I’m gonna keep things simple this week – What are you grateful for? Hopefully, at least one thing and at least a few of these fabulous events I’ve lined up for you below. And while you continue to ponder that question, please also keep in mind that part of the 10 Freeway is still closed near DTLA, so if you’re headed that way be sure to allow yourself more lagging time. Whatever you decide to do, I hope you have a very Happy Thanksgiving, where you’re surrounded by people, or pets, or plants, or whatever it is you love – Gobble Gobble!
Arts, Culture, Turkey Trotting, and Lighting up Your Life
Catch The Broad’s new fall collections on Sat., Nov 18 at its Opening Day Community Celebration, happening in the museum’s East West Bank Plaza from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. The open-to-all community event will be celebrating the opening of its newest exhibit, Desire, Knowledge, and Hope (with Smog). Drawing its title from a John Baldessari work, the exhibit includes “reflections on L.A. as a city in flux, and on societal issues that extend far beyond it.” The day will also include Family Weekend Workshops: Craft, Create, Celebrate (designed for kids ages 3+), popular LA food vendors – like Trap Kitchen and Tacos y Mariscos El Samurai), and DJ Sets by Chulita Vinyl Club. Reserve your timed ticket here for a FREE day filled with art, music, and food. Reserved timed tickets for the Family Workshop are also required – fyi.
After a bit of hiatus, The LA Phil got back in the saddle, and this weekend it’s the California Festival continuing on Sat., Nov 18 and Sun., Nov 19 from earlier in the week. Dudamel and the Music of Tango and Ballet – a build on the longtime collaboration of Gustavo Dudamel and Pan-American Music Initiative curator Gabriela Ortiz – a program featuring two works that pay homage to activist women. The first, Stride, was inspired by Susan B. Anthony and earned Tania León the Pulitzer Prize. The second is Ortiz’s new ballet score that shares its title with the 2019 “Glitter Revolution” based in Mexico City where women took to the streets in an act against pervasive sexual violence. And violinist Leticia Moreno, who is known for her “captivating power” will join Gustavo and the orchestra for Astor Piazzolla’s dramatic and tango-filled Four Seasons of Buenos Aires. Saturday showtime is at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets range from $30-$195.
Next up for the Walt Disney Concert Hall, is Ellie Goulding with Orchestra on Wed., Nov 22. Star Ellie Goulding has a very distinctive “voice that can pierce through bass-heavy club music, dance atop piano ballads, and breezily run up the hill of artsy synth-pop.” And Rolling Stone mag calls her singing “Dolly Parton-dazzling.” Her lifelong passion for orchestral music has inspired three special performances in New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, where she makes her WDCH debut with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. For these performances, she’ll be singing orchestral versions of some of her biggest hits and fan favorites spanning her career. Tickets are still available and range from $134-$229, but not many! Go ahead – treat yo’self.
And LA’s oldest independent bookstore, Chevalier’s Books, has a goodie bag of free events to give away this week, starting with a particularly interesting one on Sat., Nov 18. Meet at Chevalier’s for a celebration of Pratik: A Magazine of Contemporary Writing’s Darkness in Style, Noir Issue. Edited by the world renowned Himalayan poet, Yuyutsu RD Sharma, Pratik is a purely non-profit literary publication, published by White Lotus Book Shop. The magazine was founded by Nepalese poet Hari Adhikary, who – along with several distinguished Nepali poets – published it initially in Nepali language. The magazine was later revamped and published in English by Yuyutsu Sharma in 1989. Since then, Pratik has become a significant platform of creative writing worldwide. Event starts at 6 p.m. RSVP here.
Meanwhile, other nuggets in that Chevalier’s goodie bag include Ben Weber and his new book American Purgatory in conversation with LA icon and former Poet Laureate, Luis J. Rodriguez on Mon., Nov 20 at 6 p.m. RSVP here. And that’s followed by a crafty Zine Workshop on Tues, Nov 21. A zine (pronounced zeen; short for magazine or fanzine) is a small-circulation self-published work of original or appropriated texts and images, usually reproduced via a copy machine, and Alan Nakagawa and Nat Eastman will be in the house teaching you how to make a zine that will blow your mind! Sounds like a good time to me. RSVP here.
Great news! If you missed the start of Ultra Cinematheque 70: Hollywood, which kicked off last week, no worries because the film fest continues on at the newly-renovated, 101-yr-old Egyptian Theatre. The American Cinematheque is having an ongoing opening celebrating with a festival of large-format classic screenings at this legendary Hollywood movie palace. Now through Tues., Nov 21, festival goers can enjoy a slate of glorious 70mm selections that includes Boogie Nights, West Side Story, Spartacus, The Master, The Wild Bunch, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Nope, Lawrence of Arabia, and rare 70mm screenings of Aliens, which originally played at the Egyptian Theatre on July 14, 1986! So come join your fellow cinema nerds in a beautiful, historic old theater, while you sit back, relax, and get caught up in a great story. Tickets are $17 for general admission and $12 for members.
Before the Thanksgiving cooking marathon begins, gather with friends and family and head on over to DTLA for the 11th Annual Turkey Trot LA. Start burning those holiday calories early by participating in this charity 5k/10k, and Widdle Wobble for kids, benefiting The Midnight Mission on Thanksgiving morn, Thurs., Nov 23. Come for the good time and exercise while supporting an amazing organization that offers a path to self sufficiency to those experiencing homelessness. Create or join a team during registration and start fundraising today! Participants will receive a t-shirt, sparkly finisher medal, and bib. Packet pickup opens at 6:30 a.m. First race starts at 8 a.m.; event ends around noon. The race starts and finishes in front of City Hall at 200 N. Spring St. All 5k and 10k participants will be chip timed. See you there – gobble gobble!
Looking to start a new tradition or do something different this year – like, not cook? Then you’re in luck, because The Cat and Fiddle Restaurant & Pub is always good for a delicious home cooked holiday meal and it holds true for Thanksgiving as well. Let The Cat do all the work, this Thurs., Nov 23, while you sit back and contemplate all that you’re grateful for. You’ll have the traditional roasted turkey option or a lovely vegan nut roast wellington with mouth watering sides and a seasonal cocktail (or two), like the Crown Royal smash. The cost is $46 for adults and $22 for the kiddos. Reservations are Required. The website doesn’t indicate if there’s a take-out option or not, so you may want to give them a call to find out. Regular hours, M-F, are noon-10 p.m.
And the 10-day car fest continues! All Roads Lead to LA’s Annual 10-Day Automotive Festival – the 2023 LA Auto Show – happening once again at its forever home – the LA Convention Center. Now through Sun, Nov 26, the who’s who of the auto industry will be in town unveiling the future of mobility in the car culture capital of the world – sunny Cali-forn-i-a! Founded in 1907, the LA Auto Show is one of the biggest and most influential auto shows in the world, and with more than 1,000,000 sf of event space to show it off, there’s more than enough room for a little bit of everything. Providing a platform for the convergence of technology and the automobile, you’ll be able to experience it up close with Indoor and Outdoor Test Drives and Rides, Cool Collectibles and Exclusive Merch, Vintage Car Displays, Activations, Special Exhibits, Food Trucks, and much more! Ticket prices and packages range from $10-$110.
Seasonal Stuff (New and On-Going)
Ice Skating!! Get in your favorite form of seasonal exercise/making a fool of yourself at the recently opened Holiday Ice Skating Rink in DTLA’s Pershing Square. Now through Jan 7, get as close to a winter wonderland in LA as you can, cruising along the ice among skyscrapers, while you picture yourself surrounded by trees, on a lake, in a forest, somewhere far far away. Anyhoo, back to reality now, be sure to lookout for special events happening throughout the month as well. Skate rentals are included in admission ($20 per hour). Lockers and skating aids for the kiddos are $5 extra. Rink opens at 11:30 a.m. daily; closing times vary. And will be open on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve/Day, and New Years Eve/Day.
Ice skating, holiday lights, tree lightings – It’s all happening so fast!! The L.A. Zoo Lights: Animals Aglow experience is back for another season of lighting up your world. Come explore an immersive landscape filled with dazzling new lantern sculptures of animals among blooming flowers, towering trees, and more, for a nature-focused holiday celebration! Ticket prices vary depending on day of the week, check website for deets. Zoo Lights on display from Fri, Nov 17 – Jan 7.
Also lighting up our lives this season, is the third edition of Lightscape at the L.A. County Arboretum. Located a little east of LA in Arcadia, the Aboretum’s uplit trees and illuminated installations will once again dot the roughly mile-long pathway for the 2023 season, which has been “reimagined” this with an expanded trail. The light cathedral will, of course, make its return, as will the fire garden, one of events favorite highlights. Santa will also be there on select dates! Tickets range from $29-$35 and $14-$18 for kids (under 3 are free). Lightscape will be yours to behold from Fri, Nov 17 – Jan 2.
And the Queen of Christmas herself, the one and only – Mariah Carey – will be gracing us Angelenos with her presence and a spectacular holiday concert at the Hollywood Bowl, getting us revved up for the happiest time of the year! Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas One and All! will be bringing the Christmas cheer to town on the evenings of Fri, Nov 17 and Sun, Nov 19. Don’t miss out on Mariah’s signature high note, and a chance to sing along and prove to everyone you missed your calling as a backup singer. Tickets are still available and start at around $100, depending on the night – but don’t wait! Friday concert: 7:30 p.m., gates at 6 p.m. Sunday concert: 7 p.m.; gates at 5:30 p.m.
And even more magical light displays for your sight to see! From Sun, Nov 19 – Jan 7, you’ll have the chance to immerse yourself in a shimmering nocturnal wonderland at Descanso Gardens Enchanted Forest of Light; an interactive, nighttime experience, featuring a one-mile magical route through the garden. There will be returning favorites, including an entire town of “stained glass” creations by contemporary sculptor Tom Fruin; sparkling geometric installations from HYBYCOZO; Flower Power on the Promenade; and exquisite lighting effects in the Ancient Forest, as well as fresh delights to keep you in awe (click here for a preview). Advance tickets are required for entry and will NOT be sold on-site. Entry times start at 5:30 p.m. and end at 8:30 p.m. Gardens close at 10 p.m. Tickets are $35-$45 for adults and $25-$30 for kids ages 2-12. Please note that DG will be closed on Nov 23 and Dec. 24-25.
Community and Local Government
Did you know that more than 38,000 blood donations are needed every day? Or that just one donation can save up to three lives? Mid-City West Neighborhood Council is partnering with Cedars Sinai Hospital to host a Mobile Blood Drive Event this Sun., Nov 19, in the Pan Pacific Park parking lot from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. It only takes two-minutes to sign up and save a life – it is the giving season after all! Please CLICK HERE to register – CLICK HERE to view and share their flyer.
Your local NC, the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council (GWNC), is taking a break this week to focus on family and gratitude, while their friends at the Mid City West Neighborhood Council have just one meeting scheduled this Thanksgiving week, on Mon., Nov 20, for the Planning and Land Use Committee at 6:30 p.m. Check Mid City’s website for details, agendas, and full schedule. All MCW meetings are held at the Pan Pacific Park Senior Center (lunch room) located at 141 S. Gardner St.
