Coachella 2023: Where to go for breakfast, lunch or late-night snacks pre-and post-festival

• April 6, 2023

Before it became home to the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, the desert city of Indio was known for its date groves.

Milkshakes made with dates are one of the culinary attractions visitors look for during their time in the valley for the festival or its sister event, the Stagecoach Country Music Festival. Coachella takes over the 78-acre Empire Polo Club April 14-16 and April 21-23, followed by Stagecoach, which is scheduled for April 28-30.

While there are plenty of food concessions on festival grounds, people may want to eat before getting to the venue or after spending a long day at the event.

Here are some of the places that locals go to in the Coachella Valley for breakfast, lunch or a late night snack.

En route to the Coachella Valley

Most people who drive to the festival on the 10 Freeway are going to want make a rest stop. Here are a couple of popular places a few miles west of the valley.

Crazy Coyote Tacos

13033 Malki Road, Banning; 951-849-2000; Open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday-Monday.

Festivalgoers have been stopping at this taco stand along the 10 Freeway for as long as the festivals have been in existence. The menu includes tacos, burritos and nachos, plus $10 dinner plates with rice, beans and a canned soda.

Hadley Fruit Orchards

47993 Morongo Trail, Cabazon; 951-849-5255, hadleyfruitorchards.com; Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily.

Hadley’s began as a fruit stand in the 1930s, but is now best known for its date shakes. There are three kinds: original, banana and vegan, running $4.49-$6.69.

Breakfast and brunch

Here are some places with local flavor to relax or get caffeinated.

Elmer’s Restaurant

1030 E Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs; 760-327-8419, eatatelmers.com; Open 6 a.m.-9 p.m. daily.

This family restaurant has been around for decades. It’s known for its buttermilk pancakes. It also serves crepes and Florentine Benedict.

Lulu California Bistro

200 South Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs; 760-327-5858, lulupalmsprings.com; Open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday; 8 a.m.-9 p.m. on Sunday.

Three-course weekend brunch includes choice of such items as eggs Benedict, pancakes, strawberry Belgian waffles, panini and chicken pot pie. Beverages include mimosas.

Starbucks Reserve Bar

110 North Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs; 760-318-2287, starbucksreserve.com; Open 5 am.-9:30 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 5:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. on Saturday; 5:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. on Sunday.

This Starbucks is a little different than your neighborhood Starbucks, with pour-over, full-leaf tea and “Palm Springs exclusives” such as Iced Coachella Chai. The snacks in the display case, however, look very familiar. It is located in the heart of downtown Palm Springs.

Lunch

Most of these places have been established in the Coachella Valley for decades. The exception is a new gastropub in the city of Coachella, but it has some history since it occupies a building that was formerly a fire station.

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Aspen Mills Bakery & Cafe

555 South Sunrise Way, Palm Springs; 34175 Monterey Ave., Rancho Mirage; 73600 Alessandro Drive, Palm Desert; 46520 Washington Street, La Quinta; aspenmillsbakery.com; check locations for hours.

This local chain serves cold sandwiches on its own artisan bread, including the Coachella, a meatless sandwich made with pepper jack cheese, avocado, red onion and housemade salsa on nine-grain bread.

Coachella Firehouse Bar & Grill

1517 Sixth Street., Coachella; 760-619-2150; 9 a.m.-9 p.m. daily.

If people who go to the Coachella festival really want to experience the city of Coachella, this new gastropub near the civic center specializes in burgers, beer and wine.

Fisherman’s Market & Grill

235 South Indian Canyon Drive, Palm Springs; 760-327-1766, fishermans.com; 44250 Town Center Way, C-1, Palm Desert; 78575 Highway 111, No. 100, La Quinta; 760-777-1601, fishermans.com; check locations for hours.

This chain serves a variety of seafood and fish, not to mention beer. The menu includes fish and chips, fish tacos and bowls.

Shields Date Garden

80-225 Highway 111, Indio; 760-347-0996, shieldsdategarden.com; Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily.

This 99-year-old date grove is one of the closest tourist attractions to the Empire Polo Club. It serves as a reminder of the Coachella Valley’s agriculture industry, which was built on dates and citrus in the late 19th century. The front is a gift shop with a counter that serves date shakes, ice cream and fresh-squeezed orange juice. In back is a café that is open for breakfast and lunch. The menu features dates in salads and other items.

Sherman’s Deli & Bakery

401 East Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs; 760-325-1199, 73161 Country Club Drive, Palm Desert; 760-568-1350, shermansdeli.com; Open 8 a.m.9 p.m. daily.

This family restaurant serves a long menu of New York deli favorites, include hot and cold corned beef, pastrami, lox and cream cheese, chopped liver and cold beet borscht. Specialties include Beef ‘N Latkes, sandwiches made with potato pancakes instead of bread. The bakery supplies tall layer cakes, cheesecakes, babka, Boston cream and coconut cream pies.

Late night

Businesses tend to shut down by 9 p.m. in the Coachella Valley, with the exceptions of casinos and fast food chains.

By the time the headliners wrap up their sets at Coachella and Stagecoach and vehicles crawl out of the parking lots, the action will have shifted to drive-thrus like Del Taco, according to Tim Hackbardth, chief marketing officer for the chain.

“After the show, or after that last guitar has been packed away, Del Taco is the place to be in the Coachella Valley,” he said.

Agua Caliente Casinos

68960 East Palm Canyon Drive, Cathedral City; 401 E Amado Road, Palm Springs; 32-250 Bob Hope Dr, Rancho Mirage; aguacalientecasinos.com.

Each location has multiple options, from fine dining to grab-and-go. Check with the casinos for hours.

Fantasy Springs Resort Casino.

84-245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio; 800-827-2946, fantasyspringsresort.com.

A pizza parlor and some bars are open until 2 a.m. Lique, an ice cream parlor, is open until 5 a.m.

Spotlight 29 Casino

46-200 Harrison Place, Coachella; 760-775-5566; spotlight29.com.

The Taproom serves a late-night menu until 6 a.m. that includes pizza, bar food and steak and eggs.

Del Taco

Three locations in Indio, 13 in the Coachella Valley; deltaco.com; Open 24 hours.

This Orange County-based chain serves a long menu of Mexican foods as well as burgers and fries.

In-N-Out Burger

One location in Indio, four in the Coachella Valley; in-n-out.com; Open until 1 a.m.

This nearly 75-year-old chain is only in seven states, but it has a worldwide reputation for its burgers, fries and shakes.

​ Orange County Register 

Los Ángeles Azules, Joan Jett and more headed to Southern California casinos next week

• April 6, 2023

Southern California casinos are offering a diverse lineup of entertainment for the week of April 10-16. There are a variety of live shows including a performance by an award-winning cumbia group, a rock and roll icon and beloved guitarist and giving the opportunity to win a $1 million prize to one lucky audience member who completes in a series of famous television-themed game shows during a unique live experience.

Be sure to check the official websites for the latest event information.

 Los Ángeles Azules

Los Ángeles Azules, known for incorporating accordions and synthesizers over cumbia, have been around since the mid ’70s. They’ve collaborated with several artists, including Argentine rapper Nicki Nicole and Mexican folk-rock singer Natalia Lafourcade. In 2018, Los Ángeles Azules became the first traditional cumbia group to play at the Coachella Valley Arts & Music Festival in Indio. The group’s hits include “Cómo Te Voy A Olvidar,” “Nunca Es Suficiente” and “Amor A Primera Vista.” 8 p.m. Friday, April 14 at Harrah’s Resort Southern California, 777 South Resort Drive, Valley Center. Tickets start at $99. 760-751-3100. harrahssocal.com.

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts

Joan Jett first made her way onto the stage as the guitarist of the all-female rock band The Runaways. When the project disbanded, she carried over her killer guitar skills to form and lead Joan Jett and The Blackhearts. In 2015, the “Bad Reputation” and “I Hate Myself For Loving You” singer-songwriter was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. 8 p.m. April 14 at Pala Casino Spa & Resort, 11154 Highway 76, Pala. $80-$140; 21-and-older only. 877-946-7252. palacasino.com.

Franco Escamilla

Stand-up comedian Franco Escamilla is known for his dark humor and sarcasm. Over the years, he’s developed a following through his radio work and singing-songwriting. In 2019, Escamilla became the first Latino comedian to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York. Escamilla has four Netflix comedy specials, including his latest, “Franco Escamilla: Eavesdropping.” 8 p.m. April 14 at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino, 777 San Manuel Blvd., Highland. Tickets start at $50; 21-and-older only. 909-864-5050. yaamava.com.

Vivian Chow

Hong Kong-based Cantopop singer-songwriter Vivian Chow is bringing pop music to the casino crowd in Indio. Chow is also known for her piano skills and for being able to sing in Cantonese, Mandarin and Japanese. Chow has also starred in several films and television shows and scored hits with songs like “Chi Xin Huan Qian Shen,” “Hong Yan Zhi Ji” and “Liu Yan.” 8 p.m. Saturday, April 15 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84-245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio. $68-$188. 800-827-2946. fantasyspringsresort.com.

Hollywood’s Greatest Game Shows

If you’re a fan of television game shows but have never had the opportunity to try them out, now is your chance. Bob Eubanks, host of the ’60s show “The Newlywed Game,” will host interactive game shows such as “Let’s Make A Deal,” “Family Feud,” “Card Sharks,” “Minute to Win It,” “The $100,000 Pyramid” and “Name That Tune.” About 45 audience members will be chosen to be contestants, with one lucky person getting a chance to win a grand prize of $1 million. 8 p.m. April 15 at Soboba Casino Resort, 22777 Soboba Road, San Jacinto. $25-$45. 951-665-1000. soboba.com.

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​ Orange County Register 

Seven springtime Indian festivals to be celebrated in one Irvine park

• April 6, 2023

“Holi hai, rang barse.” “It’s Holi, the colors are showering.” These lyrics from a popular Hindi song sung during the springtime festival of Holi in India will soon be heard in Irvine.

On Saturday, April 8, organizers from various community groups, including Gujaratis of North America and United American Indian Association, will host the Indian Spring Festival in Irvine’s Mike Ward Community Park. Around 1,000 people are expected at the event, also hosted by Irvine Councilmember Mike Carroll.

“Usually when we do a celebration, it’s either the North Indian community getting together or the South Indian community getting together,” said Varun Gandhi, a volunteer with Gujaratis of North America. “In this case, we said why not combine the various festivals that are going on at this time and bring people together from all over India.”

Springtime in particular, Gandhi said, is an auspicious time in India when farmers plant the seeds for their crops, but also await to reap the harvest of the old year.

Saturday’s event will see the celebration of seven springtime Indian festivals: Holi, Baisakhi (also pronounced Vaisakhi), Bihu, Vishu, Poila Boishak, Ugadi and Puthandu.

At Holi, or the Festival of Colors, revelers dress in white clothing and throw “gulal” or colored water at each other, celebrating the victory of good over evil and the arrival of spring.

Gaurav Bhargava, the president of the United American Indian Association, said Holi in India is one big party with food, dance and song, where celebrations last at least three days.

“Galley Millo, Dushmani Chhodo, forget all the enmity, just give a hug and be friends again,” Bhargava said. “The most important part of this message that we learned from childhood: If you have a friend and you have a misunderstanding with a friend, just give them a hug on Holi and everything just disappears.”

The harvest festival of Vaisakhi, usually celebrated on April 13 or 14 each year, is typically celebrated in the Punjab region of India and is of significance to those of the Sikh faith, as the day commemorates the birth of Sikhism.

Bihu hails the advent of the Assamese New Year (Assam is a north-eastern state in India); Vishu, mostly celebrated by those in the southern states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, marks a vernal equinox, where the day and night are of equal length; Poila Boishak is the first day of the Bengali calendar; Ugadi marks the first day of the new year in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka; and Puthandu is the Tamilian New Year.

Long time Irvine resident Jyoti Kumar, who has been helping organize the cultural performances for Saturday’s festival, said the different Indian cultures and traditions from the various states will be on full display at the Indian Spring Festival.

“We want to maintain the culture, the Indian culture. It’s really important for us and then it’s important for our future generations,” Kumar said. “We really want the upcoming generation to know the culture and to appreciate it and to start embracing it in their life.”

Music at Saturday’s event will be courtesy of DJ Kush, a 20-year-old who was born and raised in Irvine. And food booths will serve vegetarian dishes from different regions in India.

Irvine playing host to the celebrations is significant, Bhargava said, given the city is home to a large Indian population of about 9,000 people.

The Indian Spring Festival will take place at Mike Ward Community Park, 20 Lake Road, from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 8. Tickets are $10. More information can be found on Eventbrite.

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​ Orange County Register 

It’s time for beaches to turn silver as grunion season launches

• April 6, 2023

Grunion season has arrived — an it’s a great excuse to go to the beach at midnight.

The annual Southern California celebration heralds the tiny fish that mate on the sand on beaches stretching from San Diego to Santa Barbara.

Orange and Los Angeles counties — and beyond — see lively grunion season activity from the tiny fish that seem to prefer sloping beaches where high tide pushes waves beyond the normal water line, protecting eggs.

Protected beaches, such as those behind the breakwater in San Pedro Bay, are especially popular with the fish. So San Pedro’s Cabrillo Beach (the inner harbor), for example, is known for hosting annual grunion runs that combine fun activities and education. That seasonal celebration kicks off at 9 p.m. Friday, April 7, and will continue through June 19.

This year’s schedule includes a special night on April 21, with World of Sound Productions bringing 500 headphones so guests can have a silent disco dance party at two locations, the Cabriillo Marine Aquarium and the beach.

“We are stoked to collaborate with Cabrillo Marine Aquarium,” said Adam Malovani, founder of World of Sound Productions, which also stages events in Hermosa Beach and Santa Monica. “This is an epic location.”

But the grunion will remain the star of the show.

During grunion season, the silvery, smelt-like fish sweep onto shore to mate, with crowds of people gathering to watch what has been called one of the most unusual phenomenon in the natural world.

The female grunion are the first to surf to shore, aiming for the highest point on the beach, pushing their tails into the sand.

Males follow, wrapping their bodies around the females for a 30-second mating ritual.

Then it’s right back out to sea for them.

The females take a bit longer to dig out of the sand, but they eventually follow.

The eggs left behind — there can be up to 3,000 of them in a pile — then stay buried until the next high tide rolls in a couple of weeks later, stirring the sand and helping the eggs hatch. The infants are then carried back into the water by the tides.

Then, it happens all over again.

Catching grunion — with a fishing license — is legal in March, June, July and August, but not in April and May, when you can only watch in order to allow the species to reproduce propagation.

Grunion can be cooked and the runs, during catching season, are a good way to get fresh seafood.

The spectacle can be seen on numerous beaches, including:

Corona Del Mar State Beach.
Newport Municipal Beach.
Bolsa Chica State Beach.
Seal Beach.
Belmont Shore Beach in Long Beach.
Long Beach City Beach.
Hermosa City Beach.
Manhattan County Beach.
Venice City Beach.
Santa Monica State Beach.
Topanga Beach.
Malibu Surfrider Beach.

The best runs, according to the California Beaches website, occur after new or full moons. Grunion, one of only a few species that come onshore to lay their eggs on sandy beaches, are most likely to surface after the highest tides and the largest numbers of fish can generally be seen about an hour after a run has begun.

Avoid using flashlights, though, as the illumination can scare the fish away. Regulations require that the fish, during catching seasons, can only be caught by hand, with no tools.

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But mainly, folks go to grunion runs because, well, they’re fun.

“It’s a great excuse to stay up late and go to the beach,” Crislyn McKerron, director of the Cabrillo aquarium, said in a recent news release.

Since 1950, the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium has been curating grunion runs for the pubic and it remains one of the best places to observe the phenomenon.

At times, the beach can look like it’s covered in a blanket of silver as the fish arrive.

The aquarium, 3720 Stephen M. White Drive, combines its events with a movie beforehand that teaches about the grunion, as well as opportunities to hatch grunion eggs and explore the rest of the aquarium before heading to the beach for the predicted run, which begings anywhere from 10:15 to 11 p.m.

“Meet the Grunion” program nights are:

9 p.m. Friday, April 7.
8 p.m. Friday, April 21.
8 p.m. Sunday, May 21.
8 p.m. Monday, June 5.
8 p.m. Monday, June 19.

Admission is $7 for adults, and $3 for seniors, students and children. Members of the Friends of the Aquarium are admitted for free.

Tickets can be purchased at cabrillomarineaquarium.org.

For the silent disco event on April 21, visitors must rent headphones for $20 per adult and $10 for children 12 and under at sunsetvibesevents.com. There will be other activities coordinated with that event as well, including a station geared for families.

Beach parking is $3 and the lot closes at midnight.

​ Orange County Register 

Here’s what’s happening and when during the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach

• April 6, 2023

Long Beach’s biggest annual party is almost here — and when it arrives, there sure will be a lot to do.

The 2023 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach is set for Friday to Sunday, April 14-16, and is expected to draw more than 180,000 people to the city’s downtown across the weekend.

There will, of course, be plenty of racing. The titular IndyCar race on Sunday, April 16, is the headliner. But racing lovers can also catch American sports cars, Porches, trucks leaping off ramps, souped-up vehicles drifting — and even historic Formula 1 cars.

Then there’s the autograph sessions, two concerts and an exotic car parade, as well as two preludes set for Thursday, April 13.

So yeah, it will be a busy weekend.

To help you make sense of it all, below is a schedule of Grand Prix events.

Thursday, April 13

11 a.m.-noon: Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame Ceremony, on South Pine Avenue in front of the Convention Center.
6:30-10 p.m.: Thunder Thursday at The Pike Outlets.

Friday, April 14

7:30 a.m.: Gates open.
7:45-8:15 a.m.: Porsche Carrera Cup, practice No. 1.
9-10 a.m.: IMSA, practice No. 1.
10:15-10:35 a.m.: Historic F1, practice No. 1.
11:15-11:55 a.m.: Porsche Carrera Cup, practice No. 2
12:10-12:30 p.m.: Stadium Super Trucks, practice No. 1.
12:45-2:30 p.m.: IMSA, practice No. 2.
3-4:15 p.m.” IndyCar Series, practice No. 1.
4:30-5 p.m.: Porsche Carrera Cup qualifying.
5:10-5:55 p.m.: IMSA qualifying.
6:30-8:30 p.m.: Super Drift Challenge No. 1.
6:30-8 p.m.: Fiesta Friday, featuring Boombox Cartel, at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center plaza..
8:30 p.m.: Gates close.

Saturday, April 15

7:30 a.m.: Gates open.
7:45-8:05 a.m.: Historic F1, practice No. 2.
8:45-9:45 a.m.: IndyCar Series, practice No. 2.
11:20-11:40 a.m.: Historic F1 Challenge Race No. 1.
12:05-1:20 p.m.: IndyCar Series qualifying and Fast 6.
1:30-2 p.m.: IMSA pre-race.
2-4 p.m.: IMSA SportsCar Grand Prix.
4:30-5 p.m.: Stadium Super Trucks Race No. 1.
5:15-5:55 p.m.: Porsche Carrera Cup Race No. 1.
6:30-8:30 p.m.: Super Drift Challenge No. 2.
6:30-8 p.m.: Saturday night concert, featuring Kings of Chaos and special guests, at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center plaza.
8:30 p.m.: Gates close.

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Sunday, April 15

7:30 a.m.: Gates open.
9-9:30 a.m.: NTT IndyCar Series warm up.
10:45-11:05 a.m.: Historic F1 Challenge Race No. 2.
11:10-11:20 a.m.: Acura NSX Hot Laps.
11:25-11:40 a.m.: Mothers Exotic Car Parade.
11:45 a.m.-12:35 p.m.” NTT IndyCar Series pre-race.
12:35 p.m.: “Drivers, start your engines!”
12:45-3 p.m.: Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.
3:30-4 p.m.: Stadium Super Trucks Race No. 2.
4:20-5 p.m.: Porsche Carrera Cup Race.
5:30 p.m.: Gates close.

​ Orange County Register 

Still need tickets to the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach? Here’s how much they cost

• April 6, 2023

Attending the 2023 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach doesn’t require breaking the bank — but you could if you so choose.

The Grand Prix has myriad ticket packages for the more than 180,000 people expected to attend the event, which will run from Friday to Sunday, April 14-16. You can be thrifty — or extravagant.

If you like standing on the side of the track or sitting on metal bleachers, there are packages for you.

If you want to hang in the paddock, you can — for a price. For those flush with cash, you can even attend exclusive clubs — for an even steeper price.

All told, tickets to the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach can run anywhere from $38 to $1,125, depending on which day or days you attend, as well as which package you choose. (You can also attend Friday for free if you pick up the Sunday, April 9, or Friday, April 14, print editions of a Southern California newspaper and look for a general admission ticket.)

Below is a breakdown of available ticket packages and their cost. To buy tickets, go to gplb.com/tickets.

General admission

General admission tickets come with unreserved seating on the first two days of the Grand Prix, but not during the Sunday finale. Tickets:

Friday: $38.
Saturday: $77.
Sunday: $82.
Three-day package: $112.

Reserved seating

The Sunday tickets for this package vary based on where your seats are, though children 12 and under get a discounted price. Tickets:

Saturday: $84 for adults.
Sunday: $92 or $107 for adults, and $67 or $81 for juniors, depending on the seats.
Three-day package (no reserved seating on Friday): $124 or $175, and $95 or $135 for juniors, depending on the seats.

Paddock access

These packages provide access to the NTT IndyCar Series paddock. But they do not provide admission to the circuit, so you have to buy those tickets as well. Tickets:

Friday, Saturday or Sunday: $30.
Three-day package: $70.

Super Photo Ticket

This is the package for you if you want to take great photos of the racing.

The Super Photo Ticket includes three-day admission, paddock access, access to three special photo locations and limited access to the racing pit during practice and qualifying.

Minors aren’t not allowed, however, and there are other conditions. For more information, go to gplb.com/super-photo.

This package costs $340.

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. One Turn Club

With this Sunday-only package, you can hang out at the iconic restaurant during the races. Bubba Gump Shrimp, 87 Aquarium Way, has views of multiple turns, and will also have television screens broadcasting the action. The package also comes with free buffet breakfast and brunch.

This package costs $260 for adults and $165 for juniors.

Club C300

This club is hosted by the Committee of 300, a nonprofit that has worked to benefit the community for more than four decades.

The club has a live television feed of the circuit, a dance floor, free breakfast and lunch, and other amenities.

This package, like the Bubba Gump Shrimp one, is an add-on, so you must first buy a reserved ticket. Tickets:

Saturday: $192.
Sunday: $220.
Three-day: $390.

Hospitality clubs

OK, here’s where we start talking about some serious dollar signs.

There are three clubs from which to choose — Vista, Seaside and Pit Lane.

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The Vista Club is on the 17th floor of the Hyatt Regency Hotel and offers a view of the pits, the oceanfront straightaway, and turns 1 to 6, as well as the harbor and Long Beach skyline.

The Seaside Club is on the Seaside Way back straight and is usually the first to sell out, according to the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach website.

The Pit Lane Club is the most-exclusive, putting you right above the pit and the straightaway. It also comes with limited pit access.

While the complimentary meals vary at each club, all three offer a full bar with complimentary beer, wine and soft drinks on Saturday and Sunday.

But you can’t buy these tickets the way you do the others. Instead, you must fill out an order form, which is available at gplb.com/vip-club-packages. Tickets:

Vista Club: $400 for Friday or Saturday only; $460 for Sunday only and $760 for all three days.
Seaside Club (all three days): $760.
Pit Lane Club (all three days): $1,125.

​ Orange County Register 

Clippers’ Norman Powell seizes the moment against Lakers

• April 6, 2023

LOS ANGELES — He missed nearly a month, 27 days spent watching as his team worked toward the playoffs. He endured 11 games sitting on the bench with a bum shoulder, a fire burning inside to get healthy and return to the court.

And when Norman Powell finally slipped on his No. 24 jersey and got back to work, he did it with a vengeance. In his first game back, Powell scored 13 points and followed that with 16 points against the Memphis Grizzlies and 12 in a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. It turns out, Powell was just warming up.

Against the Lakers on Wednesday night, Powell turned up the heat, scoring 27 points on 8-of-15 shooting and hitting all 10 of his free throws to pace the Clippers to a 125-118 victory against the Lakers, their fourth this season, at Crypto.com Arena.

Powell said his performance – highlighted by a high-arching lob to Kawhi Leonard, who dunked one-handed in the fourth quarter –  was simply a matter of staying in the moment, a moment that was building for weeks.

Clippers coach Tyronn Lue credited Powell and Bones Hyland’s energy for giving the Clippers a needed spark when the game got close.

“They came in and changed the tempo of the game,” Lue said.

Powell said it was just a matter of “staying within myself. Just finding a rhythm.”

Powell, who also had four assists, two rebounds, two steals and one blocked shot, added that “I think it’s like my fourth game back coming off injury after missing 11 games so it was just being prepared and just staying mentally locked in and as Lue says, not playing so angry.”

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Powell said he earned the nickname “Angry Norm” from former Toronto Raptors teammate Kyle Lowry during his rookie season. He said his temper stems from his passion for basketball.

“It just shows how much I love the game and how much I commit to it, and my preparation every single day,” Powell said. “So, I expect to have a high expectation for myself, so I put a lot of internal pressure on me to be great, for myself and for the team. So, when it’s not going a certain way, I get a little frustrated and get a little mad.”

Powell kept a level head throughout the game, especially at the line. His free throws enabled the Clippers to maintain their lead when the Lakers staged a 19-2 run that cut the Clippers’ double-digit lead to eight points in the third quarter. He said the Lakers were focusing on Leonard, which opened lanes.

“I was able to get some fouls that I thought I didn’t get in the first quarter,” he said. “I was talking to the refs a little bit, but just being in attack mode and seeing how the game was going and what they were giving me, I just took it.”

POWELL UP.
KAWHI DOWN.

The @LAClippers are HYPED!

ESPN pic.twitter.com/2B4v17TCsj

— NBA (@NBA) April 6, 2023

​ Orange County Register 

Dénis Bouanga, LAFC top Vancouver to open CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal

• April 6, 2023

LAFC got another electric performance from Dénis Bouanga and took a big step toward advancing to the CONCACAF Champions League semifinals with a 3-0 rout of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the first leg of their quarterfinal matchup on Wednesday night at BC Place in Vancouver.

LAFC scored all three goals during a 10-minute stretch of the second half, with Bouanga scoring twice and assisting on the other.

Bouanga first drove a right-footed shot from distance over Vancouver goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka and off the underside of the crossbar in the 55th minute.

Bouanga set up the second goal six minutes later when he took the ball away from Vancouver’s Andrés Cubas at the top of the Whitecaps’ penalty area. The loose ball rolled into the middle of the box for Mahala Opoku, who took a quick dribble before burying a left-footed shot inside the left post.

Bouanga closed the scoring in the 65th minute, taking a pass from Timothy Tillman and eluding three defenders to score on a left-footed shot into the top left corner of the net.

Bouanga leads the tournament with five goals in three games heading into the second leg, which is Tuesday night at BMO Stadium, where LAFC just needs to avoid a loss by three goals or more to reach the semifinals for the second time in four seasons.

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