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Let’s keep those holiday season to-dos coming!
On deck this December 8-12 in Los Angeles, you’ll find the L.A. Times 101 Best Restaurants event at the Palladium, MoMA Contenders screenings at The Hammer, the Ebell Holiday Luncheon, DTLA for the Holidays, Comics O’Clock at Heavy Manners, the Pop-Hop Winter Invitational Art Show, the Ivy Station Holiday Market, and more.
Things To Do This Week
M = Less than .5 miles from an L.A. Metro Station, FA = Free Admission, TP = Top Pick
MoMA Contender 2025 -> Now through December 18, The Hammer Museum’s Billy Wilder Theater is hosting The MoMA Contenders 2025 film series. Marking the series’ tenth year at the Hammer, these ticketed screenings offer an exclusive opportunity to see some of the year’s most groundbreaking films just before awards season, followed by intimate post-screening conversations with filmmakers, cast, and crew. Screenings this week include It Was Just an Accident on Tuesday, Sinners with director Ryan Coogler on Wednesday, and Nouvelle Vague on Thursday. All screenings in the series take place at 7:30 p.m. Non-member ticket start at $20. More info here.
WEHO Winter Ice Rink -> Continuing all this week, the WeHo Winter Ice Rink returns to the Great Lawn at West Hollywood Park for the winter season. In addition to 90-minute skating sessions (skate rental included in the ticket price), guests can visit the adjacent Winter Village, which features skate viewing areas, photo opportunities, a charming general store, and special pop-up theme nights. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for ages 3-14. Sessions are offered daily, with times varying. The rink runs through December 21. Check the event website for the full schedule of skating sessions, which begin at 4 p.m. on weekdays. More info here.
L.A. Times 101 Best Restaurants 2025 -> The L.A. Times 101 Best Restaurants 2025 event returns to the Hollywood Palladium this Tuesday, presented by OpenTable and Square. Attendees can enjoy unlimited food and drink from the city’s most acclaimed chefs and culinary icons—including chi SPACCA, Holbox, Kuya Lord, and République—while celebrating the countdown to the No. 1 restaurant in L.A. This 21+ culinary celebration offers both General Admission and VIP tickets. General Admission entry begins at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $147.75. More info here.
Sketch Party at Benny Boy – FA > Sketch Party’s twice-monthly drawing/drinking meet-up comes to Benny Boy Brewing this Tuesday. They’ll hook you up with sketch paper, pens, pencils, and markers, then it’s up to you to create, mingle, hang out, and enjoy BB’s solid lineup of craft beers and ciders. All artistic levels welcome. Free to attend. Runs 7 to 11 p.m. 21+ only. More info here.
Netflix is a Joke Radio Presents: Are You Still Listening? – M FA > Netflix’s free monthly stand-up series returns this Tuesday to Dynasty Typewriter with host Ian Karmel and a lineup featuring Camila Ballario, Dylan Subiza, Leah Rudick, Mario Adrion, Oba Alaniyi, and Tom Thakkar. No cost to RSVP for admission, but seating is first-come, first-served and not guarantee entry. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and show starts an hour later. More info here.
Cookies at ALOUD -> This Wednesday, ALOUD and The New York Times co-present an evening dedicated to one of life’s most delightful treats, “Cookies,” hosted at Mark Taper Auditorium at Central Library. The event features NYT Cooking recipe creator Vaughn Vreeland and celebrated cookbook author Rick Martinez discussing Vreeland’s latest collection of recipes, Cookies. They will be joined in conversation by The New York Times chief restaurant critic Tejal Rao for a night celebrating comfort and culinary joy. The discussion begins at 7 p.m. Free to attend. More info here.
Ebell Holiday Luncheon and Artisan Boutique -> This Wednesday, The Ebell of Los Angeles hosts its annual Holiday Luncheon and Artisan Boutique. The event features over 30 Southern California artisans showcasing museum-quality jewelry, artistic home décor, and unique gifts, providing a festive opportunity to complete your holiday shopping. While boutique admission is free, guests can purchase tickets for a signature luncheon with wine or a premium boxed lunch with champagne, with 20% of proceeds benefiting The Ebell’s mission. Event runs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. .More info here.
DTLA for the Holidays – FA > On Thursday, the DTLA Alliance presents the DTLA for the Holidays Marketplace, transforming Maguire Gardens into a charming holiday village. The marketplace features local artists, gourmet delights (like Kat’s Macarons and Bee Green Honey), and one-of-a-kind gifts from vendors such as MADE by DWC and The Library Store. Guests are invited to stroll through the picturesque gardens, discover uniquely made-in-L.A. creations, and enjoy the joyful sounds of live festive music. The holiday market runs from noon to 4 p.m. More info here.
Ivy Station Holiday Market – M FA > This Friday, take a walk and shop for gifts from 30+ local vendors at the Ivy Station Holiday Night Market in Culver City. Plus, you’ll find gourmet food trucks, pop-ups, craft beer from Los Angeles Ale Works, photos with Santa, DIY ornament-making, adoptable dogs from spcaLA, and more. Runs 5 to 10 p.m. More info here.
The Pop-Hop Winter Invitational Art Show – FA > The Pop-Hop, a worker-owned bookshop and community space in Highland Park, celebrates five years as a worker-owned co-op with its 2025 Winter Invitational Art Show, running from December 11 through January 4. The exhibit closes out the year with a holiday bash and features the work of over 40 artists from the shop’s creative community, showcasing diverse mediums including drawing, painting, digital art, and sculpture. This is a chance to celebrate the unique magic and history of the space with its founders. An opening reception is scheduled for this Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. More info here.
Comics O’Clock – FA > This Friday, Echo Park’s Heavy Manners Library welcomes Comics O’Clock: A Comic Reading hosted by Mikey Heller. The event features live readings by a diverse lineup of local cartoonists, including Ben Passmore, Gemma Correll, and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell. Attendees can enjoy the unique format where artists read their work aloud, often accompanied by visuals. The event is “pay what you want,” with all donations directly supporting the Heavy Manners Library. It all starts at 7 p.m. More info here.
Hot Chocolate Nutcracker -> Continuing this Friday to Sunday, the Debbie Allen Dance Academy (DADA) presents its award-winning production of “Hot Chocolate Nutcracker” at Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center. The highly-anticipated performance follows a young girl, Kara as she steps into a land of wonder journeying to fantastical places such as Candy Cane Land, Egypt, the Indian Rainforest/Bollywood, Jazzland, Russia and the Land of the Kimono Dolls. Tickets start at $54.59. Performances run through December 15. More info here.
Chain Holiday House -> Chain, the celebrity-driven pop-cuisine enterprise, is hosting its an intimate Holiday House at the Chain House location in Silver Lake, continuing this Friday to Sunday. Designed as an all-inclusive, two-hour tasting tour, the event features a chaotic and kitschy holiday party atmosphere and unique, chef-driven collabs with popular partners, including Arby’s, Panda Express, and Dunkin’. Guests will enjoy a multi-course meal, specialized holiday cocktails/mocktails designed by Thunderbolt LA, and access to a vintage gift shop. Tickets start at $74.99. More info here.
Dining & Drinking
(picks by Christina Champlin)
Vesti (Pop-Up at Maydan Market)
Catch Vesti while you can. The limited residency inside Club 104 at Maydan Market is short-lived, and it’s absolutely worth a stop. Chefs and Food Network alums Adam Gertler and Shane Lyons put playful twists on Italian-American comfort, serving house-made focaccia sandwiches, fired-to-order pizzas, and small plates that deliver big flavor.
Feeling hungry or just indecisive? Order the $60 Eating Menu. Plates keep landing on the table, including off-menu surprises, until you say stop.
We started strong with a zesty pecorino mascarpone dip topped with caviar, served alongside salty dill and vinegar chips. Then came a spread of grilled mortadella with Vesti’s signature pillowy focaccia, plus extra-crispy vodka beer battered wings coated in Calabrian chili with blue cheese for dipping. The Australian wagyu steak sandwich on griddled focaccia was another standout, rich and satisfying without weighing us down.
Dessert sealed the deal. The piping hot bread pudding arrived soft, gooey and impossible not to devour.
The only downside is timing. Vesti runs through December 14, so go soon before it’s gone.
More info here.
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