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Los Angeles provides no limit of things to do, some awesome and some not so awesome. Since time is precious in this fast paced city we curate a list of things to do in Los Angeles for every weekend that’ll help you decide how you want to spend your limited supply of attention (not to mention dollars!).
This weekend in L.A. from Friday, February 21 to Sunday, February 23 features Dan Savage’s HUMP! Film Festival, FitspoLA at The Bloc, a dairy dispensary pop-up, the Afro-Lantix Festival, Dine Out Long Beach Restaurant Week, CicLAvia South L.A. 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 weekend!
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.
Friday February 21st, 2020
1. Dan Savage’s HUMP! Film Festival returns on select dates from February 20-29. The nationwide festival showcases five-minute sex-positive ‘dirty movies’ on the big screen of The Downtown Independent in celebration of creative sexual expression.
2. The Chocolate and Art Show brings together two nights of art, live music, live entertainment and of course large amounts of free chocolate. The event takes place on February 21-22.
3. La Plaza de Cultura y Artes celebrates El día de la lengua maternal (Mother Language Day) through a unique panel highlighting the resilience of indigenous community through language and identity. Panelists will discuss the future of indigenous languages and the challenged to language revitalization. Free to attend. FREE
4. The 7th annual Dre Day Los Angeles is this Friday and the Echo + Echoplex. DJs will be spinning everything Dr. Dre-related from classics, album cuts and anything ever produced by Dr. Dre.
5. The Groundlings recently debuted an extra rowdy all-new sketch comedy from the Main Company called Bar Fight. The show runs every Friday and Saturday.
6. ban.do’s warehouse sale is back Feb. 19-23 with up to 80% on apparel, stationery, drinkware and more. This time the sale will be held at the 260 Sample Sale Beverly Hills location.
7. Cine Insomnia at Landmark’s Nuart Theatre will host a midnight screening of Who Framed Rodger Rabbit this Friday.
8. Get up close and personal with sharks at the Aquarium of the Pacific during Shark Lagoon Nights. Guests will have the opportunity to touch bamboo sharks and view large sharks in an after hours setting. FREE
9. Abilities Expo happening February 21-23 is an expo for the disability community featuring new technology, new products and high impact workshops.
10. The Wallis has an experimental adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein with performances on select dates through March 1.
11. The Phantasmagoria was a form of early horror theater and it’s being resurrected February 20-23 at Heritage Square Museum. Guests will experience optical illusions of ghosts and other apparitions this immersive night set in the 1830s will have you exploring life and death with fellow macabre lovers.
12. L.A. Arboretum hosts Yoga in the Garden the class is a gentle and soothing one in tranquil location.
13. The Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) returns to Los Angeles February 11-23. Now in its 28th year, the festival is the largest black film festival in America.
Saturday February 22nd, 2020
14. FitspoLA returns to The Bloc for a day of fitness-inspired activities and pop-ups where guests can try food and beverage samples, scope out training accessories and exercise equipment, and learn about the latest trends from top fitness and health brands.
15. The Aquarium of the Pacific’s annual African American Festival celebrates African American and African culture through a two-day affair featuring Mardi Gras second line dancers, hip hop and break dancers, jazz musicians, interactive drum circles, West African dancers, and storytellers.
16. LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes host an opening reception for their latest exhibit “afroLAtinidad: mi casa, my city”. Visitors will enter a recreated Afro-Latinx home and explore the personal objects of an Afrolatinidad family living in Los Angeles. Small bites, DJ Rich Spirit Revelli and a guest performance by Afro-Peruvian educator and choreographer Nadia Calmet will also be part of the reception night. RSVP at [email protected] to attend. FREE
17. Celebrate like it’s 1928 during Venice Arts’ Speakeasy at the Townhouse in Venice. This annual fundraiser takes place in the Prohibition-era Speakeasy located below the Townhouse, which dates back to 1915. The evening will include a complimentary whiskey tasting, a silent auction with works by Venice Arts’ students, a cash bar, and DJ-spun music.
18. Southland Beer Coffee Beer and Donuts IV event returns with an excellent flight of six coffee beers and a donut provided by California Donuts.
19. A ‘CBD’ dispensary is coming to Venice this Saturday… but we’re not talking about cannabis. The California Milk Advisory Board has is bringing a California Based Dairy (C.B.D.) ‘dispensary pop-up’ to Abbot Kinney where guests can experience/sample California cheeses, flavor-infused yogurt, doses of butter, and rolled ice cream. The event is free with RSVP. FREE
20. Mixografia presents Wrong is Right: Remembering John Baldessari, an exhibition celebrating the late artist through his collaboration with local print publishers and Baldessari’s 1970s video works. The reception takes place 4-6 p.m. and is open to the public, with complimentary refreshments and valet parking. The exhibit remains on view through April 4, 2020. FREE
21. SHIPWRECKED Tiki Social & Bazaar brings the tiki community together for a day of drinks, art, shopping and partying Polynesian style. Taking place at The Warehouse in Marina del Rey.
22. Leigh Whannell’s Thrill-A-Thon at The Egyptian Theater in Hollywood features four seminal tales of obsession, delusion, and mania. The program was curated by Whannell himself as he celebrates his latest film THE INVISIBLE MAN.
23. There’a a D.I.Y. Screen Printing Workshop at Self Help Graphics & Art with SHG Artist-In-Residence Dewey Tafoya.
24. Sit in on a magical talk show called “Wizarding World LIVE” hosted by a “wizard” and all his guests are “magical.” This weekend they’re doing a special dating game helping a necromancer find love. The show is free and nonmagical mortals (audience) are encouraged to attend and dress in costume. FREE
25. Dine with Mardi Gras style at Los Feliz restaurant Little Dom’s starting this weekend. From February 22-25 (Fat Tuesday) during dinner service guests will be treated to Gumbo, Soft Shell Crab Po’Boy, Boudin Balls, Beignets, King Cake, Cherry Daiquiris, Abita beer specials and much more.
26. The 9th Annual Whittier Area Classic Car Show will feature live music, vendors, food trucks, games, dragsters and some of the coolest cars you’ll see in SoCal. FREE
27. The Ranch Garden at The Huntington hosts Saturday Open Houses, offering a wide range of programs for folks who are interested in gardening and plants. Visitors can enjoy a self-tour of the site (usually not open to public), talk to experts and sample freshly picked fruits and vegetables in season. The weekly Open House is free with general admission to The Huntington.
28. Sing your heart out this Saturday night when Emo Live Band Karaoke returns to The Moroccan Lounge in DTLA.
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29. SAP Chili Cook Off returns to Santa Anita Park in Arcadia for a tasty competition of pepper cooking. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
30. Boomtown Brewery’s 5th Anniversary is a full day of DJ tunes, beer releases, food vendors, giveaways and more.
31. The Annenberg Space For Photography is sharing four decades of Vanity Fair’s celebrity portraits from their annual Hollywood issues as well as captures from past Oscar night parties in their latest exhibit Vanity Fair: Hollywood Calling. FREE
32. Market Market comes to ROW DTLA with a maker-focused event highlighting top artisans in handcrafted jewelry, apparel, accessories, apothecary, housewares, furnishings, culinary and more. Free to attend.
Sunday February 23rd, 2020
33. The Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach will host an Afro-Lantix Festival showcasing African influence in Latin America through music, dance, food, and martial arts. Festival attendees can experience art workshops, face painting, and live performances. FREE
34. Dine Out Long Beach Restaurant Week returns with a host of specially priced prix fixe brunches, lunches and dinners from February 23-29.
35. The Japanese Garden, a 6.5 acres public Japanese garden located in central San Fernando Valley, is hosting A Day of Japanese Traditional Music on the grounds this Sunday. The experience is free with admission to the garden.
36. Los Angeles’ largest ongoing open streets initiative is heading to South LA on Sunday. CicLAvia will open a car-free, 6-mule stretch connecting South Central, Florence-Firestone and Watts. FREE
37. In Sheep’s Clothing will host a Record Fair and Outdoor Listening Party this Sunday featuring dealers, labels, and private sellers along with a curated selection of wine and beer.
38. Checkout over 200 antique and specialty sellers during the Torrance Antique Street Faire. The fair also features an antique appraisal booth and live musical entertainment. FREE
39. Latin Jazz Sunday kicks off at The Autry Museum in Griffith Park this Sunday at 7 p.m. with live music from Cal State LA’s award-winning Afro Latin Ensemble. In addition to the performance, the Autry offers access to select galleries and light refreshments from the cash bar.
40. South Coast Botanic Garden in Palos Verde hosts a late afternoon guided meditation for all experience levels this Sunday. Music and sonic bliss will be provided by SUKHA and the journey runs 40-50 minutes. Symphonic gongs, singing bowls and other sound healing instruments will be woven into the meditation.
41. Mujeres Market is a SoCal based market that highlights local womxn of color entrepreneurs, artists, writers, and collective. They’ll stop by the Hollywood Farmers Market this Sunday.
42. Head to Angel City Brewery for Go Fact Yourself a live podcast taping featuring comedians, actors and musicians answering questions on topics they claim to be experts in while the real experts on hand weight in and give us all the real facts. FREE
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43. USC Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena is recognized as Southern California’s only museum devoted exclusively to art from Asia and the Pacific. For their first 2020 exhibition the museum presents Oscar Oiwa: Dreams of a Sleeping World. On view from January 10 – April 26, 2020 guests walk into a dome that transports them inside a 360° dreamscape fantasy world. The site-specific piece was drawn with 120 Sharpie permanent markers and reveals hints of existential threats to the environment. Oiwa’s surreal paintings and a video documenting the creation of the mural dome greets guests before they embark into the dome.
44. Chocolate Sundaes Comedy Show is a free event happening at The Laugh Factory Hollywood featuring top comedians and a DJ.
45. Enjoy a Sunday morning leisure walk at Malibu Creek State Park. Led by a docent, guests will learn about the park’s history, plants and animals, and how nature is recovering after the Woolsey Fire. The walk starts at 10 a.m. and is approximately 2 1/2 hours. Families are welcomed. FREE
46. Friendship Buddies a free stand-up comedy show taking place at the Verdugo Bar back patio features some of the best comics in Los Angeles and beyond. Show starts at 8p.m. FREE
47. Free Museum Day: Museum of Latin American Art Craft and Folk Art Museum (pay what you can)
Food Pick for the Week
This week’s pick by Christina Champlin, Co-Founder of We Like L.A.
On Saturday, Feb. 22 L.A. celebrates National Margarita Day at several hot spots offering all day happy hours, discount margaritas, special creations and even a fishbowl margarita. Here are few places you might want to check out:
- Gracias Madre in West Hollywood will host an all-day happy hour in honor of National Margarita Day. Sip on their Purista Margarita; the El Jefe made with reposado tequila and an anejo Cadillac float; or the Daisy Margarita, a light refreshing take on the classic but made with lemon, kumquat, aquafaba, and your choice of tequila or mezcal.
- SOL Cocina in Playa Vista will offer a Farmers’ Market Margarita made with fresh-squeezed juices with options of 100% blue agave tequilas, including their own single-barrel tequila. In addition, for the whole month of February they’re featuring a Rose and Hibiscus Margarita made with Casamigos Blanco infused with dried hibiscus flowers and rose buds.
- For one day only Salazar in Frogtown will offer any house margarita as a fishbowl for $25.
- DTLA walk-up bar Prank has six different kinds of margaritas for $6 all day on Saturday.
- Both Palms and Torrance locations of Madre’s will offer their Madre Margarita for $5 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and $9 after 5 p.m.
- The Cliffdiver in Malibu will be offering $8 margaritas all day. The featured drink is The Diver Margarita made with Jimador tequila, fresh lime, agave nectar and citrus chili salt.
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