Things To Do

24 Fun Things to do This Weekend in L.A. [10-22-2021 to 10-24-2021]

October 21, 2021 by Brian Champlin and Christina Champlin
Star Trek: Exploring New Worlds exhibit at Skirball Cultural Center
Star Trek: Exploring New Worlds exhibit at Skirball Cultural Center. Photo by Christina Champlin.

Looking for some ways to unwind over the next few days?

This weekend, from October 22-24, features a free screening of City of Ghosts, Late Night! Star Trek at the Skirball, Noche de Ofrenda in Grand Park, KCRW Summer Nights, the P-22 Festival, Dia de los Muertos celebrations, and more.

Advertisements

[Remember, if you want to stay connected with our weekly updates, be sure to sign up for the We Like L.A. Newsletter]

Friday / All Weekend

1. City of Ghosts at JANM -> This Friday evening, the Japanese American National Museum is hosting a free episode screening of City of Ghosts, the acclaimed animated series that follows the Ghost Club as they investigate stories which reveal the many histories and communities woven into the fabric of Los Angeles. The screening will be preceded by a conversation with creator Elizabeth Ito, along with director and writer Ako Castuera, and episode stars Atomic Nancy, Zen Sekizawa, Honor Calderon, Tina Calderon, and Jessa Calderon. No RSVP required, seating available on a first-come, first-serve basis. More info here.

2. Free Tix to Jacob Jonas at ROW DTLA -> As part of The Wallis’s Activate LA series, Jacob Jonas The Company is creating special evenings of dance and live music at open air spaces around Los Angeles. This weekend the multi-faceted dance company comes to ROW DTLA for a set of three shows (Oct. 22-24), and We Like L.A. has a special insider tip! The first 10 readers to email [email protected] can access a free pair of tickets for one of this weekend’s performances. Make sure to include “Jacob Jonas at ROW DTLA” in the subject line and indicate you’re requesting the free tickets in the body of the email. PLEASE NOTE: Availability will be based on first emails received, and we will update this post once we hear back that all the available tickets have been scooped up. And remember if you don’t score freebies, tickets for all three nights are just $35 per person. More info on the show and series here.

3. Late Night! Star Trek at Skirball -> This Friday, the Skirball Cultural Center is celebrating their latest exhibition, Star Trek: Exploring New Worlds, with a special night of programming including extended gallery hours, screen printing led by Self Help Graphics, a Klingon makeup demo, DJ’d tunes from Dublab, and a special outdoor lounge where they’ll be screening classic Trek episodes all night long. Tickets are $10. More info here.

4. Dia de los Muertos altars at Grand Park -> A large-scale altar and over a dozen art installations curated by Self Help Graphics will be on display throughout Grand Park starting this Friday, Oct. 22 in celebration of Dia de los Muertos. On Saturday, Oct. 23, the park will honor the new inslallations with a Noche De Ofrenda, an evening of reflection and remembrance featuring poetry, dance, and workshops. The altar and installations will be on view at the park through Nov. 2, and are free to view. More info here.

5. Halloween Family Night at The Aquarium of The Pacific -> The Aquarium will offer extended evening hours for this special family-friendly Halloween event. Kids can come in costume and explore animal exhibits, participate in a scavenger hunt, and get goodie bags. Tickets are $24.95. More info here.

6. The Big Bald Art Show -> This Friday, The Bruce Lurie Gallery in the Pacific Palisades is hosting a VIP opening for The Big Bald Art Show, a new exhibition that celebrates Larry David and season 11 of HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm with an expansive collection of arts from artists all over the world. The exhibition runs through Oct. 31. Regular gallery hours are noon to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. More info on the new exhibition here.

7. Cat Art Show 4: A New Beginning -> A new edition of the Cat Art Show is now on display at the second floor of the old Hop Louie restaurant space in Chinatown. The 10-day exhibition features artists from 16 counties who have produced over 80 cat-themed works, including sculpture, collage, painting, and illustration. Tickets for the opening night celebration are invite only, but free reservations are available to view the works on select dates from Oct. 15-24. More info here.

8. A Groundling on Elm Street -> The newest sketch show at the Groundlings Theatre kicks off this Friday, Oct. 22, and features cast members from the Groundlings Main Company. Shows are set for Fridays and Saturdays through Nov. 20. Tickets are $25. More info here.

9. Fall Festival at the Original Farmers Market -> This year’s fall festival at the Original Farmers Market starts on Friday with an evening concert by American Mile Southern Rock, then continues on Saturday and Sunday with two full days of pumpkin patches, puppetry, crafting, and live performances. Free to attend. More info here.

10. Long Beach’s inaugural Oktoberfest festival -> This Friday tips off two full weekends (Oct. 22-24 and Oct. 29-31) of Okbtoberfest action at Scottish Rite Event Center in Long Beach. Expect authentic German beer, food, dancing, and live entertainment. General admission tickets are $20 per person. Remember that beer, wine and food are all available for purchase, and not included with admission. More info here.

11. Beware the Dark Realm -> Now in its fifth decade, The Silvey family’s Beware The Dark Realm is one of the longest running mom and pop haunts in the county, offering what they describe as a “high intensity walk-through attraction filled with terrifying live monsters, amazing special effects, and incredible sets.” Runs Oct. 15-16, 22-23, and 29-30. The event is free, but front-of-the-line tickets are available with a $10 donation to Family Promise of the Santa Clarita Valley. Get more info here.

Saturday

12. KCRW Summer Nights -> After a postponement due to the COVID-19, the last of KCRW’s 2021 Summer Nights events comes to One Colorado in Old Pasadena this Saturday starting at 7:30 p.m. Ben Williams Band headlines, with KCRW’s own LeRoy Downs bookending the main performance with DJ sets before and after. Free to attend. More info here.

13. P-22 Festival -> This sixth annual festival celebrating L.A.’s most famous mountain will be hybrid online/in-person event for 2021. On Saturday, there are several limited capacity demos and talks (all free) taking place at Shane’s Inspiration in Griffith Park, starting at 11:45 a.m. Space is limited and registration is required. If you can’t get a slot for one of the in-person programs, head to P22Wonderland.org for register for virtual programming, including exhibits, games, and prizes. Check the full schedule of programming here.

14. LA as Subject Archives Bazaar -> On Saturday, some 35 participants representing academic institutions, cultural heritage organizations, and local community historical societies will gather at the Doheny Memorial Library on the campus of USC to exhibit collections that help tell the diverse history of Los Angeles. Free entry. RSVP not required, but recommended. More info here.

Advertisements

15. Oscar Frights! -> The brand new Academy Museum of Motion Pictures (opened Sep. 30) is packing its first full month of programing with series of 13 Oscar-nominated horror movies, showing on select nights at the state-of-the-art, 1000-seat David Geffen Theater. This weekend the series features The Fly on Saturday, and Bram Stoker’s Dracula on Sunday. Adult tickets (for screenings only) are $10 a piece. More info here.

16. Cults in Los Angeles…from the 19th Century to Today. An Outdoor Mourning Faire -> Are you big into cults (learning about, not joining we mean)? This two-day (Oct. 23-24) outdoor event at Heritage Square Museum highlight cults in Los Angeles from the 19th Century until today. Visitors can peruse educational exhibits on topics ranging from what it takes to join a cult, learning how to identify a cult, or the rituals of cult living. Tickets are $20 for general admission. More info here.

Sunday

17. Dia de los Muertos at The Playhouse Village -> Head to the Pasadena Playhouse District this Sunday to celebrate ancient tradition of Dia de los Muertos with a slate of live Aztec dance, ballet folklorico, mariachi, DJ’d music, arts, crafts, and altar tours. Free to attend. More info here.

18. Black on the Block -> This monthly pop-up returns to S. Raymond Ave. with a special Halloween edition featuring over 100 black business vendors plus an assortment of food trucks and bar offerings. The event also includes a live DJ, giveaways, games, a photo booth, and a mini pumpkin patch. Runs from noon to 5 p.m. Tickets are $5. More info here.

19. Beverly Fairfax Block Party -> Save Beverly Fairfax is hosting their annual block party this Sunday morning beginning at 10 a.m. at 340 North Sierra Bonita Ave. Complimentary coffee and donuts to be provided by LA-Donut. Free to attend. Event runs until noon. More info here.

20. Latinx Festival at Pershing Square -> On Sunday, Pershing Square plays host to a Latinx Festival featuring live cumbia, salsa and mariachi, along with food, artisanal vendors, and a beer garden. Entry is free. Runs from 2 to 9 p.m. More info here.

21. Dia de Los Muertos Pumpkin Carving -> Su Merced, a brand new coffee spot on Alhambre Ave. in El Sereno, is hosting a special pumpkin carving event this Sunday starting at 4 p.m. $5 general admission, or $25 if you want to purchase a pumpkin carving kit alongside entry. More info here.

Advertisements

Dining

23. Sprinkles Halloween Cupcake Drops -> Sprinkles is releasing a number of limited Halloween cupcakes all month long plus spooky themed decorating kits and ghoulish baking kits. This weekend the public can bite into a Double Stuffed OREO cupcake (Oct. 18-31) with an oozing orange vanilla buttercream center, the chocolate cupcake is also lined with a Halloween orange OREO cookie crust, topped with more orange vanilla buttercream frosting, an OREO crumble rim and a little black bat. Starting next Monday Sprinkles will release the Bewitched (Oct. 25–31) a Halloween-inspired cupcake made with their Signature Red Velvet cake rolled in fancy sprinkles in a Witch inspired color palette. Both the Double Stuffed OREO and Bewitched cupcakes are available in-store and for delivery. Candybar lovers need to mark their calendars for the release of the Trick Or Treat a decadent Belgian dark chocolate cake with dark chocolate frosting, topped with Twix, Kit Kat, Snickers, Milky Way, 3 Musketeers, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and M&M minis. Orders for the Trick Or Treat can be made Oct. 25- 26 for pick-up and  delivery Oct 30-31.

23. Employee’s Only x Sandita’s -> This Sunday, Employees Only will bring back their Sunday Social Club series with chef and food stylist Sandy Ho and her visually appealing pop-up concept, Sandita’s. For one-night only Ho’s colorful-and-delicious dumplings and tostadas will get a remix with the help of Employee’s Only Chef Josh Buckwald. On the menu is a mashup of Vietnamese and Italian flavors that include Chicken and Apricot Ragu Dumplings; Whole Fried Fish Plate with pickles, vermicelli noodles, fermented shrimp chili sauce and pineapple sauce; and Mum’s 12 hr Curry + Mushrooms with cavatelli, fire roasted maitake and oyster mushrooms. The al carte menu will be available starting at 6 p.m. Reservations can be made on Resy. 

24. Captain’s Dinner at SASO -> Finally, a little tip for NEXT week: Slots are now available for SASO’s one-night only coastal tasting menu featuring captain Cameron of Blue Boat Fish Co. and Pacific Northwest oysters from farmer Dylan of Baywater Shellfish Co. Happening next Wednesday, Oct. 27 the bountiful multi-course menu prepared by Chef Dominique Crisp of SASO will include oysters and geoduck prepared two ways; a Pacific paella made with local spot prawns, purple savory clams, local fish and spiny lobster; whole fish prepared Basquaise style and a Pacific pie for dessert. Tickets cost $125 per person (after tax and fees) and include an after party with the Captain, oyster farmer and Chef Crisp. 


Any notes or corrections? Want to suggest an event we should add to an upcoming list? Hit us up at [email protected].

Advertisements