Beneath the Harvest Moon at the Skirball

Thursday evening at the Skirball Cultural Center, one of the more distinctive outdoor events Los Angeles has to offer this season takes shape under a full harvest moon. "Beneath the Harvest Moon" is a community gathering led by ceremonialist Devorah Brous, timed intentionally just ahead of Sukkot, the Jewish harvest festival.

The event weaves together Jewish earth-based traditions with contemporary festival energy. Attendees can work through interactive elemental stations that connect to the season's themes, try their hand at lulav bundle crafting (a traditional ritual object used during Sukkot), and watch a ceremonial Aztec dance performance by In Tianextli Tlacopan. That combination of Indigenous and Jewish ceremonial practice in one evening is unusual enough to be worth showing up for on its own.

As the ritual portion winds down, the evening shifts into something lighter. KCRW Music Director Ale Cohen takes over with a live DJ set. If you know KCRW's programming, you have some sense of what to expect: thoughtful, eclectic selections that don't fit neatly into one genre. It should be a solid close to an already packed evening.

Tickets run $10 to $20, with food and drinks available for purchase on-site. The Skirball sits in the hills above the 405 in the Sepulveda Pass, accessible by car or the Big Blue Bus line 12 from Westwood. Parking is available on campus.

For anyone looking for outdoor activities in Los Angeles that go a little deeper than the usual weekend fare, this fits. The Skirball consistently programs events that treat culture as something participatory rather than just observed, and this gathering reflects that instinct well. It's the kind of evening where you might end up crafting a lulav bundle, watching a ceremonial dance, and then dancing yourself before heading home.

Doors open Thursday, September 24. Check the source link for exact timing and to secure your spot before it sells out.