🇺🇸 Greek Food, Cameras, and Memorial Day

Welcome to your weekly San Fernando Valley update: May 21–28, 2026.

In this week’s NoHo Nick:

• 🇬🇷 Greek Festival

• 🧑‍🎨 The Artist's Way

• 🎥 Filmmaking

• 🎸 Concerts

This week, I asked my Instagram a simple question:

"If your neighbor leaves their trash can on the street all week, is it OK to throw dog poop in there when you walk by?"

75% of you said absolutely yes. 25% said no. Some called it gross and inconsiderate.

One person DMed me: "I don’t like it when my trash cans smell."

This week’s newsletter is sponsored by In Strength Marriage & Family Therapy.

🎨 Walking “The Artist's Way” Together (Valley Village): A 12-week group series working through Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way.

Expect to challenge perfectionism, deepen your connection to yourself, and get comfortable with vulnerability.

• Weekly creative activities

• Accountability check-ins

• Guided discussions to deepen reflection

• Coordinated outings for artist dates

Facilitated with care by Emily Shefer of In Strength Marriage & Family Therapy, and hosted by Magnolia Art Space in Valley Village.

Learn more about walking The Artist’s Way together →

NoHo Nick readers get $100 off with code "NICK."

Mondays, June 8 through August 24, from 7 to 8:30 PM at Magnolia Art Space.

Here’s what’s happening:

Featured Event

📸 Lens Showcase for Filmmakers (Burbank):

An exclusive first look at a brand new Cooke lens series, with two sessions for filmmakers and cinematographers to get hands-on with the optics.

Free. Thursday, May 21, sessions at 12 PM and 7 PM at Cooke Burbank (4131 Vanowen Pl.).

Ongoing

🛍️ Nibble Town Community Market (Studio City): A pet-friendly community market with local vendors, food, and creative finds. Free. Every Sunday from 2 to 7 PM at Brews Brothers Brewpub (11262 Ventura Blvd.).

Thursday, May 21

🎨 Magic: The Gathering Figure Drawing (Burbank): Sketch a cosplay model of planeswalker Liliana Vess through timed poses set to a Magic-inspired playlist. $15–$25. Thursday, May 21, from 7:30 to 9:30 PM at Geeky Teas & Games (900 W. Alameda Ave.).

😂 Comedy Runway Fashion Show (Burbank): A comedy show where stand-up comics perform while being judged by a panel of fashion judges for their outfit alone. Free (donations accepted). Thursday, May 21, starting at 8 PM at Yes Baby Vintage (3420 W. Magnolia Blvd.).

Friday, May 22

🎶 Memorial Day Concert (Burbank): The 70-piece Burbank Community Band performs a free concert honoring Memorial Day. Free. Friday, May 22, from 10:30 AM to 12 PM at Joslyn Adult Center (1301 W. Olive Ave.).

🎬 ‘I Love Boosters’ Screening (Burbank): Watch the new film with cinematographer Natasha Braier, then grab a drink with her at Finney's Crafthouse afterward. Watch the movie trailer. Friday, May 22, at 8:35 PM at AMC Burbank 16 (125 E. Palm Ave.).

🌱 Guayaba Kitchen Primavera Pop-Up (Sylmar): A garden pop-up dinner with seasonal tacos, vegan nachos, mole bowls, aguas frescas, desserts, and coffee. Friday, May 22, from 6:30 to 9:30 PM at 13774 Paddock St.

Saturday, May 23

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

🎮 Queer Games Showcase (Sherman Oaks): Play video games created by queer developers and featuring queer characters. Free. Saturday, May 23, from 1 to 4 PM at GeekyGlamorous (13634 Burbank Blvd.).

🧘 Mat Pilates (Woodland Hills): A mat Pilates session to stretch, strengthen, and recharge. All levels welcome. $35. Saturday, May 23, from 7:30 to 8:30 AM, at REP IN MOTION (Erwin St., Suite 102).

🎵 Across All Genres Concert (North Hollywood): An intimate concert featuring singer/songwriter Aspen Roos, a jazz trio led by Greg Sim, and the sunset rock sounds of Pacific Sunsets. $12. Saturday, May 23, from 8 to 10 PM at Kulak's Woodshed (5230½ Laurel Canyon Blvd.).

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

Sunday, May 24

✨ “Money Oil” Workshop (North Hollywood): Learn to create and charge your own money oil using herbs, crystals, and candle pairings. Take home your creation. 21+. $44. Sunday, May 24, from 6:30 to 8:30 PM at Haley’s Wines (5124 Lankershim Blvd.).

Monday, May 25

🇺🇸 Memorial Day Parade (Canoga Park): The 34th annual patriotic parade rolls down Sherman Way with floats, marching bands, and community groups. Free. Monday, May 25, starting at 10 AM. Parade route along Sherman Way from Owensmouth to Cozycroft.

🇺🇸 Memorial Day at Pioneer Cemetery (Sylmar): A Memorial Day ceremony honoring those who served. Donations support cemetery upkeep, which relies entirely on contributions. Free. Monday, May 25, from 11 AM to 12 PM at Pioneer Memorial Cemetery (14451 Bledsoe St.).

Happening Soon

🎨 Flower Friends Craft Night (North Hollywood): A cozy interactive craft night where you create whimsical flower characters, name them, and enjoy a slice of pie. Materials provided. Inspired by the upcoming indie film The Loser. $25. Wednesday, May 27, from 6 to 8 PM at Republic of Pie (11118 Magnolia Blvd.).

🔭 Astronomy Night (Burbank): Telescope viewing of the Moon and Jupiter, followed by a family-friendly presentation on NASA's Artemis II mission and its images. Weather permitting. Free. Wednesday, May 27, from 7:30 to 10 PM at Lincoln Beer Company (3083 Lima St.).

📺 VFX of Stranger Things Season 5 (North Hollywood): A behind-the-scenes panel with the artists behind the final season's visual effects. Free. Thursday, May 28, from 7 to 9 PM at Gnomon School of Visual Effects (6150 Laurel Canyon Blvd.).

📚 Books & Booze Book Fair (North Hollywood): A grown-up book fair at the historic Idle Hour with vendors, used books from The Last Bookstore, a door-prize raffle, and a school lunch-themed menu. Free. Saturday, May 30, from 11 AM to 5 PM at Idle Hour (4824 Vineland Ave.).

Not the Valley

🏐 Women's Volleyball (Echo Park): Casual women's volleyball pickup at the park. RSVP required. Free. Thursday, May 21, from 6 to 8 PM at Echo Park.

🏰 Medieval Quest Block Party (Santa Clarita): A medieval-themed block party with a dragon hunt, jousting arena, catapult pong, food trucks, and live Celtic-rock music. Free. Thursday, May 21, from 7 to 10 PM on Main Street in Newhall.

✍️ Write Night (South Pasadena): A community writing evening with mocktails. Donations benefit the Asian Mental Health Project. $25–$50 suggested donation. Tuesday, May 26, from 6 to 8:30 PM at Burden of Proof (1012 Mission St.).

👹 Monsterpalooza (Pasadena): The ultimate monster art convention with over 450 exhibitors, creatures, makeup demos, panels, and a museum. $50 to $100. Friday, May 29 through Sunday, May 31 at Pasadena Convention Center (100 N. Garfield Ave.).

🇬🇷 Valley Greek Festival (Northridge): The San Fernando Valley's 50th annual Greek Festival returns for Memorial Day weekend.

Gyros, pastitsio, baklava, live bouzouki music, traditional dance performances, cooking demos, a Greek marketplace, church tours, kids' activities, and a raffle for a trip to Greece.

$5. Saturday, May 23 through Monday, May 25, from 12 to 9 PM at Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church (9501 Balboa Blvd.).

More than 380 businesses are now listed in the SFV Directory.

Run a business? Know someone who does?

Submit your business for free and get in front of the 1,000+ locals who visit the site each month.

Bonus: if a business gets recommended to me by multiple readers, I tag them as a Local Favorite.

❓️ How many unique zip codes are in the San Fernando Valley?

Last week’s question: The Van Nuys neighborhood was named after a land developer. Van Nuys was his last name. What was his full first name?

Answer: Van Nuys is named after Isaac Newton Van Nuys.

Thanks for reading! See you next week.

PS Fryman Canyon (Studio City) will soon start charging for parking.

PPS There’s a new dashboard that’s tracking the worst landlords in LA. Ranked by violations per address.

PPPS Are you, or anyone you know, training AI to replicate human movements? A local journalist, Nicholas McCay, is writing a piece for The Local LA about people doing gig work, so AI and robots can learn from the footage. Email him at [email protected] to be interviewed.

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