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Events Apr 19, 2023
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Another week means more fun things to do all throughout LA County and Southern California! Whether you’re looking to stuff your face with some delicious cuisine, or settling into a theater to watch a play, the options are limitless this week. Need help to pick something out? We have you covered with our weekly events calendar.
April 21
Odd Nights At The Autry
The Autry Museum | 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles, CA 90027 | April 21 | theautry.org
Odd Nights are back! Pack some blankets and chairs and a big appetite. The Odd Market will feature 18 food trucks, two emerging bands, inflatables, a full bar, more than 70 crafters, and possibly exclusive gallery access. Pets are welcome.
‘Dr. Keeling’s Curve’
Sierra Madre Playhouse | 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, CA 91024 | April 21-23 | sierramadreplayhouse.org
“Dr. Keeling’s Curve” tells the story of the life and work of Dr. Charles David (“Dave”) Keeling (1928-2005), whose work on carbon dioxide measurement at Caltech in the mid 1950s gave the world its first early warnings of the dangers of climate change. The narrative explores his life as a husband, father and scientist. Mike Farrell, known and loved for his 179 episodes as B.J. Hunnicutt on the TV series “M.A.S.H.,” stars in a solo performance.
OMGC Spring Festival
Our Mother of Good Counsel Catholic Community | 2060 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027 | April 21-23 | omgcschool.org
Enjoy carnival rides, games, food, beer, wine, music and pop-up boutiques.
Norco Horseweek
3737 Crestview Drive, Norco, CA 92860 | April 21-30 | norcohorseweek.com
Celebrating all things equine over 10 days, Norco Horseweek will feature a parade, extreme rodeo, bull riding, food truck festival, chili cook-off, equine obstacle course, and more family fun.
April 22
Free Entrance Days In The National Parks
All National Park Service sites | April 22, Aug. 4, Sept. 23, Nov. 11 | nps.gov
All National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone during five days this year. In California, 11 parks will be waiving their fees: Cabrillo National Monument, Death Valley National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Lava Beds National Monument, Muir Woods National Monument, Pinnacles National Park, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, and Yosemite National Park.
Gimme Gimme Disco
Echoplex| 1154 Glendale Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026 | April 22 | gimmegimmedisco.com
Dancing Queens, it’s time to hit the floor at this dance party for ABBA lovers. DJs will also play other disco hits from the ‘70s and ‘80s.
Easy Mornings
Grand Park | 200 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012 | April 22 | grandparkla.org
Start your weekend with free relaxing activities for your family. This year’s Easy Morning program includes performance, activities and workshops highlighting dance, music, nature, health, wellness and art.
Sō Percussion With Caroline Shaw And Shodekeh
The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage | 1310 11th St., Santa Monica, CA 90401 | April 22 | broadstage.org
The multi-genre quartet, Sō Percussion, joins forces with two collaborators for a mesmerizing evening of new music. Selections from “Let the Soil Play Its Simple Part,” their 2020 song cycle, will be performed with co-composer Caroline Shaw, the youngest winner ever of the Pulitzer Prize for Music. Breath artist, beat boxer, and composer Dominic Shodekeh Talifero joins Sō Percussion for their collaboration “Vodalities: Paradigms of Consciousness for the Human Voice.”
Vegan Playground: Earth Day
Party Beer Co. | 4203 W. Jefferson Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90016 | April 22 | eventbrite.com
Vegan Playground is teaming up with We Explore Earth and Party Beer Co. for an Earth Day event featuring 15 vegan food and goods vendors.
909 Open Market
119 W. 2nd St., Pomona, CA 91766 | April 22 | 909openmarket.com
Head to the 909 Open Market for some food, shopping and music.
A Nature-Based Immersive Music Experience
Vasquez Rocks Natural Area | 10700 Escondido Canyon Road, Agua Dulce, CA 91390 | April 22 | instagram.com/p/CrCf8o-JnTw
LA County Parks has partnered with Feels Like Floating for a free evening of live performances from acoustic and electronic artists (including IASOS) in a meditative landscape.
Earth Day 2023
Sanitation Districts’ Joint Administration Office | 1955 Workman Mill Road, Whittier, CA 90601 | April 22 | lacsd.org
Free and open to all ages, get ready for live music, dancing, magic shows, environmentally-friendly arts and crafts, green exhibitors, tours, and food.
BBQueer
Mountain View Park | 12127 Elliott Ave., El Monte, CA 91732 | April 22 | sgvlgbtq.org
At a time when it’s desperately needed, the San Gabriel Valley LGBTQ Center is hosting a BBQueer community gathering centering Trans Day of Visibility. The event was rescheduled from the original April 1 date.
818 Night Market
Mission Hills Christian Church | 14941 Devonshire St., Mission Hills, CA 91345 | April 22 | the818nightmarket.com
Kirk O’ the Valley Presbyterian Church | 19620 Vanowen St., Reseda, CA 91335 |
Stop by from 5-10 p.m. and do a little shopping from small vendors, get a bite to eat and enjoy some music.
Riverside Insect Fair
Main Library | 3900 Mission Inn Ave., Riverside, CA 92501 | April 22 | riversideca.gov
Celebrate Earth Day with some of our smallest animal friends. The fair will include real, live critters and many activities like storytime, UC Riverside entomology graduate students sharing their experiences, lessons on creating a bug collection and a chance to visit the Wyland Mobile Learning Experience.
April 23
Pasadena Showcase House Of Design
Pasadena | April 23 – May 21 | pasadenashowcase.org
Leading interior and exterior designers renovate an existing home top to bottom to raise funds for music programs and grants for nonprofits. This year’s home is a 1933 grand colonial designed by Marston & Maybury. This year, the Restaurant at Showcase will be catered by Roe Fusion and executive chef Phillip Ozaki.
Pacific Art Walk Festival
Huntington Park | Pacific Boulevard between Saturn and Gage avenues, Huntington Park, CA 90255 | April 23 | hpca.gov
Back for the second year, the Pacific Art Walk Festival will feature local artists (including local Oscar Ramirez), live music (including mariachi and an ‘80s band), folklorico dancing, Latin World Car Club, chalk artist Oscar De Leon, student displays, and food.
Golden Streets – Heart Of The Foothills
Palomares Park for opening ceremony | 499 E. Arrow Highway, Pomona CA 91767 | April 23 | 626goldenstreets.com
You choose where to start and finish but 6.5 miles will be open for you to bike, walk, run, skate, dance, and play in. There will also be art, music, food, entertainment and water refill stations along the way. The event is free but there will be opportunities to support local businesses along the route.
Country Sunday
Executive Suite | 3428 E. Pacific Coast Highway, Long Beach, CA 90804 | April 23 | instagram.com/p/CrCBgHjtbA1
This inclusive LGBTQ+ country dance party will feature two-step and line dancing lessons, music from DJ Coral.
April 24
Tasty Comedy
The Glendale Room | 127 N. Artsakh Ave., Glendale, CA 91206 | April 24 | 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 24 | 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 25
‘A Little Night Music’
Pasadena Playhouse | 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena, CA 91101 | April 25-May 21 | pasadenaplayhouse.org
Based on Ingmar Bergman’s “Smiles of a Summer Night,” and featuring a score primarily in waltz time, the production was one of Stephen Sondheim’s greatest commercial successes. Set in 1900 Sweden, “A Little Night Music” explores the tangled web of affairs centered around actress Desirée Armfeldt, and the men who love her: a lawyer by the name of Fredrik Egerman and the Count Carl-Magnus Malcom. When Desirée performs in Fredrik’s town, the estranged lovers’ passion rekindles. This strikes a flurry of jealousy and suspicion between Desirée; Fredrik; Fredrick’s wife, Anne; Desirée’s current lover, the Count; and the Count’s wife, Charlotte. Both men – as well as their jealous wives – agree to join Desirée and her family for a weekend in the country at Desirée’s mother’s estate. With everyone in one place, infinite possibilities of new romances and second chances bring endless surprises.
April 26
Riverdance
Fox Performing Arts Center | 3801 Mission Inn Ave., Riverside, CA 92501 | April 26 | riversidelive.com
The international Irish phenomenon brings a little bit of Celtic culture to Riverside.
‘The Power Of Song: A Songwriters Hall Of Fame Exhibit’
The Grammy Museum | 800 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90015 | April 26 – Sept. 4 | grammymuseum.org
The newly expanded exhibition celebrates iconic American songwriters. Through artifact displays, an original film, and interactive experiences, the exhibit examines the songwriter’s creative process, tells the stories of great songwriters – all of whom are Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees or special award recipients – and digs deep into the celebrated compositional works that make up the American music treasury.
San Dimas Farmers Market
San Dimas | 245 E. Bonita Ave., San Dimas, CA 91773 | April 26 | sandimasfarmersmarket.com
The San Dimas Farmers Market is opening up for the season. Pick up fresh produce or artisanal goods.
April 27
Santa Fe Springs Art Crawl Fest
Clarke Estate | 10211 Pioneer Blvd., Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670 | April 27-28 | artcrawlfest.com
Celebrating all kinds of artistic expression, SFS Art Fest will include special exhibits, a juried film fest, silent art auction, workshops, galleries, live musical performances, chalk arts, food trucks and dancing.
Montebello Night Market
Behind parking lot of Wells Fargo Bank | 777 W. Whittier Blvd,, Montebello, CA 90640 | April 27 Every Thursday but bands on these dates: May 11 June 8 July 13 Aug. 10 Sept. 14 | montebelloca.gov
Entertainment and vendors selling farmers market items, homemade goods, arts, crafts and food will gather from 6-9 p.m.
Ongoing
‘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.”
‘Little Women The Musical’
Palm Canyon Theatre | 538 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92262 | Through April 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.
Disney On Ice: ‘Let’s Celebrate’
Toyota Arena | 4000 Ontario Center Parkway, Ontario, CA 91764 | Through April 23 | disneyonice.com
Fifty of your Disney friends skate across the ice in this show.
‘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’
Odyssey Theatre | 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025 | 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.
The Hollywood Ten At 75
Academy Museum | 6067 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036 | Through April 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.
‘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.
‘1776’
Ahmanson Theatre | 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012 | Through 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.
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 Pilot Who Crashed The Party
Broadwater Theatre Main Stage | 6320 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90038 | Through 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.
‘(Im)migrants Of The State’
The Actors’ Gangat The Ivy Substation | 9070 Venice Blvd., Culver City, CA, 90232 | Extended through May 13 | 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. 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. “People have shared with us that they’re [coming] to the theater for the very first time because they heard the play would contain stories that represented their lived experiences,” shared co-director Jeremie Loncka. “While some regular theatergoers said that the cast’s courage and vulnerability restored and inspired their belief in theater to create change.”
Renaissance Pleasure Faire
Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area | 15501 Arrow Highway, Irwindale, CA 91706 | Through May 21 | renfair.com
Hear ye! Hear ye! The Renaissance Pleasure Faire returns to SoCal with entertaining shows ranging from falconry and magic to drinking songs and jousting. With delicious food, flowing drinks, a marketplace like nowhere else, and actors getting everyone into the spirit, you will undoubtedly have a good time. Huzzah!
‘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.
‘Symbiosis: Living Island’
Japan House | 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Level 2, Los Angeles, CA 90028 | Through July 5 | japanhousela.com
The Inujima “Art House Project” creates a unique symbiosis between art, architecture, community, and ecology that has been transforming the landscape of the Japanese island of Inujima, which now is home to just 25 homes with more than half of the inhabitants over 70 years of age. The exhibition celebrates and transports visitors to this “living art” island through the sights and sounds of everyday island life, captured through an experiential diorama of the island and its art pavilions.
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.
‘Journeys Continued: LA Communities Through The Eyes Of Artists’
Los Angeles Union Station | 800 N. Alameda St., Los Angeles, CA 90012 | Through Dec. 31 | art.metro.net
In “Journeys Continued: LA Communities Through the Eyes of Artists,” 12 featured pieces focus on a specific area, neighborhood or city Metro serves within greater Los Angeles and will be on view in the Passageway Art Gallery, between Union Station East and West.
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.
