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Free Hats, Big Laughs, and a $350K Art Gig

Live music, LAUSD jobs, mural money, and one seriously pink wine party

Author

Adam Kruze
June 12, 2025

Happy early Father’s Day!

Happy early Father’s Day to all the awesome dads, stepdads, father figures, and grill masters out there! Whether you're celebrating with a bucket hat at Dodger Stadium or sipping frosé at Rosé Day LA, there’s a lot going on this weekend in the Valley. In this issue: Olympic events are coming to Sepulveda Basin, affordable housing updates hit Burbank, job seekers get a shot at LAUSD, and there’s a mural commission that could make your art career—and your wallet—very happy. Plus, we've got live music lineups, comedy drops, and a hike if you need to work off that brunch. Let’s dive in.

❓️ Did You Know? The San Fernando Valley helped launch the Space Age—literally. Rocketdyne’s Canoga Park plant built nearly all of America’s liquid rocket engines (except for the Titan) and powered every major U.S. space mission from Atlas and Apollo to the Space Shuttle.

🏅 Olympic Events To Be Held In SFV

The 2028 Paralympic Venues were recently announced and I was excited to see if there would be any events held in the Valley. Unfortunately, there will not be any, with almost all of the events bring held in the downtown area.

However, there will be five Olympic events that will be held at the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area;

  • 🏀 3×3 Basketball

  • 🤺 Modern Pentathlon

  • 🚴 BMX Racing

  • 🚲️ BMX Freestyle

  • 🛹 Skateboarding

🎾 Squash will also be played at the Universal Studios.

I was hoping Archery would be featured here as well, considering we have an Archery Range within the Sepulveda Basin. If you’re driving south on the 405 you can catch a glimpse of the Woodley Park Archery Range on the right just after you pass the Victory Blvd exit. Every Saturday morning they offer free archery lessons so if you’ve ever wanted to sling an arrow, check it out.

🐾 Free Pet Microchipping Ahead of July 4th

Fireworks may be fun for humans, but they’re a pet’s worst nightmare. Every year, the 4th of July sends frightened pets running for the hills—and straight into city shelters. To help make sure those pets find their way back home, LA Animal Services is offering free microchipping for all City of LA residents (and just $15 for folks outside city limits), while supplies last.

No appointment needed—just stop by and protect your fur baby from becoming another shelter stat. Available at all six LA Animal Services Centers, but here are the two locations in the Valley;

💡 Already chipped? Now’s a good time to double-check that your contact info is up to date. A microchip doesn’t help if it points to outdated contact info.

🏠 Burbank Housing Lottery Opens July 7, 2025

Who’s behind it?
The Burbank Housing Corporation (BHC)—a nonprofit managing over 300 affordable rental homes across five Burbank neighborhoods—is kicking off its 2025 Waiting List Lottery. So this isn’t a lottery to get access to affordable housing, it’s a lottery to get put on the waitlist.

Who qualifies?
Households with annual earnings between 15–120% of LA County’s Area Median Income. The table below isn’t comprehensive, but translates into roughly:

  • 1-person household: $19,200 – $89,550

  • 8-person household: $25,920 – $168,850

When & how to apply:

  • 🗓️ Opens July 7 at 9 AM PDT, closes July 21 at 4 PM

  • Online-only application; one per household

  • No early birds get bonus chances—submissions simply go into a random computerized lottery

What happens next:

  • A limited number of applications are plucked from the bottom of the list

  • If chosen, households undergo income verification, credit/background checks, and must accept one of two appropriate units when offered

  • The average wait? Brace yourself—2–5 years

Fine print highlights:

  • No preference for specific units—offers go by matching household size/income

  • Preference given if you live or work in Burbank—but proof is required

  • Income recertification is required annually—even after moving in

  • Pets generally not allowed, except certified service or companion animals

🎨 Artist Call: $350K Public Mural Commission in Boyle Heights

The LA County Department of Arts and Culture is commissioning a large-scale mural for the new psychiatric facility at the LA General Medical Center's Restorative Care Village (RCV5) in Boyle Heights. Artists working in any 2D medium are welcome—final artwork will be fabricated as digitally printed aluminum panels.

🖌️ Theme: Healing, hope, cultural connection, and community wellness.
💰 Budget: Up to $350,000
📍 Location: Highly visible Mission Road façade
📅 Deadline to Apply: July 8, 2025, at 5 PM
🧑‍🎨 Who Can Apply: LA County artists or artist teams (who haven’t already received a $350K+ civic commission from the county in the past 5 years)
🧠 Bonus: Preference for narrative art that connects with Eastside culture and history

⚾️ Dodgers Giveaways

This weekend the Boys in Blue return to battle the San Francisco Giants in a three game series on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. And they’ve got some awesome giveaways to commemorate Pride Month and Father’s Day.

Friday is LGBTQ Pride Night where they’re giving away a pretty cool looking sleeveless jersey, perfect for showing off your guns and staying cool in the SoCal heat. These are only available via a special ticket, but there’s also some pretty fun looking pre-game activities like a vogue-off and a kickball championship game.

Then on Sunday they’ll be handing out Father’s Day Bucket Hats to the first 40,000 fans. Finally, a fashion accessory worthy of those New Balance dad shoes.

If neither of those options are up your alley they’ll be giving away Blake Snell bobbleheads on Monday, the 16th.

🏫 LAUSD Is Hiring—And Yes, It’s That Big

If LAUSD were a city, it’d be bigger than Boston. As the second-largest school district in the country, it serves more than 500,000 students across 1,000+ schools—which means there’s a lot of ground to cover... and a lot of jobs to fill.

Enter: the LAUSD Job Fair Tour, a four-stop hiring spree hitting every corner of the city this June—including one right here in the San Fernando Valley on June 17 at the West Valley Occupational Center.

They’re looking for folks across a wide range of roles:

  • 📚 Instructional Aides

  • 🍎 Food Services

  • 💻 IT Support

  • 🧹 Maintenance

  • 🚍 Transportation

  • 🛡️ Campus Safety

  • 🧸 Early and Special Ed
    ... and a bunch more behind-the-scenes jobs that keep the whole district running.

🗓️ Valley Job Fair Details
📍 West Valley Occupational Center
📅 Monday, June 17
🕤 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM
🎟️ Claim Your Free Ticket

Workshops will offer resume tips, career advice, and direct job application support. If you’ve ever thought about working in education—or just working somewhere with great benefits and serious purpose—this is your chance.

🥂 Rosé Day LA 2025


📅 Date: Saturday, June 14, 2025 | 🕐 1 PM–9 PM
📍 Venue: Lush King Gillette Ranch, Calabasas (nestled in the Santa Monica Mountains)

Join 4,000 rosé lovers for an unforgettable outdoor celebration—part luxe picnic, part summer festival. Expect:

  • 🍇 Premium rosé tastings from top-tier brands

  • 🎶 World-class DJs & live entertainment 

    • Kid Francescoli (French Riviera chillwave vibes) headline the live set.

    • Mojave Grey, blending desert rock with electronic grooves.

    • DJ Ruckus and DJ Pookie keep the party upbeat with surprise special guests.

    • And rumor has it that Anderson .Paak (aka DJ Pee .Wee) could drop by to serenade the rosé enthusiasts

  • 🍽️ Curated cuisine & gourmet experiences, featuring celebrity chefs and food trucks

  • 🎭 Art installations, wellness zones, immersive brand activations, giveaways & yard games

Why it’s a can’t-miss:
This stylish kickoff to summer blends sophistication and fun, offering the perfect balance of rosé indulgence, vibrant vibes, and scenic beauty—all set under California sunshine. It’s more than a tasting—it’s an experience.

Tickets & Info:

  • General Admission: starts around $175 (with open bar)

  • VIP Packages: include cabanas and exclusive perks

  • Use Promo Code MALIBUWINES10 for 10% off

  • Buy early at rosedayusa.com, it’s known to sell out fast

📽️Film

😆 Comedy

🎭️Theatre and Performing Arts

🎵 Music

🤷‍♂️ Other

⚠️ BEACH AREA WARNINGS: 6/11

  • Redondo Beach Pier in Redondo Beach - 100 yards up and down the coast from the pier

  • Ramirez Creek at Paradise Cove - 100 yards up and down the coast from the pier

  • Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica - 100 yards up and down the coast from the pier.

  • Castlerock Storm Drain at Topanga County Beach - 100 yards up and down the coast from the storm drain.

  • Mothers Beach in Marina Del Rey - Entire swim area.

  • Inner Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro - Entire swim area.

  • The Bel Air Bay Club at Will Rogers State Beach - 100 yards up and down coast of the club border fence.

These warnings have been issued due to bacterial levels exceeding health standards when last tested.

🧹 BEACH AREAS NOW CLEARED:

Warnings have been lifted for the following beach areas where recent sample results identified water quality levels within State standards:

  • Topanga Canyon Beach in Malibu