It finally feels like the dark days of winter are making way for some fun in the sun. Venture out this weekend and check out one of the many festivals happening around the Southland.

Feb. 17

West Covina 100th Anniversary

West Covina Sportsplex | 2100 S. Azusa Ave., West Covina, CA 91792 | Feb. 17-19 | westcovina.org

West Covina is celebrating 100 years since incorporation with a three-day festival featuring food, live music, carnival rides, vendors and more entertainment.

Cali Vibes

Marina Green Park | 386 E. Shoreline Drive, Long Beach, CA 90803 | Feb. 17-19 | calivibesfest.com

The three-day music festival will feature performances from Snoop Dogg, Jack Johnson, Cypress Hill, Ozomatli, Slightly Stoopid, Method Man & Redman, and many other artists. 

Riverside County Fair & National Date Festival

Riverside County Fairgrounds | 46350 Arabia St., Indio, CA 92201 | Feb. 17-26 | datefest.org 

The festival will feature live music from artists like Flo Rida, The Fray, Mariachi Sol de Mexico, and Pancho Barraza; a rodeo; BMX stunts, hypnotist; performances of “Aladdin”; farm animals and food. 

Fan Events Hosted By Nerdist for ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’

El Capitan Theatre | 6838 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028 | Feb. 17 | elcapitantheatre.com 

The fan event screenings will take place at 7 p.m. Attendees will receive an “Ant-Man” hat, collectible popcorn tin with popcorn, event credential and bottled beverage with their ticket.Fans are encouraged to cosplay as their favorite Marvel characters.

Lizzie No

The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage | 1310 11th St., Santa Monica, CA 90401 | Feb. 17 | broadstage.org

Drink and dance to folksy NYC singer-songwriter, harpist, and guitarist Lizzie No.

Modernism Week 2023

Palm Springs | Feb. 17-26 | modernismweek.com 

Appreciate the midcentury design and architecture that makes Palm Springs special with more than 350 events like live musical performances, cocktail parties, home tours and talks, presentations, exhibitions and more. 

Feb. 18

L.A. Chinatown Firecracker Run

Los Angeles Chinatown Plaza | 943 N. Broadway, Downtown Los Angeles, CA | Feb. 18-19 | firecracker10k.org 

Celebrating 45 years, the L.A. Chinatown Firecracker 5K/10K Run/1K Kiddie & PAW’er Dog Run/Walk & 20/40-Mile Bike Ride welcomes the year of the rabbit. Each registered participant receives a commemorative 2023 Firecracker race bib, exclusive collectible finisher’s medal, limited edition t-shirt, goody bag, and much more. In addition, participants and their guests will enjoy the Lunar New Year Celebration in the heart of historic Chinatown with an opening ceremony filled with lion dancers and the traditional lighting of 100,000 firecrackers. The Firecracker festival includes vendors and booths as well as a new Chalk Art Festival and Boba Garden.

‘The Mi$er’

Parson’s Nose Theater | 95 N. Marengo Ave., Pasadena, CA 91101 | Feb. 18-26 | parsonsnose.com

Celebrating the 400th birthday of Moliere, Parson’s Nose Radio Theater Live is presenting “The Mi$er,” the story of Old Harpagon, a stingy Parisian, who plans to sell off his children in marriage and force a young girl into being his wife. 

LA Travel & Adventure Show

Los Angeles Convention Center | 1201 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90015 | Feb. 18-19 | travelshows.com

Looking to get away this year but don’t know where to start planning a vacation? The Travel & Adventure Show will answer your questions about the best destinations to visit, how and when to visit and what to do once you’re there. The show will feature exhibitors and experts like travel writer Rick Steves, investigative reporter Peter Greenberg and Frommer’s Editorial Director Pauline Frommer. 

‘The Romance of the Rose’

Warner Grand Theatre | 478 W. 6th St., San Pedro, CA 90731 | Feb. 18-25 | longbeachopera.org

Kate Soper’s amoral, darkly comic opera is “an operatic exploration of the ways in which love, sex, and music wreak havoc on our sense of self.”

Vasquez Rocks Star Party

Vasquez Rocks Natural Area | 10700 W. Escondido Canyon Road, Agua Dulce, CA 91350 | Feb. 18 | lgscv.org/events/677 

Spend a night under the stars looking at the stars through your own telescope or one from LA County Parks. Astronomy volunteers will show you the celestial sights. The event is free and open to the public. 

All Things Comedy Feat. Bill Burr

The Ice House | 24 N. Mentor Ave., Pasadena, CA 91106 | Feb. 18 | icehousecomedy.com

Hosted by Luke Schwartz, comedians Bill Burr, Erik Griffin, Ronny Chieng and more will perform starting at 10 p.m.

Black History Parade and Festival 2023

Robinson Park | 1081 N. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena, CA 91103 | Feb. 18 | cityofpasadena.net

The parade, celebrating the legacy of Councilmember John J. Kennedy, begins at 10 a.m. at Fair Oaks Avenue and Mountain View Street and ends at Robinson Park, where the party continues until 4 p.m. CBS sportscaster Jim Hill is this year’s grand marshal and will be joined by other celebrity guests like  New York Giants defensive back Darnay Holmes, actress Gretchen Palmer, Reps. Judy Chu and Adam Schiff, State Senator Anthony Portantino, Assemblymember Chris Holden, and Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger. The fair will feature live performances by R&B artist MAJOR. and the band Luv from Abuv, food for purchase, information booths, a children’s zone, and a Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) fair.

The Taylor Party

Riverside Municipal Auditorium | 3485 Mission Inn Ave., Riverside, CA 92501 | Feb. 18 | riversidelive.com

Make the whole place shimmer as you shake off the work week at this Taylor Swift inspired party. 

Eastvale Lantern Festival 

Scholar Way | 7447 Scholar Way, Eastvale, CA 92880 | Feb. 18-19 | pananaevents.com

This two-day festival features cultural performances, vendors, artists, food and more. 

Feb. 19

‘The Secret Garden’

Ahmanson Theatre | 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012 | Feb. 16-March 26 | centertheatregroup.org

Based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, “The Secret Garden” follows 10-year-old orphaned Mary Lennox as she’s sent from her home in India to live with her reclusive uncle on his haunted English country estate. Mary’s curiosity leads her on a quest to discover her family’s past and herself. 

Palm Springs Vintage Market

Palm Springs Cultural Center | 2300 E. Baristo Road, Palm Springs, CA 92262 | Feb. 19 March 5 April 2 May 7 | palmspringsvintagemarket.com 

Coinciding with Modernism Week, this bonus vintage market kicks off at 7 a.m. The market features food, entertainment, vintage Americana and midcentury modern finds. 

Endless Night Vampire Ball

Globe Theatre | 740 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90014 | Feb. 19 | endlessnight.com

This anti-Valentine’s Day themed ball encourages party goers to wear their deepest red Victorian, Edwardian, Baroque or medieval attire. You might not have the money to head to Venice for Carnival, but this ball promises to be as decadent and fabulous. 

World Ballet Series: ‘Cinderella’

Fox Performing Arts Center | 3801 Mission Inn Ave., Riverside, CA 92501 | Feb. 19 | riversidelive.com

A cast of 40 professional ballet dancers perform this classic fairytale with stunning visuals and sets, the score from Sergei Prokofievs. 

Long Beach Antique Market

Long Beach Veterans Stadium | 4901 E. Conant St., Long Beach, CA 90808 | Feb. 19 | longbeachantiquemarket.com 

Find a new treasure from over 800 vendors selling collectibles, home decor, vintage clothing, jewelry, food and beer.

Feb. 20

‘When Harry Met Sally’ And ‘Sleepless In Seattle’

The Secret Movie Club Theater | 1917 Bay St., Los Angeles, CA 90021 | Feb. 20 | eventbrite.com

If you’re still feeling the romance in the air, catch this double feature of what many consider to be the two best rom-coms ever made. 

Ben Wasserman: Live After Death

The Yard Theater | 4319 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90029 | Feb. 20 | eventbrite.com

Comedian Ben Wasserman tackles death, grief and loss in this interactive comedy show featuring juggling, a seance, dancing and vulnerable discussions honoring and celebrating those lost. 

Guitar Nights Grand Kickoff

LOOK Dine-In Cinemas | 410 S. Myrtle Ave., Monrovia, CA 91016 | Feb. 20 | eventbrite.com

Listen to Trio Casablanca play boleros, Celia Liu the pipa, Stephen Dick some flamenco and Korey Simeone folk from the comfort of your seat. Order food and it will be brought to your seat so you don’t miss a thing. 

Patton Oswalt

Irvine Improv | 527 Spectrum Center Dr, Irvine, CA 92618 | Feb. 20-21 | improv.com

Known for his roles on “A.P. Bio” and “Parks and Recreation,” comedian, actor, and writer Patton Oswalt brings his award-winning comedy routine to the Improv.

Country Line Dancing

The Pour House | 405 S. Myrtle Ave., Monrovia, CA 91016 | Feb. 20 | eventbrite.com

Put on your cowboy boots for line dancing starting at 6 p.m. If you’re not familiar with line dancing, there are lessons starting at 7 p.m. for $8. There are also pool tables, music, drinks and food. 

Feb. 21

‘Building Madness’

Parson’s Nose Theater | 95 N. Marengo Ave., Pasadena, CA 91101 | Feb. 21 | parsonsnose.com

Max and Paul try to maintain their architectural firm float during the Great Depression in this screwball comedy.

United States Air Force Concert Band

Plaza Theatre | 128 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92262 | Feb. 21 | palmspringsca.gov 

The concert is free, however tickets are required, as seating is limited. Tickets will be available for pickup at the Leisure Center in Sunrise Park and at Demuth Community Center by calling (760) 323-8272. 

Feb. 22

Broadway + Improv

Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre | 5919 Franklin Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90028 | Feb. 22 | eventbrite.com

This musical comedy show is comedy based off of show tunes. 

LA Carnaval Mardi Gras Costume Ball

El Cid | 4212 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90029 | Feb. 22 | eventbrite.com

Put on your most extravagant carnaval costume to celebrate the music and culture of Latin America, the Caribbean, Brazil and New Orleans with live performances, confetti, beads and cash prizes for best costume. 

‘On The Waterfront’

The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel | 7000 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028 | Feb. 22 | eventbrite.com 

Film critic and wine maker José Ignacio Cuenca hosts the night which includes a Q-and-A following the film. Marlon Brando stars as dock worker and up-and-coming boxer Terry Malloy who is persuaded by a mob boss, played by Lee J. Cobb, to throw a fight. 

Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival

Regal Cinemas / L.A. Live | 1000 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90015 | Feb. 22-March 3 | hollywoodreelindependentfilmfestival.com

Get in on two weeks of film premieres, parties, and red carpet events.

How P-22 United Our City: Love Letters To LA’s Favorite Cat

Mark Taper Auditorium – Central Library | 630 W. Fifth St., Los Angeles, CA 9007 | Feb. 22 | eventbrite.com

The program features California Regional Executive Director for the National Wildlife Federation’s Beth Pratt, journalist Martha Groves, author Sherry Mangel-Ferber, Senior Manager of Community Science for Natural History Museum Miguel Ordeñana, Chumash and Tataviam Elder Alan Salazar discussing the need for wildlife protection and regular Angelenos can share what P-22 meant to them.

Feb. 23

The Best Of Hans Zimmer

Vertigo Event Venue | 400 W. Glenoaks Blvd., Glendale, CA 91202 | Feb. 23 | feverup.com

Orchid Quartet plays music by Hans Zimmer from films like “Inception,” “The Dark Knight,” “Pirates of the Caribbean,” and “The Lion King.” 

Pilobolus

Musco Center for the Arts | One University Drive, Orange, CA 92866 | Feb. 23 | muscocenter.org

Sensual and mesmerizing, this celebration of the human body includes works from vintage classics from the last 50 years and innovative work in shadow. This show typically includes nudity. 

Lovett Or Leave It

Dynasty Typewriter at The Hayworth | 2511 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90057 | Feb. 23  -March 9 | eventbrite.com

Podcast host (“Pod Save America” and “Lovett or Leave It”) and former presidential speechwriter Jon Lovett returns to discuss the day’s headlines with friends and a dash of comedy. 

Ongoing

Disney’s ‘Frozen’

Segerstrom Hall | 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 | Through Feb. 19 | scfta.org

Nominated for a Tony Award for Best Musical, “Frozen” will make you melt like a snowman in summer. Featuring songs from the Oscar-winning film and new numbers from the same songwriters, the stage musical adds gorgeous sets, costumes and lighting to bring Arendelle to life.

‘Home Front’

Victory Theatre Center | 3324 W. Victory Blvd., Burbank, CA 91505 | Through Feb. 19 | thevictorytheatrecenter.org

Tony Award-winning playwright Warren Leight’s portrait of a post-World War II interracial marriage will move you. A white woman and an African American soldier fall in love the night WWII ends in a country where racism and Jim Crow make it illegal to marry outside one’s race. The production comes at a relevant time in our current politics. “It’s shocking that, more than 70 years after WW II ended, questions about states’ right to ban interracial marriage have resurfaced,” says Leight.

‘Dance At The Odyssey’

Odyssey Theatre | 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025 | Through Feb. 19 | dysseytheatre.com

Celebrating new, cutting-edge contemporary dance in LA, this six-week festival will feature the work of a different company or choreographer including No)one. Art House; Roya Carreras and Assaf Salhov; JA Collective; Jessie Lee Thorne’s Poets in Motion; Suchi Branfman’s Dancing Through Prison Walls; and DaEun Jung.

‘Call Me Elizabeth’

Sierra Madre Playhouse | 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, CA 91024 | Through Feb. 19 | sierramadreplayhouse.org

It’s 1961 and Elizabeth Taylor is being interviewed by renowned journalist Max Lerner (one of her flings). Having recently married Eddie Fisher, with whom she’d had an affair while he was married to her friend Debbie Reynolds, and on the cusp of winning an Academy Award for “Butterfield 8,” the public seems to be more fascinated by Taylor’s personal life than her career. Further fanning the flames of interest, the marriage is on shaky ground and Taylor will soon start production of “Celopatra” with Richard Burton.

‘PRESSURE: James Cameron into the Abyss’

National History Museum of Los Angeles County | 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90007 | Through Feb. 20 | nhm.org

Go on a journey to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean through a multimedia experience of “Titanic” and “Avatar” director James Cameron’s dive. The 12-ton, 24-foot-tall submersible explorer that Cameron piloted on his 2012 record-breaking, solo dive to the Mariana Trench will be on display. The display provides insights into the logistics—and challenges—that go into planning an expedition seven miles below the surface where water pressure is about 1,000 times standard atmospheric pressure at sea level, and temperatures are just a few degrees above freezing.

Quilting A Nation

Online class | Through Feb. 22 | skirball.org

In conjunction with the Skirball Cultural Center’s “Fabric of a Nation: American Quilt Stories” exhibit, on view until March 12, instructor and author John Paul Thornton will explain techniques, creative choices and high quality insight into the world of quilting. 

‘Do You Feel Anger?’

Atwater Village Theatre | 3269 Casitas Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90039 | Through Feb. 25 | circlextheatre.org 

The #MeToo movement meets cancel culture in this comedy. When Sofia is hired as an empathy coach at a debt collection agency, she finds she has her work cut out for her. These employees can barely identify what an emotion is, much less practice deep, radical compassion for others. As they painstakingly stumble towards enlightenment, someone keeps mugging Eva in the kitchen, and the unspoken dynamics of their seemingly blithe workplace culture become increasingly unsettling.

‘We The People’ Billboard Exhibition

Billboards across LA area | Through Feb. 28 | thebillboardcreative.com

Nonprofit arts organization The Billboard Creative is turning billboards across the LA area into an open-air art exhibition for “We The People.” The exhibition will feature the work of 30 emerging and established artists working in a broad range of media — photography, painting, drawing, mixed media, and collage. For a map to all the locations visit The Billboard Creative’s website. 

‘Twelve O’Clock Tales With Ava Gardner’

Whitefire Theatre | 13500 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 | Through March 5 | whitefire.stagey.net

This new solo play reveals the contradictions and complexities of the passionate and deeply flawed woman behind silver screen icon Ava Gardner. Set in 1974 on the set of the blockbuster disaster film, “Earthquake,” Gardner focuses on her first big budget starring role in over a decade. Tucked away in her dressing room bungalow, the “queen of the scandal sheets” battles with her past. “Ava was a star in the ‘40s and ‘50s, but she had the sensibility and morés of today’s millennial,” says writer Alessandra Assaf. “She enjoyed her sexuality and had agency over herself in a way that women were not permitted to at the time. She fought against racism and believed in the right to choose.”

‘Open Flowers Bear Fruit’

USC Pacific Asia Museum | 46 N. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena, CA 91101 | Through March 12 | pacificasiamuseum.usc.edu

“Open Flowers Bear Fruit” features 10 photographs from Stephanie Shih’s ongoing series Asian American Still Life. Through her references to 17th-century Dutch still life paintings, Shih’s photographs challenge viewers to consider the complexity of the Asian American experience as it has manifested in the foods we eat and the things that remind us of home.

‘Much Ado About Nothing’

A Noise Within | 3352 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91107 | Through March 12 | anoisewithin.org

Shakespeare’s enemy-to-lovers romantic comedy is getting a new setting, Sicily after being liberated by U.S. forces during WWII. Beatrice and Benedick’s stinging verbal sparring hides a mutual attraction both try to deny until circumstances force them to do otherwise. 

Kristina Wong, ‘Sweatshop Overlord’

Kirk Douglas Theatre | 9820 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232 | Through March 12 | centertheatregroup.org

The Pulitzer Prize finalist in drama, “Sweatshop Overlord” was born from Wong’s face mask enterprise consisting of sewing volunteer “aunties.”  Wong dissects the pursuit of the American Dream and its many failings with humor. 

‘Sunday In The Park With George’

Pasadena Playhouse | 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena, CA 91101 | Through March 19 | pasadenaplayhouse.org

Stephen Sondheim’s music brings the world of French artist George Seurat to vivid life. On a Sunday afternoon on La Grande Jatte, Seurat is hoping to find the inspiration to create a masterpiece. As the piece comes together, the people come alive; his mother, his friends, his critics, the woman he loves. Stroke by stroke, dot by Dot, will George create something lasting, something new?

Disney’s ‘The Lion King’

Pantages Theatre | 6233 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028 | Through March 26 | broadwayinhollywood.com

Start working on your roar before you head to Pride Rock in this hugely successful musical about family, betrayal, duty and love.

‘Inspiring Walt Disney: The Animation of French Decorative Arts’

The Huntington MaryLou and George Boone Gallery | 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108 | Through March 27 | huntington.org

Organized by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Wallace Collection in London in association with The Huntington, the exhibition explores the early inspirations behind Disney Studios’ creations, examining Walt Disney’s fascination with European art and the use of French motifs in Disney films and theme parks.

‘Designing with Disaster: Stories From Seven Regenerative Cities’

Japan House LA | 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028 | Through April 2 | japanhousela.com

Inspired by the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, the exhibition introduces the concept of “Regenerative Urbanism” – anticipatory urban design that explores the optimistic possibility of symbioses between humans and the natural and constructed worlds, embracing inevitable disasters and creating disaster-resilient environments. The exhibition also features illuminated Regenerative City Wells with an immersive physical, video, and audio experience envisioning seven hypothetical regenerative cities. Admission to the exhibition is free.

‘Mulyana: Modular Utopia’

USC Fisher Museum | 823 W. Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90089 | Through April 8 | fisher.usc.edu

The exhibition is an introduction to Indonesian artist Mulyana’s large kinetic environments composed of intricately constructed, knit modules of marine life sculptures that vividly portray an unadulterated underwater world. Through his artworks, Mulyana hopes to instill a new consciousness of shared responsibility to protect the environment.

‘Regeneration: Black Cinema, 1898–1971’

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures | 6067 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036 | Through April 9 | regenerationblackcinema.org

The exhibition explores the achievements and challenges of Black filmmakers in the US in both independent production and the studio system—in front of the camera and behind it—from cinema’s infancy in the 1890s to the early 1970s. The Regeneration Summit, Feb. 3–5, 2023, will be a two-day celebration of Black cinema featuring artists, scholars, and filmmakers participating in conversations, workshops, and activations throughout the museum.

‘Connections: Asia’

Getty Center Museum | 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90049 | Through May 7 | getty.edu

The exhibit features five works of Asian art made between the 14th and 18th centuries in China, India, Korea and Japan on loan from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and displayed alongside European paintings and sculpture in the Getty’s collection made around the same time. “This juxtaposition creates visual and thematic dialogues that highlight the form and function of devotional images, woodcarving techniques, traditions of painting landscapes and portraits of prominent individuals, and the trade of luxury goods,” according to the Getty.

‘The Hilton Als Series: Njideka Akunyili Crosby’

The Huntington | 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108 | Through June 12 | huntington.org

The exhibit features a selection of works by Nigerian-born, Los Angeles–based artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby in the final exhibition curated by the Pulitzer Prize–winning author and New Yorker magazine critic Hilton Als, in collaboration with the Yale Center for British Art (YCBA) and Akynyili Crosby. The two selected five collage-based paintings from “The Beautyful Ones,” the Akynyili Crosby’s ongoing series of intimate portraits of Nigerian children, including members of her own family.

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