Posted by Every week in Los Angeles there are tons of great things to do (even before the weekend gets started) that we think you ought to have on your radar. With that in mind, we put together a list every Monday through Friday morning to keep you in the know about what’s happening in the city you love (or maybe just like).
This week, from Monday, December 10 to Friday, December 14, features a free day at LACMA, a Krampus run at the DTLA Art Walk, the Disgusting Food Museum, a Cocoa Concert at Union Station, and MUCH more.
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Remember you can always go to our L.A. events calendar page to get an updated rundown of what’s happening around the city.
Hope you find the rundown useful and, as always, enjoy your week!
Keep in mind that while we retain complete editorial control of our content, for some of the ticketing options provided we utilize affiliate links and receive a commission if you purchase through our links.
Monday December 10th, 2018
1. Step into a world of limitless creativity and unlock new realms of photography inside Canon PORTALS, coming to Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica (Nov. 29 – Dec 16). The ongoing series of events features photo-walks, workshops, and on-site camera experts. FREE
2. Non Toxic Revolution will host a DIY non-toxic, gift making workshop at Angel City Brewery this Monday from 6-9 p.m. DIY includes coffee scrubs, roll on scents and more. A suggested $10 donation to participate.
3. Rooftop Cinema Club returns with holiday themed screenings at their Los Angeles venues at LEVEL in Downtown LA and Hollywood location, NeueHouse. The spaces will turn into a Winter Wonderland with holiday decorations, snow and festive food. This weekend they will screen The Holiday, When Harry Met Sally, Miracle on 34th St and more.
4. Shop Just One Eye’s winter warehouse sale starting Dec. 10 through Dec. 24. The boutique carries edgy luxury brands with collections from ready-to-wear, shoes and accessories up to 80% off during the sale.
5. Descanso Gardens’ Enchanted: Forest of Light returns for another installment with a host of interactive displays and nighttime activities from November 18 through January 6, 2019 daily. This seasonal event runs daily. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
6. Enjoy some free laughs during Barely Making It LA a stand up comedy show happening every Monday at Skiptown Playhouse in East Hollywood. This weeks line up includes Andy Haynes from The Tonight Show. FREE
7. Beautycon is offering a pop up experience titled Beautycon POP from Nov. 16 through Dec. 16 daily featuring immersive galleries, makeup brands, vendors, a salon and other beauty related activities.
8. East West Players opens their 6,000-square-foot warehouse full of rare props and authentic costumes for a special open house event.
Tuesday December 11th, 2018
9. Grand Park’s Winter Glow is a free immersive art experience covering 12 acres of Grand Park in Downtown Los Angeles. The art, projection and light displays will illuminate paths and play off of the park’s most iconic elements, including the Arthur J. Will Memorial Fountain. The holiday-inspired event will run nightly from December 1 to 25. FREE
10. For The Record presents the world premiere production of Love Actually Live at The Wallis. The musical will bring one of the most beloved holiday movies to life through an all-star cast and 15-piece orchestra. Playing December 4-31. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
11. One of L.A.’s most magical holiday traditions, L.A. Zoo Lights returns November 16, 2018 through January 6, 2019 with thousands upon thousands of LED lights illuminating the zoo. This seasonal event runs daily. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
12. The Foodie Space (Nov. 21- Dec. 30) is the latest interactive pop-up museum designed for serial foodie photo-taker’s. Located in Pasadena the museum claims to poke fun at society’s obsession with social media and #foodporn. Food-themed exhibits include a giant bowl of phở, glitter fries that you can marry and more. Happening Tuesdays through Sundays.
13. The annual LA Kings Holiday Ice happening at L.A. LIVE’s Microsoft Square is a daily outdoors holiday skating rink. Open November 10, 2018 through January 6, 2019.
14. Free museum day: Los Angeles County Museum of Art (also free for L.A. County residents with valid I.D. after 3:00pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays all month long) and Autry National Center of the American West
Wednesday December 12th, 2018
15. The folks behind the Museum of Failure presents The Disgusting Food Museum (Dec. 9, 2018 through Feb. 17, 2019.) Some of the ‘delicacies’ include maggot infested cheese, bull testicles, and sheep eyeballs. If you’re brave enough, visitors will also get to smell and taste some of the creations at the end of the exhibit over at a tasting bar. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
16. Sherman Oaks resident Mike Ziemkowski’s elaborate Christmas themed animatronic characters will return once again with Lights on Display a dazzling light show with a playlist of holiday tunes. Free to the public, the 13-minute show runs nightly 6 to 10 p.m. from November 23 through January 1, 2018. FREE
17. Here and Now transforms it’s newly opened space into a holiday bar called Blitzen’s from November 28 through December 31. Get transported to the the North Pole and enjoy a snow machine, themed entertainment like Bad Santa and carolers, and seasonal food and drinks.
18. It’s that time of the year to celebrate the holiday season, which is the main purpose of Fa La Land, a pop up museum at Row DTLA. Guests will enjoy a wide variety of installations like a Jingle Bell Toy Factory and a fluorescent “Fa La Forest.” Fa La Land runs Nov. 18 through Jan. 6, 2019. Happening Tuesdays through Sundays. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
19. The Bai Holiday Ice Rink returns to Pershing Square from Nov. 15, 2018 to Jan. 21, 2019 daily featuring a 7200 square foot outdoor ice-skating experience. A wide variety of events will take place throughout the duration of the rink.
20 The Los Angeles Arboretum and Botanic Garden presents Moonlight Forest, where crafted lanterns line the garden grounds, some depicting animals, shimmering exotic flowers, and figures from Chinese legends. Happening Wednesdays through Sunday. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
Thursday December 13th, 2018
21. The Pacific Opera Project presents “La bohème,” or “The Hipsters” throughout the month of December. Set to current times the show follows the story of several Los Angelenos during a cold SoCal winter as they tackle the city’s housing crises, love, jealousy and more. Happening on select days this month at Highland Park Ebell Club. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
22. The Downtown Art Walk brings art enthusiasts, art galleries and locals together every second Thursday of each month for a night of exploration. This month they welcome back the Krampus Run on a closed-off block of Winston between Main and Los Angeles. Expect dozens of Krampuses running wild between 8-9 p.m. In addition, DTLA Art Walk will team up with Spring Arts Collective for their annual group exhibition inside The Last Bookstore. FREE
23. Winterfest at Santa Anita Park kicks off the holiday season in style. This family-friendly event includes a visit from Santa Claus, horse drawn carriage rides a Santa’s Village and petting zoo, carolers, seasonal foods, 80+ vendors and much more. Winterfest continues Thursdays through Sunday from November 23 through December 23. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
24. Since 1969 Bob Baker’s Marionette Theater’s adaptation of the Nutcracker has been warming hearts and delighting kids and adults during the holidays. The show includes over 100 handmade puppets at the Pasadena Playhouse. Running now until Dec. 30 Thursdays through Sundays.
25. NoMad Los Angeles gets in the holiday spirit with a Holiday Spectacular cocktail pop up every Thursday through Saturday evening from 5-11 p.m. in the Coffee Bar. Guests will enjoy “Naughty” and “Nice” cocktails from the NoMad team as well as guest bartenders from some of the best bars around town.
26. There’s a Junk Food clothing sample sale happening Dec. 13-15 in Culver City with loads of fun t-shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants and more on sale.
27. LACMA’s latest exhibit, Outliers and American Vanguard Art, highlight a period in American art history when avant-garde artists and outliers (that is, artists without formal training) intersected.
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28. Head down to The Fairplex at Pomona for the Chinese Lantern Festival where the theme is “The Wild,” featuring animals represented in lanterns from five different areas of the world, Antartica, Asia, Oceania, Africa and America. Some of the larger pieces stand all the way up to 23 feet tall. The festival run every Thursday through Sunday from Nov. 15 – Jan. 16.
29. Free museum day: MOCA Grand & MOCA Geffen (from 5 to 8 p.m.), Skirball Cultural Center (noon to 5 p.m.), Japanese American National Museum (5 to 8 p.m.) and Long Beach Museum of Art (3 to 8 p.m,)
Friday December 14th, 2018
30. L.A. reggae band The Lions will perform at the third Cocoa Concert at Union Station this Friday. This free, family-friendly holiday concert will be set in a winter wonderland that includes a holiday light display, a cocoa bar with Elftenders, complementary cotton candy, Santa selfies, gingerbread house making, and more. FREE
31. Street Food Cinema and Heritage Square Museum team up for Yuletide Cinemaland. Enjoy a festive outdoor movie screening experience in a Victorian town square surrounded by Christmas carolers, food trucks, hot chocolate, mulled wine and craft beer. This week they’ll be screening of Love Actually. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
32. Enjoy a special performance of The Nutcracker (Dec. 1 – 24.) by the American Contemporary Ballet on the 18th floor of California Plaza in downtown. After the show, guests are invited by The Fairy for a celebration with live music, champagne, and more.
33. Sandra Tsing Loh’s Sugar Plum Fairy is a cheerful holiday story about a young girl who dreams of being the lead dancer in The Nutcracker. It unfolds in a hilarious Rocky Horror Picture Show type way but is also family friendley. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
34. Holiday Concerts in the Pasadena Playhouse District, takes place on Friday nights from November 30 through December 21. This week Kira & the Major 3 will perform in Pasadena Playhouse Courtyard. FREE
35. Head to the James Perse sample sale for some holiday shopping and a little something for yourself. Their Highland ave. store location will host menswear, womenswear, home, accessories and footwear at a steep discount. Happening Dec 14-16.
36. Artist Ken Salter brings his experiential installation Garden of Strange Loops: So Tonight that I Might See to Gallery 30 South in Pasadena this Saturday. The exclusive exhibit will allow guests to interact with a “Reflecting Pool” while sensors track the guests movements and transform them into one-of-a-kind psychedelic images in an instant. The exhibit runs until January 27, 2019.
37. Step into a retro-inspired winter wonderland during Miracle at The Everly: Ever Bar happening at The Kimpton Everly Hotel. The Christmas-themed bar open now through December 31 features a candy cane “selfie station,” a 15-foot inflatable Santa Claus, and a dedicated Hanukkah Hut.
38. California Market Center’s Holiday Showroom Sample Sale is happening this Friday. Showrooms will open to the public for one day and offer clearance and sample items at a big discount.
39. The Holiday Light Festival Train Ride at Griffith Park is a festive one mile ride on the tracks with tens of thousands of lights to get you in the Holiday spirit. Running daily Nov 23 through Dec. 23 and then again from December 26 to December 30.
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40. Party With is Los Angeles’ new Instagram-ready experience. Opening it’s doors on Friday Nov. 16 in Westfield Santa Anita Mall, folks can expect 15 premium photogenic installations like an infinity rainbow and a room filled with sparkling disco balls. Party With runs through January 27 and is open Thursdays through Sundays. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
41. New Mart Holiday Sample Sale opens their doors every Friday with a rotating number of showrooms selling their stock, past season collections, samples and more at a discounted price. Bring cash as some showrooms might only except one form of payment.
Food Pick for the Week
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVKkjeaFf-L/
This week’s pick by Christina Champlin, Co-Founder of We Like L.A.
Cal-Italian restaurant Spartina celebrates its three-year anniversary with a $3 menu this Wednesday, December 12 from 5:30 p.m. to close. Chef Stephen Kalt has curated a delectable selection of signature dishes that include grilled avocado with Moroccan lemon, Calabrian chilies and ricotta salata; Margarita pizza rosso; spaghettini with black and white garlic and pecorino. Guests can pair their meal with $3 glasses of Prosecco and Peroni on draught.
Spartina is located at 755 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046
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