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If Valentine’s Day is a big deal for you and you’re dead set on celebrating on February 14 (some are!), then we suggest you head over to our big list of V-Day to-dos. If, on the other hand, pre-Valentine’s Day weekend is where you’ll be spending your romantic capital, then you’ve come to the right place.
This February 10-12 in Los Angeles, catch a KCRW dance party at CAAM, a Poetry Brothel at El Cid, a “Lover’s Market” in Chinatown, a Valentine’s Skate Night in Burbank, new exhibitions at LACMA and The Autry, Sunday Funday at The Wallis, Super Bowl food specials, and more. Hope you make it a great weekend!
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Things To Do This Weekend
KCRW Open House Dance Party at CAAM -> This Friday, KCRW teams up with the California African American Museum for an evening of dance beats curated by KCRW DJs Francesca Harding and Tyler Boudreaux. Expect an outdoor beer garden, food trucks, and plenty of time to explore CAAM’s lobby exhibitions. Runs 7 to 10 p.m. Free admission. Get more info here.
California Antiquarian Book Fair -> Attention book lovers! The 55th California International Antiquarian Book Fair pops up at the Pasadena Convention Center this Friday to Sunday, bringing together thousands of book lovers, rare book dealers, and scholars. Tickets are $10-$15 for one-day admission, and there is also free admission for librarians, curators, and related non-profit cultural institution workers who register in advance at this link. For all other guests, get tickets and see more info here.
The Poetry Brothel: Lust and Longing in Los Angeles -> If the term “word orgy” gets your blood pumping, head to El Cid this on Friday for an all out poetry blitz presented by Madam Tallula. Check out one-on-one private poetry readings, Tarot readings, poetic souvenirs, live typewriter poetry, and a smattering of dance and musical performances. Tickets are $50. Starts at 6:30 p.m. More info here.
Bloody Valentines Screening at Million Dollar Theatre -> Starting this Friday, Street Food Cinema celebrates Valentine’s Day with three bloody good movie screenings over three nights at the historic Million Dollar Theatre in DTLA. Slated films include Queen of the Damned, Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Jennifer’s Body. Advanced tickets cost $28 for general admission and $31 for reserved sections. More info here.
Pan African Film & Art Festival -> Now through February 20, The Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) is back in Los Angeles for a 12-day showcase of over 200 new films and the talented artists who created them. Passes to the festival start at $65. More info here.
CASETiFY x ROW DTLA’s Love Struck Gallery -> This Friday, grab a partner and head to ROW DTLA for Creatives to Fall For: A Lovestruck Gallery. CASETiFY’s free event invites the public to experience a blooming art gallery brought to life by local floral designers using CASETiFY’s clear case collection as their muse. In addition, the pop-up will offer guests complimentary latte art, access to Valentine’s cases for friends and couples as well as a first-look at the brands new collection with the New York Times best-selling poet, Atticus. More info here.
Conga Patria Son Jarocho Collective at LA Plaza -> LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes kicks off their 2023 season of free events on Friday with a concert by the Grammy-nominated Conga Patria Son Jarocho Collective. Starts at 7 p.m. Free to attend. More info here.
Culver City Arts District Valentine’s Night Market -> The monthly night market at Culver City’s Ivy Station gets a Valentine’s Day twist this Friday, offering date-nighters an array of local vendors, food trucks, drinks, games, and music. Free to attend. Runs 5 to 10 p.m. More info here.
Spicy Green Book Food Market -> This Saturday, Celebrate Black History Month by supporting Black-owned businesses at Spicy Green Book’s upcoming Outdoor Food Market in Manhattan Beach. Over 40 vendors will be participation and there will be plenty of family friendly things to do including giveaways, games, inflatables, DJ tunes, and a photo booth. More info here.
Skate Oddity presents: Tish and Gomez’s Valentines Skate Date -> Skate Oddity brings a night of gothic romance and vinyl tunes to the LA Kings Burbank Sports Center this Saturday from 4 to 9 p.m. Expect a curated lineup of local vendors, new wave and post punk beats provided by DJs Grimm Beatz and James David DJing, vegan bites for purchase from Leaf Over Beef, and $5 skate rentals. GA tickets to get in are $20. More info here.
Lucia Micarelli at Broadstage -> Actress, violinist, and vocalist Lucia Micarelli (HBO’s Treme) comes to Broadstage in Santa Monica this Saturday night for a virtuoso performance of classical, jazz, and Americana. Tickets start as low as $50. Performance begins at 7:30 p.m. More info here.
In Sheep’s Clothing Lover’s Market -> In Sheep’s Clothing will host a Lover’s Market in this Saturday featuring a record fair and Japonesia vendors along with a curated selection of natural wine, beer and burgers from Homage Brewing and ramen from Ramen Tatsunoya. The event takes place at Homage Brewing’s Chinatown location from noon to 6 p.m. More info here.
Dumpling Fest at Common Space -> This Saturday, Hawthorne’s Common Space Brewing brings in a trio of vendors for an afternoon of delicious dumplings and craft beer. Participants include Golden Goat Dumplings, Kai Kai Dumpings & Tea, and Man Eating Plant. Free to attend. Runs noon to 5 p.m. More info here.
Pickwick Vintage Show -> Pickwick is back at ROW DTLA this Saturday for a one-day event featuring 50+ vendors/exhibitors from across California offering fine vintage clothing, jewelry, accessories, textiles, and more. Tickets range from $10-$20 depending on time of entry. More info here.
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Masters of the American West -> The Autry’s Masters of the American West opens to the public this Saturday, offering a look at paintings, mixed media, and sculptures created by 55+ nationally recognized artists. While the exhibition opens this weekend, keep in mind the public will have a chance to purchase works on display during a ticketed sale and soiree held at the museum on February 25. Admission to The Autry starts at $14 for adults. More info here.
Reseda Mural Crawl -> The LA River Public Art Project’s second River Session of 2023 heads to Reseda this Saturday for a tour of murals recently commissioned by 11:11 Projects. Guests will learn about the river’s history, ecological future, and how West Valley artists interpret their relationship to the famed waterway. This will be a long one, with a roughly 6-mile route outlined for the day. Bring your walking shoes! Runs 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tickets start at $29. Get more info here.
Coded: Art Enters the Computer Age, 1952–1982 -> Starting this Sunday, February 12, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) presents Coded: Art Enters the Computer Age, 1952–1982, and exhibition exploring the origins of digital art in the years leading up to the advent of the personal computer. The exhibition will be at the second level of BCAM through July 2. Included with museum admission. More info here.
Ponyo at The Hammer –> The Hammer’s Family Flicks series hosts a screening of Hayao Miyazaki’s Ponyo this Sunday at 11 a.m. Free and no ticket required. Onsite parking is $7. More info here.
Don’t Tell My Mother! -> Dynasty Typewriter hosts an afternoon of comedy where performers spill the beans on real-life drama they would never tell their their mama (so hopefully she’s not attending). Nikki Levy hosts, with this Sunday’s lineup including Ilia Isorelýs Paulino (Sex Lives of College Girls), Ivy Le (FOGO: Fear of Going Outside on Spotify), Dylan Adler (Late Late Show w/ James Corden), and Alexis G. Zall (The Ladies). GA tickets are $25. Show begins at 1 p.m. More info here.
Sunday Funday at The Wallis -> The next edition of Sunday Funday at The Wallis offers another breezy morning of family-friendly entertainment. In February, catch children’s musician Parker Bent, a performance by the Broadway Babies, followed by a Flamenco dance class. The event starts at 10 a.m. on the Promenade Terrace. Free to attend. No RSPV necessary. Get more info here.
Dining & Drinking
(picks by Christina Champlin)
The Touchdown Platter at Maple Block -> Maple Block just got their full liquor license, making the Culver City smokehouse a prime spot for Super Bowl Sunday. On game day, grab a pitcher of margarita and order up The Touchdown Platter special, which comes with four tacos, four sliders, six wings, nachos and smoked almonds for $57. Four four screens will have the game on and beer specials will be offered all day. More info here.
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Brooklyn Ave. Pizza Co. Super Bowl Wings Menu -> The Boyle Heights pizzeria and wings spot will offer two exclusive wings flavors for game day. Preorder options include the Kansas Style Barbeque wings, Philly style Spicy Sweet Mustard wings, the popular Philly Cheese Pizza, or a Porkstrami Pizza. More info here.
Rooftop Watch Party in Hollywood -> On Super Bowl Sunday, I|O Rooftop hosts a special watch party atop The Godfrey Hotel Hollywood with all-you-can-eat game day food, an 80″ projection screen for the game, plus three large 75″ TVs and access to one of the largest rooftop bars in Hollywood. Tickets cost $35 a person. More info here.
Smorgasburg Super Vegan Sunday -> This Super Bowl Sunday, Smorgasburg welcomes a special lineup of vegan food vendors including four finalists of LA Taco’s Vegan Taco Madness. Delicious specials from non-vegan vendors will also be in the mix. More info here.
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