fresh air and spring sunshine. Besides the obvious of the many St. Patrick's Day parades from Hermosa Beach to Ventura, there's a Nubian festival at The Getty Villa, The Festival of Whales in Dana Point, Knott's Boysenberry Festival begins, a kite festival, wistaria festival, and a dino and STEAM festival. You could go to a festival every weekend in March (and you should)! Besides all the exciting upcoming festivals, some family favorites like PAW Patrol Live!, the Butterfly Pavilion at NHM, and Cirque du Soleil: Corteo roll into town this month too.

With spring in the air, embrace the new season with hikes to see wildflowers, enjoy 50 things to do on your Los Angeles spring bucket list, and scroll through more seasonal ideas in our springtime fun guide. Plus, we add events to our Los Angeles activity calendar daily, so we recommend to view it frequently.

Presidents Day Weekend 2023 in Los Angeles: 17 Best Things to Do with Kids

Submitted by Toby B on Wed, 02/15/2023 - 10:45am

New Orleans comes to LA this weekend. Photo courtesy of the Original Farmer's Market

This Presidents Day weekend is looking a little tricky, starting with those trick-shot wizards, the Harlem Globetrotters, who take on the Washington Generals in Anaheim, DTLA, and Ontario this weekend. The Nixon Library celebrates all things Tricky Dick (and a few other presidents) for the holiday; and the Original Farmers Market tricks us into thinking we're in New Orleans with its annual Mardi Gras celebration. Universal Studios thinks it's all a big game, and we're playing it: Super Nintendo World opens, taking us on a wild Mario Kart ride through a video game world.

All this, plus there's the Black History Parade in Pasadena. There are so many things to do in Los Angeles this weekend, so it's a good thing we have that extra day to fit it all in! Expand your Presidents Day weekend plans with the best indoor playgrounds and a trip to the Westfield Century City mall while planning more fun in our indoor and play spaces guide in Los Angeles.

Best Things To Do in Los Angeles in February 2023 with Kids: Super Nintendo World, Dodgers FanFest, and More

Submitted by Toby B on Sun, 01/29/2023 - 12:30pm

Entertaining basketball is a slam dunk. Photo courtesy of the Harlem Globetrotters

February brings plenty of things to do in Los Angeles, from theme park thrills to community celebrations and sports events. This month is full of enthralling activities.

Mario madness comes to LA in February with the highly-anticipated opening of Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood. If the excitement of experiencing Mario Kart™ in real life has you on the edge of your seat, then sports fans are sure to find more action-packed fun at Dodgers FanFest, a Harlem Globetrotters game, and NASCAR: Clash at the Coliseum. If sports are not your thing, your pod might enjoy the Whale Fiesta in Cabrillo or the International Festival of Chocolate at The Bowers Museum. Face it, those New Year's resolutions to eat healthier are already long gone, so why not indulge in some chocolate?

Of course, February is full of cultural happenings, from the San Gabriel Lunar New Year Festival to a Black History Parade and Festival in Pasadena, plus select Southern California museums open their doors for a free museum day.

MLK Weekend 2023 in Los Angeles: 15 Best Things To Do With Kids

Submitted by Toby B on Wed, 01/11/2023 - 9:00am

Celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s life and legacy this weekend. Photo courtesy of the City of Inglewood

Looking for the best things to do in Los Angeles during MLK weekend? Here are some events and activities to add to your list for the holiday weekend.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is 'What are you doing for others?'" This weekend, families can join together to answer that question by participating in the National MLK Day of Service. A day spent giving back is just one way to honor Dr. King's memory. This year sees the return of some of the larger gatherings, including Long Beach's MLK Peace and Unity Parade Celebration and the Kingdom Day Parade along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Exposition Park.

With all the rain we've been getting in LA, it's the perfect long weekend to head to the mountains and find snow near Los Angeles. Just be sure to check that mountain roads are drivable when you go, as we're expecting even more wet weather! Plus, January is free month here at Mommy Poppins, and we're in the middle of working our way through this list of the best f ree things to do in Los Angeles in January, and all the free local fun you'll find in our Guide to Free Things To Do in LA with Kids.

January's Best: Rose Parade, Honoring MLK, and More Top Things To Do in Los Angeles with Kids

Submitted by Toby B on Fri, 12/30/2022 - 9:47am

Traditional mochi pounding is part of the 2023 Oshogatsu Family Festival. Photo courtesy of Japanese City, Facebook

January brings plenty of things to do in Los Angeles which kicks off with New Year's Day and moves on to kids going back to school and then Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend! Don’t miss our favorite kid-friendly events and activities in Los Angeles this month.

2023 starts with that Southern California classic, the Rose Parade, and things only get better from there. Bluey comes to town in January, to the delight of toddlers across LA. It's also the month that we celebrate Epiphany on Olvera Street and one of my personal favorite fests of the year: the Snow Leopard Festival at the Santa Barbara Zoo. It's time to hop into Year of the Rabbit at Lunar New Year celebrations from Santa Ana to Monterey Park. And the whole town comes out to honor the man who was a King at the massive Kingdom Day Parade in Leimert Park.

January also means it's winter. While we didn't get walloped this Christmas like most of the country, you can take advantage of the recent rain and go sledding and snow tubing near Los Angeles or take one of these amazing winter day trips where you can see snow in SoCal.

New Year's Eve Weekend 2022 in Los Angeles: Fireworks, Polar Plunge, and More Top Things To Do

Submitted by Toby B on Wed, 12/28/2022 - 10:22am

Spend New Year's Eve dancing in the Zoo Lights. Photo by Jamie Pham

Looking for the best things to do in Los Angeles on New Year's Eve weekend to ring in 2023? Here are some events and activities to add to your list for this holiday weekend.

Get out your party hats, folks; it's time to celebrate making it through another year. New Year's Eve 2022 offers loads of events all day, from Noon Year's Eve daytime celebrations at Discovery Cube LA and the Southern California Children's Museum, to nighttime festivities at Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood, and Knott's Berry Farm. And then 2023 (!!!) gets started in the most Southern California way possible, with parading floral floats (and the opportunity to view them up close later!)—but remember, with the parade's "never on Sunday" rule in place, all the Rose Parade fun actually takes place on Monday, January 2 this year.

Plus, we’ve got 19 Family-Friendly Things To Do on New Year's Eve, Fun Ways to Ring in the New Year at Home, and 16 places where you can Find Snow near Los Angeles this weekend that are all just a short drive from LA!

19 New Year's Eve Fireworks, Balloon Drops, and Other Los Angeles Celebrations for Kids

Submitted by Toby B on Fri, 12/23/2022 - 9:52am

LA Zoo Lights has all new light displays this year; don't forget to talk to the giant parrots. Photo by Jamie Pham

It’s almost New Year’s Eve—and Los Angeles has loads of New Year celebrations and things to do on New Year’s Eve with kids. Ring in 2023 by taking part in a balloon drop (at noon or midnight, depending on your household bedtime!), seeing the Story Pirates, catching some fireworks, or even roller skating your way into the new year. There are also plenty of innovative ways to party at home as a family or learn some cool New Year's Eve celebrations from around the world.

More events and activities can always be found on our Los Angeles event calendar and our guide to the best activities of the weekend.

And that’s a wrap for 2022! Happy New Year from all of us at Mommy Poppins.