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, October 29 to Friday, November 2, features Spooky Films at The Wiltern, CREEPsHOW at The Satellite, Killer Trivia at The Mermaid bar, a Willy Wonka costume ball, lots of Halloween parties on Wednesday, as well as Día de los Muertos events on Friday 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 October 29th, 2018
1. The Wiltern will host a back to back screening of classic spooky films. This Monday they’ll screen Beetlejuice and the next day (Tuesday) Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining”. Both nights will include DJs spinning spooky music, a costume contest, a small but scary maze and loads more.
2. L.A.’s Grand Park will host a week-long celebration of Día de los Muertos starting on Saturday, Oct. 27 and running until Sunday, Nov. 4. The event will hold a variety of events with 50+ altars and art installations up in the park the entire time. FREE
3. The Haunted Hayride returns September 29-October 31 at The Old Zoo in Griffith Park featuring four different Scare Zones, including trick or treating in a blood-curdling neighborhood and riding on the Scary-Go-Round and taking a ride on the main attraction the Haunted Hayride. Happening all week until Halloween.
4. Head to Frogtown’s artist-run space Tin Flats every Monday and Tuesday now until Nov. 27 for a free drive-in movie screening curated with some very special programming. Presented by The France Los Angeles Exchange, this project presents films, performances and exhibitions from artists in the program, as well as a film that echoes their own work. FREE
5. Merchants on Olvera Street will celebrate Dia de los Muertos for nine days through November 2. The festival will include altars on display, children’s workshops, face painting, and live entertainment. FREE
6. Nights of the Jack is a half mile trail filled with thousands of hand-carved and illuminated Jack O’Lanterns. Family friendly and located in Calabasas, the experience is filled with pumpkins carved into notable animated characters, movie stars, sports heroes, and many more. Happening all week until Halloween.
7. HorrorWorld is a collection of three separate haunts in one location presented by horror FX company Bone Yard Effects. Mazes include Into the Black, The Psycho Sanitarium, and The Fleshyard. Happening all week until Halloween.
8. E.P. & L.P. in West Hollywood continues their stylish cinema series Melrose Rooftop Theatre with a screening of Nightmare on Elm Street, Casablanca and more.
9. Take a break from your dietary restrictions at Cheat Day Land, Los Angeles’ newest pop-up museum celebrating the snacks and treats that we dream of during our workouts. Featured installations and experiences ranging from a donut gym with pastry dumbbells to a life-size cereal bowl, an art gallery, and much more. Cheat Day Land is here for an entire month, from October 1-31. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
10. The 4th Annual Asian World Film Festival will screen Oscar-submitted films from across Asia from October 24 to November 1 at Arclight Cinemas in Culver City.
11. Pumpkin Nights feature over 3,000 carved pumpkins across eight pumpkin-themed lands accompanied with special pumpkin fire and magic shows, carvings, and plenty more. Happening October 12 through November 4.
12. Rooftop Cinema Club returns to the rooftops of LEVEL in DTLA and NeueHouse in Hollywood with multiple screenings this week that include Super 8, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and more.
Tuesday October 30th, 2018
13. The Satellite in Silver Lake invites you in for CREEPsHOW a night of roaming spooksters and creatures, to die for treats, a ghost host, a Twilight Zone photo corner, live artists and music.
14. The Mermaid bar will host a Killer Trivia night this Tuesday. Topics include true crime, unsolved mysteries, and serial killers. Game starts at 9 p.m. drink specials, prizes, and a bloody good time will be had.
15. There’s a Great Pumpkin Hunt happening at the South Coast Botanic Garden daily featuring an imaginative scavenger hunt, light hiking, a pumpkin shop and access to the gorgeous 87-acre grounds. Great for families. Halloween costumes are welcome.
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16. See The Nightmare Before Christmas in 4D which includes special light effects, snow, fog and wind inside of The El Capitan Theatre.
17. The 19th Annual Reign of Terror is one of the largest haunted houses in Southern California, containing a total of eight unique themes spread among 105 separate rooms in over 23,000 square foot space. Happening this Tuesday and Wednesday.
18. Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie will be screened at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art this Tuesday.
Wednesday October 31st, 2018
19. Head to the Los Angeles Theatre for a special Willy Wonka movie screening and costume ball this Halloween. The 1971 classic will be screened and thanks to the folks at Cinespia the venue will be turned into a full-on fantasy wonderland featuring a DJ dance party, custom photo booth, full bars on every level, and a few promised surprises. Costumes are required for entry so dress up.
20. Golden Road’s Halloween Bash is a free event with a haunted house, psychic readings, live music by Teenage Werewolves, food and specialty GRB brews. FREE
21. West Hollywood’s famous Halloween Carnaval is a free outdoors party that stretches a mile-long on Santa Monica Boulevard. A great stop to people watch, costume gawk and more, local businesses (especially bars) will host activities and special offerings throughout the night. FREE
22. Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre in North Hollywood presents their annual Halloween iteration of Urban Death. Guests will wind through a short maze before entering a darkened theater where series of disturbing vignettes will be presented one after another. Happening on Halloween, Friday and Saturday.
23. Face your fears during Universal Studios Hollywood Horror Nights happening Thursday through Saturdays till November 3. This year, the Stranger Things maze is the main attraction. You’ll also get to experience bone chilling attractions by American Horror Story, The Shining, Halloween, Krampus, Ash vs. The Evil Dead and Walking Dead. Check for discounted tickets on select days. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
24. See comedians recreate Hocus Pocus live onstage while drunk at Black Rabbit Rose in Hollywood.
25. The Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor will transform into a seaport of the damned for the Halloween season with terrifying mazes and monsters at every turn. Happening Thursdays and through Sundays through Nov. 2. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
26. Consider Silver Lake’s Thai bar Same Same for Halloween dinner. The eatery will treat all guests in costume on Wednesday to a complimentary order of Peek Gai Tod aka Thai style fried chicken wings.
27. Unbound Productions’ site-specific Wicked Lit returns to the Mountain View Mausoleum, offering the perfect setting for all new tales of horror. This year, guests will enjoy two theatrical adaptations: Charles Dickens’ The Chimes: A Goblin Story, and Ernest Rhys’ Teig O’Kane and the Corpse. Guests will walk through the mausoleum as they follow both chilling tales. Happening Wednesday through Sunday.
28. Rooftop bar Filifera in Hollywood will host a special Halloween inspired drink menu from 5-10 p.m. and music by DJ Josh Catz. Spooky cocktails include Witches Brew (red sangria with muddled blood orange) and Dracula’s Negroni (blood orange infused gin, vermouth, campari, aperol).
29. Hollywood Halloween PubCrawl returns for a Spook-tacular night of hitting up half a dozen bars and taking advantage of all their drink specials.
30. L.A.’s pop-up museum catalogue is growing larger this fall with The Pizza Experience – a multi-sensory pizza themed walkthrough. Explore giant installations, an oversized cheese pool, a pizza hall of fame, pizza theme-flavored snacks throughout, actual pizza slices and more. The Pizza Experience runs through January 29. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
31. Climb aboard the 18th Annual Ghost Train in Griffith Park all weekend and ride on their iconic train into a spooky setting of animatronics, projections and pyrotechnic. The ride is family friendly with no blood, gore or actors jumping out to scare you like most Halloween experiences.
32. Knott’s Scary Farm is back with their signature haunted attractions, mazes and thousands of monsters ready to scare the living day light out of you and your crew. Happening Thursdays through Sundays.
Thursday November 1st, 2018
33. Gather your most ambitious and driven friends to bring to the Power Women Summit, taking place at InterContinental Hotel DTLA on Thursday and Friday. The event will host some of the most influential women in sports, media, entrepreneurship, entertainment and more for a largely inspiring conference. Participants will be able to take workshops, panels, sit in on keynotes, networking gatherings and more.
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34. Timberland and the Student Conservation Association will be teaming up to transform a vacant, Los Angeles lot into a community garden. The two organizations are inviting the public to come help erect the soon-to-be local spot. All tools as well as meals will be provided for those helping out. FREE
35. This Thursday Time Out Los Angeles presents at Day of the Dead Cocktail Celebration hosted at Skyspace LA. General admission tickets include one complimentary drink and a ride on the Skyslide.
36. An Evening of Magic benefiting Union Station Homeless Services will take place at The Rose in Pasadena. Enjoy a magic show featuring several top magicians including Ardan James, Rob Zabrecky and Tina Lenert.
37. Cypress Park’s Día de los Muertos Community Procession will last almost a mile in length from the Cypress Park Branch Library to the Los Angeles River Center & Gardens. At the end of the procession, participants will be invited to enjoy refreshments, music and connecting with local organizations helping those interested in learning about their surrounding community. FREE
38. Critically acclaimed, avant-garde haunt Creep returns with ‘Awake.’ The walkthrough thrusts participants through a 75-minute series of horrific situations in a shockingly cinematic fashion. As a result, you are placed face-to-face with your worst fears, presenting an incredibly unique and intimate horror experience. Happening at ROW DTLA Wednesday through Sunday.
39. Chinatown After Dark going down at Far East Plaza happens every first Thursday of the month and is a testing ground for chefs in our city as well as a place to enjoy local music.
40. 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 till November.
41. It’s Cosmic Karaoke night at Scum and Villainy Cantina. Singing starts at 9 p.m.
42. Free museum days: Japanese American National Museum (from 5 to 8 p.m.), MOCA Grand & MOCA Geffen (from 5 to 8 p.m.), Skirball Cultural Center (noon to 5 p.m.), Long Beach Museum of Art (3 to 8 p.m.)and USC Pacific Asian Museum (5 to 8 p.m.)
Friday November 2nd, 2018
43. Late Night Notorious RBG! is an after hours party at the Skirball Cultural Center celebrating the exhibit that highlights the life and times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. This event will allow guests to explore the museum till 10 p.m. and enjoy food trucks, a cash bar, DJ sets by Dublab’s Mamabear and more. Guests are also invited to support RBG by coming dressed in costume or anything else related to the Supreme Court justice. This exhibit runs October 19, 2018 to March 10, 2019.
44. Head down to The Velaslavasay Panorama on Friday for a Dia de los Muertos celebration. Various spots throughout the venue will offer special audio and visual auras including the garden, theatre and Nova Tuskhut. On top of that, guests will be able to enjoy live performances, altars, crafts, food and drink. FREE
45. The Triforium is a huge public art piece with colorful glass panels located in Fletcher-Bowron Square. It was meant to perform light and music shows but due to a plethora of issues, it was never executed, and it has stood silent for decades… until now. Experience The Triforium restored and modernized to react to real time live performances. This Friday will be the final in a series of three events. FREE
46. The Unknown is a haunt put on by ABC Interactive that explores the horror in what we can not see, predict or understand. Written and directed by Annie Lesser, the event primarily takes place in darkness and the viewer (you) makes the decisions advancing into the storyline. The Unknown takes place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday Nov. 2-4 at a private residence that will be revealed to ticket holder the day before it occurs.
47. 24th Street Theatre will host a free Dia de los Muertos celebration with a traditional procession, face painting, altar building, live music, dancing, food and more. FREE
48. The Griffith Observatory hosts a monthly forum where some of the most amazing phenomena in the known universe are explained and discussed. It’s called All Space Considered and it takes place on the first Friday of every month. FREE
49. Madre in Torrance has a slew of activities on Friday. Starting at 5 p.m. the space will be transformed for a Day of The Dead celebration. Oaxacan staples like traditional Pan de Muerte (Mexican Day of The Dead bread) will be served throughout the day, face painting will be held from 5-8 p.m. and live music starts at 7 p.m. Guests dressed in costume between 7-10 p.m., will receive a complimentary cocktail (one per guest) and Siete Leguas will be on-site holding tastings of their specialty tequilas.
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50. Take a first look into renowned architect Sou Fujimoto’s work at the Japan House’s new exhibit “Futures of the Future.” The showcase will explore the award winning ideas and themes used throughout Fujimoto’s career. Over 100 live scale replicas will be present. The exhibit will run from Oct. 27 – Dec. 12. FREE
51. Jurassic Quest is considered our country’s largest dinosaur-centric event. Fun for all ages, activities include meeting a dinosaur expert, dinosaur rides, fossil digging, the largest dinosaur replicas in the world and more. Taking place at the L.A. Convention Center Nov. 2 – 4.
52. Stop by the Alexandria Hotel in DTLA and walk into The Wolves, Los Angeles’ most interesting cocktail bar to date. The ever-changing menu has a whole host of ingredients made in-house including bitters and vermouths.
53. Since its the first Friday of the month check out all the cool events happening around town including block parties and art walks for First Fridays.
54. Visit the Annenberg Space for Photography as it welcomes its newest exhibit The National Geographic Photo Ark, a multi-year project led by Joel Sartore to photograph every living species throughout the world’s zoos and wildlife sanctuaries. The exhibit opens on October 13 and continues through January 13. Hours for the space are Wednesday and Friday through Sunday. FREE
Food Pick for the Week
https://www.instagram.com/p/BpQ5bPqHObE/
This week’s pick by Christina Champlin, Co-Founder of We Like L.A.
Chef Ria Dolly Barbosa of Paramount Coffee Project will team up with Chef Chad Valencia of LASA for a six-course family style dinner on Tuesday, October 30 at PCP’s ROW DTLA space. The menu will be inspired by the chef’s shared Filipino heritage and incorporate SoCal’s autumnal produce. Tickets cost $85 per person with an option to tack on wine pairings for an additional $35. Dinner is served in two time slots, 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets can be found on Eventbrite.
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