Posted by 
How are we already a month into the year? If you haven’t been much of a social butterfly to start 2023, no worries. There’s a lot going on this weekend in Los Angeles.
From January 27-29 in L.A., catch free admission at USC Pacific Asia Museum, the Golden Dragon Parade in Chinatown, Art Collector Starter Kit at Corey Helford Gallery, Lunar New Year at Santa Monica Place, a free flea at Common Space Brewery, Happy Birthday Marion! at the Annenberg Beach House, Uncorked Wine Festival at Union Station, and more. Keep an eye on possible rain showers for Sunday. And, as always, we hope you have a terrific weekend!
advertisements
Things To Do This Weekend
Free Admission at UPAM -> Last weekend, USC Pacific Asia Museum cancelled their Lunar New Year celebration in the wake of the Monterey Park mass shooting. But now through Sunday, UPAM will offer free admission to all guests in order to create a space for reflection and gathering for the community. Daily hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Get more info here.
Fourth Fridays on 4th Street -> Retro Row in Long Beach comes alive on the fourth Friday of the month with special pop-ups, live performances, and extended store hours from shops on 4th St between Temple and Cherry. The event runs 6 to 9 p.m. Get more info here.
White Time at The Elysian -> Originally conceived for The Elysian’s Forget About Spaghetti Festival, Kristin Wallace’s White Time is now back at the Frogtown-adjacent theater for a three-day run this Thursday to Saturday. Wallace, a queer Black woman, dons whiteface and a full white skinsuit to deliver what she calls a “gift receipt to the Jim Crow era.” Tickets are $18. All shows start at 7:30 p.m. Get more info here.
PCH Movies & Moonlight -> On Friday in Long Beach, catch another edition of 2nd & PCH’s Movies & Moonlight series, featuring a free outdoor showing of Disney’s Mulan beginning at 6 p.m. The evening includes free face painting on Seaport Way between 5 to 7 p.m. 5:00
Girls of the Golden West -> This Friday and Sunday, the Walt Disney Concert Hall hosts performances of Girls of the Golden West, a two-act opera set California Gold Rush, with music by John Adams and a libretto by Peter Sellars based on the memoirs of a woman who called herself Dame Shirley. Tickets start as low as $40. Performances begins at 8 p.m. at Friday, and 2 p.m. on Sunday. More info here.
Exposure: Native Art and Political Ecology -> This Friday, a fresh exhibition comes to Armory Center For the Arts in Pasadena, grappling with issue of toxic waste on indigenous lands through a mix of mediums that includes sculptures, video installation, photography, collage, glasswork, metalwork, fiber, paintings, and virtual-reality experiences. Some three dozen (mostly indigenous) artists contributed to Exposure: Native Art and Political Ecology, which debuted at Museum of Contemporary Native Arts in Santa Fe in 2021. Admission to Armory Center For the Arts is always free. Open Friday to Sunday. More info here.
advertisements
Uncorked: Los Angeles Wine Festival -> Uncorked Wine Festival returns to the iconic Union Station this Saturday with over 150 wines and bubbles from around the world, plus local food trucks, live music and a photo booth. Early admission ($80) is at 5 pm and includes an extra hour of tasting with a smaller crowd for the first hour, and bonus pours from select wineries during that hour. General admission ($65) is at 6 pm and the event ends at 9 pm. Both ticket types include all wine tasting with food sold separately. More info here.
Exhibition Openings at TAM -> This Saturday, The Torrance Art Museum (always free to visit) hosts an opening reception for their two new spring exhibitions, which includes Rochelle Botello’s Free Fall along with Bridging The Pacific, a collection of works created by Japanese-American artists living in the SoCal area. More info here.
Golden Dragon Parade -> The 124th Golden Dragon Lunar New Year Parade returns to Chinatown this Saturday, bringing an afternoon of live performances, lion dance teams, marching bands, and more. The parade route starts north along Hill Street, looping around at Bernard St, then heading south on Broadway to the end point at the intersection of Broadway and Cesar Chavez. Festivities are free to attend, but there are a limited number of grandstand tickets available for $40. Parade starts at 1 p.m., street closures begin at 10 a.m. More info here.
Art Collector Starter Kit -> A pair of new exhibitions arrive at Corey Helford Gallery this weekend, including the ninth annual Art Collector Starter Kit group show (ACSK IX). Starter Kit features affordable, new 12” x 12” works from over 75 established and emerging artists from across the globe. Also debuting is a new solo show by Toronto-based artist Richard Ahnert entitled While We Wait. Saturday’s opening reception runs from 7 to 10 p.m. and is free to attend. More info here.
Lunar New Year At Santa Monica Place -This Saturday, celebrate Lunar New Year on the westside with a free family-friendly event and enjoy cultural performances and art under traditional red and gold lanterns. The celebration, hosted by comedian Paul Kim, includes: Lion Dances with Bruce Wen and The Shaolin Entertainment Group, Chinese Dough Artist Chris Lee, a Balloon Artist and a live DJ. Runs 2 to 5 p.m. More info here.
Yoga on the Mountain -> On the last Saturday of the month, the Santa Monica Mountains Fund hosts a morning of outdoor yoga and live acoustic music at the King Gillette Ranch in the heart of the Santa Monica Mountains. All skill levels are welcome. Free to RSVP, and reservations are required to attend. More info here.
Winter Sounds in WeHo -> The City of West Hollywood kicks off a free indoor concert series this Saturday, to take place inside City Council Chambers. Jazz quartet The Essentials will provide the tunes for the first installment, which also includes events on February 11 and 25. Concert begins at 5 p.m. Get more info here.
The Fallacy of Borders -> This Saturday, the Fowler Museum celebrates the opening of “The Fallacy of Borders,” the first solo, LA-museum presentation of artist Amir H. Fallah. A moderated discussion with the artist followed by a reception. Starts at 6 p.m. Free to attend. More info here.
advertisements
Block Party at Highway Cannabis Company -> Highway Cannabis Company is throwing an all-day block party on Saturday to celebrate their grand opening. The public is invited to enjoy live musical performances and sample food from Alfredo’s Fruits and Speak Cheezy Pizza. A number of cannabis brands will also be interacting with the public and people can also explore a Highway experience with aromatic flower atomizers at a Blossom Bar and check out a Scorpion Dab Bar. More info here.
Festival of Abilities -> The Aquarium of the Pacific’s annual Festival of Abilities is a two-day celebration of the creative talents and abilities of people with disabilities. AoP will feature special programming this Saturday and Sunday, which includes wheelchair dance, live music, art demos, sign language interpreters at all major shows, and educational sessions on adaptive SCUBA diving. All activities are included with general admission, which starts at $36.95 for adults. More info here.
Alhambra Lunar New Year Festival -> The Alhambra Lunar New Year Festival takes over Main St this Sunday with lion dances, kung fu performers, live candy sculpting, live Chinese character demonstrations, and other cultural performances. The festival will run in conjunction with the Alhambra Farmers Market, a great place to pick up independently farmed asian fruits and vegetables. More info here.
River Sessions – Mile XX-51 -> After a two-week postponement due to the rain, the LA River Public Art Project’s new series of guided walks kicks off this Sunday. The program highlights the art, culture, history, and ecology the famed waterway, beginning with a jaunt near Mile 51 (the technical starting point of the river) in Canoga Park. This weekends event will be preceded with a performance/grounding by traditional Tongva singer Joe Calderon. Tickets start at $29 per person. Starts at 11 a.m. Get more info here.
826LA@Hammer: Making Monster Manuals -> 826LA is back at the Hammer Museum this Sunday with another fun creative session for kids and teens. Author Kim Adelman leads a workshop where students will “create an illustrated manual for appropriate monster behavior.” Free to attend, and recommend for ages 8-14. Although the program is not ticketed, reservations are encouraged. Starts at 11 a.m. More info here.
Free Flea at Common Space -> Common Space Brewery is cleaning house, and their loss could be your gain. This Sunday, the Hawthorne tap house hosts a “free flea market” where they’ll be passing along items to the public that they don’t have room for anymore. Think home brewing equipment, holiday decor, party supplies, and more. Check out a sneak peak of available via their IG, and remember that if you do plan to attend everything is first-come, first-served. Runs noon to 5 p.m. More info here.
Happy Birthday Marion! -> The Santa Monica Conservancy celebrates the life of silent film actress and socialite Marion Davies with a free day of festivities on the Garden Terrace at the Annenberg Community Beach House, this Sunday. Expect live music, a 1920s dance competition, and a magic performance. It’ll all be capped off by a group photo, so be sure to wear Gold Coast era attire if you have it. The event runs 1 to 3 p.m. Get more information and register to attend here.
Dining & Drinking
(picks by Christina Champlin)
All’Antico Vinaio Pop-Up -> Florence’s most infamous sandwich shop All’Antico Vinaio is popping up inside of Mozza2Go this January 28-29 from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Items are first-come, first-served and include a number of popular sandwiches such as La Summer, L’Inferno and La Paradiso. Nancy Silverton will also create a special sandwich just for the occasion.
advertisements
New Winter Menu at Venice’s The Tasting Kitchen -> Chef Travis Passerotti and his team at The Tasting Kitchen just launched a new Winter menu featuring local farmers market produce, sustainable fish and locally sourced meat. Highlights include Alaskan Scallops in seaweed jus, Trottole pasta with chanterelles and nettles; and persimmon glazed chicken wings.
A Pre-Valentine’s Day Singles Mixer with Koreatown Wine Club -> On Saturday, Koreatown Wine Club operated by Open Market collaborates with influencer Sharon Lee (@helloimsharon) to host ’Single Varietal,’ a wine tasting mixer for solo Angelenos. Tickets cost $30 a person and include an afternoon of wine tasting, mingling, and group games to encourage new connections. More info here.
The Macallan Harmony Café Pop-Up -> Scotch whisky distiller Macallan celebrates the release of their new limited edition whisky with a four-day whisky and coffee experience at Carrera Cafe. Happening January 26-29 The Macallan Harmony Café, the all inclusive pop-up features complimentary treats, custom coffees and cocktails, branded food pairings and tastings of the new whisky. Sign up to attend the event here.
Want to get the best things to do in L.A. sent straight to your inbox? Join over 60,000 Angelenos who subscribe to our twice weekly email newsletter!
By subscribing, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy and consent to receive emails from We Like L.A. about news, events, offers, and partner promotions.
advertisements
