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New week. Weather cooling down. Let’s take advantage!
On tap this October 19-23 in Los Angeles you’ll find Salsa Night at 2ND & PCH, Pitch-A-Friend in Whittier, a Halloween Skate Party in Frogtown, Booz-e, Bites & Frights at Heritage Square, a Heart-Throb Slasher at Dynasty Typewriter, and more.
Things To Do This Week
M = Less than .5 miles from an L.A. Metro Station, FA = Free Admission, TP = Top Pick
The BINGE Fringe Festival of Free Theatre – FA > The 11th annual Binge Fringe Festival of Free Theatre (The BFF) continues all this week in Santa Monica. The festival features a wide range of free performances—from comedy and Shakespeare to slam poetry and improv—all by local L.A. artists. Best part? All tickets are FREE, but be sure to make reservations for in-person events. Shows continue through November 20. More info here.
Salsa Night at 2ND & PCH – FA > Slip on your Halloween costume and hit the dance floor at 2ND & PCH for a special Halloween-themed Salsa Night this Tuesday. The event kicks off with a salsa lesson by Peter Araiza and Jenny Mee, followed by social dancing and a costume contest where six winners earn $50 restaurant gift cards. Admission is free. Programming runs 6 to 9 p.m. More info here.
Spooky Movie Nights at RUNWAY – FA > RUNWAY Playa Vista hosts outdoor Spooky Movie Nights on the turf every Tuesday in October. The series features Halloween family favorites, including a screening of The Addams Family (1991) this week. Attendees can enjoy free popcorn while supplies last, along with food and drinks from nearby eateries. Guests are encouraged to bring blankets or lawn chairs. Admission is free. Starts at 6:30 p.m. More info here.
Heaven Is Still Far Away / I Love Thee for Good double-feature at The Hammer – FA > This Wednesday at The Hammer, the UCLA Film & Television Archive presents a double feature of Heaven Is Still Far Away (2016) and I Love Thee for Good (2009) at the Billy Wilder Theater as part of the Ryusuke Hamaguchi: Early Works series. The screenings explore themes of ghost stories and romantic crossroads. Admission is free on a first-come, first-served basis. Starts at 7:30 p.m. More info here.
Pitch-A-Friend at Rodeo 72 -> Single or looking to support a friend? Head to Rodeo 72 in Whittier this Wednesday for Pitch-A-Friend, a fun evening where attendees present short, lighthearted presentations to help their single friends find a partner. The event features live pitches, a presenter drink perk, and a post-presentation Single Mingle Mixer to make new connections. Admission is free. Starts at 7 p.m. More info here.
Esoteric Game Night -> This Wednesday, the Philosophical Research Society hosts its monthly Esoteric Game Night featuring a spooky third annual Zener card ESP tournament inspired by 1930s parapsychology labs and classic ghost-hunting lore. Participants can test their telepathic skills in a two-on-two round-robin contest for a custom deck prize, with costumes and psychic exploration encouraged. Admission is a $10 suggested donation. Starts at 7 p.m. More info here.
Halloween Skate Party -> Skate Hunnies hosts its annual Halloween Skate Party at Frogtown Warehouse this Thursday. Expect open skate sessions, a costume contest, DJs, food and drinks, and an after-dark dance party. Skate rentals are available on a first-come, first-served basis. This 21+ onyl. Runs 7 to 11 p.m. GA tickets are $25.31. More info here.
Fall Exhibitions Opening at the Skirball – FA TP > This Thursday, celebrate the opening of three new exhibitions at the Skirball Cultural Center highlighting dynamic works by Judy Baca (The 1960s—A Generation on Fire), Jenny Yurshansky (What We Carry), and Patrisse Cullors (Wishes Made Material). The evening features live music from a DJ set, opportunities to mingle with artists and curators, signature drinks, and complimentary spiced pumpkin-filled shortbread while supplies last. Guests can also tour Inventing America: The Comic Book Revolution, Adam Silverman’s Common Ground, and permanent galleries throughout the night. Admission is free. Celebration runs 7 to 9 p.m. More info here.
Al Jardine & The Pet Sounds Band -> The Beach Boys co-founder Al Jardine and The Pet Sounds Band present a special concert honoring the late Brian Wilson and celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Pet Sounds album at The Soraya this Thursday. The performance features classic hits from Pet Sounds and Love You. Tickets range from $49 to $149. Program begins at 8 p.m. More info here.
Scarium Family Night -> The Aquarium of the Pacific’s annual Scarium Family Night returns this Friday featuring trick-or-treating, a scavenger hunt, vampire magician shows, costume contests, and monster mash-up DJ sets. Tickets are $30.95 for general admission, $20.95 for members, and free for children under three. Event runs 6:30 to 9 p.m. More info here.
Booz-e, Bites & Frights – M > Street Food Cinema’s annual adults-only Boo-ze, Bites & Frights series is back at Heritage Square Museum for the Halloween season, featuring horror double features, haunted pathways, mansion tours, costume contests, food trucks, and themed bars. This weekend features Sinners and Blade on Friday, then Jennifer’s Body and Bodies Bodies Bodies on Saturday. Tickets start at $45. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. both nights. More info here.
Heart-Throb Slasher – M > This Friday at Dynasty Typewriter, host Lane Moore and special guest Mara Wilson offer up Heart-Throb Slasher, an interactive, totally improvised 1980s horror movie comedy show. Guided by audience participation and retro teen board games, the audience decides who lives or dies as the nostalgia-fueled slasher story unfolds. Tickets are $22.99. Show starts at 10:30 p.m. More info here.
Urban Death: Tour of Terror at Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre -> Zombie Joe’s annual tradition of Urban Death is back for 2026 with a brand new series of terrifying vignettes, bookended by walks through a creepy maze. Runs on Fridays and Saturdays (and a few Sundays) with multiple performances each night. Advance tickets are $24 online, or it’s $28 at door. Get more info here.
Dining & Drinking
(picks by Christina Champlin)
Sip Your Way Through a Horror Film Cocktail Menu at Fanny’s -> Fanny’s, the restaurant at the Academy Museum, has a limited-time cocktail menu inspired by classic and contemporary horror films, served at the bar and in the restaurant through October 31. It celebrates the museum’s new The Horror Show exhibition and features ten drinks in all. Standouts include the Creature From the Black Lagoon, a rum-based tropical cocktail, and The Final Girl, a bright, bubbly vodka sipper. Weapons, a tequila drink with a hint of raspberry, rounds out the lineup.
Spooky Movie Night Fridays at Sweet Lady Jane (October 23 & 30) -> Sweet Lady Jane in West Hollywood is turning into a Halloween movie spot this month. Grab a slice of cake and settle in for two spooky Friday night screenings: Hocus Pocus on October 23 and Beetlejuice on October 30. Free admission, movies start at 8 p.m. More info here.
El Cholo Celebrates 103 Years with a $1.03 Plate Special (October 20) -> El Cholo turns 103 on October 20 and is marking the occasion the way it does every year: with its Combination Plate #1 for just $1.03. The plate comes with a cheese enchilada and a rolled beef taco, served with rice and beans. More info here.
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