Don’t sit bored at home this week when there’s so much to see and do around SoCal. From pumpkins, dumplings and mole, to hip-hop, Poe and folk, there’s something happening for everyone this week.

Oct. 6

Carved

Descanso Gardens | 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011 | Oct. 6-29 | descansogardens.org

As you stroll through the captivating displays, you’ll be amazed by luminous jack-o’-lanterns, fallen tree sculptures and whimsical installations, including Tom&Lien Dekyvere’s glow-in-the-dark Rhizome installation in the Rose Garden Labyrinth and giant carved pumpkins under the Rose Pavilion. Don’t miss the expanded Día de los Muertos ofrenda altar, providing guests with a place to meditate and remember loved ones. The pumpkin house, hay maze, and fall food offerings will all be back to round out the fun.

Taste Of Pasadena 2023

Pasadena Convention Center Exhibit Hall C | 300 E. Green St., Pasadena, CA 91101 | Oct. 6 | pasadenamag.com/taste 

Guests can look forward to a wide array of culinary offerings, handcrafted cocktails, live music, and captivating experiences. Some of this year’s Taste of Pasadena 2023 participating Restaurants include Arth Bar + Kitchen, Cabrera’s Mexican Cuisine, Celestino Ristorante, Champion’s Curry, Engine Co. No. 28, Farina Pizza, Granville, Great Maple, Lunasia Modern Dim Sum & Cuisine, KAVIAR, Pez Cantina, The Luggage Room Pizzeria & La Grande Orange, The Raymond 1886, Santa Anita Park, Twohey’s, and more. General tickets are $85.

Heritage Festival

1301 W. Whittier Blvd., Montebello, CA 90640 | Oct. 6-8  | montebelloca.gov 

The Heritage Festival with carnival rides, food, games, and live entertainment

Dumpling & Beer Festival

Historic Mission District | 320 S. Mission Drive, San Gabriel, CA 91776 | Oct. 6 | dumplingandbeerfest.com

Savor and sample dumplings and a variety of craft beers from the region’s breweries. There will also be music and activities for kids.

Oktoberfest

Fairplex | 1101 W McKinley Ave. Pomona, CA 91768 | Oct. 6-21 | fairplex.com

Don your lederhosen or dirndl to enjoy Bavarian music, savor authentic German food and dance Der Ententanz (the Chicken Dance). Domestic

brews and specialty cocktails will also be poured. 

Lights Out

Fairplex | 1101 W McKinley Ave. Pomona, CA 91768 | Oct. 6-31 | fairplex.com

Walk through a haunted county fair full of the undead, monsters and carnage. Fearplex will feature mazes, esports, zombieball, interactive frights, vendors, and themed food. You can even purchase a combo ticket to indulge in brews at Oktoberfest after the fear-inducing fun. 

‘Al Sur De La Frontera’

The Ford | 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Los Angeles, CA 90068 | Oct. 6 | theford.com

Weaving together traditional music, ritual, performance art, and experimental electronic sound to create a unique and highly original night of musical performance, “Al Sur de la Frontera” brings together an acclaimed and diverse group of Los Angeles musicians, performers, and artists blending music and performance to evoke the immigrant experience, celebrate communitas, and ritualistically invoke and explore border cultures.

‘Narcisa Hirsch: In Relation’

USC Fisher Museum of Art | 823 W. Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90089 | Oct. 6 – Dec. 9 | fisher.usc.edu

Displaying eight recently digitized films by Narcisa Hirsch, a pioneer of Argentinian experimental cinema who started working in the 1970s with delicate mediums such as Super8 and 16mm film, the exhibition focuses on the relational quality inherent in Hirsch’s work, demonstrated by techniques of translation, adaptation, and experimentation between her films and other artistic media (dance, literature, music, painting, graffiti, and performance), as well as between her work and that of other artists.

‘Love Among The Ruins’

El Portal Theatre | 5969 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91601 | Oct. 6 – Nov. 5 | elportaltheatre.com

JoBeth Williams (“Poltergeist,” “The Big Chill”) and Peter Strauss (“Rich Man, Poor Man,” “The Jericho Mile”) star in the hilarious, romantic courtroom classic. In this newly reinvented version, Jessica Medlicott (Williams), once a great actress, is now a beautiful and wealthy widow. She is accused of “breach of promise” by a handsome young Naval officer who claims she promised to marry him. Her only hope may be the greatest barrister at the Old Bailey, Sir Arthur Granville Jones (Strauss). Jessica is no ordinary client and the sparks that fly as she drives Sir Arthur to distraction keeps the audience guessing, laughing and crying until the very end.

Drive-In Movie Night In Glendale

Electric Dusk Drive-In | 236 N. Central Ave., Glendale, CA 91203 | Oct 6-7 | 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 enter Alfred Hitchcock’s critically acclaimed horror classic “Psycho” on Saturday or catch a double feature of “Encanto” and “Poltergeist” on Sunday. 

Oct. 7

City of Alhambra Autumn Fest

Alhambra Park | 500 N. Palm Ave., Alhambra, CA 91801 | Oct. 7 | cityofalhambra.org

Spend the morning at the pumpkin patch, exploring a maze, visiting the petting zoo, and enjoying a performance from Jack & Sally at the Autumn Fest. There will also be pony rides, crafts, games, fall foods and drinks. 

Olvera Street Muertos Artwalk

El Pueblo de Los Angeles | 845 N. Alameda St., Los Angeles, CA 90012 | Oct. 7 | olveraevents.com

Free and open to the public, support local artists selling original artwork, jewelry, accessories, clothing, and more at this special event also featuring live performances. 

‘Hip-Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit’

The GRAMMY Museum | 800 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90015 | Oct. 7 – Sept. 4, 2024 | grammymuseum.org

The 5,000-square foot installation delves deep into the multifaceted world of hip-hop through expansive exhibits on hip-hop music, dance, graffiti, fashion, business, activism, and history, providing visitors with an immersive experience that explores the impact and influence of hip-hop culture. On display will be an incredible array of artifacts including the Notorious B.I.G.’s iconic red leather pea jacket, LL Cool J’s red Kangol bucket hat, and more. Additionally, a Sonic Playground features five interactive stations that invite visitors of all ages to unleash their creativity through DJing, rapping and sampling

Oddities Flea Market: Los Angeles

Globe Theatre Los Angeles | 740 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90014 | Oct. 7-8 | eventbrite.com

According to event organizers, attendees will be able to shop from three floors of “medical history ephemera, anatomical curiosities, natural history items, osteological specimens, taxidermy, home decor, jewelry, one-of-a-kind art, and more.” There will also be music, sweet treats, an insect zoo and flash tattoos. 

Street Food Cinema: ‘Practical Magic’

Will Rogers State Historic Park | 1501 Will Rogers State Park Road, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 | Oct. 7 | streetfoodcinema.com

Food trucks, live music by Aleeta and the natural beauty of Will Rogers State Historic Park all come together for a perfect night of entertainment as you revisit a tale of the wondrous magic of sisterly love.

An Evening With Edgar Allen Poe

Heritage Square Museum | 3800 Homer St., Los Angeles, CA 90031 | Oct. 7 | eventbrite.com

Name a more iconic duo than Poe’s work and Halloween season. Immerse yourself in Poe’s Gothic poems and tales among 19th century houses. A reception with refreshments will precede the readings throughout five houses. 

Pumpkin Palooza

Discovery Cube Orange County | 2500 N. Main St., Santa Ana, CA 92705 | Oct. 7-31 | discoverycube.org

The not-so-frightfully delightful event features two floors of fun, including an interactive dance party that includes a giant 20-foot projection-mapped DJ named “Jack-o-Lynn” spinning, bumper cars, life-size corn mazes, and activities like making glow-in-the dark slime, learning about the size of pumpkins using “pi”, and testing your speed with a marble run race.

‘Cindy & The Disco Ball: The Musical’

Garry Marshall Theatre | 4252 W. Riverside Drive, Burbank, CA 91505 | Oct. 7-29 | garrymarshalltheatre.org

This retro retelling of the Cinderella story whisks us back to the sun-kissed days and lava lamp-lit nights of 1976 with an original musical score that blends the sounds of disco rhythms and Broadway musical magic. Cindy Fontaine (Saylor Bell Curda of “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series”) is a teenager determined to be heard in the high school scene after being left to deal with a messed-up family life when her father is away in Vietnam. Cindy’s cosmic guide through this coming-of-age musical is a fabulously magical Soul Sister (Cloie Wyatt Taylor of “Partners In Rhyme”) who gives new meaning to making an entrance. When the LA County school district threatens to cut arts funding, Cindy and the students at Pacific Palisades High have to beat the clock (that’s about to strike midnight) to save the arts.

Rare Books LA

Los Angeles Union Station | 800 N. Alameda St., Los Angeles, CA 90012 | Oct. 7-8 | eventbrite.com

Inside the historic ticket concourse, more than 50 purveyors of antiquarian books, ephemera, historic maps, Japanese prints, vintage photography, and other fine works on paper will gather for this two-day event that no book lover will want to miss.

Naija Fest 2023

Grand Park | 200 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012 | Oct. 7 | eventbrite.com

Celebrate Nigeria’s independence with a day showcasing the country’s rich culture through food, music, a colorful marketplace and more.

Los Angeles Folk Festival

The Ford | 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Los Angeles, CA 90068 | Oct. 7-8 | theford.com

Drawing inspiration from the deep history of folk festivals around the world, The Milk Carton Kids invite some of their favorite songwriters to gather in Los Angeles and share their songs and stories. It’s a two-day celebration of intimate songcraft and the city of Los Angeles’ historic role as an epicenter of modern folk music.

MAFA Art In The Park

Library Park | 321 S. Myrtle Ave., Monrovia, CA 91016 | Oct. 7 | cityofmonrovia.org

The Monrovia Association of Fine Arts is bringing more than 50 accomplished fine artists and renowned chalk artists in the region together for this juried show. Artists will present paintings, sculpture, photography, jewelry, digital arts, pottery and chalk art representing the area’s wide-ranging cultural diversity. There will also be live music, food trucks and art pieces for sale. 

Fiesta In The Park

Silverado Park | 1545 W. 31st St., Long Beach, CA 90810 | Oct. 7 | longbeach.gov

Head out to this free community event for a fun family day featuring live entertainment from Mariachi Divas, Mexika, Grupo Folklorico Semillas de mi Tierra, and Breezin. There will also be food trucks, a kids fun zone, a DJ and a resource fair.

Día De Los Muertos

Rosemead Park | 4343 Encinita Ave., Rosemead, CA 91770 | Oct. 7 | cityofrosemead.org

live entertainment, community performances, craft and food vendors, game booths, a game truck, laser tag, moon bouncers, and face painting. In case of rain, the event will be rescheduled for Nov. 18.

Fiesta De Los Muertos

Downey Theatre | 8435 Firestone Blvd., Downey, CA 90241 | Oct. 7 | downeytheatre.org 

Paso de Oro Dance Company presents an enchanting night blending Halloween and Día de los Muertos. 

Street Food Cinema: ‘Shaun Of The Dead’

The Autry Museum | 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles, CA 90027 | Oct. 7 | streetfoodcinema.com

The zombie apocalypse interrupts the boring lives of some Londoners in this comedic horror film. Live music from David Spitzfaden and food trucks will make the night extra special.  

909 Night Market

2201 N. White Ave., Pomona, CA 91768 | Oct. 7 | instagram.com/909nightmarket

Head to the 909 Night Market for the best street foods in Los Angeles and Inland Empire.This week the market is partnering with Del Records to bring you live musical performances from Lenin Ramirez, Grupo 909 and more. Tickets are $20 plus fees and can be purchased at ticketon.com.

Oct. 8

La Feria De Los Moles

Grand Park | 200 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012 | Oct. 8 | feriadelosmoles.com

Billed as the largest Mexican food festival in the country, La Feria de los Moles feature moles from Oaxaca and Puebla in traditional forms and imagined in all new ways (mole pizza anyone?). This is a celebration for your tastebuds. 

KCRW & Gustavo’s Great Tortilla Tournament

Smorgasburg | 777 S. Alameda St., Los Angeles, CA 90021 | Oct. 8 | kcrw.com

Find out who has the best tortilla around at this friendly competition featuring DJ sets from KCRW’s Raul Campos and Wyldeflower, tortilla painting from artist Joe Bravo, music by Mariachi Tierra Azteka, a beer garden and all the food at Smorgasburg. 

Los Muertos Uptown Festival

Casita del Pueblo | 13100 Philadelphia St., Whittier, CA 90601 | Oct. 8 | instagram.com/p/Cx3FZdGLN-e/

Start celebrating Day of the Dead early at this festival featuring artists, vendors, crafts, altars, a car exhibit with altars, live music and performances, food trucks and much more. 

Americana Harvest Festival

Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum | Oct. 8 | theatricum.com

Raising funds for the 50th Anniversary Repertory Season, the festival will feature an artisan marketplace, food, drinks, music, activities and “Geer Family Presents: The Woody Guthrie Story with Special Guests” with add-on ticket.

Pagan Pride Day LA/OC 2023

Rainbow Lagoon | 400 E. Shoreline Drive, Long Beach, CA 90802 | Oct. 8 | paganpridela.org

Whether a practicing Pagan or simply curious, this annual event will feature something of interest from workshops, rituals, and vendors, to entertainment.

Asian Mid-Autumn Moon Festival

Bowers Museum | 2002 N. Main St., Santa Ana, CA 92706 | Oct. 8 | bowers.org

Enjoy complimentary face painting, art projects, and live performances from music and dance companies.

Rose Bowl Flea Market

Rose Bowl Stadium | 1001 Rose Bowl Drive Pasadena, CA 91103 | Oct. 8 | eventbrite.com

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

562 Flea Market

Exposition Park | 700 Exposition Park Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90037 | Oct. 8 | 562flea.com

In between BMO Stadium and the California Science Center, shop for vintage finds, art, jewelry, rugs and so much more.

Alex Film Society Presents ‘The Night Of The Hunter’

Vidiots Eagle Theater | 4884 Eagle Rock Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90041 | Oct. 8 | alexfilmsociety.org

Alan K. Rode of the Film Noir Foundation will introduce the 1955 thriller.

Oct. 9

Country Line Dancing

The Pour House | 405 S. Myrtle Ave., Monrovia, CA 91016 | Oct. 9 | 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.

Oct. 10

Cool Girl Cinema Club: ‘Jennifer’s Body’ Screening

WHAMMY! | 2514 Sunset Blvd., Rear, Los Angeles, CA 90026 | Oct. 10 | eventbrite.com

The evening will include a viewing of the horror comedy classic written by Diablo Cody and starring Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried, tarot card readings, drinks and snacks.

Roski Talks With Artist Cosmo Whyte

USC Roski Graduate Building | 1262 Palmetto St., Los Angeles, CA 90013 | Oct. 10 | eventbrite.com

Jamaican-born and LA-based artist Cosmo Whyte delivers a lecture. Whyte is known for multidisciplinary works of art exploring the intersections of race, nationalism, and displacement.

Oct. 11

Lila Downs – Día De Los Muertos

Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall | 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 | Oct. 11 | scfta.org

Six-time Latin Grammy award-winner Lila Downs is known for her commanding stage presence, storytelling, and memorable mix of Mexican, Indigenous and US influences. 

Oct. 12

‘The Engagement Party’

Geffen Playhouse | 10886 Le Conte Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90024 | Oct. 12 – Nov. 5 | geffenplayhouse.org

The champagne is on ice, the hors d’oeuvres are perfectly arranged, and the table is exquisitely set. At a swank Park Avenue apartment, a young couple is celebrating their engagement with an intimate gathering of family and friends. When a glass of wine is spilled, the night takes an unexpected turn, unleashing a spiraling sequence of events and revelations that will irrevocably change their lives.

50th Los Angeles Korean Festival

Seoul International Park | 3250 San Marino St., Los Angeles, CA 90006 | Oct. 12-15 | eventbrite.com

Celebrate Korean culture with scrumptious food, performances, activities, shopping for goods straight from Korea, music, and dancing.

Ongoing

‘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.

‘The Right Is Ours!’

Sierra Madre Playhouse | 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, CA 91024 | Through Oct. 8 | sierramadreplayhouse.org

“The Right Is Ours!” is about the extraordinary friendship of two women, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, whose efforts spurred the creation of the Women’s Suffragist Movement, and the impact of that relationship on the suffragist movement and women getting the right to vote.

‘Walking In Space’

Theatre West | 3333 Cahuenga Blvd., West Los Angeles, CA 90068 | Through Oct. 8 | theatrewest.org

In 1972, there was no Betty Ford Clinic. When the prescription drug-addicted, single mother of an upper-middle class Jewish family in suburban Baltimore finally hits rock-bottom, it falls on her children to take control. Inspired by true events, this fictionalized, autobiographical tragicomedy is an affectionate portrait of four siblings who arm themselves with fierce tenacity, good humor, and their love for one another to save their mother — and themselves.

‘Hadestown’

The Ahmanson Theatre | 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012 | Through Oct. 15 | centertheatregroup.org

The eight-time Tony Award-winning musical about two intertwining love stories — that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone — invites audiences on a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back.

‘Latinos: Driving Prosperity, Power, and Progress in America Hispanic Heritage Month’

San Bernardino County Museum | 2024 Orange Tree Lane, Redlands, CA 92374 | Through Oct 15 | museum.sbcounty.gov

Organized and curated in partnership with the Inland Empire Latino Art Association, the exhibit features works by 21 Inland Empire artists focusing on contributions of the Hispanic community in the U.S. 

‘This Is Not A True Story’

The Los Angeles Theatre Center | 514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90013 | Through Oct. 15 | latinotheaterco.org

Tired racist tropes are upended as fictional worlds collide with modern reality. Julia Cho, Zandi de Jesus and Rosie Narasaki star as three Asian “tragic heroines”: Cio-Cio from “Madame Butterfly,” Kim from “Miss Saigon,” and Kumiko/Takako from the 2015 film, “Kumiko the Treasure Hunter.” Each is trapped in a loop she can’t control — until they work together to claim agency over their lives and forever break the cycle.

‘Don Giovanni’

Dorothy Chandler Pavilion | 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles CA 90012 | Through Oct. 15 | laopera.org

In the heat of the moment, the notorious Don Giovanni (aka Don Juan) murders the father of one of his conquests, unwittingly unleashing an ominous force from beyond the grave that can’t be stopped. Accustomed to getting away with anything and everything, he must now face the music as years of cruelty and debauchery come due. Grammy Award-winning baritone Lucas Meachem stars in the title role of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s masterpiece. 

‘The Travelers’

The Los Angeles Theatre Center | 514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles CA 90013 | Through Oct. 15 | latinotheaterco.org

Humorous and poignant, “The Travelers” takes place in a monastery alongside Highway 99 in Grangeville, California, population 496 and home to migrant workers. When a stranger stumbles in with a gunshot wound, he is nursed by the brothers of the 936-year-old Carthusian Order — even as the Archdiocese is cutting financial support, casting a shadow. Funny and heartfelt, filled with ritual and absurd touches, “The Travelers” explores the brothers’ struggles against poverty and the complexities of human connection.

Long Beach Oktoberfest

855 Elm Ave., Long Beach, CA 90813 | Through Oct. 22 | longbeachoktoberfest.org

Don’t waste miles on flights to Bavaria when you can savor authentic German beer and food in Long Beach. Festmeister Hans und Die Sauerkrauts will provide musical entertainment, performances and games from the main stage. 

‘How It’s Gon’ Be’

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

With adulthood looming in the distance, Jahaan and his friends are enjoying the last precious moments of summer vacation. When Jahaan’s father returns after a year away, the world stops spinning for a moment — and lines are drawn in the sand. How It’s Gon’ Be is a slice of one Black boy’s life during the summer he becomes a man — and an artist.

‘Blood At The Root’

Atwater Village Theatre | 3269 Casitas Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90039 | Through Oct. 28 | openfisttheatre.my.salesforce-sites.com

Infused with hip-hop music and movement, Blood at the Root sheds light on escalating tensions between Black and White students at a Louisiana high school, delving into the double standard often applied to racially charged situations.

The Vampire Circus 

The Montalbán Theatre | 1615 Vine St., Hollywood, CA 90028 | Oct. 28-31 | thevampirecircus.com

Unlike any other, The Vampire Circus brings chills along with the thrills. Inspired by the creativity of Tim Burton and the acrobatics of Cirque Du Soleil, the circus features a mix of theater, dance and gymnastics.

Cal Poly Pomona Pumpkin Fest

Cal Poly Pomona | 4102 S. University Drive, Pomona, CA 91768 | Through Oct. 29 | cpp.edu

Weekends this fall, head to Cal Poly where you’ll find Pumpkin Hill, two corn mazes, a petting farm, a sunflower maze, a cow train, antique-tractor-pulled hay wagon rides, duck races, live music, farming demonstrations, food and craft vendors, a country fair area and much more.

Knott’s Spooky Farm

Knott’s Berry Farm | 8039 Beach Blvd., Buena Park, CA 90620 | Through Oct. 29 | knotts.com

The park transforms for some spooky, family-friendly fun during the day as kids are encouraged to trick-or-treat around the town of Calico and enjoy seasonal shows.

Castle Dark

Castle Park | 3500 Polk St.,Riverside, CA 92505 | Through Oct. 29 | castlepark.com 

Visitors will be transported to their worst nightmare as Castle Park in Riverside transforms into the terrifying and spine-tingling annual haunt experience debuting six all-new haunt experiences. For the guests seeking more treats than tricks, Castle Park’s family-friendly, daytime Día de Los Muertos event invites families to join in the fun every Saturday and Sunday, from noon to 5:30 p.m. through Oct. 29.

The Haunted Harvest

Frosty’s Forest & Pumpkin Patch | 14861 Ramona Ave., Chino, CA 91710 | Through Oct. 29 | frostysforest.com

Go back in time to a haunted Blockbuster in 1997 where Notflix Killer wants to show you how much he hates late fees. There will also be five other haunted houses along the corn maze

Angel Of Light

Los Angeles Theatre | 615 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90014 | Through Oct. 31 | feverup.com

Walk through a French baroque-style movie palace where Old Hollywood has come back to life, curses swirl through the air, and demonic possessions are as numerous as the ghosts roaming the halls.

Boney Island

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County | 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90007 | Through Oct. 31 | nhm.org

Created by “The Simpsons” producer Rick Polizzi, Boney Island returns with ghoulishly glowing light installations, skeletons performing rope tricks, shadow puppetry, artistic performances, fossils, live animal presentations, trick-or-treating, critters and plants of all sizes in the gardens and much more.

Shaqtoberfest

The Queen Mary | 1126 Queens Hwy., Long Beach, CA 90802 | Through Oct. 31 | shaqtoberfest.com

The immersive festival returns with haunted trails, live entertainment, themed bars and lounges, carnival rides, food and more.

Riverside County Scare & Pumpkin Festival

Riverside County Fairgrounds | 46350 Arabia St., Indio, CA 92201 | Through Oct. 31 | datefest.org

Visiti “San Fantazma,” the fictional town hosting a pumpkin patch, a community ofrenda, a haunted house, Cantina Calacas offering spirits and seasonal treats, and more.

Nights Of The Jack

King Gillette Ranch | 26800 Mulholland Highway, Calabasas, CA 91302 | Through Oct. 31 | nightsofthejack.com

Head into the Santa Monica Mountains for this immersive nighttime light show. Pick up a hot cider or seasonal cocktail before heading to the trail or carving your pumpkin.

‘Freud On Cocaine’

Whitefire Theatre | 13500 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 | Through Nov. 4 | whitefiretheatre.com

Taken from Sigmund Freud’s own words as documented in his book, “Cocaine Papers,” this new comedy revolves around Freud, a respected doctor, a loving husband, a devoted father — and a drug addict. Fact: Freud used up to a gram of cocaine daily for at least a decade. Fact: Freud touted cocaine as a panacea for pain, exhaustion, low spirits, depression and morphine addiction. Fact: Merck Pharmaceuticals offered Freud free “product” in exchange for his continued research into its medical use. Fact: Freud slipped cocaine into the love letters he mailed to his German finacée, keeping their engagement secret from his future mother-in-law. Fact: Freud convinced his fellow doctor and best friend, Ernst von Fleischl-Marxow, to use cocaine to control Ernst’s addiction to morphine after a painful accident. Fact: While treating patient Emma Eckstein for the “nasogenital” cause of her hysteria, Freud and another doctor cauterized Eckstein’s nose with a gram of cocaine, nearly killing her after three surgeries.

Imaginarium

Ontario Mills | 1 Mills Circle, Ontario, CA 91764 | Through Nov. 5 | eventbrite.com

Step into10 immersive light experiences with music synchronized to moving lights.

‘Birds Of North America’

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

In this funny, poignant and nuanced two-hander set against the background of nature and climate change, John and Caitlyn scan the skies over a backyard in suburban Maryland looking for elusive birds, even as the years go by and both they and the world around them change in small and vast ways. Birds of North America takes a close look at the relationship of a father and daughter over the course of a decade as they struggle to understand the parts of one another that defy understanding.

The Fans Strike Back

Santa Monica Art Museum | 1219 3rd Street Promenade, Santa Monica, 90401 | Through Nov. 30 | fansstrikebackexhibition.com

Star Wars fans won’t want to miss this exhibit featuring more than 600 official items collected by fans including costumes, life-size figures, sculptures, collectables, lightsabers and much more.

‘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.

‘Kara Walker: Cut To The Quick’

USC Fisher Museum of Art | 823 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90089 | Through Dec. 9 | fisher.usc.edu

The career-spanning exhibition presents Kara Walker’s powerful and provocative images that employ contradictions to critique the painful legacies of slavery, sexism, violence, imperialism, and other power structures, including those in the history and hierarchies of art and contemporary culture. A leading artist of her generation, Walker works in a range of mediums, including prints, drawings, paintings, sculpture, film, and the large-scale silhouette cutouts for which she is perhaps most recognized.

‘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.

‘Graphic Design In The Middle Ages’

Getty Center | 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90049 | Through 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

‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT): Secrets Of The Sewer’

Discovery Cube Los Angeles | 11800 Foothill Blvd., Sylmar, CA 91342 | Through Feb. 19 | discoverycube.org

Families will be transported to the underground home of the crime-fighting heroes to see what really happens in their secret hideaway. This full-scale installation will take visitors into the Turtles’ lair, allowing them to learn team-building and problem-solving skills, as well as some Turtles-approved ninja moves in a role-play environment.

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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