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 morning to keep you in the know about what’s happening in the city you love (or maybe just like).
This week, from Monday, Dec. 12 to Friday, Dec. 16, features DTLA Neighborhood Nights, a 60’s cocktail party at the LA Zoo, Winter Fest in the O.C., the Music Center Holiday Sing-Along, a free holiday concert from Grand Performances, and LOTS 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!
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Monday December 12th, 2016
1. Every third Monday of the month head to Santa Monica to the gorgeous Victorian at The Basement Tavern to see top comedy headliners during Basement Comedy. FREE
2. Enchanted: Forest of Light at Descanso Gardens will offer visitors a colorful one-mile path route through 10 distinct light displays at unique points within the garden. Happening now through Jan. 8. Check for Discount tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
3. The Contenders film series continues at The Hammer Museum. Curated by The Museum of Modern Art the films selected are new films believed to stand the test of time in influence. This week they will screen Moonlight, Weiner and Hell or High Water.
4. A Will Ferrell themed pop-up bar lands at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres! Stay Classy Bar will be open from Dec. 5-15 and features themed drinks and decor plus Elf and Anchorman-themed dance parties.
5. Sherman Oaks resident Mike Ziemkowski takes his Christmas decorating very seriously. Ziemkowski’s Lights on Display is a beloved local tradition worth driving to. Starts nightly at 5 p.m. through the start of the new year. FREE
6. Largest outdoor ice skating rink returns to Pershing Square for its 19th winter run. The 7,200 square-foot Holiday Ice Rink® Pershing Square will be open every day of the holiday season through Jan. 16.
7. LA Zoo Lights is back! Now in its third year, the after-hours event showcases animal-themed LEDs, lasers, 3D projections, and animated displays throughout the zoo. Happening all week. Check for discounted tickets all week before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
8. The Alchemist’s Lab is an escape room experience putting you right in the shoes of a junior detective at Scotland Yard in the 19th century. Do you have what it takes to uncover the devious plans of the alchemist? Happening throughout the week. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
9. Pop Your Shop and Nars invite you to a night of beauty and fashion. Nars Artists will be showing off the newest Sarah Moon collection throughout the evening. Guests will enjoy complimentary hair styling by b. stevens, Rosenthal wine and holiday shopping sales on all fashion and accessories by J.D. Luxe. FREE
10. Runway Playa Vista presents Music Mondays a free weekly concert and music series. This week they are hosting an Indie Night. FREE
11. Jenni Kayne and Simone LeBlanc will host a gift wrapping workshop this Monday. Enjoy an afternoon of crafting, shopping, and holiday treats. Guests will learn to create festive gift toppers while enjoying hot coco from Zenbunni. Tickets cost $30 a person.
Tuesday December 13th, 2016
12. DTLA Neighborhood Nights at L.A. LIVE returns this Tuesday with live music and $5 food and drink menus at participating L.A. LIVE restaurants.
13. Amélie the Oscar-nominated French film is now a new musical. The pre-Broadway production is taking place at the Ahmanson all week. Check for discounted tickets this week before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
14. The Lincoln Center Theater production of The King and I comes to the Hollywood Pantages. Tickets are available starting Tuesday and throughout the week. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
15. The Lincoln presents “For the Record,” a weekly series where guests bring in their own vinyl for a unique DJ set from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. This week’s theme is AFROBEAT with DJ’s Jordan Blackmon (Toro y Moi) and Panamajack. FREE
16. Free admission days this Tuesday for: Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Autry National Center of the American West. FREE
Wednesday December 14th, 2016
17. Enjoy complementary mixology classes, beer and wine seminars and tastings during Liquid Intelligence at The Mixing Room. Wednesday’s theme is titled: All Things Sparkling and Bubbly with Taittinger. FREE
18. This week one of the most acclaimed movies of the 1950s returns to the big screen! From Here to Eternity tells a tale of forbidden love on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Winner of eight Oscars including Best Picture, the TCM Big Screen Classics series will present the film at over a dozen theaters around the Los Angeles area, including Hollywood, the Westside, and Burbank this Wednesday.
19. Radio Picture Show , a monthly storytelling event, is back at The Virgil this week with tales inspired by songs and images. Tickets to the show will help raise funds for Planned Parenthood so show up for some laughs and a very good cause!
20. Shred For Your Life a Guitar Battle will take place at Union Night Club this Wednesday.
21. The NASA’s Pavilion sound experience is now of view at The Huntington Library. A “soundscape” experience that represents the movement of the International Space Station and 19 Earth Science satellites the shell like sculpture emits sounds each interpreting one of the satellites’ missions. Open to the public till Feb. 27, 2017.
Thursday December 15th, 2016
22. The L.A. Zoo celebrates its 50th anniversary with a ’60s Cocktail Party featuring hors d’oeuvres and specialty holiday cocktails this Thursday night.
23. Del Frisco’s Grille in Santa Monica will host a free ugly sweater party, so come decked out in your ugliest and sparkliest sweaters to get into the holiday spirit!
24. The Rink in Downtown Burbank invites you to ice skate in a winter wonderland. Perfect for a date or family night, the festive outdoor rink is located right next to hundreds of shops and resturants. Happening all week and weekend. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
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25. The Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles Holiday Spectacular will take place at the Alex Theatre in Glendale. This annual holiday music event features 200 voices and this year’s special guest, Out magazine’s “Entertainer of the Year,” Cheyenne Jackson.
26. Rockwell: Table & Stage present the unauthorized musical parody of John Hughes classic Home Alone. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
27. The Queen Mary’s signature winter attraction, CHILL, returns this Thursday with a holiday theme of Alice in Winterland, promising an interactive and immersive experiences for the whole family to enjoy. Check for discounted tickets all weekend before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
28. Thrones!, a hilarious musical parody of Game of Thrones is playing at The Hudson Theatres in Hollywood Thursday through the Sunday. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
29. Iliza Shlesinger and some very special guest will be doing stand-up at L.A.’s legendary Comedy Store on the Sunset Strip. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
30. Peterson Automotive Museum will host an opening reception for Keith Haring’s new art exhibit featuring rare and vibrant paintings on various autos and bikes.
31. Escape Room LA presents The Theatre. Guests are trapped inside an old haunted theater, in order to get free they’ll have to ban together to help free a ghost, fail to do so and risk being trapped forever inside the haunt. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
32. Throwback Thursdays at NOHO cinema screens Scrooged this week. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
33. A Cavalcade of Christmas is an evening of puppetry, music, and a special live reading of a classic Christmas film to benefit the Bob Baker Marionette Theater. Special guests include Maria Bamford, Laraine Newman, Charlyne Yi, Eddie Pepitone, Dana Gould, Janet Varney, John Ennis, Chris Fairbanks, and more.
34. Free admission days this Thursday for: MOCA Grand & MOCA Geffen, Skirball Cultural Center, Japanese American National Museum, Long Beach Museum of Art and Pasadena Museum of California Art.
Friday December 16th, 2016
35. The Music Center will host their annual Holiday Sing-Along this Friday. Join a festive crowd for a grand sing-along under the stars, belting out holiday classics like “Jingle Bells,” “O Christmas Tree,” and “Silver Bells.” No experience necessary.
36. Winter Fest, the O.C. winter wonderland, is back from Dec. 16 through Jan. 1. This year’s holiday festival features a festival of lights, snow summit, outdoor ice skating, ice tubing, snowfall and the man of the hour, Santa Claus. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
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37. Glow Sword Battle LA will have you pretend fight like they do in a Galaxy far, far away. Join a throng of would-be heroes and villains at a glowing sword battle in Pershing Square. The event is free to attend but if you want a glow sword it will cost $10. Check for discounted tickets (half off!) on the glow swords via Goldstar before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
38. The Holiday Concert Series at Grand Performances will get you in the holiday spirit! Stop by Dec. 16-19 for free holiday concerts. This Friday the The Joey Altruda Trio will perform a tribute to the music of A Charlie Brown Christmas starting at noon. FREE
39. There’s a Game of Thrones Musical Parody called Winter Is Coming at The Complex theatre. Happening all weekend. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
40. On Fridays Royce’s Arcade Warehouse hosts ‘Threeplay Fridays’ from 4 to 7 p.m. For $3 you get three hours of unlimited play of games such as Donkey Kong, Street Fighter 2, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga and many more.
41. Union Station’s south patio will provide some holiday entertainment with “Coco Concerts” held beneath the stations towering Christmas tree. The family-friendly celebration will feature a holiday performance from the California Feetwarmers. FREE
42. The Groundlings Holiday Show pokes fun at the holidays with all-new sketches and some improvisation.
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