This week’s newsletter is sponsored by Cocoa + Cream:

Cocoa + Cream (Toluca Lake) is a premium dessert shop with handcrafted gelato, artisan chocolate, specialty coffee, and ceremonial-grade matcha.

Tip: Try the cardamom latte.

Mention “NoHo Nick” at the register for 10% off your next drink order.

Here’s what’s happening this week:

✈️ Youth Airplane Building (Pacoima): Teens and college students build a real aircraft. Design, metalwork, and riveting. Free. Thursdays from 6 to 8 PM and Saturdays from 1 to 4 PM at Whiteman Airport (10000 Airpark Way).

🎭 Matt & Ben (North Hollywood): A comedy play where Matt Damon and Ben Affleck find the script for Good Will Hunting when it falls out of the sky. $35. Opens Friday, July 31, running through September 5 at The Sherry Theater (11052 Magnolia Blvd.).

🎙️ Ladies Night Comedy Showcase (Burbank): A comedy showcase of emerging female stand-ups. Limited free tickets at the link. Free. Thursday, July 30, from 7:30 to 9:30 PM at Flappers (102 E Magnolia Blvd.).

🦈 Jaws Night (North Hollywood): A beach-themed market with a giant shark photo booth, a kinetic sandcastle station, and pizza. Free market; screening $10 per chair, $7.50 BYO blanket. Friday, July 31, from 5 to 10:30 PM at Lawless Brewing Co. (5275 Craner Ave.).

🌮 Food Truck Friday (Burbank): Rotating food trucks and live music in Magnolia Park. Free. Friday, July 31, from 6 to 9 PM along Magnolia Blvd from Hollywood Way to Catalina St.

🚗 Movies in the Park: Cars (San Fernando): The final night of the city’s Movies in the Park series, with a musical performance, games, and vendor giveaways before the film. Free. Friday, July 31, from 7 to 10 PM at Las Palmas Park (505 S Huntington St.).

🏊 Pool Fiesta Fundraiser (Mission Hills): A pool party fundraiser raising money to bring ESL, STEM, arts, and sports programs to kids in Tijuana. $60. Saturday, August 1, from 2 to 6:30 PM in Mission Hills.

⚾ WPBL Opening Day (North Hollywood): Watch the Women’s Pro Baseball League opener between the LA Queens and New York Heights, the first women’s pro baseball game in over 70 years, with beer from local women-owned breweries. 21+. Free. Saturday, August 1, starting at 5 PM at Hop Merchants Bottle Shop & Taproom (5013 Lankershim Blvd.).

📚 Van Nuys Public Library Book Sale (Van Nuys): Hundreds of new books, DVDs, and CDs with paperbacks from 25¢ and hardbacks from 50¢. Proceeds support library programs. Free. Saturday, August 1, from 9:30 AM to 12 PM at Van Nuys Public Library (6250 Sylmar Ave.).

🐶 Dog Adoption Event (Sherman Oaks): Celebrate DOGust, the universal birthday of shelter dogs, and meet adoptable rescue pups from Eastwood Ranch. Adopters get a $50 gift card. Free. Saturday, August 1, from 11 AM to 1 PM at JustFoodForDogs (13900 Ventura Blvd.).

🥗 Burbank Community Potluck (Burbank): A community potluck hosted by the Burbank Community Defense Coalition and fellow local groups. Bring a dish to share. Free. Saturday, August 1, starting at 11 AM at Johnny Carson Park (400 S Bob Hope Dr.).

🕹️ The Shards Flashback (Sherman Oaks): FX turns the Galleria back to 1981 with an arcade, vinyl records, retro storefronts, custom giveaways, and a sneak peek at the new cinema. Free. Saturday, August 1, from 11 AM to 4 PM and Sunday, August 2, from 11 AM to 5 PM at Sherman Oaks Galleria (15301 Ventura Blvd.).

🦸 SheroCon (Van Nuys): The fourth annual celebration of women in comics, gaming, animation, film, and manga, with creative activities and career showcases. Free. Saturday, August 1, from 12 to 6 PM at Valley Relics Museum (7900 Balboa Blvd.).

🧘 Manifestation Sound Bath (Sherman Oaks): A 90-minute sound bath blending guided sound healing with manifestation practices. $33. Sunday, August 2, from 5 to 6:30 PM at Pure Heart Collective (13323 Ventura Blvd.).

🎤 Taylor Swift Tribute Concert (Woodland Hills): Six-piece tribute band New Romantics plays the Swiftie favorites. Free. Sunday, August 2, from 5:30 to 8:30 PM at Warner Park (5800 Topanga Canyon Blvd.).

🚀 Jimmy Neutron 25th Anniversary Screening (Burbank): A 25th-anniversary screening with the original cast on hand for a meet-and-greet, live panel, and after-party. From $30. Sunday, August 2, starting at 1:30 PM at AMC Burbank 16 (125 E Palm Ave.).

📓 Junk Journal Workshop (North Hollywood): Turn photos, paper scraps, stickers, and ribbons into a one-of-a-kind mixed-media journal. $15. Sunday, August 2, from 3 to 5 PM at Lawless Brewing Co. (5275 Craner Ave.).

🔨 Girls Build Night (Atwater Village): A beginner, gender-inclusive woodworking workshop covering the bandsaw, chop saw, and chisel. $65. Friday, July 31, from 6:30 to 9:30 PM at 3015 Dolores St.

🎬 Tromeo & Juliet 30th Anniversary Screening (Downtown LA): A 30th-anniversary screening with a Q&A featuring director Lloyd Kaufman and star Jane Jensen. From $22. Friday, July 31, from 7 to 10 PM at The Last Bookstore (453 S Spring St.).

🍺 Nithya Raman Meet-and-Greet (North Hollywood): A meet-and-greet with LA mayoral candidate Nithya Raman, with photo ops and volunteer sign-ups. Free. Monday, August 3, from 7 to 9 PM at Lawless Brewing Co. (5275 Craner Ave.).

💄 Glow and Gather at the French Quarter (Woodland Hills): A beauty and wellness pop-up hosted by the Yelp Elite Squad. Free. Tuesday, August 4, from 10 AM to 12 PM at The French Quarter (20957 Ventura Blvd.).

10,000+ people follow SFV food creator Sandy Montes (@sandyceo) for her recommendations of the best Valley restaurants and food spots. These are her current favorite places.

🍗 Charcoal Chicken (Van Nuys): “My all-time favorite chicken spot. Everything is cooked outside on a charcoal grill and prepared estilo Jalisco. The birria taco is one of the best in the Valley, and the tortillas are made by hand.”

🌽 Maiz y Fuego (Van Nuys & Canoga Park): “Bomb Mexican food from a ghost kitchen. Started by two women sharing their tradition and culture. Their battered fish tacos are crispy, not greasy, and you truly feel the love in every bite.”

🐔 Humble Bird (North Hollywood): “One of my go-to spots for Nashville hot chicken. The crisp is unreal, everything is made fresh to order, and on weekends their waffles are the best I’ve ever had. My kids gave it a thumbs-up.”

🍋 LemonZest (Northridge): “My number one spot for Mediterranean food. We’ve been five times, and the food is never a disappointment. I’ll keep coming back.”

🍷 Bodevi Wine and Espresso Bar (San Fernando) is hiring a front-of-house barista/server. Must be 21+ (they pour wine and beer), weekend availability required, previous barista experience a plus but not required. Resumes to [email protected].

Hiring or looking for work? Check out the SFV job board.

☀ In May 2026, for the first time ever, more than half of California’s electricity came from solar. (Ember)

✈ Here’s a first look at Hollywood Burbank Airport’s new $1B terminal. (CBS LA)

🏠 Huge Moving Estate Sale (Chatsworth): A massive estate sale with designer and MCM furniture, vintage Moroccan pieces, Asian antiques, a Wurlitzer baby grand piano, fine art, and designer handbags. Friday, July 31 through Sunday, August 2 at 9741 Cactus Ave.

Hosting a sale? Add your garage, yard, or estate sale to the calendar →

❓️ For about one year starting in 1912, Pacoima wasn’t called Pacoima. A developer renamed it after the most famous man in Los Angeles at the time, hoping to sell more land. Who?

Last week’s question: Vanowen Street isn’t named after a person. It’s a mashup of two Valley town names, because it was the straightest road between them. Which two towns?

Answer: Van Nuys and Owensmouth. Vanowen Street was the straightest shot between the two towns. And if “Owensmouth” doesn’t ring a bell, that’s because it got a new name in 1931: Canoga Park.