‘Jenny Yurshansky: What We Carry’
Skirball Cultural Center | 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles | Oct. 22–Feb. 28 | skirball.org
“What We Carry” is an exhibition by Los Angeles-based artist Jenny Yurshansky whose artwork explores how the experiences of immigration and displacement impact people, both personally and collectively. Through community storytelling—the practice of sharing stories to preserve culture and foster connection—Yurshansky considers how we remember family history and how those memories shape our sense of home and belonging. The artist, whose work is deeply informed by her family’s experience as Soviet Jewish refugees, examines the narratives that are carried in our everyday objects and in our bodies—they hold our stories even when one generation has tried to keep them hidden from the next. General admission: $20.
Trick-or-Treat in the Garden
Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden | 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia | Oct. 23 | arboretum.org
Dress up your little ones for a Halloween adventure through the gardens, following a trick-or-treat trail filled with nature-inspired surprises. Along the way, meet hissing cockroaches, spiders, snakes and other fascinating creatures while exploring interactive discovery stations with Arboretum educators. Costumes are encouraged, and flashlights are required for the self-guided experience. Tickets: $16 for children, $18 for adult nonmembers; qualifying adult members free. Advance registration required.
‘American Sound Takes Flight’
The Wallis | 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills | Oct. 23–24 | muse-ique.com
Ambassador Auditorium | 131 S. St John Ave., Pasadena | Oct. 28 | muse-ique.com
“American Sound Takes Flight” is an aerial overview of this diverse landscape. From the hymnlike folk of “American Tune,” to the funk gospel of “Purple Rain,” to the soaring heart song “I Will Always Love You,” the spirit of Copland lives on in so many different songs and scores that treat the ordinary with majesty. Broadway superstar Brandon Victor Dixon and opera soprano Liv Redpath will help the MUSE/IQUE Orchestra make the flight of this American sound. Admission for non-members starts at $75 for a single admission or $100 for a trial membership with admission for two people.
Día de los Muertos Festival & Altar Exhibit
The Paseo | 300 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena | Oct. 24 | eventbrite.com
Presented by Monarca Sol Collective, this family-friendly celebration of life and tradition features live performances by Quinto Sol, mariachi musicians, folklórico dancers and Aztec dancers. Explore a community altar and altar exhibition, enjoy face painting and free arts and crafts provided by the Armory Center for the Arts, and shop a marketplace featuring Latiné and Indigenous artists, makers and businesses. Admission: Free.
Día de los Muertos
Duarte Civic Center Courtyard | 1600 Huntington Drive, Duarte | Oct. 24 | cityofduarte.ca.gov
Celebrate the lives and memories of loved ones at the City of Duarte’s family-friendly Día de los Muertos celebration. Guests are invited to place photographs of departed loved ones on a community ofrenda (altar) while exploring Mexican culture and traditions through authentic food, cultural activities and live performances. Admission: Free.
The Disney Mansion Ghost Tour
4053 Woking Way, Los Angeles | Oct. 24 | hauntedoc.com
Led by renowned Disney historian Dusty Sage, publisher of MiceChat.com, take a rare, candlelit journey through Walt Disney’s 12-room residence. You’ll explore ornate living spaces while uncovering tales of tragic former residents, unsolved mysteries, and paranormal sightings. Tickets: $125.
Silent Sundays Series
San Gabriel Mission Playhouse | 320 S. Mission Drive, San Gabriel | Oct. 25 | missionplayhouse.org
Featuring one of the most iconic images in cinema history (Harold Lloyd hanging off the hands of a clock on the side of a skyscraper), Lloyd plays a small town gentleman who moves to the city in the hopes of finding a successful job so he can marry his sweetheart. American Theatre Organ Society Organist of the Year Mark Herman will accompany the film on the Mighty Wurlitzer theater pipe organ. Tickets: $12.
Downtown San Pedro Día de los Muertos Festival
398 W. 6th St., San Pedro | Oct. 25, 3–9:30 p.m. | sanpedrodayofthedead.com
Celebrate Mexican culture and honor loved ones at the 15th Annual Downtown San Pedro Día de los Muertos Festival. This event will have live music, traditional and contemporary Mexican entertainment, colorful altars, and a festive marketplace of food and drink vendors. Families can enjoy children’s crafts, cultural activities, free trolley rides and a Catrina costume contest. Participants of all ages can show off their elaborate Día de los Muertos-inspired attire. The celebration also features an altar exhibition and contest. Admission: Free.
‘Cosmic Symphony’
Wallis Annenberg Center for Performing Arts | 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills | Oct. 26 | thewallis.org/cosmic
Academy Award-nominated composer Laura Karpman makes her directorial debut with the Oscar-qualifying short documentary “Cosmic Symphony.” The film’s Los Angeles premiere will culminate in a concert performance featuring the musicians in the film and more. All proceeds will go towards MusiCares, music’s largest provider of financial assistance and preventive services, offering trusted support for basic living needs, health care, mental health, addiction recovery and disaster relief to everyone working in music.
‘Confederates’
The Fountain Theatre | 5060 Fountain Ave., Los Angeles | Oct. 28–Dec. 13 | fountaintheatre.com
Nedra Ryan Taylor stars as Sara, an enslaved woman who becomes a Union spy during the Civil War, opposite Sarah Scott Davis as Sandra, a tenured political science professor at a prestigious university in the year 2026. Their lives might be separated by more than 150 years, but the forces they navigate around race, gender, power and institutional betrayal prove disturbingly similar. Friday, Nov. 13, is “Black Out Affinity Night,” an opportunity for an audience self-identifying as Black to experience the performance together. A day-long Black Wellness Summit featuring Black wellness leaders and organizations will take place on Saturday, Nov. 14. Ticket prices range from $5–$75.
ONGOING
‘Marisol’
Atwater Village Theatre | 3269 Casitas Ave., Los Angeles | Through Oct. 24 | openfist.org
“Marisol” is a darkly funny, apocalyptic fable about survival, faith and hope. After her guardian angel abandons her to join the celestial battle against a senile God, Bronx resident Marisol Pérez must navigate a terrifying, unraveling world on her own while struggling to preserve her humanity. Tickets range from $26 to $40.
‘Boston Marriage’
European House LA | 12355 Rye St., Studio City | Through Oct. 24 | ticketsource.com/boston-marriage
Set in the late Victorian era, Anna and Claire are involved in a “Boston marriage”—a 19th-century term for a real social phenomenon where two educated women choose lifelong female companionship, living together independently of financial support from a man… often as lovers. Anna, prone to poetic fits of passion, has become the mistress of a wealthy man who supports her luxurious lifestyle, which she hopes can woo her longtime companion Claire to move in with her. However, the cool-yet-lascivious Claire has become infatuated with a much younger woman and wants to enlist a jealous Anna’s help to arrange a rendezvous. Tickets: $50.
‘Winter’s Bench’
24th Street Theatre | 1117 W. 24th St., Los Angeles | Through Oct. 25 | 24thstreet.org
Actress Anne Gee Byrd, joined onstage by flutist Shih-wei Wu, stars in the world premiere of “Winter’s Bench,” a lyrical and deeply human new play by Olivier Award-winning British playwright Mike Kenny. Set in a park where only one ancient tree remains, Winter’s Bench follows Gladys, an elderly woman who has spent a lifetime believing the tree spoke to her when she was a child, and who waits, even now, to hear its voice again. Tickets range from $10 to $24 with Monday performances offered on a pay-what-you-can basis.
The Haunted Harvest
Frosty’s Forest & Pumpkin Patch | 14861 Ramona Ave., Chino | Through Oct. 31 | thehauntedharvest.com
Make your way through six haunted houses scattered throughout a sprawling 2-acre corn maze that you must navigate in the dark with monsters at every turn. General Admission: $30.
Los Angeles Haunted Hayride
4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles | Through Nov. 1 | losangeleshauntedhayride.com
The Los Angeles Haunted Hayride returns with more frights and fun from Fallen Angel Haunted Attraction, Elvira’s Trick or Treat Mayhem Haunted Attraction, Midnight Falls Cider Mill (fresh apple cider and warm cider donuts await.), Zombie Splat Gellyball Experience, Madame Aurora’s Seance Theatre, add-on experiences and more. Tickets start at $34.
‘Yamel Cucuy’
The Los Angeles Theatre Center | 514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles | Through Nov. 1 | latinotheaterco.org
Haunted by folkloric spirits and hunted by ICE, a girl journeys beyond life to discover inherited wisdom in a visually arresting production blending puppetry, music and live performance. Yamel, a girl on the threshold of adulthood, is pursued by immigration agents and tormented by specters drawn from Mexican folklore. As she crosses the shadowy frontier between life and death, Yamel must summon the courage and wisdom to confront both inherited fears and present-day violence. The bilingual production is performed in English and Spanish and features supertitles in both languages. Tickets: $10–$48.
‘The Dance and the Railroad’
The Los Angeles Theatre Center | 514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles | Through Nov. 1 | latinotheaterco.org
Asian American theater collective Artists at Play and Latino Theater Company reunite for their fourth collaboration in four years with a rare revival of “The Dance and the Railroad,” an early work by David Henry Hwang. Set during the Chinese Railroad Workers’ Strike of 1867, two immigrant laborers form an unexpected bond through their shared love of Chinese opera. Together, they practice the ancient art form atop a mountain in the Sierra Nevada, finding connection and a sense of possibility even as their fellow workers below confront brutal labor conditions, isolation and cultural displacement. Tickets: $10–$48.
Prancers Farm Fall Festival
Prancers Farm | 8540 E. Telegraph Road, Santa Paula | Through Nov. 1 | prancersfarm.com
Spend a day on the farm soaking in the fall atmosphere and enjoying hayrides, the corn maze, live entertainment on weekends, festive photo opportunities, and scenic views throughout the farm. You can also pick out the perfect pumpkin. Tickets start at $15.47.
Dark Harbor
The Queen Mary | 1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach | Through Nov. 1 | darkharborhalloween.com
The Queen Mary transforms into a Halloween festival featuring haunted mazes, monsters, immersive attractions, live entertainment, VIP experiences, themed bars and lounges, carnival rides, festive foods, photo ops and more. Tickets: $58.99.
‘Come From Away’
A Noise Within | 3352 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena | Through Nov. 8 | anoisewithin.org
When 38 planes were diverted to the small town of Gander, Newfoundland on September 11, 2001, its residents opened their homes to thousands of stranded strangers. With an infectious score and a spirit of generosity at its core, this uplifting, Olivier Award-winning musical is a testament to the best aspects of human nature. Tickets start at $41.75.
‘Hold Each Other’s Hands: Trans Mutual Aid 1966 – 1996’
OXY ARTS | 4757 York Blvd., Los Angeles | Through Dec. 5 | oxyarts.oxy.edu
“Hold Each Other’s Hands” chronicles a history of mutual aid led by transgender and gender expansive people. This exhibition explores how people with various relationships to gender nonconformity have worked together to develop inventive mutualistic models to create communities. With archival installations, contemporary artworks, featured speakers, and community programming, “Hold Each Other’s Hands” holds space for expansive thinking and public dialog around collectivity, co-existence, and care.
Getty Center | 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles | Through Jan. 3 | getty.edu
“Instante/revelación: Moments in Mexican Photography” brings together a selection of works by 13 influential photographers, tracing Mexican photography from the late 1920s to the mid-2010s. This bilingual exhibition offers a nuanced portrait of Mexico’s visual culture. Spanish-language guided tours will also be offered monthly throughout the exhibition.
‘Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon’
Academy Museum | 6067 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles | Through Feb. 28 | academymuseum.org
“Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon” will celebrate Marilyn Monroe as a visionary actor and image-maker, examining the many facets of how she created and shaped her public image in the context of the classical Hollywood studio system. The pink satin gown will be on view in the exhibition, located on Level 3 in the Rolex Gallery. General admission tickets for the museum’s exhibitions are $25 for adults, $19 for seniors (age 62+), and $15 for students.
‘Studio Ghibli’s Ponyo’
Academy Museum of Motion Pictures | 6067 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles | Through March 21 | academymuseum.org
The Academy Museum presents Studio Ghibli’s Ponyo, celebrating the artistry of Studio Ghibli and the hand-drawn animation behind the 2008 film. The exhibition features over 100 original materials from Studio Ghibli, including art boards, posters, an animation desk, and hand drawings by Hayao Miyazaki, many on display in North America for the first time. Curated by Jessica Niebel with assistant curator Emily Rauber Rodriguez. The museum is open six days a week, closed on Tuesdays. Tickets $15–$25; film screenings $5–$10.