Weekend Docket: 6/22/12

Phew this is going to be one MUDDY weekend... Oh right, didn't you see?  Living Social Adventures is doing their first 5K MUD RUN this weekend and it's going to be Epic!!  Yes there will be many pictures to come... That is if I ever figure out where Acton California is...

Other than that, playing it low key with my little cousin's birthday party and a relaxing afternoon BBQ... and a very special Sunday blog post for Foodbuzz's 24x24 competish :).  Dun dun duuuunn! Get excited for that!

But enough about me, what are you all doing this weekend?? I want to hear all about your weekend plans too! Leave em in the comments below :).  And as always... if you want to connect, you can follow me on twitter @nicolemiizuka or find me on Facebook!

All Weekend

International Pole Convention
Friday-Sunday, Various Times
Chris Rock once said that his only job as a father was to "keep my daughter off the pole." He also said buffets at strip clubs were a bad idea because "titties and Tater Tots don't mix." The comedian would be surprised to find neither at the International Pole Convention. The dancers here are real artists and fitness experts who like to display the athletic and sensual side of pole dancing without the vulgarity. Over the course of three days, you can learn or perfect your balancing, spinning, flipping and dropping techniques in various workshops (some free) that cover everything from "Stiletto Swag" to "The Mental Benefits of the Pole." Or learn by watching professionals (including a few men) from places like America's Got Talent and Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour take part in performances. There's also a cocktail party, seminars and additional workshops for business owners. You'll walk away feeling sore but exhilarated, and with your dignity intact. $40-$139 Los Angeles Marriott, 5855 W. Century Blvd. www.poleconvention.com

Friday, 6/22

A Dance-Along Dirty Dancing Screening
7:45pm Start
You’ll have the time of your life as this romantic classic comes alive for one very special night under the stars during the Los Angeles Film Festival. Onscreen, Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey will spar, fall in love and, of course, perform that climatic lift at the end. Simultaneously, Los Angeles urban Latin dance troupe Contra-Tiempo will act as a “shadow cast” onstage during the film’s key dance sequences. Uniting them both will be that unforgettable soundtrack of ’60s classics and unstoppable ’80s hits. Come dressed in your circa 1962 summer camp garb and hit the dance floor and you might win a prize. We promise: No one will put you in a corner. Presented in cooperation with Grand Performances and Dance Camera West. Grand Performances, 350 S Grand Ave, Downtown http://www.filmindependent.org/event/dirty-dancing-dance-a-long/

Fred Segal Santa Monica Sale
Through July3rd
Pay your credit card bill and make room in your closet because Fred Segal Santa Monica is having its FIRST EVER summer sale! Much like seeing Halley’s comet or watching the King’s win the Stanley Cup, this event cannot be missed. The Santa Monica location is offering—wait for it—50 percent off select items from June 22 to July 3. Every store under the Fred Segal roof like Babakul, Aviator Nation, Ron Robinson, and Sharon Segal will be offering merchandise for HALF OFF. You could score breezy Happiness maxi skirts, Charlene K hammered gold initial necklaces, or beaded Global Girls sandals that are perfect for summer. Happy shopping! Fred Segal, 420 & 500 Broadway, Santa Monica www.fredsegal.com

Saturday, 6/23

Summer Food Festival at The Grove
10am - 6pm
The 3rd annual Summer Food Festival hosted by Chef Susan Feniger will take place at The Grove from 10am-6pm. Purchase tickets and enjoy samplings from restaurants at The Grove and Susan Feniger’s STREET all day long! Enjoy cooking demonstrations and a speaking panel of LA chefs. Events include a Chef Neal Fraser cooking demonstration, a speaking panel hosted by Susan Feniger, and lots more. 189 The Grove Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90036 http://www.thegrovela.com/ 

Saturday Screenings!
5:30.PM Street Food Cinema: Avatar
5:30.PM Eat|See|Hear Presents: The Big Lebowski
6:00.PM Oscars Outdoors: Ferris Beuller's Day Out
7:30.PM Cemetary Screenings: Chinatown

Sunday, 6/24

Main Street Summer SOULstice
11am - 6pm
Who doesn't want to party on the longest day of the year?  Especially if it's gorgeous outside and you're right next to the beach.  Oh wait, and there's live music too?  Score! Over 15 live bands on six stages including Helios Jive, Highway 61 Revisited, The Neil Deal, Cubensis - Grateful Dead Music Tribute, Southbound, Petty Theft, Stone Soul, Bonne Musique Zydeco, The Funky Hippeez, Dr. Wu, Good Cop Bad Co; Seville, Ohio Trio + 3, Paul Chesne Band, Texas House Party, Minus Ned, The Gumbo Brothers, Deep Soul Fusion, The Raw Honey Buns and more! Plus tons of shopping & happy hour deals!  They're also doing a massive sidewalk sale Friday & Saturday, so be sure to check that out as well.  Main Street, Santa Monica www.mainstreetsm.com/soulstice-12/

Levitated Mass at LACMA
11am Opening
Levitated Mass by artist Michael Heizer is composed of a 456-foot-long slot constructed on LACMA's campus, over which is placed a 340-ton granite megalith. As with other works by the artist, such as Double Negative (1969), the monumental negative form is key to the experience of the artwork. Heizer conceived of the artwork in 1968, but discovered an appropriate boulder only decades later, in Riverside County, California. Taken whole, Levitated Mass speaks to the expanse of art history, from ancient traditions of creating artworks from megalithic stone, to modern forms of abstract geometries and cutting-edge feats of engineering. Residents in zip codes along the route, which is just about everyone from Riverside to Los Angeles, gets free admission to the museum through July 1. LACMA 5905 Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90036 http://www.lacma.org/art/exhibition/levitated-mass

The Vendys
1pm - 5pm
The Vendys are a yearly street food cook-off that, since 2005, has determined the best street chef in NYC. The Second Annual LA street food showcase will be an intense cook-off between the best sidewalk chefs taking place at Pan Pacific Park, right next to the Grove. Until May 24th, they’ll be taking public nominations. Then 8 food vendors will battle it out for the ultimate in street food competition and take home the Vendy Cup. The winner will be chosen by a panel of judges, but the general public is invited to enjoy great street food, wine and beer. Early bird tickets available for $30. Pan Pacific Park http://streetvendor.org/la2012/

Tuesday, 6/26

Spirit of the Times: Gin
6:30pm - 9:30pm
Gin is one of our favorite spirits to enjoy in the summer. Its juniper and other botanical flavors work in a myriad of refreshing cocktails, which are perfect after a day spent at the beach. See for yourself at the Spirits of the Times: Gin tasting we’re co-hosting at the brand-new No Vacancy at the Hotel Juniper on Tuesday, June 26. (The buzzed-about establishment is so new it hasn’t even opened to the public yet—this is your chance to get in before everyone else.) For just $20, you’ll get unlimited samples of some of the world’s best gins, including Caorunn, Nolet’s, Oxley and No. 3. Plus, there will be an open bar serving delicious cocktails, and you’ll get to vote for the night’s top drink. That’s not to mention the selection of gourmet appetizers. Buy your tickets now for this exclusive event, and we’ll see you at No Vacancy. No Vacancy at the Hotel Juniper 6541 Hollywood Blvd. http://liquor.com/experiences/spirit-of-the-times-la-gin/