That annual French holiday to end all holidays, Bastille Day, is about to spread its je ne sais quoion LA quicker than you can say "Nicolas Sarkozy." The 14th of July is when the French celebrate their very own Independence Day just ten days after ours.

You might think that won't impact you, living in Los Angeles. But there is a rather impressive French expat community here that takes this holiday as an opportunity to proclaim its Frenchness to all LA locals who will listen. LA is even home to a French school (which I happened to have gone to) called Le Lycee Francais, in West LA. And a few months back, the Coco de Mer Film Festival at the Directors' Guild drew crowds of French-speaking Angelinos and their American friends.

But where to go on Bastille Day this year? Maison 140 in Beverly Hills is throwing a Bastille Day shindig with DJs spinning French music, along with a selection of champagne, French wine and cheeses. The festivities take place from 6 to 11 p.m. Tickets are available through their website.

Just about any nice French restaurant is a also a great bet. La Poubelle in Los Feliz always has a fun, lively, even madcap vibe. The Little Door and its sister bistro Little Next Door, on Third, are the real deal. There's even French food in the Valley at the Sherman Oaks mainstay Café Bizou (which also has a Pasadena location).

Photo © Maison 140

If you enjoy the macabre side of clowns just a little too much, have no fear, there's something out there for you: Cirque Berzerk. It's not--as the cliché saying goes--your father's circus. Conceptualized at Burning Man, the alternative circus troupe extravaganza, is a crowd-pleaser for people looking for 'something different' as well as Alternadads, hipster moms and twisted teens (and some tweens). However, the outrageous, saucy and sometimes gory spectacle is not suitable for young kids.

Running continuously Thursdays through Sundays, Cirque Berzerk features everything from bone-bending to a death defying double trampoline act, bawdy burlesque dancers, punk rock clowns and--of course--Gothic stilt walkers. And you don't even have to venture into the desert in 100 degree heat with thousands of patchouli-doused buddies to partake of the monster mash. Just bring picnic gear and chill out and enjoy the festive and freaky scene.

Photo by Pixie Vision Productions

Sometimes being a fan just isn't enough, even when your team kicked butt in the NBA Finals. If you think you've got the right stuff to sink them like the best of them, consider registering to play in the Inaugural Lakers 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament which takes place on August 14-16 on multiple city blocks around LA (at about 70 outdoor basketball courts).

Lakers 3 on 3 is open to the general public and free for all fans. The event is set to feature a slam dunk contest, other basketball themed activities and competitions, food and drink, live music, and of course the best part: appearances by members of your favorite winning team, The Lakers.

You've got until July 31 to register your team through the event's website. Do it for Kobe!

Photo: Elsa/ Staff/ Getty Images

I just experienced the Michael Jackson memorial firsthand for four hours on-air as a guest on NBC LA's digital cable channel News Raw. Host Mekahlo Medina and I commented, play-by-play on the mammoth event at The Staples Center. It was quite the incredible star-studded spectacle culminating in an unforgettable group performance of "We Are the World." Mayor Villaraigosa is now asking for donations for the memorial whose price tag was upwards of $1 million.

Also, it has been brought to my attention that there is no email (or bio) for me on this site. Rest assured, About.com's tech folks are working on fixing this. In the meantime, please note my email address: losangeles.guide@about.com.