Do It. West Third Street holiday party tonight.

West Third Street is one of the best eating and shopping streets in L.A. Tonight is their annual holiday party, from 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Participants include Magnolia Bakery, Joan's on Third, Trina Turk, Alexis Bittar, and Benefit Cosmetics, among others.

Stop by for some discounts (20% off at Benefit between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., 25% off and nail polish gift with purchase at Trina Turk) and fun (chocolate and wine at Alexis Bittar)!

Thursday December 9, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. West Third Street between La Cienega and Fairfax

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: mondette.com

Do It. Oktoberfest in Culver City.

The ever-festive downtown area of Culver City has been hosting fun block parties all summer long, but now that the weather's getting colder, it's time to say hello to fall. But that doesn't mean the festivities have to stop.

It is October, after all, or rather, the season for Oktoberfest (PDF), and so the city is signing off with a bang. Think cold autumn-themed brews matched with the appropriate grub -- Akasha and BottleRock are serving Hoptoberfest and Oktoberfest beers, Rush Street will feature a full-on beer garden with beer maids and authentic Schweinebraten roasted pork on pretzel rolls, Lunch and Le Saint Amour are offering sausages and bratwurst.

It might be a little chilly out, but it's autumn for goodness sakes, and hey, you might as well walk the shivers off with some more beer.

Culver City's Oktoberfest takes place from 5pm-9pm tonight in downtown Culver City. Click here for more details.

-- Chau Tu

Do It. Culver City Block Party.

It's just another hump day in the dog days of summer, but Culver City thinks it's time for a party. A block party to be exact, and on every third Wednesday of the month (aka today!) through to October, the city is holding a full-on event in its downtown area.

Downtown Culver City boasts some of the area's best dining, and many of those places are participating with some great deals. Akasha is offering 1/2 off all wines by the bottle, Ford's Filling Station is giving out sliders and a draft beer for just $10 (and a live performance of country cover musicians Christopher Hawley and the Rollers on the patio), and Rush Street has a $21 prix fixe menu all night, along with free pole dancing lessons upstairs until 9:30pm--now that's a party! Even Cold Stone is giving out free samples and offering two "Like It" creations for $6. I suggest heading over to BottleRock for their $4 food, wine and beer specials, or try and grab one of their specially-priced $20 bottles for the night.

But it's not all about eating: you can also hit up the Haro or WWA galleries, open during the block party, check out live music at the Kirk Douglas Theatre, or relax at the Wellness Spa with a $1/minute massage (10 minutes minimum).

It's a perfect excuse to check out the area, be outside and enjoy some great deals. Nothing like getting the neighborhood together for a good ole fashioned block party, right?

The Culver City Downtown Summer Block Party is every third Wednesday until October, from 5pm-9pm. Click here for a PDF of all the participating restaurants and shops.

-- Chau Tu