Three Things to check out - July 21 - 27

Here are three cool things to check out this week.

1) Do you know about Grand Performances in downtown L.A.? I'm so impressed with the work of this arts organization. Each summer, they present a season of fantastic, fun and free entertainment in the watercourt nestled in the center of California Plaza. You can bring in your own picnic and enjoy the fun under the night sky. This coming weekend they present Rupa and the April Fishes, Delfoes Danza Contemporanea, and Slivovitz and Soul.

2) Catch the final screenings at the Old Pasadena Film Festival. This film festival is free to the public, and shows films in outdoor locations like courtyards and on rooftops. On Friday night the classic "Roman Holiday" with Audrey Hepburn is shown at 8:00 p.m., followed by Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai" at 10:00 p.m. On Saturday, catch Hepburn again in "Funny Face." Or power-nap during the day so you can stay up and see the entire "Lord of the Rings" Trilogy shown from 10:00 p.m. until dawn.

3) Go take a trip down to Long Beach, and visit the Long Beach Museum of Art. This little gem of a museum is set in an historic Craftsman bungalow overlooking Long Beach harbor. On July 27th it opens an exhibition of its Robert Rauschenberg collection. It also has a wonderful collection of California Plein-Air paintings, and a beautiful outdoor dining patio.

Today's photo is three blooms of the fragrant David Austin Rose, "Jude the Obscure."