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Still a little worn out from New Year’s Eve? All good, we’re sliding into the first weekend of the year with a breezy list of low-key to-dos.
On deck for this January 3-5 in Los Angeles, you’ll find new surrealist art at La Luz de Jesus Gallery, a Polar Bear Plunge at Annenberg Community Beach House, the Oddities & Curiosities Expo in DTLA, the 2025 Oshogatsu Family Festival, and more. Peep the full rundown below, and enjoy your weekend!
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Make Metro Part of Your Weekend
Cultivate: Land Technologies, Stories and Dance Traditions – M FA > This Sunday, LA Commons is teaming up with choreographer and South Los Angeles native Bernard Brown for a guided walk through the Historic Leimert Park neighborhood. Held on George Washington Carver Day, the event will honor the legacy of the innovator, agricultural scientist and educator through a morning of mindfulness engagement and traditional Africanist movement, highlighted by a closing dance performance at Plant Chica. Walk starts at 9:30 a.m. at Crop Swap LA’s Degnan Microfarm. Free to attend, but registration is limited. More info here.
Go Metro: Take the E or K Line to Expo / Crenshaw station.
Things To Do This Weekend
M = Less than .5 miles from an L.A. Metro Station, FA = Free Admission, TP = Top Pick
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Floatfest: A Rose Parade Showcase -> Following the 136th Rose Parade, visitors will have a chance to view the detail and design of float entrants up close at Floatfest, a ticketed ($25) showcase taking place at select times in the afternoon this Thursday and Friday. More info here.
The Beginning of the End at La Luz de Jesus Gallery – FA > Starting this weekend, a new pop-surrealist art exhibition comes to La Luz de Jesus Gallery (inside Soap Plant / Wacko) featuring artists curated from the gallery’s Everything But the Kitchen Sink 2024 exhibition. The Beginning of the End includes works from Douglas Cason, Dion Macellari, Heath Quiel, Visible Damage, Myah London-Harwell, Juri Umagami, Bruce Parker, and Annette Hassell. Friday’s opening reception runs from 7 to 11 p.m., and the exhibition remains on view through February 2. More info here.
Live Band Karaoke – FA > This Friday, Casual Encounters brings their brand of live Karaoke to Benny Boy Brewing, offering brave crooners the chance to belt out a selection of over 300 tunes in-front of the beer garden. No cover. Starts at 7 p.m. More info here.
Free First Fridays at MOCA Geffen – M FA TP > This Friday evening, MOCA Geffen in Little Tokyo is offering a free chance to check out the work of Icelandic–Danish artist Olafur Eliasson, whose solo exhibition is currently on view at the museum as part of the PST ART: Art & Science Collide initiative. The exhibition includes a series of site-specific installations showcasing a “dazzling array of sensory experiences that harness the laws of geometric optics to address feelings and concepts of embodiment, perception, and participation.” The event also includes a walkthrough of Eliasson’s work led by writer, theorist and Studio Olafur Eliasson fellow Neema Githe. Limited free reservations are available in timed slots between 6 to 8 p.m. More info here.
Polar Bear Plunge – TP > Want to start your 2025 with a cold blast to reset your body? Slip on your swim trunks and head over to the Annenberg Community Beach House this Saturday to participate in a group plunge in the Pacific with an (optional) 300-yard buoy swim. Afterwards, get a guest pass for the heated pool at the Beach House to warm your bod. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pool admission runs $10/adult, $5/senior adult age 60+, $4/youth age 1-17. Get more info here.
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Free Admission at USC Pacific Asia Museum – M FA > Now through January 4 (this Saturday), 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.
Oddities & Curiosities Expo – M > The Oddities & Curiosities Expo opens 2025 at the Los Angeles Convention Center with an extraordinary showcase of over 150 vendors and artists providing a unique shopping experience for enthusiasts of the strange, offering rare and unique items such as antiques and handcrafted oddities. Beyond shopping, the immersive expo includes tarot readings, sideshow performers, and concessions throughout the day. Takes place this Saturday and Sunday. Tickets start at $12. More info here.
2025 Oshogatsu Family Festival—Year of the Snake – M FA TP > Kickstart January with an annual tradition in Little Tokyo this Sunday, 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. More info here.
Salinas de San Pedro Salt Marsh Open House – FA > This Sunday, head to Cabrillo Beach for a day exploring the wetlands. Managed and cared for by the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, this salt marsh hosts a diverse community of salt-tolerant plants, invertebrates, fish, and birds. Accompanied by CMA Educators and dedicated volunteers, you’ll have the opportunity to observe and explore the wonders of this unique habitat. This experience is free and welcomes participants of all ages. More info here.
Dining & Drinking
(picks by Christina Champlin)
Wanderlust x King’s Hawaiian Ice Cream Slider Collab -> Wanderlust Creamery teams up with King’s Hawaiian to drop the Pretzel Rye Crunch Slider, launching this Friday. The sweet-and-savory creation packs salty pretzel ice cream with caramelized rye crumble into a King’s Hawaiian Pretzel Slider bun. This limited-time treat will be available at all locations throughout January. More info here.
NA Happy Hour Events at The New Bar -> This weekend, The New Bar brings non-alcoholic happy hours to its Venice and West Hollywood locations. Explore flavorful, booze-free drinks and dive into Dry January with events like saunas, cold plunges, breathwork, and skincare sessions happening all month. More info here.
Dry January Tasting Market at Burden of Proof -> This Saturday, Burden of Proof in Pasadena launches its first annual Dry January Drink Tasting Market. Discover the best in alcohol-free brands as you sample elixirs, spirits, sparkling teas, and ciders. Learn from experts how to mix a top-notch NA cocktail, savor baked treats from Bake Book Club, and enter to win a fully-stocked non-alcoholic bar cart. More info here.
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