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Best Activities To Do This Week In L.A. - April 4

610 Los Angles Times Festival of Books 2013
Credit: Courtesy of the LA Times)

Spring is in full swing, so it's time to get out and enjoy a diverse collection of events this week. The beginning of the week is all about food, with the start of Beverly Hills Culinary Week, and an interactive Teppanyaki Dinner. Get all sorts of cultured as the week goes on by attending the Indian Film Festival, or a special Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra performance exploring how music and the mind collide. A baseball exhibition opens up at the Skirball, and is accompanied by a screening of one of the most loved baseball movies. Two two-day events have you covered for the weekend, as the USC campus welcomes back the annual L.A. Times Festival of Books, and the zoo gives you the chance to greet a few PBS character favorites.

Monday, April 4
OceanPrime
(Credit: Ocean Prime)

Beverly Hills Culinary Week
Various Locations
www.bhculinaryweek.com

Beverly Hills is home to some of L.A.'s best restaurants, so it's only fitting to have a week celebrating the city as a dining destination. Over 50 restaurants, hotels, and stores will offer culinary experiences and dining specials starting today and running through Friday. From discounted bagels (The Nosh of Beverly Hills is offering a dozen for $6), to Vendome Wine & Spirits' 10% off products discount, to Ocean Prime's complimentary Bourbon tasting, Beverly Hills Culinary Week is packed with food and drink deals. With global cuisine from France, Spain, Italy, India, Vietnam, and many more packed into the 5.5 square miles area, you're bound to find something to tantalize your tastebuds. Check the continuously updated website for the full list of participants.

Tuesday, April 5
ROKU
(Credit: ROKU)

ROKU + Table8 Teppanyaki Dinner
ROKU
9201 Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 278-2060
www.innovativedining.com

Tonight Sunset Blvd. restaurant ROKU teams up with Table8 Dining Club to host an interactive Teppanyaki Dinner. Teppan chefs will prepare your meal at a grill table right in front of you, adding their own personal flare to the process. For $65 ($60 for Table8 members), they'll be serving up high-end proteins like Filet Mignon and Nova Scotia Lobster Tail, as well as a complimentary craft cocktail, lobster garlic noodles, and traditional hibachi shrimp. If you haven't checked out the recently opened ROKU, this is a great excuse to try it out. Be sure to grab your tickets at the Table8 website here before they're sold out.

Wednesday, April 6
AngryIndianGoddesses
(Credit: Courtesy of Angry Indian Goddesses)

Indian Film Festival
ArcLight Hollywood
6360 Sunset Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90028
(310) 988-2602
www.indianfilmfestival.org

The five-day Indian Film Festival kicks off tonight with the U.S. premiere of Angry Indian Goddesses. Just one of ten U.S. premieres slated for the festival, the film is an all at once joyful and powerful dramedy of what happens when a group of very spirited women gather together on the eve of the host's wedding. The film celebrates the uniqueness found in each woman as they face the issues of all women in contemporary Indian society. Tonight's Opening Night Gala is just the start of a five day lineup of narrative and documentary features, short films, and more. Bringing groundbreaking Indian cinema to a global audience, the festival is a great way to expand your movie horizons.

Thursday, April 7
LACOWestsideConnections
(Credit: Michael Burke )

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra's "Music and the Mind"
Ann and Jerry Moss Theater at New Roads School
3131 Olympic Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90404
(213) 622-7001
www.laco.org

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra's Westside Connections program is a chamber music series with a twist. Tonight they explore innate vs. learned creativity through the masterworks of Mozart and Mendelssohn. Recognized as extraordinary talents in their earliest compositions, two works will be played from these greats: Mozart's Quintet in E-flat major for Piano and Winds, and Mendelssohn's Piano Trio in D minor. The pieces will create the backdrop for a conversation hosted and curated by Concertmaster Margaret Batjer. Dr. Susan Bookheimer, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at UCLA, will discuss her study of remarkably gifted children, and is joined by UCLA Professor of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences and Professor of Psychology Dr. Robert Bilder, who will reveal findings from his exploration into exceptionally creative people in the arts and sciences.

Friday, April 8
Jackie Robinson Signing Autographs from Field
(Credit: Donated by Corbis)

Exhibition Opening & Screening
Skirball Cultural Center
2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90049
(310) 440-4500
www.skirball.org

The Skirball is helping Angelinos gear up for baseball season by not only unveiling their newest exhibit, Chasing Dreams: Baseball and Becoming American, but also a series of baseball-themed outdoor screenings. Arrive at 6:30pm to check out the new exhibition, which features over 130 artifacts, original films, and interactive experiences that demonstrate how America's national pastime is actually an intersection of sport, identity, race, and ethnicity. Dodger fans will enjoy rarely displayed objects, like signed balls from Sandy Koufax's famous no-hitters and a mid-century model of Dodger Stadium. After checking out the museum, head to an outdoor screening of the coming-of-age cult classic The Sandlot. Opening night activities include oversized games, music, and photo booth, as well as hot dogs, Cracker Jacks, and other concessions available for purchase. Arrive early to score some fun exhibition swag, which will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Saturday, March 9
LATimesFestivalOfBooks
(Credit: Courtesy of the LA Times)

LA Times' 21st Annual Festival of Books
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA
events.latimes.com/festivalofbooks

The Los Angeles Times' Festival of Books is back for its 21st year, and will take place this Saturday and Sunday. The festival is a celebration of not only the written word, but ideas and creativity. In addition to all the books, the Trojan Marching Band will be on hand to kick things off, and will be followed by several other musical acts throughout the day. A Cooking Stage will hold cooking demonstrations, including one by celebrity baker Duff Goldman, and a Children's Stage will offer kids special readings all day long (don't miss Taye Diggs today at 12:30), as well as a visit from the Natural History Museum's Dinosaurs Encounters. Other notable guests today include Stan Lee, Rainn Wilson, and Buzz Aldrin. The lists of stages and guests are extensive, so check the website for all the details.

Sunday, March 10
LAZooLights
(Credit: Jamie Pham )

PBS SoCal Kids Weekend
Los Angeles Zoo
5333 Zoo Dr.
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 644-4200
www.LAZoo.org

Kids of all ages are invited to celebrate PBS SoCal Kids Weekend at the L.A. Zoo. Held Saturday and Sunday, the event brings a variety of engaging fun for families to the Zoo's Eucalyptus Grove. Book readings, themed crafts, and even a kids dance party will take place, as will special appearances from Curious George (10:00am - 1:00pm) and Buddy the Dinosaur from Dinosaur Train (1:00pm - 4:00pm). While you're there, don't miss the close-up animal encounters happening throughout the day, or the Elephants of Asia training demonstration, hawk training demonstration, and special for Sunday, the marsupial talk. All activities are included in your ticket price.

Article by Kellie Fell. Find out more information about Kellie on Twitter.
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