The Gallery Side of Malaga Cove Library Has the Busiest Week of November

"Palos Verdes Public Library & Art Gallery" was the name on the building when it opened on June 3, 1930, according to the Palos Verdes Library District's branch description. Ninety-six years later, the "art gallery" half of that name runs most of the first week of November at 2400 Via Campesina. Through Saturday, November 7, the room PVLD calls the Gallery & Garden hosts a photography reception, two writing workshops and a weekly Mahjong table. Downstairs, the library is also giving away greens it grew itself.

Local architect Myron Hunt designed the building in the Mediterranean Revival style. It has five levels and 16,550 square feet, with a red mission tile roof and grounds laid out by landscape architect Frederick Olmsted, Jr. in 1930. An addition went on the south side in 1962, and the stone patio on the east side was remodeled in 1997 to improve accessibility. The library is a designated Historic Landmark listed on both the California and National Registers. PVLD's history page dates the building to 1929, the year it was built ahead of the 1930 opening. Inside, the furniture includes reproductions of the original hand-carved walnut Italian Renaissance tables, chairs and couches from the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Vanderlip.

That history explains how this week works. The library was built to show art and host gatherings as well as lend books, and its November calendar still uses it that way.

Harvest Week ends Saturday, and Friday is the short day

Harvest Week started Monday, November 2, and runs through Saturday, November 7. The library is giving away lettuce, bok choy and basil grown in the branch's hydroponic farm machine. Pickup is during business hours, first come, first served while supplies last. PVLD asks you to bring your own bag if you can and to ask at the Circulation desk for help.

Library hours decide when you can pick up greens, and they change by day. PVLD's posted regular hours for Malaga Cove are:

• Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Friday, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Sunday, closed

If you're reading this on Thursday, you have three pickup windows left. Today is a full day. Friday gives you four afternoon hours. Saturday is the last day, and the greens may run out before closing.

Friday night and Saturday in the Gallery & Garden

The rest of the week builds toward one Friday evening and one long Saturday, and most of it happens in the same room. Here is the order of events on the Malaga Cove November calendar:

1. Friday, Nov. 6, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Gallery & Garden. Van Hoang writes books for adults and middle-grade readers, and in "Traditional Publishing 101" she talks about her path to publication. The session covers the traditional publishing process, from writing a query letter to signing with an agent and landing a first book deal. Attendees practice drafting a query letter for a work in progress or a new idea. The talk starts right when the library's Friday hours end.
2. Saturday, Nov. 7, 10:30 a.m. to noon, Gallery & Garden. Marie Chan leads "Crafting a Biography for Multigenerational Impact," a workshop on researching and writing a biography that preserves family history for later generations.
3. Saturday, Nov. 7, 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Community Room. The Malaga Cove Library Monthly Book Club meets on the first Saturday of each month to discuss a single book. Everyone is welcome, and you can join at any time.
4. Saturday, Nov. 7, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., Gallery & Garden. Reception for the Nanci Lewis Photography exhibition. The show runs October 30 through November 28, 2026, and you can view it during regular library hours. PVLD suggests checking the calendar first, since the room is sometimes booked.

On Saturday you could pick up the last of the Harvest Week basil in the morning, attend the biography workshop, go to book club after lunch and stay for the reception. The reception runs an hour past the library's 5 p.m. Saturday closing.

The library is a short walk from Malaga Cove Plaza. Neptune's Frozen Treats at 55 Malaga Cove Plaza lists Saturday hours of noon to 10 p.m., so it's still open when the reception ends.

The library district also runs a book sale at its Peninsula Center branch on the first weekend of every month, Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., in the Peninsula Center Library parking garage. This month's sale falls on the same Friday and Saturday as the events above.

What the Friday and Saturday writing sessions count toward

Van Hoang's talk and Marie Chan's workshop are both part of PV Writes Together, PVLD's annual October and November series tied to National Writing Month. It's open to teens and adults, and it ends in a published anthology. Malaga Cove also hosted a PVWT Write In on Wednesday, November 4, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Community Room.

Under PVLD's 2026 rules, a participant moves from workshop to anthology in five steps.

• Sign up in person. Register at any PVLD service desk between October 24 and November 25, 2026, and pick up a packet with an events brochure and a notebook.
• Get stamped. Have your brochure stamped at the end of each program. After three programs, you can submit work.
• Turn in the brochure. Stamped brochures are due at the Peninsula Center Reference Desk by Wednesday, November 25, 2026.
• Submit the piece. Upload up to 1,500 words, or four pages of poetry, written during the program, plus an author bio of up to 40 words, by December 5, 2026.
• Hear it read. Published authors receive one free copy of the anthology at the reading on Wednesday, January 27, 2027.

Last year's anthology, Creative Expressions, is in the PVLD catalog. Questions go to Leti Polizzi at 310-377-9584 ext. 210.

That makes this weekend's two sessions a reasonable place to start for anyone who hasn't attended a PVWT program yet. Saturday's workshop leaves about two and a half weeks to attend another program before the November 25 brochure deadline.

The rest of November in the same building

After this weekend, the Gallery & Garden goes back to its weekly routine, and the library has three holiday closures. From the November calendar:

PVLD describes Mahjong Open Play as a standing table for players who already know the basics. You don't need a partner or a plan. You can just sit down and meet other local players. Rhyme Time is meant for children 24 months and younger and their caregivers, though all ages can attend, and no registration is required.

All PVLD libraries are closed on Wednesday, November 11, for Veterans Day and on Thursday and Friday, November 26 and 27, for Thanksgiving. The Gallery & Garden is closed for a private event on Saturday, November 14, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you want to see the Nanci Lewis photographs and can't make this weekend, plan around that Saturday. The exhibit is up through November 28.

The same Saturday, across town at Lunada Bay

While the Gallery & Garden is booked on November 14, Lunada Bay hosts Palos Verdes Estates' next big community gathering that evening. The Daily Breeze's Peninsula events roundup lists Diwali: Lunada Bay's Festival of Lights for that Saturday, 4 to 7 p.m., at Lunada Bay Park, 2201 Palos Verdes Drive West.

The event's ticket page has the details:

• Tickets: $40 for ages 10 and up, $20 for ages 5 to 9, free for children under 5, or a five-adult pack for $175. Tickets are sold online in advance only, and all sales are final.
• Schedule: Catered Indian dinner from 4:30 p.m., with raffle and prizes at 6:30 p.m. A Bollywood DJ, henna and games run throughout, and signature cocktails are available for purchase.
• Getting there: Parking is on Palos Verdes Drive West, Via Anacapa and Yarmouth. The entrance is on Via Anacapa, past Lunada Market.
• Dress code: Indian festive wear or elegant evening or cocktail attire.

At Janet Chen Group, we like knowing what's on the Malaga Cove Library calendar as well as what's on the market. If you'd like local recommendations, a neighbor's perspective on Palos Verdes Estates or a conversation about your own home's value, we're happy to talk. Request a personalized consultation and free home valuation whenever the timing feels right.