Big Sunday happily welcomes you to Our Really Big Community Calendar

We try to include all kinds of volunteering and helping opportunities for all kinds of interests, talents, passions, and ages! As you’ll see, these include volunteering opportunities (one-time and long-term) as well as the chance to support a nonprofit by attending fundraising events. Plus, of course, we include all of Big Sunday’s homegrown events, too! Whoever you are, and whatever you do, there is someone out there who could use your help.

If you have questions about our calendar, or would like to add a listing, please contact calendar@bigsunday.org or submit your event/opportunity via the button below.

Big Sunday Event Giving Opportunity! One-time Volunteer Opportunity Ongoing Volunteer Opportunity
Oct
3
Sat
Cultivate LA
Oct 3 @ 6:00 pm

Please join Cultivate LA with this year’s Chef Ambassadors: 

  • Heirloom LA’s MATTHEW POLEY CLA_Banner
  • The Patina Group’s JOACHIM SPLICHAL
  • Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel Air's HUGO BOLANOS


Get your Cultivate LA tickets today – they sell out quickly!

Don’t miss the Italian-style villa of Carla and Fred Sands for Cultivate LA, featuring the best of LA’s restaurants and artisanal food vendors, as well as a variety of California’s finest wine and spirits including many from last year and plenty of new favorites like Union Restaurant, Riot House, Semi Sweet Bakery, Trinchero Napa Valley and many more! View entire list of participants

6-7 pm VIP Reception featuring this year’s Chef Ambassadors and early entrance to the Garden Party with special pours from Asombroso Tequila, Frank Family Winery, Glenfiddich, Moraga Estates and selections from The Kitchen for Exploring Food and The Truffle Brothers

7-10 pm Garden Party + Auction with tastes from restaurants, bakeries, craft distilleries, breweries and wineries and an auction featuring large format wines and incredible trips and experiences

Oct
4
Sun
Arboretum Spotlights 2015 @ Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden
Oct 4 – Oct 5 all-day

ARBORETUM SPOTLIGHTS 2015

Want to learn about the LA Arboretum from one of their experts? Take part in walking and tram tours led by different staff experts. Each will provide in-depth information on some aspect of the Arboretum with topics ranging from unique trees to intriguing books.

For details and more information, visit the event calendar at arboretum.org.                                 

Free for members: Free with admission except as noted below.    

For REGISTRATION, please call 626-821-4623

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Oct 4 (Sunday): Lucky Baldwin’s ArboretumLA County Arboretum logo

  • Mitchell Bishop, Associate Curator for the Historical Collection
  • Meet in front of the Queen Anne Cottage
Oct
6
Tue
Yoga in the Garden 2015 @ Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden
Oct 6 @ 5:30 pm – 6:45 pm

Yoga in the Garden 2015
Instructor Candyce Columbus
Pre-registration required; please call the Class Registration Line at Arboretum, Yoga626-821-4623.  

Starting with a warm up stroll, Candyce Columbus, RYT, provides a gentle, stimulating and rejuvenating all-levels traditional hatha yoga practice, enhanced by the idyllic Arboretum.  Bring a blanket or towel, your yoga mat and water to sip.

Please meet PROMPTLY 15 minutes before the class in front of Main Entrance, outside of the Membership and programs office.

Tuesday Evenings – Fall   (5:30pm – 6:45pm)

  • October           6, 13, 20, 27
  • November        3, 10, 17, 24
  • December        1, 8, 15, 23

Cost for ALL Classes (Tues/Thurs):

  • $35       per month – Arboretum members
  • $40       per month – non–members
  • $15       Drop In – per day

Candyce Columbus, 200-hour E-RYT

Yoga practice has been an integral part of Candyce’s life and well-being for more than 20 years. Since 2009 she has been sharing the knowledge passed on to her from many wonderful teachers. Regardless of fitness or flexibility she believes everyone can benefit from yoga. Her classes are well-balanced, varied, informative and enjoyable.  She is dedicated to her students and to helping them lead active, healthy lives.

Oct
7
Wed
Childhelp: Seeking Foster Parents
Oct 7 – Oct 8 all-day

ChildHelp Community Resource and Training Center is seeking foster parents in Los Angeles.  If you can find room in your heart and home and are interested in learning more about becoming a foster family, please call 1-877-70-CHILD for more information.

Oct
8
Thu
Childhelp: Parenting Classes
Oct 8 @ 1:00 pm

Join ChildHelp Community Resource and Training Center for their free parenting classes.  Classes are held in English from 1 – 3 pm and in Spanish from 3 – 5 pm.  Please RSVP by calling Hector De Paz at 323-301-9433 or hdpaz@childhelp.org or Amber Contreras at323-465-4016 X2007 or acontreras@childhelp.org.  NOTE: Classes without RSVPs may be cancelled.

Oct
10
Sat
Volunteer Work Day: Audubon @ Audubon Center at Debs Park
Oct 10 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

work day

Help spruce up the Audubon's nature center, earn service hours, and have fun! Age 16+. RSVP required.  For more info, please call 323-221-2255 or email kflores@audubon.org.

Reading to Kids @ Seven schools near Downtown Los Angeles
Oct 10 @ 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Reading to Kids @ Seven schools near Downtown Los Angeles

Reading to Kids is a grassroots organization dedicated to inspiring underserved children with a love of reading, thereby enriching their lives and opportunities for success in the future. To this end, Reading to Kids gathers on average 847 children and 376 volunteers at reading clubs on the second Saturday of every month at seven Los Angeles elementary schools.

Garden Night Photography @ Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden
Oct 10 @ 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm

GARDEN NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY GROUP SESSION – 2015

Don’t miss the Arboretum’s on-going series “Garden Night Photography Group Session”! Night offers unique photographic opportunities in the garden so come and discover your own creative images!  Share your night photography techniques with other photographers. Specific emphasis will be placed on the ‘Painting with Light’ technique, so bring your ‘big gun’ flashlights.

Saturdays: 

August 15th          from 7:30pm-10:00pm (Introduction to Night Photography)*

September 5th     from 7:00pm-9:30pm

October 10th         from 7:00pm-9:30pm  

*PLEASE NOTE: It is highly recommended that you attend the August 8th “Introduction to Night Photography” class if you have never photographed at night before, AND be sure you have a DSLR or camera that has manual control capabilities, AND please bring camera’s paper manual or pdf on your phone.

WhereMeet outside the Main Entrance – then visit the Arboretum gardens near the Entrance/Rotunda, Peacock Cafe, Bauer Lawn & Fountain areas, Cactus and Succulent Garden and Madagascar Exhibit area.

WhoFrank McDonough, session leader, botanist and photographer

Fee: Per Class – $30 Arboretum members/$35 Non-members (includes Arboretum admission)

LIMIT 12 Photographers – Pre-registration required; Please call the Class Registration line at LA County Arboretum logo626-821-4623; classes are non-refundable.*

*In case of rain, class will be rescheduled in the near future; you may attend the class or obtain a refund. 

EQUIPMENT INFORMATION:

You will need:

HEADLAMPS: You need to bring your own headlamp.  For safety reasons, if you do not have a headlamp, you will not be permitted to attend. You may purchase inexpensive headlamps at Harbor Freight and Home Depot.  

TRIPOD

DSLR CAMERA capable of long exposure time.

LIGHTS: Battery powered high illumination lights/flashlights, laser pointers.

COMFORTABLE SHOES: you will walk and maybe get dirty! 

About the Session LeaderBesides doling out plant advice here, Arboretum Botanical Information Consultant Frank McDonough photographs the Arboretum on a regular basis. His work can be seen on the L.A. County Arboretum and Botanic Gardens Facebook pagethe Arboretum tumblr site, and throughout the Arboretum’s web site  (www.arboretum.org).

Oct
11
Sun
Big Sunday Community Cruise @ San Pedro, CA (please contact Rob for address details)
Oct 11 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

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Have you been on a Big Sunday cruise yet?  They’re awesome!  We host big groups of underserved and deserving folks on special cruises through San Pedro Harbor.  Many of these nice people have never been on a boat before!  We need volunteers to host, be friendly and hand out donuts to guests, enjoy one another and the ride.  We call it the We’re All in the Same Boat Project and everyone has exactly one job: to meet one new person.  Pretty easy, right?  To RSVP, please contact Rob at rob@bigsunday.org or 323-549-9944.

Oct
13
Tue
Yoga in the Garden 2015 @ Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden
Oct 13 @ 5:30 pm – 6:45 pm

Yoga in the Garden 2015
Instructor Candyce Columbus
Pre-registration required; please call the Class Registration Line at Arboretum, Yoga626-821-4623.  

Starting with a warm up stroll, Candyce Columbus, RYT, provides a gentle, stimulating and rejuvenating all-levels traditional hatha yoga practice, enhanced by the idyllic Arboretum.  Bring a blanket or towel, your yoga mat and water to sip.

Please meet PROMPTLY 15 minutes before the class in front of Main Entrance, outside of the Membership and programs office.

Tuesday Evenings – Fall   (5:30pm – 6:45pm)

  • October           6, 13, 20, 27
  • November        3, 10, 17, 24
  • December        1, 8, 15, 23

Cost for ALL Classes (Tues/Thurs):

  • $35       per month – Arboretum members
  • $40       per month – non–members
  • $15       Drop In – per day

Candyce Columbus, 200-hour E-RYT

Yoga practice has been an integral part of Candyce’s life and well-being for more than 20 years. Since 2009 she has been sharing the knowledge passed on to her from many wonderful teachers. Regardless of fitness or flexibility she believes everyone can benefit from yoga. Her classes are well-balanced, varied, informative and enjoyable.  She is dedicated to her students and to helping them lead active, healthy lives.

How it Works

You can SEARCH by scrolling through the Months or by selecting different Categories or Tag functions. For a totally different view, try the Posterboard or Stream options! Feel free to submit an item for the calendar by clicking the “Submit Your Event / Opportunity” button above at the right-hand side of the page. Questions? Email calendar@bigsunday.org.