Despite all the pollen in the air, spring is the best time of the year in SoCal. The days are getting warmer without the oppressive temperatures of summer, the days are getting longer, and new events and entertainment opportunities are popping up like California poppies on the side of the freeway.

April 7

Ashwini Ramaswamy’s ‘Let The Crows Come’

The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage | 1310 11th St., Santa Monica, CA 90401 | April 7-8 | broadstage.org

“Let the Crows Come” uses the metaphor of crows as messengers for the living and guides for the departed. In a series of solos/trios, the Indian dance form Bharatanatyam is deconstructed and recontextualized with collaborators Alanna Morris and Berit Ahlgren, who infuse the work with their own traditions of Modern and African Diasporic dance and the Gaga movement from Israel. The original, live score features South Indian instruments, electroacoustic cello, and sound sampling/turntables.

NHM First Fridays 

Natural History Museum of LA County | 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90007 | April 7 | nhm.org

With a focus on fantasy worlds this season, the Natural History Museum is now tackling “Space, Time, and Beyond: Speculative Fiction and the World We Live In.” Professor, author, graphic novelist, curator, Harvard Fellow, and New York Times Bestseller John Jennings joins neuroscientist Dr. Yewande Pearse to discuss how “speculative fiction” can help us understand injustices and problems in our own realities and they’ll try to answer how “popular culture and mainstream media depict the experience of people of color when telling these stories?” There will also be live music and DJ sets, pop-up experiences and food trucks. Don’t forget to cosplay as your favorite fantasy character. 

Spring Fling

Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden | 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia, CA 91007 | April 7 | arboretum.org

This “egg-ceptional” celebration will feature a race to collect the most eggs for prizes, picnic boxes from Peacock Cafe & Bar, crafts, DJ sets, scavenger hunts and photo opportunities.

Propelled To Space By Science

Beckman Auditorium | 332 S. Michigan Ave., Pasadena, CA 91106 | April 7 | caltech.edu

NASA astronaut, Caltech postdoc alumna and the first Black woman on the International Space Station Jessica Watkins discusses her journey to space and her thoughts on why “the last frontier” is worth exploring. 

Emo Night Brooklyn

Echoplex | 1154 Glendale Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026 | April 7 | emonightbk.com

Clean up your looks and dance, dance as DJs play the best emo and pop punk hits. Some of your favorite artists may be invited to surprise the crowd and join the party. 

‘Little Women The Musical’

Palm Canyon Theatre | 538 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92262 | April 7-23 | palmcanyontheatre.net

Based on the classic book by Louisa May Alcott, sisters Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy learn about loss, love, sibling rivalries, war, friendship and loss. The show is presented through a special arrangement with Music Theatre International. 

The Roosevelt Shindig Show with Iliza Shlesinger

The Hollywood Roosevelt | 7000 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028 | April 7 | eventbrite.com

Comedian Iliza Shlesinger will be joined by Mike Binder, Jamario McClain, Dustin Chafin, Lin Sun, Greg Roque, Abby Roberge and Gary Robinson for a night of laughs. 

Vegan Playground

Party Beer Co. | 4203 W. Jefferson Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90016 | April 7 | eventbrite.com

Stop by this dog- and family-friendly night market featuring vegan vendors and music. The streets outside the mansion where Sally is celebrating her 50th birthday are narrow, winding and newly full of mud — when a pilot in a small, single engine plane literally crashes the party.

April 8

‘The Pilot Who Crashed The Party’

Broadwater Theatre Main Stage | 6320 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90038 | April 8-May 7 | onstage411.com/Pilot

Written and directed by Tony Award winning actor and Second City alum Paul Sand, “The Pilot Who Crashed the Party” is an off-beat homage to the drawing room dramas of the ’30s set in the Santa Monica Mountains on a violent, stormy night filled with rain, lightning and thunder. Friends at the intimate soirée are suspicious. The caterer might be in love. “As the partygoers take turns caring for (the pilot), each projects a part of themself onto the pilot as they try to figure him out,” says Sand.

Sorry Papi Tour

Riverside Municipal Auditorium | 3485 Mission Inn Ave., Riverside, CA 92501 | April 8 | riversidelive.com

Ladies, if you’ve ever wanted to go out dancing with your friends without being bothered by men, this is your chance. This all girl party is meant to create a safe space for women to enjoy today’s biggest hits, grab a themed cocktail, and enjoy immersive art installations and surprise performances. 

Second Saturday ArtWalk

Downtown Pomona | Pomona, 119 W. Second St., Pomona, CA 91766 | April 8 | downtownpomona.org

More than a dozen galleries host artist receptions and shops and restaurants are open late. A farmers market will also be held at Shaun Diamond Plaza. 

818 Night Market

Mission Hills Christian Church | 14941 Devonshire St., Mission Hills, CA 91345 | April 8 | the818nightmarket.com

Stop by from 5-10 p.m. and do a little shopping from small vendors, get a bite to eat and enjoy some music.

Baldwin Park’s Spring Fest

Morgan Park | 4100 Baldwin Park Blvd., Baldwin Park, CA 91706 | April 8 | baldwinpark.com

All ages are welcome to meet and greet the Bunny at the VIP Bunny Brunch from 8-10 a.m. Brunch tickets will be sold for $4 up until April 8 at 9:45 a.m. Enjoy a special juggler performance at 9:45 a.m. Guests are invited to bring their egg hunt baskets as there will be over 20,000 eggs and many snacks at the event. The hunt will begin at 10:45 a.m. and is free and open to the public ages 12 years and younger.

City of Palm Springs 85th Anniversary Celebration

Downtown Park | Museum Way and Belardo Road, Palm Springs, CA, 92262 | April 8 | palmsprings85.com 

Celebrating 85 years since its incorporation, the City of Palm Springs will host a vintage car parade with Nancy Sinatra as the grand marshal and so many cars that it will attempt to break the world record. Other celebrity guests include supermodel Beverly Johnson and football legend Fred “The Hammer” Williamson. Entertainment will include DJs, an Elton John tribute band, a dog costume contest, face painting, games, crafts, and cupcakes. 

Spring Carnival

Santa Anita Park | 285 W. Huntington Drive, Arcadia, CA 91007 | April 8-9 | santaanita.com

The carnival features rides, inflatable jumpers, carnival games, pony rides, face painting, arts and crafts. 

‘100 Years Of Men In Love: The Accidental Collection’

Annenberg Theater at Palm Springs Art Museum | 101 Museum Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92262 | April 8 | psmuseum.org

This special screening of the documentary “100 Years of Ment in Love: The Accidental Collection” focuses on a collection of vintage photographs from the 1850s to the 1950s of men in love. The screening will be followed by a Q-and-A with the film’s Emmy Award-winning director David Millbern.

April 9

Drag March LA: The March On Santa Monica Blvd.

West Hollywood Park | 647 N. San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069 | April 9 | eventbrite.com

At a time when LGBTQ people and drag performers are under attack across the country by legislation and hate groups, the Los Angeles LGBT Center is hosting an all-ages Drag March in West Hollywood. Guest speakers will include activists and families from impacted states and there will also be performers. 

Rose Bowl Flea Market

Rose Bowl Stadium | 1001 Rose Bowl Drive Pasadena, CA 91103 | April 9 | eventbrite.com

Find antiques, collectibles and one-of-a-kind finds from more than 2,500 vendors.

Vintage, Upcycled & Contemporary Clothing Pop Up In Venice Beach

Moonlight Studio | 1517 Park Row, Los Angeles, CA 90291 | April 9 | eventbrite.com

Shop from Moonlight Studio’s racks of vintage clothes from celebs and artists, and selected designer brands. 

April 10

Tasty Comedy

The Glendale Room | 127 N. Artsakh Ave., Glendale, CA 91206 | April 10 | eventbrite.com

Kick off the week with laughs. Dan Ramos (Netflix, “Just For Laughs,” SXSW) and Jon Schabl (MTV, SF Sketchfest) host a lineup of comedians. 

Country Line Dancing

The Pour House | 405 S. Myrtle Ave., Monrovia, CA 91016 | April 10 | 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. 

April 11

‘1776’

Ahmanson Theatre | 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012 | April 11-May 7 | centertheatregroup.org

This Tony Award-winning Best Musical will make you rethink the birth of the nation. The production, featuring a diverse cast, explores what it takes to get two dozen powerfully passionate, exceedingly complicated, and all-too-human individuals to settle their differences, while they hold the very future of a nation in their hands.

‘Must Love Trees: An Unconventional Guide’

Skirball Cultural Center | 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90049 | April 11 | skirball.org

Tobin Mitnick, known as JewsLoveTrees on social media, discusses his new book “Must Love Trees: An Unconventional Guide” and guides tree-lovers through the world of North American trees. 

Candlelight OC: The Best Of Hans Zimmer

The Richard Nixon Library & Museum | 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda, CA 92886 | April 11 | feverup.com

A string quartet pays tribute to Hans Zimmer’s works on films like “Gladiator,” “The Lion King,” “Pearl Harbor,” and “Pirates of the Caribbean.” 

April 12

Classic Cinema Nights

The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel | 7000 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028 | April 12 | eventbrite.com

“A Night at the Opera,” a comedy starring the Marx Brothers, follows the trio as they play cupid to two opera singers.

San Dimas Farmers Market

San Dimas | 245 E. Bonita Ave., San Dimas, CA 91773 | April 12 | sandimasfarmersmarket.com 

The San Dimas Farmers Market is opening up for the season. Pick up fresh produce or artisanal goods.

April 13

Company Focus & Company Chaliwaté ‘Dimanche’

The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage | 1310 11th St., Santa Monica CA 90401 | April 13-16 | broadstage.org

Between fantasy and reality, “Dimanche,” which means Sunday in French, paints the portrait of a humanity gripped by the chaos of climate change and totally out of step with its time. In it, a family is about to spend the day at home. While everything around them changes and collapses, we see the surprising inventiveness of human beings unfold in an attempt to preserve their daily life to the point of absurdity. At the same time, on the roads, traveling the world, a team of animal reporters are preparing a documentary testifying to the life of the last living species on Earth. Company Focus and Company Chaliwate, two companies from Belgium, have woven together puppetry, clowning, physical theatre, low-fi effects, and video, into a witty and tender portrait of humanity surprised by the uncontrollable.

The Hollywood Ten At 75

Academy Museum | 6067 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036 | April 13-30 | academymuseum.org

In 1947, 10 Hollywood writers and directors refused to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) and were held in contempt of Congress. The Hollywood Ten, as they came to be known, were blacklisted from the film industry and in April 1948 were sentenced to serve a year in federal prison. This series highlights key films made by and about members of the Hollywood Ten and their blacklisted colleagues.

Montebello Night Market

Behind parking lot of Wells Fargo Bank | 777 W. Whittier Blvd., Montebello, CA 90640 | April 13 | montebelloca.gov

Entertainment and vendors selling farmers market items, homemade goods, arts, crafts and food will gather from 6-9 p.m. On April 13, Wise Guys will play big band swing for the crowds.

Fred Armisen And Friends

Largo at the Coronet | 366 N. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90048 | April 13 | largo-la.com

Fred Armisen, “SNL” alumn and star of “Portlandia” among many other screen and film credits, performs. 

Mames Babegenush

Skirball Cultural Center | 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90049 | April 13 | skirball.org

Winners of the jury and audience prizes at the International Jewish Music Festival, Mames Babegenush, a six-piece klezmer jazz ensemble from Denmark, brings their mix of Scandinavian and Eastern European influences to LA. 

Ongoing

‘(Im)migrants Of The State’

The Actors’ Gangat The Ivy Substation | 9070 Venice Blvd., Culver City, CA, 90232 | Through April 7 | theactorsgang.com 

Created by and based on the real-life experiences of formerly incarcerated actors, these stories run the full gamut of emotions, and the creators have found a way to employ humor, joy, and hope as they face even the darkest moments. For 17 years, the teaching artists of the theater’s Prison Project have been creating transformational opportunities for incarcerated men and women. An ensemble of Prison Project alumni with over 240 years of combined incarceration who have found their way to freedom now want to share their stories with audiences. 

‘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.

‘Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992’

Mark Taper Forum | 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012 | Through April 9 | centertheatregroup.org

Revisit a pivotal moment in LA’s recent history. “Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992” draws on over 350 interviews with politicians, activists, police, jurors, shopkeepers and countless other Los Angelenos to explore the uprising sparked by the acquittal of the men charged in the Rodney King police brutality case.

Springtime Easter Festival

Moorpark Farm Center | 3370 Sunset Valley Road, Moorpark, CA 93021 | Through April 10 | underwoodfamilyfarms.com

Celebrate spring with a trip to the farm for a egg hunting, visits with animals at the petting areas, tractor-drawn wagon rides, hay pyramids, photos, slides, barrel horses and more activities.

‘Mutant Olive 2.0’

Hudson Guild Theatre | 6539 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90038 | Through April 11 | onstage411.com/mutant 

Writer/performer Mitch Hara returns with a newer and even more outrageous version of his hilarious, heart-wrenching, multiple award-winning signature play, “Mutant Olive 2.0.” Father and son forgiveness is at the core of Hara’s manic, brave, tour-de-force performance as Adam Astra, an actor whose past seems to constantly seep into his present. Set during what turns out to be a truly cringe-worthy audition, Astra relays tales of his soul-sucking childhood, monstrous substance abuse, rampant sex, crashed cars, an out of body experience and a black cape — even as he tries out for his dream role in “Hamilton: Unplugged.”

‘The Tempest: An Immersive Experience’

Shakespeare Center LA | 1238 W. First St., Los Angeles, CA 90026 | Through April 16 | shakespearecenter.org

In this reimagined immersive performance based on William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest,” the audience will find themselves shipwrecked onto the shifting sands of an island under the spell of supernatural powers. Guests can excavate clues and solve puzzles, while indulging in themed artisan elixirs and island vibrations.

SpringTopia

Topanga Promenade Mall | 6100 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Woodland Hills, CA 91367 | Through April 16 | springtopiafest.com

Ovey rides, food, games and seven immersive lands featuring light shows, real puppies, a 3D circus, a Winter Wonderland, a pirate ship, a silent disco, and two spooky mazes.

‘That Perfect Place’

Atwater Village Theatre | 3269 Casitas Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90039 | Through April 23 | echotheatercompany.ludus.com

Writer/actor Brent Jennings imagines what his mentally challenged brother might have said, had he been able to speak. “The stories presented in ‘That Perfect Place’ are a representation, a musing, a meditation on the lives of the family I grew up a part of, presented by its most challenged member,” says Jennings. “A member that may have been the most soulful, wisest and compassionate one of us all.”

‘Unrivaled’

Boston Court Pasadena | 70 N. Mentor Ave., Pasadena, CA 91106 | Through April 23 | bostoncourtpasadena.org

Unrivaled is a fictional account of two of Japan’s most beloved female writers, 11th-century ladies-in-waiting Murasaki Shikibu and Sei Shonagon. This ultimate frenemy tale explores the complicated relationship between two women who simultaneously respect and resent each other’s talent. This hilarious and poignant world premiere is about friendship, heartbreak, and what it means to be a female artist. Perhaps most of all, it’s about no matter how much things change, the more they stay the same.

‘Kiss Of The Spider Woman’

A Noise Within | 3352 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91107 | Through April 23 | anoisewithin.org

In a South American prison cell in a country under authoritarian rule, two polar opposites discover that love may spring in the most unlikely of places. Poignant, chilling, funny and sensual, this intimate two-hander is the story of Valentin, a macho political prisoner whose commitment to the Marxist cause takes precedence over everything else, and queer, movie-loving Molina, who escapes the harsh reality of prison life by retelling beloved film noir classics and emulating their glamorous leading ladies. Forced to share a cell in Buenos Aires’ notorious Villa Devoto prison during Argentina’s “Dirty War,” the two forge an unlikely relationship.

‘The Thin Place’

Atwater Village Theatre | 3269 Casitas Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90039 | Through April 24 | echotheatercompany.com

Can we talk with the dead? Communicate with loved ones we’ve lost? In this mesmerizing new play, Linda promises that we can. If you listen — really listen — she can take you to the “thin place,” the fragile boundary between our world and the next. Are psychic abilities real, or merely a cunning illusion that awakens our deepest desires?

‘Yaacobi & Leidental’

Through April 30 | odysseytheatre.com

An absurdist tale about a love triangle gone wrong, Yaacobi & Leidental is a comic escapade through the failings of friendship and love. Even as we laugh at the antics of brash Yaacobi, insecure Leidental and not-as-sweet-as-she-looks Ruth Shekhash, we are reminded of our own shared human frailty in the face of desire and suffering. The cheerful songs stand in stark contrast to the cruelties visited on one another by these three friends.

‘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.

Desert X 2023

Coachella Valley | Through May 7 | desertx.org 

Site-specific art installations throughout the Coachella Valley examine how humans shape and impact their environment, and the environment of others, in both beneficial and detrimental ways. “The desert is full of mythologies, ones that equip people with a strong will to survive in conditions some might think to be impossible, and this combination of tenacity through storytelling contributes to the important role of ‘the desert’ in many cultures around the world,” says co-curator Diana Campbell. “One of the many challenges of this project is not to over-romanticize this ‘tenacity’ and to work with art, artists, and storytelling to address real problems (that are not just stories) facing humans and non-humans who live in the Coachella Valley today.” 

‘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,” Crosby’s ongoing series of intimate portraits of Nigerian children, including members of her own family.

Butterfly Pavilion

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County | 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90007 | Through Aug. 13 | nhm.org

The Natural History Museum’s seasonal Butterfly Pavilion featuring hundreds of butterflies of various species, native plants and natural light is finally opening. 

Shakira, Shakira: The Grammy Museum Experience

The Grammy Museum | 800 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90015 | Through Winter 2024 | grammymuseum.org

If you’ve had “Las mujeres ya no lloran, las mujeres facturan” stuck in your head the last few weeks then you’ll want to stop by this exhibit honoring the multi-Grammy Award-winning and Latin Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, producer, dancer, philanthropist and international icon. The exhibit explores the artist’s musical evolution, from her origins as a Latin rock-loving singer-songwriter in Barranquilla, Colombia, to a global superstar whose catalog spans multiple genres, from bhangra and bachata to rock and reggaetón. The exhibit features interactives, artifacts from Shakira’s personal archive, three original films, handwritten lyrics, costumes, guitars and more.

More from Events