Photo by Ella Gonzalez
One might expect a guide to St. Patrick’s Day weekend to be rife with events paying homage to what has perhaps have become the defining object of an entire culture (for better or for worse): beer, and lots of it. Maybe it’s part of some “dry campus” effect where not being able to consume alcohol trickles down into complete disinterest of it (likely not), or better, the author’s own prudishness.
Whatever the case, this weekend’s activities are not the typical St. Patrick’s Day activities, but instead, an unorthodox medley of festivals completely unrelated to this holiday that satisfy the week’s eat, see and do checklists.
EAT
Treat Yourself L.A. Food Festival
March 17 — The Barker Hangar
When “Parks and Recreation“ character Tom Haverford uttered the words “Treat yo self,” he started a phenomenon justifying all indulgent decisions (financial, culinary, and otherwise) by three syllables. In the spirit of Tom Haverford, Treat Yourself — a one day, all-you-can-eat, self-proclaimed “festival of your dreams” — will bring all of LA’s best food vendors for a certified hedonistic and Tom Haverford-approved day. Exhibitors include tried-and-true favorites like Sprinkles Cupcakes and The Pie Hole, as well as Cheezus for grilled cheese (and other holy puns) and Hot Star for unnaturally large slabs of poultry, among other vendors.
Treat Yourself is surely a food festival marketed toward the millennial crowd, and it would be no surprise if there were unicorn or rainbow lattes and charcoal-infused fare at the event. Whatever the case may be, the Treat Yourself food festival will be the place to invoke Tom Haverford’s gratuitous philosophy shamelessly and with ample food to show for it.
SEE
March 17 and 18 — Natural History Museum
The month of March might be the month of festivals and with that, L.A.’s Nature Fest will commence. The festival is set at the Natural History Museum and will be an opportunity for attendees to see various plants and animals, but the festival is not only seeing all the flora and fauna so often alien to Los Angeles’ concrete landscape. There will also be the opportunity to interact with scientists and nature experts, take an early morning bird walk, participate in nature crafts and more.
DO
March 16-25 — Dolby Theatre
Sure this event might entail a lot of seeing (your favorite stars, panels, cast members) but it also requires a lot of doing (deftly maneuvering the website to purchase tickets, the mental strain of deciding which panel to attend, walking to one’s seat in what is perhaps the most lackadaisical form of aerobics there is).
The PaleyFest, the last fest in this festival-heavy Culture Collection, provides the chance to see some of Netflix’s, Hulu’s and TV’s most popular shows and stars in person from “Stranger Things” to “Riverdale” to “The Handmaid’s Tale” at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
Rest heavy on this fest-heavy Culture Collection. Wallets might be drained and an unorthodox St. Patrick’s Day weekend might be had, but it will certainly be far from boring.
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