LOS ANGELES: January 2018
Free day at the tar pits
January 2, 2018
Mid-Wilshire (7.8 miles NW)
Register online for up to eight free tickets during Tar Pits Free First Tuesdays to see all the exhibits and fossils at the La Brea Tar Pits & Museum. Free.
Lights at the zoo
January 2 - 7, 2018
Griffith Park (10 miles north)
See dazzling colored lights, meet real reindeer, hear live music on the weekend, and visit Santa some nights at L.A. Zoo Lights at the Los Angeles Zoo.
Christmas at Knott’s Berry Farm
January 2 - 7, 2018
Buena Park (24.6 miles SE)
Knott’s Berry Farm is adorned with Christmas decorations for Knott’s Merry Farm. It has an ice skating show starring Snoopy, a Charlie Brown Christmas show with classic songs, real falling snow, holiday treats to eat, a Christmas market, Santa Claus, and plenty of rides. Closed Dec. 25.
Winter at the Queen Mary
January 2 - 7, 2018
Long Beach (26.2 miles south)
Chill [sound] is a pricey winter wonderland with ice skating, tubing, paintball, carnival rides, a snow zone, an Alice in Wonderland display, Santa at the North Pole, and a chance to explore the Queen Mary. Closed Dec. 31.
Winter festival
January 2 - 7, 2018
Costa Mesa (42.2 miles SE)
A Winter Fest ticket includes ice tubing, craft making, real snow, walk-through lights, a petting zoo, live shows, and a nightly tree lighting with fireworks at the OC Fair & Event Center. Pay extra for ice skating, carnival rides, arcade games, and food trucks.
Attractions
January 2 - Feb. 28, 2018
multiple locations
These discount ticket prices include all taxes and fees.
- Autry Museum of the American West
- Harbor cruise in San Pedro
- Oue Skyspace tower
Film festival in the desert
January 3 - 14, 2018
Palm Springs (109 miles east)
Despite its distance from L.A., the Palm Springs International Film Festival is one of the largest and most respected film festivals in North America, with a glamorous gala, an opening night reception, parties, dinners, and a large number of international films.
Winter solstice show
January 4 - 13, 2018
Culver City (8.2 miles west)
Winter Solstice Pagan Holiday Show brightens short winter days with entertainment by acrobats, aerialists, comedians, and magicians at The Actors Gang.
Basketball
January 4 - Feb. 5, 2018
Downtown (0 miles)
Watch the Los Angeles Clippers play a home game at Staples Center.
Chocolate show
January 6, 2018 (4 p.m., VIP 3 p.m.)
Downtown (1.6 miles NE)
LA Chocolate Festival and Pastry Show promises “the best chocolate and pastry chefs in Los Angeles, along with wines, beers, and spirits” at the Omni Hotel.
Yoga Expo
January 6, 2018 (10 a.m.)
Pasadena (11.4 miles NE)
The Yoga Expo is a full-day of 50 classes and workshops by local yoga teachers for beginners to experts at Pasadena Convention Center, with music and a food court. Children 12 and younger are free.
Fitness expo
January 6 - 7, 2018
Downtown (0.2 miles south)
See martial arts, power-lifting, strongman, and wrestling competitions plus 200 vendors of fitness products and services at TheFitExpo Los Angeles at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Less crowded Sunday.
LEGO convention
January 6 - 7, 2018
Pasadena (11.4 miles NE)
Bricks L.A. is a convention for fans of LEGO. Buy a ticket to see their amazing creations and make your own at Pasadena Convention Center.
Reptile show
January 6 - 7, 2018
Pomona (31.3 miles east)
See frogs, turtles, snakes, geckos, and other exotic creatures at the Reptile Super Show, with educational tables and vendors in the Fairplex. Repeats in Aug.
Mary Poppins
January 6 - 13, 2018
Redondo Beach (19.6 miles SW)
Magical nanny Mary Poppins sings catchy tunes and works her charms on an English family at Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center.
Motocross racing
January 6 & 20, 2018
Anaheim (31.2 miles SE)
Watch off-road motorcycles race on dirt tracks with steep jumps, tight corners, and obstacles at Supercross at Angel Stadium of Anaheim.
Hockey
January 6 - Feb. 24, 2018
Downtown (0 miles)
Watch the Los Angeles Kings play an exciting home game at Staples Center.
New Year’s Race
January 7, 2018
Downtown (1.6 miles NE)
Celebrate the new year by joining the 10K or 5K New Year’s Race, which has music, food trucks, and a beer garden at Grand Park.
Japanese family festival
January 7, 2018
Downtown (2.3 miles NE)
Ring in the “year of the dog” at Oshogatsu Family Festival. Make dog-themed crafts, taste food, watch a lion dance, hear live music, see candy sculpting, and tour the Japanese American National Museum. Free.
No pants ride
January 7, 2018 (1 to 3 p.m.)
Downtown (2.5 miles NE)
No Pants Metro Ride is similar to the New York subway version the same day. Watch their website for instructions and a possible after-party.
Golden Globe Awards
January 7, 2018
Beverly Hills (14.6 miles NW)
The Golden Globe Awards honor the best in film and American television for the previous year at The Beverly Hilton. Variety lists the week’s lavish parties.
Restaurant week in Santa Monica
January 8 - 14, 2018
Santa Monica (14.4 miles west)
Santa Monica Restaurant Week has a theme ingredient each year, and dozens of participating restaurants create dishes that include the ingredient. In 2018, it’s the pomegranate.
Art show
January 10 - 14, 2018
Downtown (0.2 miles south)
L.A. Art Show fills a giant space with modern and contemporary art from 100 galleries in 18 countries at Los Angeles Convention Center. Littletopia is a popular section with humorous and irreverent artwork.
Restaurant week
January 12 - 26, 2018
multiple locations
Get a special price on a 2-course lunch or a 3-course dinner at 300 restaurants during Dine L.A. You don’t need a ticket, but you may want a reservation. Repeats in July.
Into the Woods
January 12 - Feb. 25, 2018
North Hollywood (13.6 miles NW)
Into the Woods is a Tony-winning musical with dazzling songs by Sondheim that uses familiar fairy-tale characters to tell an epic story at Cupcake Theater.
Cabaret-style entertainment
January 13, 2018 (8 p.m.)
Downtown (1.1 miles east)
Tease, If You Please is a seductive burlesque show at the historic Globe Theater for age 21+ with a two-drink minimum.
MLK classical concert
January 13, 2018 (2 to 4 p.m.)
Santa Monica (14.4 miles west)
Santa Monica Symphony Orchestra presents its annual Martin Luther King Weekend Concert at SGI-USA World Peace Ikeda Auditorium. Free, no reservations.
German version of Mardi Gras
January 13, 2018
Anaheim (32.5 miles SE)
Reserve a table for light-hearted Karneval, which includes an over-the-top costume contest, dancing to German music, German satire, German food, beer, a cocktail bar, and a floor show in the tradition of Rheinischer Karneval at the Phoenix Club. Free.
Pizza & beer in Ontario
January 13, 2018 (1 to 4 p.m.)
Westlake (41.8 miles east)
Pizza & Beer Festival - Inland Empire is a new event promising unlimited tastes of pizza and craft beer, games, art vendors, and DJ music at Cucamonga-Guasti Regional Park for age 21+.
Anime convention
January 13 - 14, 2018
Pomona (31.3 miles east)
Combining the worlds of anime and video games, Anime Impulse is smaller and cheaper than other conventions but still offers celebrities, eSports, panels, cosplay, parties, vendors, artist alleys, food, and fashion on a runway at the Fairplex. Reviews.
Asian American Expo
January 13 - 14, 2018
Pomona (31.3 miles east)
Asian American Expo has eight stages of cultural shows, three food courts, a beer festival, an anime event, video games, and vendors at the Fairplex.
Hawaiian music festival
January 14, 2018 (2 p.m.)
Redondo Beach (19.6 miles SW)
Hear Hawaiian master musicians, admire tropical flowers, and shop for food and crafts at the annual Southern California Slack Key Festival at Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center.
MLK Day at the museum
January 15, 2018
Exposition Park (2.2 miles south)
Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration has family art activities beginning at 10 a.m. plus readings of Dr. King’s speeches beginning at 1 p.m. at California African American Museum. Free.
MLK parade
January 15, 2018
Leimert Park (4.5 miles SW)
Celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at Kingdom Day Parade, starting on Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, going south on Western Avenue, and west on 48th Street to Leimert Park Plaza. Free.
MLK free museum day
January 15, 2018
Mid-Wilshire (8.6 miles west)
Admission is free to celebrate Martin Luther King Day, with live folk music and family activities at Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Free.
MLK Day celebration
Jan. 15, 2018 (8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.)
Altadena (11.6 miles NE)
You’re welcome to attend the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Celebration and Student Awards, which includes a breakfast, guest speakers, entertainment, and a student awards ceremony at McKinley School.
Free national park day
January 15, 2018
Nationally
Admission is free at national parks on Free Entrance Days in the National Parks (including Death Valley, Joshua Tree, Yosemite, Sequoia & Kings Canyon). Expect more people and less parking than usual.
Restaurant week in Newport Beach
January 15 - 28, 2018
Newport Beach (46.3 miles SE)
Get a special deal on a fixed-price lunch or dinner at 50 restaurants on Newport Beach Restaurant Week.
Disney’s Aladdin
January 16 - March 31, 2018
Hollywood (7.7 miles NW)
Aladdin is a love story filled with “beauty, magic, comedy and breathtaking spectacle” with a lamp that grants three wishes, at Hollywood Panages Theatre.
Boat show
January 18 - 21, 2018
Pomona (31.3 miles east)
See a wide variety of boats at Los Angeles Boat Show[sound], including performance boats, wakesports boats, deck boats, personal watercraft, sport fishing boats, runabouts, cabin cruisers, dinghies, inflatables, kayaks, and stand-up paddleboards at the Fairplex.
Magic show
January 19 - 20, 2018
Beverly Hills (10.3 miles NW)
Ivan Amodei involves the audience in his entertaining 90-minute magic show Intimate Illusions, with live cello accompaniment at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.
Latin urban music festival
January 20, 2018 (8 p.m.)
Downtown (0 miles)
Young crowds turn out for Calibash, a star-studded concert of rap, hip hop, and R&B, sponsored by Spanish radio station KXOL 96.3 FM at Staples Center.
Contemporary art fair
January 26 - 28, 2018 (reception Jan. 25)
Santa Monica (12.5 miles west)
Art Los Angeles Contemporary features 60 galleries (local and international) plus on-site installations and performances in the soaring space of Barker Hangar.
Boutique art fair
January 26 - 28, 2018
Venice (14.9 miles west)
Startup Art Fair showcases contemporary art by independent artists in hotel rooms at The Kinney Venice Beach.
Chinese New Year at Disney
January 26 - Feb. 18, 2018
Anaheim (28.1 miles SE)
Celebrate Lunar New Year with culturally inspired food, music (Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese), entertainment, a lucky wishing wall, ornamental lanterns, and multi-lingual banners at Disney California Adventure Park.
Free arts & music festival
January 27, 2018 (3 p.m. to midnight)
Downtown (1.7 miles NE)
Enjoy music, games, art installations, kids’ activities, food trucks, and indoor/outdoor performances during Night on Broadway, on a car-free mile of S. Broadway (from W. 3rd Street to W. Olympic Boulevard). Free.
Wine tasting
January 27, 2018 (5 to 9 p.m.)
Downtown (2.6 miles NE)
Taste 150 wines, shop from food trucks, and hear live music at Uncorked LA Wine Festival at Union Station for age 21+.
Dr. Seuss
January 27 - Feb. 4, 2018
San Pedro (22.4 miles south)
Seussical is a smash hit musical featuring colorful characters like the Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, the Grinch, the Whos, and Gertrude McFuzz at Warner Grand Theatre.
Free museum day
January 28, 2018
multiple cities
Visit dozens of museums from A to Z (Annenberg Space for Photography to Zimmer Children’s Museum) during the one-day Museums Free-for-All. Free.
Mellow jazz
January 28, 2018 (7:30 p.m.)
Downtown (0.2 miles north)
George Benson and Kenny G perform together on the Breezin’ & Breathless Tour at Microsoft Theater.
