Fall festivals to watch for in LA

Around Campus

Beautiful beaches and Hollywood tourist attractions aren't the only advantages of Los Angeles living. With a thriving arts culture, exciting nightlife and a full calendar of community events, the City of Angels offers plenty of fun things for students at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA to do in their free time.

Every year, there are hundreds of fall festivals in LA and surrounding areas, for people with all different interests. Below is just a sampling:

Home to many diverse peoples, LA is the place to be for food lovers. Medical students can enjoy multicultural cuisine year-round at popular LA restaurants, or visit one of the many seasonal food festivals. For example, there's the Taste of Italy festival on October 1, the Taste of Soul Family Festival on October 15, and the Tater Tots and Beer Festival on October 8.

For culture vultures

Foodies, film buffs, music lovers and culture vultures will all enjoy the fall festivals in LA.

With its thriving international community, LA hosts dozens of cultural festivals throughout the year. This fall, the Hollywood Forever Diá de los Muertos festival on October 28 celebrates the Mexican holiday to honor the dead. Attendees dress in Calaca apparel, enjoy live music, eat Mexican cuisine and hang out under the stars in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Living near Hollywood is a real treat for medical students who love movies. LA hosts hundreds of film festivals each year. One of the largest and most prestigious, the American Film Institute's AFI FEST takes place each fall and features nightly movie screenings, red-carpet galas and conversations with film-makers. Students can also attend genre-specific events, such as the Screamfest Horror Festival — the largest and longest-running horror movie festival in the U.S. — on October 18–27.

California may be known for producing television shows and movies, but it's also home to great musicians, artists and performers who showcase their work in dozens of arts festivals throughout the year. For example, the Angel City Jazz Festival from September 30 to October 16 is a multiday celebration of cutting-edge, eclectic jazz artists, with performances at some of the most well-known music venues in LA. And on October 21-23, the Harvest Festival Original Art and Craft Show features more than 24,000 hand-made arts and crafts, live entertainment and mouth-watering treats.

Medical school is serious business, but students who like to lighten up and have a laugh don't have to look far. The Los Angeles Comedy Festival during November 10-20 is the largest comedy festival in the U.S. Featuring funny films, live comedy acts and a screenplay competition, the festival showcases new comedic talent, seasoned professionals and well-known stars.

For more fun things to do, check out this list of fall festivals in LA and read "Five Fall Activities in LA Within a Student's Budget."