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A clean slate. A fresh mindset. A positive attitude. All things we crave as we break ground into a new year, and all easier said than done. It helps when we take a bit of action to accompany our aspirations, so with that in mind we scoured the event calendar to see where and when we might make the most of these first few weeks of 2025. Only caveat: we want to spend as few dollars as possible.
Turns out January abounds with opportunities for free to-do around the city of angels. Here we’re talking everything from a serene space for mindfulness to a monthly yoga session, an art market, art exhibitions, film screenings, a family festival, and more. And you don’t need a car either, because each and every to-do we’re recommending is also Metro accessible (bonus!). So grab your TAP card, and let’s put those new year ideas into practice.
Free January 2025 To-Dos
Free Admission at USC Pacific Asia Museum (through January 4) -> Now through January 4, USC Pacific Asia Museum offers free admission for the holiday season. Take advantage of the special offer to check out their latest exhibition, Cai Guo-Qiang: A Material Odyssey, which explores Cai’s artistic process of using gunpowder and pyrotechnics to create drawings, paintings, and events. Go Metro: Take the A Line to Memorial Park station.
Mindfulness Lounge at Japan House LA (select dates) -> Looking to rejuvenate mind and body as we tap into a new year? Experience Japanese-style mindfulness at JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles Level 5 Salon, where a Mindfulness Lounge invites guests can sooth their senses with comfortable Japanese mats and cushions, projections of beautiful scenery, healing music and natural sounds, and fragrant aromas. The Salon is open to the public Monday and Tuesday from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., subject to closure (so make sure you check before you go). For the upcoming month, open dates are January 6, 7, 14, 20, 21, and 28. Go Metro: Take the B Line to Hollywood / Highland Station.
2025 Oshogatsu Family Festival—Year of the Snake (January 5) -> Kickstart January with an annual tradition in Little Tokyo, the Oshogatsu Festival. Put together by the Japanese American National Museum, the family-friendly affair heralds the year of the snake with a day of traditional Japanese food, entertainment and special activities including interactive storytimes, candy sculpture demonstrations, and scavenger hunt, and more. Plus, there is free admission all day at JANM. Runs 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Go Metro: Take the A or E Line to Little Tokyo Station.
Evading Capture: Black Women in Cinema (January 6) -> In celebration of the LACMA’s exhibition Simone Leigh, filmmaker and Leigh’s collaborator Madeleine Hunt-Ehrlich is curating Evading Capture: Black Women in Cinema, a film series screened at The Academy Museum that explores what happens after refusal. For January, catch a screening of Diva, the story of a singer who chooses to keep her art on her own terms. The evening also includes a pre-show performance by classical singer Abiodun Koya and a post-screening conversation between Madeleine Hunt-Ehrlich and scholar, curator, and critic Tiffany Barber. Free to attend, but you must RVSP in advance. Starts at 6:30 p.m. Go Metro: Take Line 20/720 along Wilshire Blvd.
Fire Kinship at the Fowler Museum (opens January 11) -> The Fowler’s second PST Art exhibition, Fire Kinship, posits a counter-narrative around the use of fire that seeks a return to Native practices in which fire is regarded as a vital aspect of land stewardship, community well-being, and tribal sovereignty. The exihibixotn opens with an evening celebration on January 11 featuring a welcome from a local California Indian community followed by a celebration with food, dance, and music. Fire Kinship remains on view through July 13, 2025. Go Metro: Take Line 602 to Westwood UCLA Amtrak Bus Stop OR take Line 2 to Hilgard / Wyton.
Self-Care Yoga at CAAM (January 11) -> California African American Museum stretches into 2025 with a fresh edition of their monthly, sixty-minute flow session led by yoga and meditation teacher Constance Hartwell. No previous experience is necessary, but you’ll want to bring a mat. Go Metro: Take the E Line to Expo Park / USC Station.
New Year Night Market at Superchief Gallery LA (January 11) Superchief Gallery LA opens 2025 with a New Year Night Market on the second Saturday of the month. Expect DJa-spun tunes backing 30+ vendors offering merch and food, all presented alongside the gallery’s latest art show, FOOS GONE WILD: Law Abiding Citizens. The event runs 3 to 9 p.m. and is free to attend. Go Metro: Take the A Line to Grand / LATTC station.
Locals Night at the Santa Monica Pier (January 16) -> Thinking you want to make regular walks part of your 2025 game plan? Every third Thursday from September to May, Locals’ Night brings at the Santa Monica Pier offers a free evening of youth activities, a car show, local DJs and live music from local bands, and art exhibits. It’s always free to attend, and it’s one of our favorite events/locations to get our steps in. Go Metro: Take the E Line to Downtown Santa Monica station.
40th annual Kingdom Day Parade (January 18) -> The 40th annual Kingdom Day Parade returns to Leimert Park for one of the biggest gatherings in the world to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, highlighted by the 2025 theme of “Peace and Unity, Let it Start with Us”. Free to attend. Parade starts at 10 a.m., rain or shine. Go Metro: Take the K Line to Martin Luther King Jr station or to Leimert Park station.
Sound Experience at The Getty with Colloboh(January 25) -> Nigerian-born, Los Angeles-based experimental producer and composer Colloboh comes to The Getty to create a unique sound experience that melds technological processes, multi-sensory environments, modular synthesizers, and activated visual effects. The sound bath is presented in collaboration with dublab, and inspired by the The Getty exhibition Sensing the Future: Experiments in Art and Technology (E.A.T.). It takes place inside the Harold Williams Auditorium beginning at 6 p.m. Tickets are free, but must be reserved in advance. Go Metro: Take the Line 761 to Sepulveda / Getty Ctr.
Por El Río Closing Reception (January 25) -> Clockshop marks the closing of Por El Río at Los Angeles State Historic Park with a closing reception highlighted by a conversation with exhibition artists Christopher Suarez and Carlos Agredano, plus DJ’d tunes from Sonido Sapo and Bianca Lexis, and light refreshments for guests. Runs from 2 to 4 p.m. Go Metro: Take the A Line to Chinatown station.
Over the Moon at The Hammer (January 26) -> The Hammer’s Family Flicks series kicks off 2025 with a nod to Lunar New Year via the animated feature, Over the Moon. A young girl, Fei Fei, is determined to prove the existence of a legendary moon goddess, Chang’e. Fei Fei builds a rocket ship and takes viewers on a musical expedition beyond the stars. Go Metro: Take Line 20/720 to Wilshire/Glendon OR take Line 233/602/761 to Westwood/Lindown.
Emotionally Available Improv (January 31) -> Is part of your 2025 plan to become a bit more in touch with your emotions. Launch that journey with a few laughs via a free performance of Emotionally Available Improv, popping up at Lawless Brewing on the final Friday of January. Starts at 7 p.m. in the Game Room. Free to attend. Go Metro: Take the B Line to North Hollywood Station.
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