Things to Do in Glendale

Trips and training form the centerpiece of PCH Scuba's services for area hydronauts. Programs range from beginner-level certification to search-and-recovery training, and adventures journey both close to home and as far ranging as Fiji. The Open Water Diver course makes for a fun and accessible first foray beneath the waves, incorporating a deep-delving adventure to Catalina Island, which is named after the third queen of Spain: Queen Island. The staff leads explorations of San Diego's collection of wrecks and adventures on chartered dive boats. Whatever sort of wave-blanketed voyage the aquatic adventurer desires, PCH's community of Master Scuba Diver–certified teachers and dive leaders are eager to chaperone.

From the emerald valley of Brookside Golf Club's practice facility, Fore Kids Golf Academy’s staff of aces teaches youngsters the very basics of on-course conquests in a fun and positive environment. The golf gurus strive to imbue kids with a sound understanding of golf’s pendulous swing while also teaching them how to set and meet goals of any nature, such as growing up to be a contributing member of society or scientifically proving that all golf balls are descendants of the moon. The academy offers one-week camps throughout the summer, Saturday clinics, and private lessons. Most clinics involve both range practice and on-course play, as well as video swing analysis, which provides students with a visual aid to help them understand swing advice and identify their sand wedge’s bad side.

Adventure Helicopter Tours parades sightseers about the skies above Los Angeles for aerial appreciation of the city's many landmarks. The outfit hosts 12 separate tours around southern California, including those that fly over the homes of celebrities, providing ample opportunities to pass judgment on their backyard barbecuing skills. Other options include a romantic sunset excursion, and a route that flies past the Hollywood sign. Every passenger on an Adventure Helicopter Tours excursion enjoys window seating and a two-way MP3 stereo headset for easy communication with fellow sightseers.

Greek music reverberates into the open air as the rich smell of roasting lamb entices crowds walking into the annual Pasadena Greek Fest in Santa Anita Park. Lined with stalls selling Greek wares and traditional Greek food, the fest celebrates Greek culture with three days of socializing, dancing, and lightening-bolt throwing. When not munching on honey-soaked bites of fried loukoumathes or shish kebabs, families can look at the goods for sale or scale the inflatable equipment in the kids’ fun zone.

Los Angeles Oktoberfest invites visitors to celebrate the changing seasons with two days of traditional Bavarian revelry. Hosted by Bob Guiney from ABC's The Bachelor, the festival invites attendees to fill their glass steins with any of the 19 available German beers and purchase hearty platefuls of bratwurst, giant pretzels, and strudel. Live bands lead traditional, sing-along drinking tunes, a Bavarian dance group performs for joyous audiences, and a strolling accordionist weaves through the crowds while playing familiar German melodies. In addition to bidding on sports memorabilia at the silent-auction table, patrons can also test their arm strength by competing in the stein-holding competition, which rewards the winners with lifetime admission to the Los Angeles Oktoberfest and a brand new pair of steel biceps to replace the old, used-up ones.

Since they were kids, siblings Regina and Fabiano Carpinelli have lived and breathed comics. In 2011, the Carpinellis' passion came to a head as more than 35,000 fellow comic fans attended their inaugural Comikaze Expo. The success of the event attracted the attention of the legendary comic man himself: Stan Lee, creator of Spider-Man, who has since partnered with the duo to create Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo the Comic Con of L.A., a celebration of all things comic, gaming, sci-fi, and fantasy. The official comic book convention of Stan Lee punctuates its two-day celebration with celebrity guests, fan-focused panels, costume contests, and gaming competitions. Art shows feature the work of industry greats and unknown artists side by side, allowing attendees to discover snippets of new stories or hunt pagefuls of their favorite rare character combinations, such as when Batman teamed up with Kristi Yamaguchi in Figure-Skating Fury.

Local charities use a portion of the proceeds to enrich the lives of those in need, demonstrating one of the many ways stories can change the real world for the better without resorting to wearing Darth Vader costumes to the office.