Beverly Hills residents can explore Greystone Mansion & Gardens on Saturday, Sept. 19, at a free celebration of nature, poetry and live performance.
The Great Outdoors at Greystone runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 905 Loma Vista Drive. No registration is required, according to the city's event listing. This year's theme is "Human / Nature."
September marks the anniversary of Greystone as a dedicated public park and the month the Doheny family first moved into the estate.
The headliner is Los Angeles Poet Laureate Brian Sonia-Wallace, who will compose custom poems for attendees. Sonia-Wallace, appointed by Mayor Karen Bass on April 29, is known for writing spontaneous verse on his 1938 Remington typewriter. He has composed on-the-spot poems for more than 10,000 people over 15 years, according to the LA Department of Cultural Affairs. His books include "The Poetry of Strangers" and "Maze Mouth."
"My guiding vision is simple: a Poetry City, where every neighborhood has access to poetry as connective tissue," Sonia-Wallace said on April 29, when he was named laureate.
Visitors will also catch a daytime preview of "Gatsby Redux," a site-specific dance theater production inspired by F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel. Created by director and choreographer Janet Roston of Mixed eMotion Theatrix, the show leads audiences through Greystone's terraced grounds as dancers perform across the historic estate. Mixed eMotion Theatrix first staged "Gatsby Redux" at Greystone in 2022 and has returned annually, the Beverly Press reported.
Ticketed evening performances of "Gatsby Redux" are also scheduled for Sept. 17 and 19 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets run $30–$35.
Other all-day activities include seedling giveaways in the demonstration garden, an Audubon Society booth on local birds, guided sketching with Emily Bruner and selected poetry on display along Poetry Lane. Harpist Bonnie Mohr performs on the terrace. Guitarist Mark Gutierrez plays in the forecourt. Shuttle service runs throughout the park.
An Ikebana demonstration and workshop rounds out the scheduled programming, alongside a poetry reading featuring poets selected for this year's Poetry Lane.
Upcoming at Greystone
- Saturday, Sept. 19: Great Outdoors at Greystone, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Free, no registration.
- Sunday, Sept. 27: Twilight on the Terrace, 4–7 p.m. Free for Friends of Greystone members; $60 for non-members. RSVP required.
- Sunday, Nov. 22: Tour the Best Kept Secret: Greystone Mansion, 11 a.m.–3:30 p.m. $20 per person.
