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
Apr
1
Sat
2017 Native Plant Garden Tour @ LA County
Apr 1 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

The Theodore Payne Foundation 2017 Native Plant Garden Tour will be held April 1-2, packed with curated tours through the county's most beautiful private and public landscapes. From the San Fernando Valley to the Westside, gardens will be open for visitors. LA boasts some of the most unique native plants, landscape design, and wildlife. 

Visit nativeplantgardentour.org to learn more and grab tickets.

Cultivating a Healthy Brain @ Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden
Apr 1 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Instructor: Dr. Robert Tager
Pre-registration preferred; Please call 626-821-4623 or pay at the door
 
Discover what your brain needs to function at its peak. Neurologist and Arboretum volunteer, Dr. Bob Tager will provide an introduction to memory, learning and the brain, before leading a tour through the LA Arboretum gardens and discussing ways of preserving and enhancing brain function. You will learn what recent research says about improving brain health and ways you can enjoy the process.
 
Robert Tager is currently Clinical Professor of Medical Education at USC’s Keck School of Medicine, and he gives tours to medical students to enhance their observational skills and to learn the health benefits of the garden environment.

Oil Painting: Capture the Beauty of Nature @ Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden
Apr 1 @ 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Oil Painting: Capture the Beauty of Nature

Saturdays, (6 week sessions):
January 14 – February 18
February 25 – April 1
April 8 – May 13
May 20 – June 24
1:00pm – 3:30pm

Ron Pettie, Instructor
$69 Arboretum members / $79 non-members (includes Arboretum admission)
All materials are included.
 
Capture the beauty of nature! The instructor will guide a beginner to draw and paint with confidence. More advanced students will be able to paint independently at their own pace and will be able to choose their own subjects.
 
Each subsequent six-week class will explore other areas of painting such as landscape, still life, domestic animals, structures, deserts, and seascapes. Master artist Ron Pettie will guide you on this adventure.
 
At the end of a six-week session students will learn the following:

  • Composition styles
  • How to read a color chart
  • Color mixing
  • How to use the grid system and the rule of thirds
  • Use of dark and light values and gray scales
  • Learn a variety of techniques for painting , including using different brushes and the palette knife for texture and depth
  • How to use the magic frame on photographs
  • Self-Critiquing – Standing back and squinting
  • Choosing a signature

 
Reservations REQUIRED; To register please call the Education Department at 626-821-4623.

Apr
2
Sun
AbilityFirst Stroll & Roll @ Universal Studios Backlot Los Angeles
Apr 2 @ 7:30 am – 9:00 am

Come join AbilityFirst for a fun-filled day as they Stroll & Roll through the Universal Studios Backlot to benefit AbilityFirst programs and services to help children and adults with disabilities.  Stroll through NewYork, Whoville, Jaws, and other movie backdrop sets, meet Universal Studios characters, enjoy complimentary coffee and continental breakfast, and eat from delicious food trucks! Don’t miss your chance to walk through the expo for giveaways, massages and more.  For more information, please call 626-396-1010 or email stroll@abilityfirst.org.  Register at www.strollandroll.org or www.abilityfirst.org.  

2017 Native Plant Garden Tour @ LA County
Apr 2 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

The Theodore Payne Foundation 2017 Native Plant Garden Tour will be held April 1-2, packed with curated tours through the county's most beautiful private and public landscapes. From the San Fernando Valley to the Westside, gardens will be open for visitors. LA boasts some of the most unique native plants, landscape design, and wildlife. 

Visit nativeplantgardentour.org to learn more and grab tickets.

Front Yard Spring Beer & Wine Block Party @ The Front Yard
Apr 2 @ 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Don’t miss the Front Yard Spring Beer & Wine Block Party! Besides live music, food, beer, and wine, ticket proceeds give back to TreePeople, an LA-based nonprofit keeping our urban environment sustainable and healthy. 

Tickets are $30. Grab ‘em here!

Apr
5
Wed
“Fresh: Celebrating The Table” Cooking Class @ Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden
Apr 5 @ 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Reservations required; please call Class Reservation Line at 626-821-4623

Chef/Owner of UNION Restaurant – BRUCE KALMAN

Bruce Kalman’s Northern Italian cooking style embraces the diverse and abundant produce of California to create exquisitely balanced flavor profiles meant to warm the soul at KP Hospitality concepts like UNION in  Pasadena, CA and Knead & Co. Pasta Bar + Market in L.A.’s Grand central Market.

His commitment to indigenous ingredients goes beyond the farmers’ market to build strong connections with local providers, keeping the operations’ carbon footprint low, supporting the local economy, and connecting diners to high quality vegetables, meats, and cheeses straight from the source.

Kalman’s meticulous approach to authentic, flavor-forward cuisine permeates every corner of his menu. “We use vegetables from root-to-leaf, butcher animals head-to-toe, and even stretch fresh cheeses in-house,” he says. “I’m exceedingly passionate about food that is handcrafted from beginning to end.

MENU

  • Stracciatella on Crostini with Olive Oil & Sea Salt
  • Barley Risotto with Mushrooms and Goat Cheese
  • Roasted Chicken Alla Diavola with Creamy Polenta
  • Brutti cookies

Wine provided by Gale Kohl of Gale’s Restaurant in Pasadena.

Apr
6
Thu
Social Impact Breakfast @ Los Angeles Downtown Central Library
Apr 6 @ 7:45 am – 9:15 am

The next Social Impact Breakfast is on Thursday, April 6, 2017, at the Downtown Central Library (630 W. 5th Street). Two dynamic breakfast speakers who are working to make an impact in LA will share their stories and insights into making that impact: Jessica Wethington McLean, Executive Director of Bringing Back Broadway, and Christina Rice, Senior Librarian of the LAPL Photo Collection.

Register Today!

Apr
8
Sat
Oil Painting: Capture the Beauty of Nature @ Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden
Apr 8 @ 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Oil Painting: Capture the Beauty of Nature

Saturdays, (6 week sessions):
January 14 – February 18
February 25 – April 1
April 8 – May 13
May 20 – June 24
1:00pm – 3:30pm

Ron Pettie, Instructor
$69 Arboretum members / $79 non-members (includes Arboretum admission)
All materials are included.
 
Capture the beauty of nature! The instructor will guide a beginner to draw and paint with confidence. More advanced students will be able to paint independently at their own pace and will be able to choose their own subjects.
 
Each subsequent six-week class will explore other areas of painting such as landscape, still life, domestic animals, structures, deserts, and seascapes. Master artist Ron Pettie will guide you on this adventure.
 
At the end of a six-week session students will learn the following:

  • Composition styles
  • How to read a color chart
  • Color mixing
  • How to use the grid system and the rule of thirds
  • Use of dark and light values and gray scales
  • Learn a variety of techniques for painting , including using different brushes and the palette knife for texture and depth
  • How to use the magic frame on photographs
  • Self-Critiquing – Standing back and squinting
  • Choosing a signature

 
Reservations REQUIRED; To register please call the Education Department at 626-821-4623.

Apr
10
Mon
Spring Break Camp: Santa Monica Pier Aquarium/Heal the Bay @ Santa Monica Pier Aquarium
Apr 10 @ 9:00 am – 2:00 pm

Ages:  1st – 4th Grade

Are your nieces, nephews, cousins or children curious about marine science and animals?

Heal the Bay's Santa Monica Pier Aquarium offers Spring Break Camp. Campers will explore the Aquarium environment through hands-on science. It's fun. It's educational. And it's almost here!

Sign Up for Spring Break Camp

Heal the Bay members get a discount. Scholarships are available.

Heal the Bay members:

  • $65/day
  • $300/week

Non-members:

  • $70/day
  • $325/week

Questions? Please contact Jackie Cannata, Camp Director, by email at jcannata@healthebay.org or via phone at 310-393-6149 x 106. We look forward to hearing from you.

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.