Free Theatre in the Parks: The Taming of the Shrew, October 2 and 3

West Hollywood’s Free Theatre in the Parks program provides free outdoor theatre for residents and visitors. This year, Lovers and Madmen Productions will present Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew.

Performances will take place at 7 p.m. on Friday, October 2, 2015 and Saturday, October 3, 2015 at Plummer Park, located at 7377 Santa Monica Boulevard, in the Courtyard of Great Hall. Admission is free; RSVPs are not necessary and seating is provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Free limited parking will be available in both parking lots at Plummer Park.

For additional information about Free Theatre in the Parks or regarding the City of West Hollywood’s Arts and Culture Programs visit http://www.weho.org/arts or call (323) 848-6377.

CMG (California Men’s Gathering) Film Festival, October 2 and 3

The fourth-annual CMG (California Men’s Gathering) Short Film Festival consists of four programs of short films for and about the LGBT community. All proceeds will be donated to AIDS Walk Los Angeles, which benefits AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA) and supports more than 20 L.A. County AIDS service organizations through the Community Coalition Initiative (CCI).

The Film Festival will take place on Friday, October 2, 2015 (Program One, 8 p.m.) and Saturday, October 3, 2015 (Program Two, 4 p.m.; Program Three, 6:30 p.m.; and Program Four, 9 p.m.) at the City of West Hollywood’s City Council Chambers/Public Meeting Room at West Hollywood Library, located at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard. Validated parking will be available in the five-story parking structure.

For more information, including a detailed list of short films, please visit http://www.cmgfilmfest.net

SASSAS soundSpark Music Series for Young Children Features Morgan Lee Gerstmar, October 3

soundSpark is a monthly music series for young children featuring solo and duo performances by emerging artists. soundSpark events are free and take place on the first Saturday of each month at the West Hollywood Library Children’s Theatre, located at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard.

This month’s soundSpark performer is Morgan Lee Gerstmar. The performance will take place on Saturday, October 3, 2015 at 12 p.m. soundSpark is made possible through a grant from the City of West Hollywood through its Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission.

For more information, please visit http://www.sassas.org/calendar or http://www.weho.org/arts , or call (323) 848-6377.

Russian Performance My First Fairy Tales at Plummer Park, October 4 

The City of West Hollywood, through its Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission, and Puppet Theater on Wheels present My First Fairy Tales, a puppet-theater performance presented in Russian, with an English synopsis available. Admission is free and open to the public. Kids and families are encouraged to attend.

My First Fairy Tales is presented as part of WeHo East Arts, an initiative of the City’s Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission. It will take place at the West Hollywood Community Center at Plummer Park, located at 7377 Santa Monica Boulevard, Rooms 1 and 2, on Sunday, October 4, 2015 at 11 a.m.

For more information, please visit http://www.weho.org/arts or call (323) 848-6377.

MOCA Art Talk: Magdalena Fernández and Alma Ruiz, October 4 

In conjunction with her first U.S. solo museum exhibition at MOCA Pacific Design Center, Venezuelan artist Magdalena Fernández and guest curator Alma Ruiz discuss abstraction in contemporary Latin American art. They will touch upon the artist’s range of influences, from her background in graphic design to the tropical flora and fauna of her native Caracas, and her most recent work, Luciérnaga (2015), a site-specific installation of LED lights that activates the stairs leading up to the museum’s second-floor gallery.

The MOCA Art Talk will take place on Sunday, October 4, 2015 at 3 p.m. at the City of West Hollywood’s City Council Chambers/Public Meeting Room at West Hollywood Library, located at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard. Validated parking will be available in the five-story parking structure. Admission is free and open to the public.

This art talk is hosted by the City of West Hollywood.

For more information and to RSVP, visit http://www.moca.org/program/art-talk-magdalena-fernandez-and-alma-ruiz or http://www.weho.org/arts

Women and Books Club to Discuss Americanah, October 6

The WAB Club (Women and Books) is a monthly book club, which meets to discuss books written by women authors. This month’s discussion is the book Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. It will take place on Tuesday, October 6, 2015 at 7 p.m. at the West Hollywood Library Community Meeting Room, located at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard. Admission is free.

Women And Books is sponsored by the City of West Hollywood’s Women’s Advisory Board.

For more information, please email carlabrowning@hotmail.com, call (310) 652-5340 or visit http://www.weho.org/wab.

Outfest West Hollywood Series: Game Face, October 7

Game Face shows the quest to self-realization of LGBTQ athletes and their acceptance in society. This documentary tells the parallel story of Fallon Fox, the first transgender pro-fighter in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), and Terrence Clemens, a college basketball player in Oklahoma who happens to be gay. The film follows both athletes during their coming-out process, and sheds light on the obstacles LGBTQ sports players deal with throughout their careers. Former NBA star Jason Collins shines as a mentor for Clemens in this inspiring documentary.

The screening of Game Face will take place on Wednesday, October 7, 2015 at 7:30 p.m. at the City of West Hollywood’s City Council Chambers/Public Meeting Room at West Hollywood Library, located at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard. Validated parking will be available in the five-story parking structure.

The Outfest West Hollywood Series is presented with the support of the City of West Hollywood through its Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission.

Tickets are $10 for general admission or $6 for Outfest members.

For more information or to RSVP for tickets, please visit http://www.outfest.org/weho-series or http://www.weho.org/arts.

2015 AIDS Walk, October 11

The 31st annual AIDS Walk Los Angeles returns to West Hollywood Park on Sunday, October 11, 2015. The park is located at 647 N. San Vicente Boulevard. Sign-in is at 8:30 a.m.; the opening ceremony is at 9:15 a.m.; AIDS Walk Begins at 10 a.m.

Since its inception in 1985, AIDS Walk Los Angeles has benefited AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA), an AIDS service organization dedicated to improving the lives of people affected by HIV; reducing the incidence of HIV infection; and advocating for fair and effective HIV-related public policy. AIDS Walk Los Angeles makes it possible for APLA to provide urgently needed food, dental care, safe housing, and much more to people with HIV/AIDS who also face poverty, hunger, and homelessness. APLA also runs the county’s largest network of HIV prevention programs to end the epidemic in Los Angeles.

To register and for more information, please visit: http://www.aidswalk.net/losangeles.

WeHo Reads: Emma Donoghue in Conversation with David L. Ulin, October 12

The City of West Hollywood celebrates the literary community with WeHo Reads, which consists of a year-round author series featuring new and noteworthy authors at the West Hollywood Library and a full day of literary events, which took place in September 2015.

In October, join us for an author series event. Meet Emma Donoghue, best-selling novelist and screenwriter of the upcoming critically acclaimed film Room, in conversation with Los Angeles Times book critic and author David L. Ulin. Room has won numerous awards including New York Times Notable Book of 2010, NPR Book of The Year, and Booker Prize Shortlist. The movie Room recently won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival, and will be released by A24 Films on October 16, 2015. Both highly suspenseful and deeply emotional, Room is a unique and touching exploration of the boundless love between a mother and her child.

The WeHo Reads author series event will take place on Monday, October 12, 2015 at 7 p.m. at the City of West Hollywood’s City Council Chambers/Public Meeting Room at West Hollywood Library, located at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard. The event is free and open to the public. Free validated parking is available in the five-story parking structure.

For more information about WeHo Reads and other events at the West Hollywood Library, visit http://www.weho.org/wehoreads or http://www.colapublib.org.

2015 Rent Stabilization Ordinance Building Blocks Seminar Series: “Reasonable Accommodations for Disabled Tenants,” October 13

The City of West Hollywood’s 2015 Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) Building Blocks Seminar Series will host a discussion on understanding reasonable accommodations for disabled tenants. What is required? Who qualifies? What is a landlord’s responsibility?

The discussion will take place on Tuesday, October 13, 2015 at 7 p.m. at the West Hollywood Community Center at Plummer Park, located at 7377 Santa Monica Boulevard, in Room 6.

For more information or to RSVP please call (323) 848-6450.

The Great ShakeOut, October 15

The City of West Hollywood is getting the word out that the Great ShakeOut is on the horizon. On Thursday, October 15, 2015, at 10:15 a.m., you can join more than 9.6 million people in California and more than 20 million people worldwide in the Great ShakeOut — the world’s largest earthquake drill! Please spread the word!

Major earthquakes can happen anywhere and they can impact the places you live, work, or travel. The Great ShakeOut is our chance to practice how to protect ourselves, and for everyone to become prepared. The goal is to prevent a major earthquake from becoming a catastrophe for you, your organization, and your community. Why is a “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” drill important? — in order to respond quickly, you must practice often. You may only have seconds to protect yourself in an earthquake before strong shaking knocks you down, or something falls on you!

For more information about how to register and participate, please visit http://www.shakeout.org.

KillJoy’s Kastle: A Lesbian Feminist Haunted House, October 16 to 18, October 22 to 25, and October 28 to 30

Each Halloween, radical evangelical groups build “Hell Houses” — these performer-animated installations showcase a gruesome retribution for the sins of fornication, abortion, suicide, occultism, and, of course, same-sex relationships. This Halloween, Toronto-based artists Deirdre Logue and Allyson Mitchell reclaim this hellish scenario with their sex-positive, trans-inclusive, queer lesbian feminist fear-fighting celebration KillJoy’s Kastle: A Lesbian Feminist Haunted House. Designed to pervert, not convert, this haunted house of freaky feminist skill-sharing and paranormal consciousness-raising reanimates the archive of lesbian herstory with all its wonders and thorny complications.

KillJoy’s Kastle will take place at Plummer Park’s Long Hall, located at 7377 Santa Monica Boulevard . Opening night hours are Friday, October 16, 2015 from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Then, KillJoy’s Kastle will be open from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 17, 2015; Sunday, October 18, 2015; Thursday, October 22, 2015; Friday, October 23, 2015; Saturday, October 24, 2015; Sunday, October 25, 2015; Wednesday, October 28, 2015; Thursday, October 29, 2015; and Friday, October 30, 2015. Admission is free and open to the public.

KillJoy’s Kastle is organized by the ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives and funded in part through a grant from the City of West Hollywood through its Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission.

For more information, please visit http://one.usc.edu/killjoys-kastle or http://www.weho.org/arts.

WHAP! Lecture Series: “Re-Assembling Tijuana,” October 16

The City of West Hollywood and the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) Master of Arts (MA) program in Aesthetics and Politics present the West Hollywood Aesthetics and Politics lecture series (WHAP!). This series features events that range from political debates to film screenings and performances, as well as conversations about art, architecture, and philosophy.

On Friday, October 16, 2015 at 8 p.m., WHAP! will host a discussion “Re-Assembling Tijuana” led by Rene Peralta, architect and urbanist, and associate professor at Woodbury University in San Diego. The evening will feature three other guests: Adriana Trujillo and José Inerzia, of the media collective POLEN; and cultural theorist Josh Kun as they discuss a re-assembling of the Tijuana region’s identity through critical and self-referential cultural praxis in film, theory, and architecture.

WHAP! will take place at the West Hollywood Library Community Meeting Room, located at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard. Admission is free. Validated parking will be provided at the West Hollywood Park five-story public parking structure.

For additional information, please visit http://www.weho.org/arts or http://aestheticsandpolitics.calarts.edu/lecture-series/whap.

Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre: Sophie & Charlie, October 18

Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre presents Sophie & Charlie: Garden Bout, a site-specific dance performance that explores the shared life of its eponymous lead characters, in dance telenovela form — the last thing Sophie expects to find at a funeral is love, but that’s how it starts. Each Sophie & Charlie performance highlights a different local neighborhood’s “hidden gem” and includes live music, featuring bands and musicians. Founded in 1985, the Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre creates innovative dance experiences in non-traditional places and provides learning opportunities in diverse neighborhoods.

Sophie & Charlie: Garden Bout will feature the Los Angeles Percussion Quartet and will take place on Sunday, October 18, 2015 with performances at
3 p.m. and at 5 p.m. at Kings Road Park, located at 1000 N. Kings Road.

For more information, please visit http://www.weho.org/arts. To purchase tickets, please visit http://www.heididuckler.org/sophie-and-charlie.

Free Health and Wellness Event, October 20

In recognition of Disabilities Awareness Month and Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the City of West Hollywood will join Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Planned Parenthood, SCAN, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, and other local, nonprofit service providers to offer a free Health and Wellness Event.

The Health and Wellness Event will take place on Tuesday, October 20, 2015, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the West Hollywood Community Center at Plummer Park, located at 7377 Santa Monica Boulevard.

There will be free screenings: blood glucose; blood pressure; HIV testing; pulmonary; and total cholesterol; as well as stroke and thyroid. There will also be free immunizations — pneumococcal and seasonal flu. Information will be provided about Covered California, as well.

The Health and Wellness Event is sponsored by the City of West Hollywood and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

For more information, please call (323) 848-6510. For people who are deaf or hearing impaired, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

Celebration Theatre — New Works: Life in Limbo, October 20

Celebration Theatre’s monthly New Works Series presents free staged readings of newly written LGBTQ plays. This month’s reading will be Life in Limbo, directed by Samantha Kern. This play examines the existences of 10 men in the closet who come together on one night to recount the histories of their lives in a brave, insightful, surprisingly truthful and revealing narrative. It lays bare the fears, insecurities, hopes, and dreams of these men and the women in their lives, leaving an indelible portrait of humans who are trying to come to terms with their own sexuality in an ever-changing world.

The staged reading will take place on Tuesday, October 20, 2015 at 7:30 p.m. at the City of West Hollywood’s Council Chambers/Public Meeting Room, located at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard. Validated parking will be available in the five-story parking structure. Admission is free (donations are welcomed) and RSVPs are not required.

For more information, please visit http://www.weho.org/arts or http://www.celebrationtheatre.com.

“Time Presses” Wednesday-Night Recreation/Social Club, October 21

The City of West Hollywood and its Russian Advisory Board will co-sponsor the recreation club “Time Presses” — a Wednesday-Night Social Club on Wednesday, October 21, 2015, from 6 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. The event will take place at the West Hollywood Community Center at Plummer Park, located at 7377 Santa Monica Boulevard, in Rooms 1 and 2.

The evening will feature karaoke singing, movies, potluck food, and an opportunity to communicate in Russian and English languages. There will be a special presentation by the members and an open microphone. Admission is free.

For more information, please call (323) 848-6826, email info@timepresses.com, or visit http://www.timepresses.com. For people who are deaf or hearing impaired, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

Ethics Reform Task Force Meeting, October 21

The West Hollywood City Council has created an Ethics Reform Task Force to develop recommendations on campaign finance, government ethics, and lobbyists — the Task Force is engaging with community members on these topics.

The next meeting Ethics Reform Task Force meeting will take place on Wednesday, October 21, 2015 at 6:30 p.m. at West Hollywood City Hall’s Community Conference Room, located at 8300 Santa Monica Boulevard. Validated parking will be available at the Kings Road Municipal Parking Structure, located at 8383 Santa Monica Boulevard.

For additional information about the City of West Hollywood’s Ethics Reform Task Force, please call (323) 848-6356.

West Hollywood’s Gay Men’s Discussion Group “TRIBE,” October 21

The City of West Hollywood’s Gay Men’s Discussion Group TRIBE meets on the third Wednesday of every month. TRIBE discussions are open to the public and attendees are encouraged to discuss their own experiences about issues of importance to the gay male community.

This month, TRIBE will be host a game night — “Truth and No Consequences.”

TRIBE will take place on Wednesday, October 21, 2015 from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the West Hollywood Library Community Meeting Room, located at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard. Admission is free. Validated parking is available.

For more information, visit http://www.weho.org/tribe or email tribe@weho.org.

WeHo@30 Film Festival: A Digital Time Capsule, October 23 and 24

WeHo@30 Film Festival: A Digital Time Capsule features film and video about the City of West Hollywood that will be placed into the City’s archives.

The Festival will take place on Friday, October 23, 2015, from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., and on Saturday, October 24, 2015, from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., at the City of West Hollywood’s City Council Chambers/Public Meeting Room at West Hollywood Library, located at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard. Validated parking will be available in the West Hollywood Park five-story parking structure. Admission is free and open to the public.

For more information, please visit http://www.weho.org/arts.

10th Anniversary of Conversations ’Bout the Girls, October 24 to 25

The Visions of Possibilities and MACHA Theatre/Film present the 10th anniversary of Conversations ’Bout the Girls, an inspiring performance piece that chronicles the lives of young girls and women and their relationships with their breasts, body image, and world around them. Conversations ’Bout the Girls brings into view the mysterious, sometimes misunderstood, and often controversial realm of women’s bodies and body images. Written and directed by Sonia Jackson, it stars Arely Araniva, Lynndi Scott, Debbie Carriger, Noemi Torres, Jaelyn Jones, Rosie DeCandia, Kay Ewing Donato, and Valerie Frugé.

Conversations ’Bout the Girls will take place at MACHA Theatre, located at 1107 N. Kings Road — Friday, October 23, 2015 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, October 24, 2015 at 3 p.m. and at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, October 25, 2015 at 3 p.m. There is limited on-site parking. Additional fee parking is located at Kings Road Parking Structure, located at 8383 Santa Monica Boulevard.

Tickets are $30, opening night or $20. In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a portion of the proceeds from each ticket will be donated to the West Hollywood Youth Scholarship Fund.

Conversations ’Bout the Girls is co-sponsored in part by the City of West Hollywood through its Women’s Advisory Board and Arts & Cultural Affairs Commission.

For more information, please call (323) 375-6241 or visit http://www.conversationsboutthegirls.com

Low-Cost Pet Vaccination and Microchip Clinic, October 24

The City of West Hollywood and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Los Angeles will host a low-cost vaccination clinic. The clinic will offer rabies vaccinations and microchipping for cats and dogs; DHPP and Bordetella vaccinations for dogs; and FVRCP and Leukemia vaccinations for cats.

The clinic will take place on Saturday, October 24, 2015 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the West Hollywood Community Center at Plummer Park, located at 7377 Santa Monica Boulevard.

The fee for microchips at the clinic is $25 for cats and dogs (registration not included). Rabies vaccinations are $5 for cats and dogs. DHPP, FVRCP and Leukemia vaccinations are $15 and Bordetella vaccinations are $10. There is a $25 fee for de-worming for cats and dogs. All services will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.

For more information, please visit http://www.spcala.com.

2015 Rent Stabilization Ordinance Building Blocks Seminar Series: “How Evictions Work — Rules for Landlords and Property Managers,” October 24

The City of West Hollywood’s 2015 Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) Building Blocks Seminar Series will host a discussion about how evictions work. Learn the difference between “no fault” and “just cause” evictions and about the required noticing and procedures.

The discussion will take place on Saturday, October 24, 2015 at 10:30 a.m. at the West Hollywood Library Community Meeting Room, located at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard.

For more information or to RSVP please call (323) 848-6450.

Youth Halloween Carnival, October 24

Join us for a day filled with witchcraft and wizardry! The City of West Hollywood’s Youth Halloween Carnival will feature face painting, game booths, costume contests, and much more.

The Youth Halloween Carnival will take place on Saturday, October 24, 2015, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., at West Hollywood Park, located at 647 N. San Vicente Boulevard. It is free and open to all muggles, wizards, and creatures alike — great for families and children! You won’t want to miss this yearly celebration of Halloween.

For more information, please call (323) 848-6534.

Opening Reception: In a New Land: 10 Years Later, October 24

The WeHo@30 Digital Time Capsule festival features photos, film, and video about West Hollywood that will also be placed into the City’s archives — this includes images from In a New Land: 10 Years Later/Photography by Russian-Speaking Immigrants. This project is a 10-year follow-up of In a New Land, a photography exhibit by and about the Russian immigrant experience in West Hollywood, as viewed by Russian immigrant youth.

Join us for an opening reception on Saturday, October 24, 2015 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at West Hollywood Library, located at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard. The exhibit will be on display at the West Hollywood Library through December 2015.

For more information, please visit http://www.weho.org/arts.

Lambda Literary Book Club Meeting, October 27

The Lambda Literary Book Club, moderated by Tony Valenzuela, highlights a different LGBT book each month, Admission is free and validated parking will be provided. A program of the Lambda Literary Foundation, co-sponsored by the West Hollywood Library, the books selected are a heady mix of LGBT classics, unheralded gems, and buzz-worthy new releases.

October’s selection is Yabo by Alexis De Veaux. The book club meeting will take place on Tuesday, October 27, 2015 at 7 p.m. at the West Hollywood Library Community Meeting Room, located at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard.

For more information, please call (310) 652-5340 or visit http://www.lambdaliterary.org/book-clubs/lambda-lit-book-club.

17th Annual Disability Service Awards, October 28

Join us as we celebrate Disability Awareness Month and honor the 2015 recipients of the City of West Hollywood’s 17th Annual Disability Service Awards.

The awards ceremony will take place on Wednesday, October 28, 2015 at 5 p.m., at the City of West Hollywood’s City Council Chambers/Public Meeting Room (located next to Longshot Coffee) at West Hollywood Library, located at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard. Validated parking will be available in the West Hollywood Park five-story parking structure. Admission is free and open to the public.

There will be a reception preceding the awards presentation, and a special performance by The Johnny Mercer Children’s Choir.

The 17th Annual Disability Service Awards is sponsored by the City of West Hollywood’s Disabilities Advisory Board.

For more information, please call (323) 848-6510. For people who are deaf or hearing impaired, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval, October 31

This year’s West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval will take place on Saturday, October 31, 2015 from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Santa Monica Boulevard between Doheny Drive and La Cienega Boulevard.

Each year, the City of West Hollywood hosts its Halloween Carnaval — one of the most unique Halloween gatherings in the world. With an estimated attendance of approximately 500,000 people, it is one of the region’s largest events. Staged over a one-mile stretch of Santa Monica Boulevard/Historic Route 66, Halloween Carnaval will feature exceptional entertainment and incredible people-watching for a one-of-a-kind festival. Although this event is open for all to enjoy, children and pets are not recommended.

Halloween Carnaval was launched in 1987 and is rooted in the foundation of the City of West Hollywood’s diverse culture and community. The event has grown year-by-year into an annual gathering of phenomenal costumes, entertainment, culture, and self-expression with a myriad of observers, revelers, exhibitionists, and performers. People come from all over the region and even travel from domestic and international spots to take part in the fun.

For more information, visit http://www.weho.org/halloween or call (323) 848-6503.