Day of the Dead celebrations are taking place all over SoCal this coming week. And those aren’t the only cultural celebrations taking place. Read on for more on what’s going on around SoCal.

Nov. 3

Agua Caliente Cultural Museum And Plaza Grand Opening Celebration

Agua Caliente Cultural Museum | 140 N. Indian Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92262 | Nov. 3 | accmuseum.org

The event will include bird singers and bird dancers, an outdoor Native American Market, food vendors and information booths. All are welcome to the grand opening from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza. Entrance to the museum must be purchased separately.

The Music Of Star Wars

Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall | 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 | Nov. 3-4 | scfta.org

Shift into hyperspeed and travel to a galaxy far, far away where a full symphony orchestra brings the music of John Williams’ and Michael Giacchino to life.

Nov. 4

Adaptive Sports Festival 2023

Brookside Park | 360 N. Arroyo Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91103 | Nov. 4 | triumph-foundation.org

The Adaptive Sports Festival is a free, fun-filled day of sports and fitness activities for all ages and abilities. Activities offered include handcycling, wheelchair rugby, pickleball, tennis, boccia, adaptive archery, boxing, power soccer, art, aquatics, disc golf, and more

Dia De Los Muertos Grand Parade & Festival

Rainbow Lagoon | 400 E. Shoreline Drive, Long Beach, CA 90802 | Nov. 4 | grandparadediademuertos.com 

Aside from the parade, the festival will feature Aztec dancers, altars, a children’s plaza, art exhibits, face painting, artisan market, folklorico dancers, food vendors and more.

Los Angeles Pow Wow

The Autry Museum of the American West | 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles, CA 90027 | Nov. 4 | calendar.powwows.com

Hosted by the United American Indian Involvement, this free-admission event will feature food (I hope there’s frybread!) vendors, artists, musicians, community organizations, and amazing drums and dancers.

Anime Pasadena 

Pasadena Convention Center | 300 E. Green St., Pasadena, CA 91101 | Nov. 4-5 | animepasadena.com

Get your best cosplay outfit ready for a day of contests, live music, panels, giveaways, vendors, video premieres, meet ups, and special guests.

En Memoria

Fairplex | 1101 W. McKinley Ave., Pomona, CA 91768 | Nov. 4 | fairplex.com

Celebrate those who have passed on with art and visual performances, food, music, altars, lowriders.

Fiestas De Octubre In LA

Heritage Springs Bridge | 12215 Telegraph Road, Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670 | Nov. 4-5 | fiestasdeoctubrela.com

Ajua Jalisco in collaboration with the government of Jalisco, is set to be a massive party with performances form artists like El Tri, Mariachi Cielito Lindo and many more. There will also be a Tequila Pavilion, lucha libre and delicious food. 

Día De Los Muertos Celebration

Downtown La Puente | Nov. 4 | lapuente.org

Admission is free to this Day of the Dead celebration featuring live music from Chico (oldies and Spanish Latin) and The Flashbax (‘80s tribute), DJ sets, food vendors, a car show, and community displays.

‘Lines In The Dust’

Matrix Theatre | 7657 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046 | Nov. 4 – Dec. 10 | eventbrite.com

When Denitra loses the charter school lottery for her daughter, she must find another way to escape from their underperforming neighborhood school. The answer seems like a risk well worth taking, but it may end up requiring a bigger sacrifice than she ever could have imagined. Set over a half-century after Brown vs. Board of Education, “Lines in the Dust” explores how far we’ve come, and more importantly, where we go from here.

Riverside Day Of The Dead

Downtown Riverside | Market St. between University Ave. and 14th St., Riverside, CA 92501 | Nov. 4 | instagram.com/riversidedayofthedead/

With a lineup of ballet folklorico, Classic Car Alters on display, live music from La Verdad (salsa funk) and La Victoria (Mexican regional), food, lucha libre, Aztec dancers, and a Catrina pageant, this cultural celebration will wow you. 

Bach In Leipzig: 1723-2023

Neighborhood Unitarian Church | 301 N. Orange Grove Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91103 | Nov. 4 | eventbrite.com

The program celebrating Bach’s greatest works will feature10 musicians including three singers and solo oboist, and baroque string ensemble performing on period instruments.

Gathering Under The Stars

UCR Palm Desert Campus | 75080 Frank Sinatra Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92260 | Nov. 4 | cincollege.org

Open to the general public, California Indian Nations College is hosting this outdoor event featuring Native American arts and crafts, food, singing, dancing, and storytelling. 

909 Open Market

197 W. 2nd St., Pomona, CA 91766 | Nov. 4 | instagram.com/p/CyBqL4MpboB/

Do some trick-or-treating at the market, pick up delicious food, do some shopping, listen to some music or join the salsa dancing and giveaways.

Nov. 5

Welcome Day: Día De Los Muertos

Natural History Museum | 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90007 | Nov. 5 | nhm.org

Free with paid admission, this celebration will highlight the traditions of Mexico with live music, hands-on art activities, dancing, vendors, and an interpretive ofrenda (altar).

Palm Springs Vintage Market

Camelot Theater / Palm Springs Cultural Center parking lot | 2300 E. Baristo Road, Palm Springs, CA 92262 | Nov. 5 | palmspringsvintagemarket.com

Get up bright and early to catch the best vintage finds from mid-century modern, to retro Americana.

PCC Flea Market

Pasadena City College | 1570 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91106 | Nov. 5 | pasadena.edu

If you’re not done shopping, head to the Pasadena City College Flea Market to search for antiques and collectibles from over 400 vendors.

Veterans Month Concert

Argyros Plaza | 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 | Nov. 5 | scfta.org

The celebration includes a free outdoor concert and as a special gesture of appreciation, the Center will provide up to 50 free boxed lunches from George’s Café to veterans and active military members with valid identification. Throughout the celebration, country rock/pop band Silver Lining will entertain the crowd.

Nov. 6

A Conversation With Amor Towles

Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall | 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 | Nov. 6 | scfta.org

As anyone who has enjoyed his work will tell you, Amor Towles is not just an award-winning bestselling novelist, he is the consummate craftsman of both language and plot. His novels are marked by elegant prose, richly drawn descriptions, and layered characters who experience life deeply. The conversation will be moderated by Sandra Tsing Loh. 

Country Line Dancing

The Pour House | 405 S. Myrtle Ave., Monrovia, CA 91016 | Nov. 6 | 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.

Nov. 7

Panel Discussion: Artists And Pasadena’s Arroyo Seco

Pasadena Museum of History | 470 W. Walnut St., Pasadena, CA 91103 | Nov. 7 | eventbrite.com

Explore Pasadena Museum of History’s galleries and learn about what has attracted so many artists to the Arroyo Seco from Peter Adams, California Art Club president emeritus, and Signature CAC artist members Chuck Kovacic, Debra Holladay, and Brenda Swenson.

Lights, Camera, Action With Aaron Sorkin

Garrison Theater | 231 E. 10th St., Claremont, CA 91711 | Nov. 7 | eventbrite.com

Academy Award-winning writer, director, and playwright Aaron Sorkin will be joined in conversation by Krista Carson Elhai.

Nov. 8

‘East West Players: A Home On Stage’

National Center for the Preservation of Democracy: Tateuchi Democracy Forum | 111 N. Central Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012 | Nov. 8 | eastwestplayers.org

This documentary film explores the history of East West Players, and is produced through KCETOriginal Emmy award-winning arts and culture series ARTBOUND. The screening is a free, public event. A pre-screening reception will begin at 6 p.m., with the screening of to begin at 7 p.m. A post-show panel featuring some of the stars of the documentary will follow.

Nov. 9

‘The Marvels’ Fan Event

El Capitan Theatre | 6838 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028 | Nov. 9-10 | elcapitantheatre.com

Hosted by D23, the fan event screenings will take place at 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, each with their own exclusive items included with a ticket. Each fan event screening costs $50. Attendees at the Thursday event will receive one randomly selected Funko POP!, one assorted canteen, popcorn, beverage and event credential with their ticket. Attendees at the Friday event will receive a “The Marvels” tote, hat, popcorn, beverage and event credential with their ticket.

Harvest Festival

LA County Parks | Nov. 9-18 | instagram.com/p/Cy8zrynJky4/ 

Check with your local county park for cultural celebrations including food tastings, dancing, music, crafts, children’s story corner and family games.

Boston Court Celebrates Its 20th Anniversary With A Roaring 20’s Benefit And Concert

Noor Pasadena | 300 E. Colorado Blvd., #200, Pasadena, CA 91101 | Nov. 9 | bostoncourtpasadena.org

From 6:30 to 10:30 p.m., guests will be dazzled during an evening of swinging jazz, signature cocktails inspired by Boston Court’s beloved shows, and immersive nostalgia. Renowned jazz artist Josh Nelson and Friends will serenade audiences back to the era of flappers and speakeasies as they indulge in culinary delights.

The 323 Food And Flea

Hilda L. Solis Learning Academy | 319 N. Humphreys Ave., Los Angeles, CA  90022 | Nov. 9 | instagram.com/the323foodandflea

Don’t miss the opening of this new community night market featuring food, games, live music, prizes and a free movie night. 

Ongoing

‘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.

‘Love Among The Ruins’

El Portal Theatre | 5969 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91601 | Through 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.

‘Befok (Or The Desperate Attempt To Impress Iñárritu)’

Odyssey Theatre | 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90025 | Through Nov. 5 | odysseytheatre.com

Academy Award-winning director Alejandro González Iñárritu’s movies mean a lot to both writer/performer Asta Leigh, and to her new force-of-nature character, South African-born Lola Luvv. Lola swore she’d be a world-renowned actress by the age of 40, but that’s in seven days and she’s no closer to her goal than when she moved to Hollywood. She still walks dogs and cleans up their monster shits. After catching a glimpse of Iñárritu at the Alta Dena WholeFoods, Lola’s convinced it’s a sign she’s destined to play the lead in his new TV show “The One Percent.” What follows is a manic ride of determination, desperation, ketamine and chickens, where the only thing at stake… is her life. The show is truly “befok,” an Afrikaans word that can mean a number of things: crazy, awesome, angry, cool, or simply “not right in the head.” For anyone who’s pursued a career in Hollywood, it’s a word with which they can identify — and it certainly applies to Lola.

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.

‘Deathtrap’

Beverly O’Neill Theater | 330 E. Seaside Way, Long Beach, CA 90802 | Through Nov. 5 | ictlongbeach.org

Ira Levin’s comedy thriller follows a writer in the middle of a dry spell as he, with the help of his wife, attempts to claim a student’s masterpiece as his own.

‘The Engagement Party’

Geffen Playhouse | 10886 Le Conte Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90024 | Through 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.

‘The Barber Of Seville’

Dorothy Chandler Pavilion | 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles CA 90012 | Through Nov. 12 | laopera.org

The dashing Count Almaviva is ready to sweep Rosina off her feet and make her his countess—but not if her greedy guardian Doctor Bartolo has anything to say about it. Enter Figaro: barber, valet and the man with a plan to wreak joyful havoc and let true love bloom.

‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’

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

When two pairs of mixed-up lovers and a troupe of amateur players stumble into the forest of feuding fairies, reality is upended as chaos and mischief abound. Anything can and does happen in this tumultuous, dreamlike world.

‘Rent: The Musical’

Long Beach Playhouse | 5021 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach CA 90804 | Through Nov. 18 | lbplayhouse.org

The Tony Award-winner from Jonathan Larson has been a mainstay of American pop culture since its debut is simultaneously inspirational and heartbreaking.

‘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.

‘Spring Awakening’

East West Players | 120 Judge John Aiso St., Los Angeles CA 90012 | Through Nov. 19 | eastwestplayers.org

In 1891 Germany, repressed, adolescent students stumble into adulthood as clumsily as they do into each other’s arms. With obstinate parents unwilling to guide them, young Melchior and Wendla explore their desires for each other, while Melchior’s dear friend Moritz fumbles dangerously through his own coming-of-age. This generation-defining musical is a rock anthem to all the “guilty ones,” poignantly exploring the dark, passionate, and twisting journey from adolescence to adulthood.

‘SHE’

Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center | 110 E. Broadway, Glendale, CA 91205 | Through Nov. 20 | antaeus.org

Resilient and ever-optimistic, 13-year-old SHE Sojourner Freeman overcomes her stifling small-town existence by re-imagining her reality through poetry. Her dreams take flight when she’s presented with the opportunity to attend the prestigious Vanguard Academy.

‘Inherit The Wind’

Pasadena Playhouse | 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena, CA 91101 | Through Nov. 26 | pasadenaplayhouse.org

Two of the nation’s leading lawyers go head-to-head in the ultimate battle of wit, wisdom, and will in this powerful drama. With freedom of speech hanging in the balance, will this small-town courtroom bring us together or tear the nation apart? The cast of Inherit the Wind is led by Alfred Molina (“Frida,” “Spider-Man 2”) as Henry Drummond, John Douglas Thompson (“Till,” “The Gilded Age,” Tony Nomination for “Jitney”) as Matthew Harrison Brady, and Chris Perfetti (“Abbott Elementary”) as E.K. Hornbeck. For this new production, audience members will be a part of the action with onstage seating in the courtroom gallery as well as a jury box located at the foot of the stage.

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.

‘Narcisa Hirsch: In Relation’

USC Fisher Museum of Art | 823 W. Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90089 | Through 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.

‘Methusalem Or The Eternal Bourgeois’

 The Actors’ Gang Theater | 9070 Venice Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232 | Through Dec. 16 | theactorsgang.com 

In the play, the oldest man in the world, Methusalem, is a ruthless businessman with a troubled wife and robotic son who finds his daughter seduced by a revolutionary that would overturn his empire. Part dialogue, part dream, the play includes bizarre and surrealistic imagery, including anthropomorphic paintings, silent films, talking ids and superegos, and a bear rug coming to life to lead an animal revolution.

‘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.

‘Reina De Los Angeles’

Forest Lawn Museum | 1712 S. Glendale Ave., Glendale, CA 91205 | Through Feb. 11 | forestlawn.com

Featuring the work of LA-native Nydya Mora, the photography exhibit celebrates the Virgen de Guadalupe and Mexican culture in Los Angeles. 

‘Indigenous Futurism’

The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture | 3581 Mission Inn Ave., Riverside, CA, 92501 | Through Feb. 18 | riversideartmuseum.org

“Indigenous Futurism” features paintings, works on paper, sculpture and videos viewed through an indigenous lens by 18 all-femme artists from across California.

‘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. 

‘Hip-Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit’

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

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