The weather should be much better this weekend and that’s a very good thing because there are many exciting events in SoCal that you won’t want to miss. From unique dining experiences to two jazz festivals, celebrations of Chicano culture, brews at the zoo and ongoing Pride festivities, SoCal residents are spoiled for choices. But, what else is new?

Aug. 25

Dining In The Dark: A Unique Blindfolded Dining Experience

City Club Los Angeles | 555 Flower St., 51st Floor, Los Angeles, 90071 | Aug. 25 | feverup.com

Let your taste buds and nose lead the way in this unique dining experience featuring a secret menu that you’ll never see but will taste and smell while blindfolded.

Summer Street Fest

Smith Park | 6016 Rosemead Blvd., Pico Rivera, CA 90660 | Aug. 25 | pico-rivera.org

East LA reggae band Quinto Sol, Cuban-American rapper Mellow Man Ace, and the incomparable Ozomatli will perform live at the last Summer Street Fest of the year. The event will also feature guest DJs, food booths, food trucks, a beer garden, exhibitions and jumpers for kids. 

Brew At The L.A. Zoo

Los Angeles Zoo | 5333 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027 | Aug. 25 | lazoo.org

More than 49 breweries will gather at the zoo for a night of music, pop-up animal keeper talks, pub-style food, and more.

‘Exit Wounds’

Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center | 330 East Seaside Way, Long Beach, CA 90802 | Aug. 25-Sept. 10 | ictlongbeach.org

How do you find redemption when someone you love has committed a terrible crime? A tragic event caused Linda Sadowski to become a hoarder and retreat from life, not even seeing her son for over 25 years. How can Linda stem the ripple effect of the family’s past and save the 17-year-old grandson she’s never met? “We always hear about the families of the victims, but what happens to the families of the perpetrators?” asks playwright Wendy Graf. “Can they ever live a normal life again? I wanted to explore how entire families can become defined by the actions of one member, and how the fallout from one person’s act can affect future generations.”

DTLA Proud Festival

Grand Park | 200 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA, 90012 | Aug. 25-27 | dtlaproud.org

Spanning over four city blocks, this free event includes multiple stages and dance areas, art installations, artisans and vendors. Access to the 21 and over area will require tickets.

Levitt LA 2023

MacArthur Park | 2230 W. 6th St., Los Angeles, CA 90057 | Aug. 25-27 | levittlosangeles.org

Friday kicks off with DJ Shana Sarett, Healing Gems, and De Lux heating the night up with indie rock and disco. Pay tribute to one of music’s greats on Saturday at “The Prettiest Star, Celebrating 50 years of David Bowie’s Aladdin Sane” with Daniel Crook, Laena, llull llull (Claire McKeown), Polly Jean Crawford, Riki, Scott Yoder, Sugarmill Slim, Tolliver, Vashti Windish, and DJ Mr Pharmacist. Wind down on Sunday as The Delirians and Djs Tom Chasteen and Boss Harmony play classic dub and reggae. 

Family Fridays Movie Nights: ‘The Muppets’

The Huntington | 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108 | Aug. 25 | huntington.org

Pack a picnic or buy some concessions there before relaxing on the magical grounds of The Huntington and watching Kermit reunite the Muppets for a stage show. 

626 Night Market: Orange County

OC Fair & Event Center | 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 | Aug. 25-27 | 626nightmarket.com

The event features more food, merchandise, crafts, and arts vendors plus games, music, and entertainment. Haunted by prophecies and goaded by his ambitious wife, Macbeth sets in motion an evil and bloody rise to the throne. A grand and gripping tale of murder, treason, ambition and greed that follows Macbeth’s transformation from battlefield hero to bloody tyrant, Shakespeare’s supernatural thriller remains startlingly relevant in today’s political climate.

Mario Aguilar Show

Downey Civic Theatre | 8435 Firestone Blvd, Downey, CA 90241 | Aug. 25 | ci.ovationtix.com

Comedian and internet sensation Mario Aguilar will have you laughing just like billions of viewers online. 

Movies In The Park: ‘The Greatest Showman’

Playhouse Village Park | 701 E. Union St., Pasadena, CA 91101 | Aug. 25 | playhousevillage.org

Come to a free outdoor screening of “The Greatest Showman,” a musical starring the ever-charming Hugh Jackman as P. T. Barnum.

Drive-In Movie Night In Glendale

Electric Dusk Drive-In | 236 N. Central Ave., Glendale, CA 91203 | Aug. 25-26 | eventbrite.com

As great as the traditional movie theatrical experience can be, there’s something extra special about a classic drive-in. Pull up, grab some snacks from the concession stand, and get ready to get lost in…

Mundial Market Night

Mundial | 1725 Spruce St., Riverside, CA 92507 | Aug. 25 | mundialriverside.com

Shop from local vendors selling art, skincare, jewelry, crafts, churros and drinks. 

Aug. 26

Leimert Park Jazz Festival

Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza | 3650 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90008 | Aug. 26 | leimertparkjazzfestival.com

The Leimert Park Jazz Festival brings jazz, culture and community together in a one-day celebration. Highlights of this year’s festival include Carmen Lundy, Poncho Sanchez, Gerald Clayton, and Keyon Harrold. In between performances be sure to support pop-up shops, grab a beer or wine and grab some food. There will also be a zone for kids.

53rd Chicano Moratorium

Ruben Salazar Park | 3864 Whittier Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90023 | Aug. 26 | fb.me/e/1iKVN5Fsz

Join organizations like Centro CSO, La Raza Unida Party, and Union del Barrio at this free community event featuring live music, vendors, food and a lively set of speakers.

‘A Slight Ache’

Odyssey Theatre | 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025 | Aug. 26 | odysseytheatre.com

Harold Pinter’s tragicomedy of manners is a funny, ominous and unsettling journey into the human psyche. As married couple Flora and Edward breakfast in their garden, a wasp circles menacingly overhead while Edward feels “a slight ache” in his eyes. And who is that derelict match seller hovering just beyond the garden gate?

Skirball Mindfulness Retreat: Nurturing Well-Being And Self-Compassion

Skirball Cultural Center | 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90049 | Aug. 26 | skirball.org

After a hectic work week, slow down, breather and reflect within the Skirball’s calming campus.

Music Of Queen

LA County Arboretum | 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia, CA 91007 | Aug. 26 | pasadenasymphony-pops.org

The Music of Queen will join the Pasadena POPS and conductor Larry Blank for a musical tribute to Queen.

Chinatown Summer Nights

Chinatown’s Central & West Plazas | 943 N. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012 | Aug. 26 | instagram.com/lachinatown

Eat from the delicious culinary offerings of Chinatown and dance the night away at this neon-lit party featuring KCRW DJs Travis Holcombe and Novena Carmel.

Off The 405: Alabaster DePlume

Getty Center | 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90049 | Aug. 26 | getty.edu

Through his performances, British poet and saxophonist Alabaster DePlume encourages his audiences and envelops them in warmth.

Downey Pride Festival

Downtown Downey on Firestone Blvd. & Downey Ave. | Aug. 26 | downtowndowney.org

The free one-day event will have two stages featuring live entertainment, a DJ, a beer garden, petting zoo, face painting, and vendor booths. 

‘The Camera Is Ours’

Sierra Madre Playhouse | 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, CA 91024 | Aug. 26-27 | sierramadreplayhouse.org

Sierra Madre Playhouse will present “The Camera Is Ours,” a silent film festival featuring films before and after the passage of the 19th Amendment. The films will be accompanied on the piano and introduced by two leading experts on women in early Hollywood: Cari Beauchamp, author of the biography of Frances Marion (“Without Lying Down: Frances Marion and the Powerful Women of Early Hollywood”),  and Lara Gabrielle, author of the biography of Marion Davies (“Captain of Her Soul: The Life of Marion Davies”). The program includes “The Perils of Pauline,” “It,” “Why Be Good?,” “Sparrows,” and “Show People.”

End Of Summer Festival

One Colorado | 41 Hugus Alley, Pasadena, CA 91103 | Aug. 26 | onecolorado.com

Farewell summer at One Colorado with carnival games, delicious food, a beer garden, caricature drawings, and live music

Euro Nights USA

Starlight Bowl | 1249 Lockheed View Drive, Burbank, CA 91501 | Aug. 26 | starlightbowl.com

German-based Bad Boys Blue, Boney M lead singer Liz Mitchell, and UK darling Samantha Fox will headline this special concert.

626 Night Market Mini

Lot 27 | 1324 5th St., Santa Monica, CA 90401 | Aug. 26-27 | eventbrite.com

Free to attend, the mini market features three dozen rotating local food pop-ups, merchandise and craft vendors, and a full bar.

Mexico Lindo Y Querido

Downey Theatre | 8435 Firestone Blvd., Downey, CA 90241 | Aug. 26 | ci.ovationtix.com

California Academy of Arts and Ballet Folklorico Rey Coliman de Susana Villalon and Elias Roldan present this vibrant show that will transport you through Guerrero, Jalisco, Colima and Sinaloa with Ballet Folklorico Rey Coliman and Mariachi Espectacular. 

100 Years Of Cinema Under The Stars: ‘Mildred Pierce’

Doctor’s House at Brand Park | 1692 Brand Park Drive, Glendale, CA 91203 | Aug. 26 | alexfilmsociety.org

Join the Glendale Historical Society for a free, outdoor film screening of “Mildred Pierce” starring Joan Crawford as a long-suffering single mother struggling to raise two daughters.

Public Star Party

Griffith Observatory | 2800 E. Observatory Road, Los Angeles, CA 90027 | Aug. 26 | griffithobservatory.org

Gaze at the summer sky as local telescope groups to share their telescopes and knowledge.

909 Open Market

119 W. 2nd St., Pomona, CA 91766 | Aug. 26 | 909openmarket.com 

Head to the 909 Open Market for some food, shopping and music. 

Aug. 27

Chicano Heritage Festival

El Salvador Park | 1825 W. Civic Center Drive, Santa Ana, CA 92702 | Aug. 27 | santa-ana.org

Celebrate Mexican American culture at this free event featuring live performances, food, a kids zone, car and cruise show, food vendors, carnival rides, carnival rides, and carnival rides. 

20th Annual Gardena Jazz Festival

Rowley Memorial Park | 13220 Van Ness Ave., Gardena, CA 90249 | Aug. 27 | eventbrite.com

Top jazz artists gather for the Gardena Jazz Festival. This year’s lineup includes Emmy-award winner Damien Escobar, Grammy-nominated Boney James, The Family Stone and Brandee Younger.

Smorgasburg 7th Annual BBQ Day

ROW DTLA | 777 S. Alameda St., Los Angeles, CA 90021 | Aug. 27 | la.smorgasburg.com

Summer and BBQ is an iconic duo that can’t be beat and some of SoCal’s best BBQ vendors are gathering for special offerings and collabs at Smorgasburg.

OC Record Show

UFCW Union Hall | 8530 Stanton Ave., Buena Park, CA 90620 | Aug. 27 | ocrecordshow.com

Music aficionados, collectors and vinyl lovers are invited to find some new treasures.

818 Night Market

Story City Church Granada Hills | 11011 Hayvenhurst Ave., Granada Hills, CA 91344 | Aug. 27 | instagram.com/p/CwMIgFiLXoS/ 

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

Summer Nights

Bowers Museum | 2002 North Main St., Santa Ana, CA 92706 | Aug. 27 | events.kcrw.com

Explore the Bowers Museum’s galleries, dance to KCRW DJs SiLVA and Dan Wilcox’s music sets, and grab a drink from the pop-up bar.

Aug. 28

Dan Levy And Colleagues

Largo at the Coronet | 366 N. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90048 | Aug. 28 | largo-la.com

“Schitt’s Creek” creator Dan Levy will be joined by Nick Kroll, Marc Maron and Chelsea Peretti.

Country Line Dancing

The Pour House | 405 S. Myrtle Ave., Monrovia, CA 91016 | Aug. 28 | 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.

Aug. 29

‘Graphic Design In The Middle Ages’

Getty Center | 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90049 | Aug. 29-Jan. 28, 2024 | getty.edu

Experimental design was a core component in the creation of medieval books. The people who produced them, from the scribe who wrote out the text to the artist who painted the images, were some of the world’s first graphic designers. They planned both individual pages and whole books, devising unique strategies for each work. The manuscripts on view explore the many ways in which words and images were designed to work together on the page, not just to communicate the content of the text but also to challenge, surprise, and delight readers.

Ice Nine Kills

Riverside Municipal Auditorium | 3485 Mission Inn Ave., Riverside, CA 92501 | Aug. 29 | riversidelive.com

Boston’s Ice Nine Kills is known for their explosive shows. “Seamlessly weaving aggressive post hardcore with soaring melodies, the ferocious four-piece utilizes multi-textured guitar hooks, a dual vocal attack, complex orchestral arrangements and a pummeling rhythm section, which grabs the listener by the throat and refuses to let go,” say event organizers. 

Aug. 30

Uptown Whittier Night Market

700 Greenleaf Ave., Whittier, CA 90602 | Aug. 30 | facebook.com/uptownwhittier 

Shop from local vendors, eat some delicious food and listen to music at the Uptown Whittier Night Market from 5-9 p.m. this summer. 

Marvel Movies and TV Trivia Night

Truly LA | 216 S. Alameda St., Los Angeles, CA 90012 | Aug. 30 | eventbrite.com

Assemble your friends and test your knowledge of earth’s mightiest heroes. It’s free to play and winners get prizes. 

Aug. 31

Downtown Street Market

Morgan Park | 4100 Baldwin Park Blvd., Baldwin Park, CA 91706 | Aug. 31 | baldwinpark.com

The popular Downtown Street market returns with its series of musical acts, food vendors, produce farmers, artisans, local merchants and beer garden. Cadetes de Memo Cavada will take over the South Stage with a tribute to Cadetes de Linares. Over on the North Stage, Ernando & The Nando’s bring pop tunes.

Sizzling Summer Nights

The Autry | 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles, CA 90027 | Aug. 31 | theautry.org

Every year the Autry hosts a series of outdoor performances by salsa and Latin fusion musicians, free dance lessons with an instructor, access to the museum, a dance floor for kids, tacos, margaritas and refreshments. Ricardo Lemvo and Makina Loca close out the season.

Sunset Series

South Coast Botanic Garden | 26300 Crenshaw Blvd., Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA 90274 | Aug. 31 | southcoastbotanicgarden.org

Roam the 87 acres of the garden, or grab a cocktail and enjoy some yard games and live music from diverse performers. Kids will have a blast with parachutes, obstacle courses, lawn bowling, bubbles and more.

Montebello Night Market

Behind parking lot of Wells Fargo Bank | 777 W. Whittier Blvd,, Montebello, CA 90640 | Aug. 31 | montebelloca.gov

Entertainment and vendors selling farmers market items, homemade goods, arts, crafts and food will gather from 6-9 p.m.

Ongoing

‘Summer Of Music: Concert Films 1959–2020’

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures | 6067 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036 | Through Aug. 26 | academymuseum.org

Spanning seven decades and several continents, genres, and filmmaking styles, the concert film series showcases iconic and inspiring musical performances captured on film 一 from dizzying eclectic festival bills to intimate artist showcases. Featured performers include The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Ozzy Ozborne, and Beyoncé. The limited series concludes with “Metallica: Through the Never” in 3D (2013), featuring a special post-screening conversation with members of the band Metallica.

‘Last Summer At Bluefish Cove’

Outdoor Stage The Fountain Theatre | 5060 Fountain Ave., Los Angeles CA 90029 | Through Aug. 27 | fountaintheatre.com

The Fountain Theatre will transform the parking lot surrounding the set on its outdoor stage to create an oceanfront experience for its 40th anniversary production of the groundbreaking comedy/drama, “Last Summer at Bluefish Cove.” Set in 1974, a group of queer women spend their summers together in a remote oceanfront town on Long Island. Their lesbian enclave is disrupted when Eva, a naïve straight woman recently separated from her husband, stumbles unaware into their circle and falls for the charming, tough-talking Lil. This heartfelt play, a landmark in lesbian history, is bursting with friendship, laughter, love and hope, bringing well-rounded, three-dimensional characters that transcend stereotypes and preconceptions to the stage.

‘Much Ado About Pooh’

Media Park | 9070 W. Venice Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232 | Through Aug. 27 | theactorsgang.com 

The Actors’ Gang gift to area families are free performances of a new production – “Much Ado About Pooh,” a 45 minute mash-up playing every Saturday and Sunday from August 5-27 at 11 a.m. A prince, Christopher Robin (Don Pedro), his two friends, Pooh and Tigger (Claudio and Benedick), and his disgruntled brother, Eeyore (Don John), decide to visit a lord and his family in the Hundred Acre wood. This lord, Owl (Leonato), has a daughter named Piglet (Hero) and a niece named Rabbit (Beatrice) who forge friendships with these visitors. Their adventures are rife with mistaken conversations – some innocently misinterpreted, some wrongly intended.  There is jealousy, trickery and deceit, but just as in both classic tales, the truth comes out in the end, and everyone is better friends for it. 

Tuesday Night Dance: Bachata

Argyros Plaza | 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 | Through Aug. 29 | scfta.org

You don’t need to be an experienced dancer to stop by. Instructor Luis Aragon of Cielo Dance Events will guide attendees through the steps and moves in both English and Spanish. 

‘Peter Krasnow: Breathing Joy And Light’ 

Skirball Cultural Center | 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90049 | Through Sept. 3 | skirball.org

The “Peter Krasnow: Breathing Joy and Light” exhibition showcases 20 paintings and drawings from the Skirball’s collection of the artist’s work. The exhibition focuses on works made primarily during the decades after World War II and the Holocaust. To ease the despair brought on by that painful period, Krasnow created vibrant paintings teeming with exuberant, abstract forms, radiating optimism, and evoking a spiritual world of renewal. Krasnow emigrated from Ukraine to the United States at age 20 in 1907 and established himself in the Los Angeles art community in the 1920s, where he was inspired by the hope and possibility of Southern California. His paintings incorporate elements of his Jewish heritage and the organic forms and vivid hues found in the plant life of his Atwater Village home and studio.  

‘Immersive Disney Animation’

Lighthouse ArtSpace Los Angeles | 6400 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028 | Through Sept. 3 | lighthouseimmersive.com

Walt Disney Animation Studios has joined forces with the creators behind “The Original Immersive Van Gogh” to present the music and artistry within Disney Animation’s canon of films—from hits of today like “Encanto,” “Zootopia” and “Frozen,” to all of the classics including “The Lion King,” “Peter Pan” and “Pinocchio.” Additional interactive features within the projection show include responsive floor projection design that moves with the audience and custom bracelets that light up in sync with the projections and based on the audiences’ movements through the galleries. In a particularly show-stopping moment, the Gazillion Bubbles special effects team fills the 500,000 cubic feet of galleries with bubbles.

Sawdust Summer Festival

Sawdust Art Festival | 935 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, CA 92651 | Through Sept. 3 | sawdustartfestival.org

The festival will feature handcrafted art by 168 Laguna Beach artists, three stages with live music, complimentary art classes, glassblowing, art demonstrations and a variety of outdoor dining and saloon offerings.

‘Venus In Fur’

McCadden Place Theatre | 1157 N. McCadden Place, Los Angeles. CA. 90038 | Through Sept. 3 | onstage411.com/venusinfur

Set in modern New York City, Thomas Novachek, a beleaguered director/playwright, has suffered through a long day of abysmal auditions for his adaptation of the German sadomasochistic novel “Venus in Fur,” until Vanda, a crass and pushy actress, stumbles into his audition room. While Vanda shares the lead character’s name, she lacks her sophistication. However, when Thomas agrees to let Vanda read for the role, she displays a surprising understanding of the material. Working through the script with Thomas playing the masochistic male lead, the roleplay becomes intense, erotic, and less like acting. David Ives’ mesmerizing play explores themes of submission, domination, and power with a fast-paced storyline, mutable language he is known for. Reality and pretend become blurred lines in “Venus in Fur” and the question of “who’s on top” always has a different answer. A mysterious, funny, erotic drama that represents yet another departure for the multifaceted David Ives. “Venus In Fur” is sexy, clever, vengeful and skillfully twisted.

Rooftop Cinema Club

DTLA, Arts District & El Segundo | Through Sept. 4 | rooftopcinemaclub.com

From classic films like “Casablanca” and “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” to more modern blockbusters like “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Rooftop Cinema Club offers a variety of films that you’ll enjoy rewatching in an open-air cinema experience.

‘The Power Of Song: A Songwriters Hall Of Fame Exhibit’

The Grammy Museum | 800 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90015 | Through 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.

fangs!

Heritage Square Museum | 3800 Homer St., Los Angeles, CA 90031 | Through Sept. 4 | eventbrite.com

Vampires have taken over Heritage Square Museum and you are joining the action in this immersive experience that may see you separated from your group as you explore haunted houses, an abandoned church and wonderful performers. Be sure to read the warnings as the play deals with sensitive content. 

‘Peter Pan Goes Wrong’

Ahmanson Theatre | 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012 | Through Sept. 10 | centertheatregroup.org

“Peter Pan Goes Wrong” is a highly physical comedy packed with finely-tuned and inspired slapstick, delivered with split-second timing and ambitious daring stunts. The Cornley Drama Society returns to the Ahmanson, battling technical hitches, flying mishaps, and cast disputes as they attempt to present J.M. Barrie’s much-loved tale. But will they ever make it to Neverland? Emmy-winner Bradley Whitford (Aug. 9-20) and Daniel Dae Kim (Aug. 30-Sept. 10) will appear in the role of Francis, a member of the ‘Cornley Drama Society’ who portrays The Narrator in Peter Pan.

‘Our Dear Dead Drug Lord’

Kirk Douglas Theatre | 9820 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232 | Through Sept. 17 | centertheatregroup.org

In this fierce and feverish comedy, a gang of teenage girls gather in an abandoned treehouse to summon the ghost of Pablo Escobar. Are they messing with the actual spirit of the infamous cartel kingpin? Or are they really just messing with each other? A rollercoaster ride through the danger and damage of girlhood — the teenage wasteland has never been so much twisted fun. This group ends up being a pivotal way for these young women to cope with the grief and lack of control in their lives.

‘America’s Got Talent’

Pasadena Civic Auditorium | 300 E. Green St., Pasadena, CA 91101 | Through Sept. 20 | on-camera-audiences.com

Be part of the television audience of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.

‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’

Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum | 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga CA 90290 | Through Sept. 21 | theatricum.com

Each summer, Theatricum’s wooded stage morphs into the enchanted woods of Athens, where mortal lovers chase and are chased, players prepare, and fairies make magical mischief. Audiences are advised to bring a sweater for evening performances, sunscreen and a hat for matinees, and cushions for bench seating. Patrons are welcome to arrive early and picnic before a performance.

‘Macbeth’

Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum | 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga CA 90290 | Through Sept. 23 | theatricum.com

There’s no better place to call up the spirits than Theatricum’s outdoor amphitheater, carved into the rustic hillside and surrounded by the Topanga woods.

‘Queen Margaret’s Version of Shakespeare’s War of the Roses’

Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum | 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga CA 90290 | Through Oct. 1 | theatricum.com

“Queen Margaret’s Version of Shakespeare’s War of the Roses” is a new edit of Shakespeare’s best-known history plays — Henry VI Parts I, II and III and Richard III — compiled by Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum Artistic Director Ellen Geer. Dubbed the “British Game of Thrones” and Shakespeare’s “First Boxed Set” by British director Trevor Nunn, the Bard’s War of the Roses follows 30 years of bitter infighting between the rival Lancaster and Plantagenet dynasties as they battle for power and the crown of England. Geer puts the focus on the women in court as they watch the bloody wars take the lives of their fathers, husbands and sons.

‘Living In A Wildlife Corridor’

Descanso Gardens | 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011 | Through Oct. 1 | descansogardens.org

Included in the price of admission to the gardens, “Living in a Wildlife Corridor” is an interactive and immersive exhibit spotlighting our natural surroundings through the lens of photographers, the canvases of local artists, and through the stories and wisdom of the Tongva people.

‘Elephant Shavings’

Odyssey Theatre | 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90025 | Through Oct. 1 | odysseytheatre.com

The stage is set for drama, humor and absurdity when one member of a theater’s acting ensemble finds herself challenged to confront the common dreams we have about the nature of reality. “It’s part existentialist thriller, part ghost story,” says Odyssey Theatre Ensemble artistic director Ron Sossi. “The theater functions as a character in the play, as does Sepulveda Boulevard, which is just outside the exit door and covers an ancient footpath used by the Gabrieleno Tongva people.”

Anaheim Fall Festival Art Show

Downtown Anaheim Community Center | 250 E. Center St., Anaheim, CA 92805 | Through Oct. 3 | instagram.com/p/CwA3w5iJp9i/

Marvel at original works from some Anaheim Fall Festival artists.

‘A Perfect Ganesh’

Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum | 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga CA 90290 | Through Oct. 7 | theatricum.com

Five-time Tony Award-winning playwright Terrence McNally turns the pilgrimage tradition on its head in his magical, poetic, Pulitzer Prize nominated play, “A Perfect Ganesh.” Theatricum’s wooded stage takes us from teeming Mumbai to the Chittaurgahr Pass, Jodhpur, the Ganges, the burning ghats of Varanasi and the Taj Mahal, as two upper-middle class friends from Connecticut travel to India with heavy baggage in tow, reeling from loss and personal demons. Manifest in their fellow travelers, the benevolent, elephant-headed Hindu god Ganesha is everyone and everywhere. Fluid in his power to assume any guise, at peace with all things, Ganesha — god of wisdom, prudence, acceptance, love and “remover of obstacles” — is the spiritual center around which the play spins, drawing upon the tragic and the comic, the beautiful and the deplorable, until a breathtaking release arrives for both women at his hands.

‘Printed In 1085: The Chinese Buddhist Canon From The Song Dynasty’

The Huntington | 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108 | Through Dec. 4 | huntington.org

The Huntington will exhibit for the first time the oldest printed book in its collection, “The Scripture of the Great Flower Ornament of the Buddha.”  The exhibit will show the connection between religion and China’s printmaking, which had been practiced centuries before the first use of movable metal type in Europe.

‘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.

‘In Our Time: Prints By R.B. Kitaj’

Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens | 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108 | Through March 4, 2024 | huntington.org

“In Our Time: Prints by R.B. Kitaj” explores the intersection between literary and visual arts, lays bare social and political issues that were important to the artist, and provides information about the art of screen printing. The newly acquired works depict hyperrealistic replicas of well-loved book covers—and some of the prints even show torn and stained covers. 

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