🌹 Roses, Improv, and Pilates

Welcome to your weekly San Fernando Valley update: May 14–May 20, 2026.

In this week’s NoHo Nick:

• 🧘 Pilates

• 🐶 Dogs

• 🎸 Music

• 🌹 Roses

One of my friends is in a new Hallmark Channel movie, Kentucky Roses!

My wife and I watched it for free thanks to the LA Public Library and Hoopla, a digital streaming service you can access with your library card.

You can stream nature docs, binge PBS, catch up on BBC mystery shows, or watch some new Hallmark movies. All free.

If you have an LAPL card, you already have access.

(Is the library bringing us all one degree closer to Kevin Bacon?)

This week’s newsletter is sponsored by Pasta Sisters:

🍝 Local scratch-made pasta and sauces at Gelson’s.

Pasta Sisters, a family-owned Italian restaurant in LA, brought its scratch-made pasta and sauces to all Gelson's locations in SoCal.

Founded in 2015 by the Da Re-Sinatra family, Pasta Sisters cooks with generational Northern Italian recipes, imported Italian flour, and slow-simmered sauces. Made from scratch daily.

Spaghetti, tagliatelle, tortellini, meat lasagna, or bolognese sauce ($9.95–$14.95). Delicious and ready in minutes.

Pick up in-store at Gelson’s.

Check out Pasta Sisters →

Here’s what’s happening:

Featured Event

🎪 Salute to Recreation Family Festival (Northridge): This three-day community celebration, running since 1982, packs in live music across two stages, carnival rides, a pickleball tournament, food vendors, and a kids' area with face painting and a petting zoo.

“Connecting communities to the recreational programs offered by the Department of Recreation and Parks.”

Free. Friday, May 15 through Sunday, May 17 at Northridge Recreation Center (18300 Lemarsh St.).

Ongoing

🎭 Award-Winning Improv Classes (Valley Village): The Improv Trick celebrates 20 years of improv training. Beginner fundamentals to performance labs and corporate workshops. Two-for-one enrollment specials available. Sundays through June 28 at The Art Parlor (5302 Laurel Canyon Blvd.).

🇯🇵 Japanese Language Summer Classes (Pacoima): Japanese language classes for children and adults. July 11 through August 8, at San Fernando Valley Japanese Language Institute (12953 Branford St.).

📖 Dark Library: The Time Machine (North Hollywood): Immersive theatrical cocktail experience set in an H.G. Wells multiverse. Dance, experiential design, and drinks. 21+. $50. Through May 31 at After Hours Theatre Company (5628 Vineland Ave.).

Thursday, May 14

🗳️ New Generation Town Hall (Encino): A political town hall with Pod Save America's Jon Favreau and Congressional candidate Jake Levine on the state of the Democratic Party, youth leadership, and 2026 politics. Free. Thursday, May 14, from 7 to 8:30 PM.

Friday, May 15

🐕 2 Dog Minimum Comedy Show (North Hollywood): A stand-up comedy show where comics perform alongside their dogs. Dogs welcome. Free. Friday, May 15, from 8 to 9:30 PM at Lawless Brewing Co. (5275 Craner Ave.).

👻 Halfway to Halloween Market (Granada Hills): A spooky shopping pop-up with small business vendors, tarot readings, face painting, caricatures, and sweet treats. Costumes encouraged for 20% off at Ghoulish Delights. Free. Thursday, May 15, from 4 to 9 PM at Ghoulish Delights (17812 Chatsworth St.).

🎨 Paint & Sip On Glass (Woodland Hills): A paint-and-sip experience where you paint on plexiglass instead of traditional canvas. $45. Friday, May 15, from 10 AM to 12 PM in Woodland Hills.

🧚 DIY Fairy House Workshop (Burbank): Bring a glass jar and leave with a whimsical fairy house of your own creation, in an enchanted workshop. $65. Friday, May 15, from 6:30 PM to midnight at Secret Forest LA (3412 W. Magnolia Blvd.).

Saturday, May 16

🧘 Charity Pilates for Pups (Sherman Oaks): A mat Pilates class supporting dogs in need, with a curated gifting experience and coffee. Free. Saturday, May 16, starting at 11 AM at BodyKitchen Pilates (13401 Ventura Blvd., Ste. 101).

😂 Fly Swatter Comedy Showcase (North Hollywood): A monthly stand-up showcase featuring comics from major clubs, festivals, and streaming. $5 donation. Saturday, May 16, from 9 to 10:30 PM at Viibz Restaurant & Bar (10863 Magnolia Blvd.).

🩰 Pilates & Yoga Open House (North Hollywood): Swan Movement Arts celebrates its 1-year anniversary at its new location with small-group Pilates, yoga, and sound bath demos. Free. Saturday, May 16, from 2 to 4 PM at Swan Movement Arts (4906 Lankershim Blvd.).

🎤 Eurovision Grand Final Watch Party (North Hollywood): Watch the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 Grand Final live with fellow fans. $7. Saturday, May 16, starting at 11 AM at Suomi-Kerho Finnish Center (10701 Magnolia Blvd.).

🎸 The Flashbackular Spectacular 2 (North Hollywood): Retro party bands perform the greatest hits of the '80s, '90s, and 2000s alongside celebrity guests, iconic movie cars, and a full bar. Benefits the National Bleeding Disorders Foundation. $29. Saturday, May 16, starting at 5 PM (12016 Vose St.).

🎵 Kids Jamboree (West Hills): A free interactive music workshop for kids ages 5–12 with songwriting, listening activities, and the chance to try out multiple instruments. Snacks provided. Free. Saturday, May 16, from 5 to 7 PM at Guitar Merchant (22807 Saticoy St.).

🎬 We Met at Grossinger's (Encino): A documentary screening tracing the rise and fall of the iconic Catskills resort that inspired Dirty Dancing. Part of the LA Jewish Film Festival's 20th anniversary. $19. Saturday, May 16, starting at 7:30 PM at Laemmle Town Center 5 (17200 Ventura Blvd.).

🎧 Valley House Call 027 (Tarzana): The 27th edition of this house music series delivers Latin tech house grooves with DJs Seabass, Dylan Serna, Gerard Groove, and DDeafner. Free. Saturday, May 16, from 9 PM to 1:40 AM at Dark Horse Tavern (5507 Reseda Blvd.).

Sunday, May 17

🏪 AANHPI Vendors Mini Flea Market (Burbank): A mini flea market and swap meet celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander vendors with local art, plants, vinyl records, books, and more. Free. Sunday, May 17, from 8 AM to 1 PM at Donut Hut (2025 W. Magnolia Blvd.).

🎷 Open Jazz Jam (West Hills): A free, all-ages jazz jam featuring a professional house band and an open invitation for musicians of any skill level to sit in. Free. Sunday, May 17, from 3 to 5 PM at Guitar Merchant (22807 Saticoy St.).

💃 Somatic Dance Meditation (Van Nuys): A movement meditation class focused on connecting with the body through open, judgment-free movement. $5. Sunday, May 17, from 11:15 AM to 12:30 PM at Woodley Park (6350 Woodley Ave.).

🎞️ An Auschwitz Album Story (Encino): A documentary screening telling the survivor story of Mike and Joe Kreitenberg and their discovery of family photographs. Part of the LA Jewish Film Festival 2026. $19. Sunday, May 17, from 11 AM to 12:30 PM at Laemmle Town Center 5 (17200 Ventura Blvd.).

Happening Soon

🌸 Tujunga Village Spring Music Festival (Studio City): A full-day block party with live bands, a vintage car show, a wine garden, pet adoption, kids' activities, and vendor booths along Tujunga Avenue. Free. Saturday, May 23, from 1 to 8 PM on Tujunga Avenue (between Moorpark St. and Woodbridge St.).

🎶 Rust & Reverb (San Fernando): A free monthly live music showcase at Shadow Grove Brewing. Free. Saturday, May 23, from 8 to 11 PM at Shadow Grove Brewing (1116 2nd St.).

Not the Valley

👻 Victorian Horror Stories in the Dark (Montecito Heights): An immersive horror experience through haunted Victorian mansions, ending inside an abandoned church. From $60. Friday, May 22, through Sunday, May 24, at Heritage Square Museum (3800 Homer St.).

🗳️ The Amazing Vote Center Race (Downtown LA): A team-based scavenger hunt that sends groups of 3–5 racing to vote centers across the city, completing challenges to inspire voter turnout. $30 team registration. Monday, May 25, from 12 to 6 PM at Gloria Molina Grand Park.

🐰 Where the Creatures Sleep (New—North Hollywood) is a new brewpub from the creators of Shadow Grove Brewing.

Founded by friends Ron and Tom, they serve rotating small-batch beers, hard seltzers, and ciders, along with a full food menu with table service, in a moody, immersive atmosphere.

WTCS has covered outdoor seating, vegan options, and 4-oz tasters for sampling multiple beers.

They're open Wednesday through Sunday, starting at 4 PM, with Friday and Saturday hours extending to midnight. 5249 Lankershim Blvd.

Lately is an app for discovering and booking last-minute beauty and wellness appointments in Los Angeles, always at a discount.

Think blowouts, haircuts, facials, manicures, massages, and more that are available today or tomorrow.

I interviewed the founder, Jaclyn Roth, about her vision for the app and her startup journey.

Read the interview →

“At its core, Lately is about making self-care feel more spontaneous, accessible, and woven into everyday life. I’d like to make booking a beauty appointment as easy and on-demand as ordering DoorDash.” — Jaclyn Roth

❓️ The Van Nuys neighborhood was named after a land developer. Van Nuys was his last name. What was his full first name?

Hint: He’s named after a famous mathematician.

Last week’s question: This Valley neighborhood is named after a type of oak tree. Which one?

Answer: Encino is Spanish for "oak" or "holm oak." The area is named for its live oak trees. However, the actual Spanish word is “Encina,” and the neighborhood is a masculine misspelling of the word.

Thanks for reading! See you next week.

PS Starting in June, the city of LA will host free World Cup watch parties across the city.

PPS The San Gabriel Valley is distributing $2,000 e-bike vouchers to eligible residents.

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