The Brief

Note: Be sure to double-check event availability, as they may be affected by this weekend's ICE Out protests and general strike.

It’s been a heavy week, so it’s impossible for me to tell you to go out and forget about the heaviness. But there are some fun events you can check out right here in L.A. this weekend and beyond that support our immigrant communities. Events like Saturday’s Irresistible Resistance party in Boyle Heights and the ongoing anti-ICE dinner series with Roads and Kingdoms support local businesses, and are also frankly delicious.

There’s also a lot of good to celebrate, like the first trail accessibility program opening in the Valley — the launch event is Saturday, but more trails for all is a great thing forever.

Licorice Pizza has your Grammy weekend music picks. Friday is a good night for punk, with Punk Rock Karaoke at the Lodge Room, or check out Black Flag with the Dickies & Angry Samoans at the Observatory. Plus, Tan Universe will be live at Licorice Pizza. If you’re lucky enough to score a ticket, you could attend the Annual MusiCares Person of the Year gala honoring Mariah Carey. On Saturday, you could go old-school and see New Edition, Boyz II Men and Toni Braxton at the Forum, or Jason Isbell at the Orpheum, Cate Le Bon at the Belasco, the Album Leaf at Zebulon, or the one-and-only Charo at Cal State Long Beach. And, of course, the Grammy Awards are on Sunday at Crypto.com Arena, airing live on CBS and Paramount+. You can root for top nominees like Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter and SZA.

Elsewhere on LAist, you can keep an eye on Eaglet Watch 2026, read about the origins of L.A. punk with Red Kross and visit Whammy Analog Media, a place for VHS lovers.

Events

Fela Kuti Celebration

Sunday, February 1, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. 
De La Playa Records & Leisure 
110 S. Ave. 56, Highland Park 
COST: FREE; MORE INFO 

Fela Kuti’s longtime manager, Rikki Stein, will recount stories from a life with Fela, including their time on the road with Jimi Hendrix, the Grateful Dead and more. The party at De La Playa Records & Leisure goes all afternoon with food, drinks and music (of course).

Bier & Bavaria

Saturday, January 31, and Sunday, February 1
Lawless Brewing 
5275 Craner Ave., North Hollywood
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

There’s no snow here, but you can embrace the East Coast’s winter storm vibes at this apres-ski themed event in North Hollywood at Bier & Bavaria. There will be “real” snow in the parking lot, shotskis at the bar, raclette, live music and more. Put on your puffy coat!

Miyawaki Forest Planting 

Saturday, January 31, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Gloria Molina Grand Park
200 N. Grand Ave., Downtown L.A. 
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

(

Courtesy The Sugi Foundation

)

High-density, native species are planted to create a self-sustaining urban forest in a method called the Miyawaki Forest, developed by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki. Now, that science comes to L.A. in an historic environmental milestone as the first Miyawaki Forest is planted in Gloria Molina Grand Park. And you can be a part of it! The community will come together for a planting event to break ground and plant 200 plants within a 650-square-foot piece of land located in the park’s Block Two, between Olive Court and Hill Street, north of the Performance Lawn. The day also includes a land acknowledgement ceremony, a Legacy Workshop for students and more.

Tomat x Bad Luck Bagels

Sunday, February 1, 10 a.m. until sold out
6261 W. 87th St., Westchester  
COST: VARIES; MORE INFO

(

Courtesy Tomat

)

I’ve spent a lot of time in East London’s Brick Lane, and it’s famous for its beigels (that’s bagels to you) and smoked salt beef. Get a little taste of Jewish London here in L.A. at UK transplant hotspot Tomat in Westchester with their Sunday morning Bad Luck Bagels collaboration, featuring smoked trout and pastrami on homemade bagels. A portion of the proceeds will go to CHIRLA.

Irresistible Resistance, with a performance from San Cha

Saturday, January 31, 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Distrito Catorce 
1837 1st St., Boyle Heights
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

The tastiest way to resistance comes from Chef Jonathan Perez, who will be bringing his inventive Mexican cuisine to this food and music event supporting immigrant communities in L.A. There will be a performance from San Cha, a queer Latine musician and performance artist who "uses 'novela' inspired performances to tell stories about colonization and heartbreak with the aims of liberation and healing."

Public Sounds

Saturday, January 31, 2 p.m.
RSVP for location
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

OK, I don’t have a lot of info on this one, but synthesizers in the park sounds like a pretty great Saturday afternoon. So whether you’re a synthesizer nerd or just an outdoor music enthusiast, the electronic musician Geller will be performing an improvised synthesizer show outdoors somewhere in L.A. (RSVP for the exact location). Geller’s latest EP, Parallel Play, is out now.

The Fire Stories Project

Saturday, January 31, 1 p.m.
Main Library Community Room
Altadena Library 
2659 Lincoln Ave., Altadena
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

A playground burns in a residential neighborhood during the Eaton fire in Pasadena, California on January 7, 2025.

(

Josh Edelson

/

AFP via Getty Images

)

Theater is a powerful way to tell stories and create empathy. As we recently passed the first anniversary of the Eaton Fire, this event pairs theater-makers from In Other People's Shoes with therapists working with young people to script their experiences of the fires and share them back with the community. The performance is done by professional actors reading the young people’s words verbatim. It’s also the last day the Altadena Library is open before it closes temporarily for renovations; there will be two more performances held at Pacific Clinics in Pasadena on Sunday, February 1, and at Lineage Performing Arts Center in Pasadena on February 2.

Miles Davis Centennial with MEB

Friday, January 30, 8 p.m.
Carpenter Center
6200 E. Atherton St., Long Beach
COST: FROM $38.75; MORE INFO

(

Earl E. Gibson III

/

Carpenter Center

)

Jazz legend Miles Davis would be 100 this year; celebrate the great with his music and an all-star ensemble led by Grammy Award-winning producer/drummer Vince Wilburn Jr., and featuring Darryl Jones, Robert Irving III, Munyungo Jackson, Jean-Paul Bourelly, Antoine Roney, Keyon Harrold, DJ Logic and special guest musicians at the Carpenter Center.

Crash Out Queens: A Tiffany Townsend Recital

Through Sunday, February 1
Long Beach Opera
Altar Society
230 Pine Ave., Long Beach
COST: FROM $95; MORE INFO   

(

Courtesy Long Beach Opera

)

Opera can be notoriously hard for novices to approach, but Soprano Tiffany Townsend is out to change that with a bold new recital developed with the Long Beach Opera. The piece focuses on major stage moments of women in opera and the inner lives of these characters. The program takes the audience through opera history with a new lens on the lives of the women portrayed, who are often “pushed to their psychological and emotional limits.” Townsend embodies a number of recognizable female characters in opera, and incorporates dance, music and imagination into the work.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta provided guidance this week to childcare providers on new legal requirements to protect children and their families from immigration enforcement activities.

Under a new law that went into effect this year, childcare providers are not allowed to collect information about a child's or family member’s immigration status, unless necessary under state or federal law. Bonta’s office says there currently is no such requirement, though that could change with federal programs like Head Start.

“Childcare and preschool facilities should be safe and secure spaces so children can grow, learn and simply be children,” Bonta said in a statement.

His office says daycare centers also should not keep information about a formerly enrolled child longer than is required by state law.

The new law also requires facilities to inform the attorney general’s office and the state’s licensing agency if they get any requests for information from law enforcement related to immigration enforcement.

Facilities also must ask families to regularly update a child’s emergency contact information to make sure someone can be reached in case a parent is detained by federal immigration officials.

The Santa Ana winds are here to welcome us into the weekend, bringing warmer temperatures.

The winds will reach Point Mugu to the Santa Clarita Valley, down to Orange County and parts of the Inland Empire valleys and foothills east of the 5 Freeway.

Peak gusts are expected to reach 35 to 55 mph. The western San Gabriel Mountains, Highway 14 corridor, Santa Susana Mountains and the western Santa Monica Mountains are under a high wind warning until 6 p.m., when gusts could reach 65 mph.

As for temperatures, highs for L.A. County beaches will reach the upper 70s and up to the low 80s for inland areas.

Parts of Orange County and Coachella Valley will see temperatures in the mid- to upper 80s, with the warmest areas expected to reach 88 degrees.

Getting together with friends at a bar or pub tends to get a lot harder when children and needy pets enter the mix. One solution — Breweries! Beer gardens! Brewpubs!

Because parents (of kids and pets) want to go out, too — and not necessarily to a fast food restaurant with an indoor playground and no beer.

Thankfully, the Orange County suburbs where I live have gotten on board with my family- and pet-friendly craft brewery dreams. The key ingredients for me are spacious patios, a water bowl for the pooch, and food — either made onsite or, at the least, easy and quick to order and get delivered from somewhere else. Board and pub games are an added bonus.

Plus, of course, great beer from small, independent, local breweries. On the beer front, I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of beer I encountered on my self-arranged tour of breweries in the Costa Mesa-Huntington Beach area.

Gone are the dark, dank days of nothing but IPA (IYKYK); now, you can find everything from pickle-tinged blondes, to mild sours, to rich and creamy stouts. If you’re not a big beer fan, every place I visited also had their own craft-made hard seltzers on the menu, as well as some non-alcoholic beverages.

Here are some of my favorites:

Riip (Huntington Beach)

Riip in Huntington Beach has two spots with full kitchens specializing in pizza and a wide variety of IPAs and other beer styles.

(

Jill Replogle

/

LAist

)

Riip has been a family favorite since the company opened its first tasting room in Sunset Beach in 2015, with board games and tables the kids could write on. They have since expanded a lot, with a pizzeria next door and another location near Fountain Valley, which also serves excellent pizza, and has a small arcade to keep the kiddos busy.

One thing they do especially well: For serious IPA drinkers, Riip is your place. They usually have at least half a dozen different IPAs on tap, along with a decent variety of other beers, lighter and darker.

This place is great for … dinner after the kids’ [insert sport] game. Also for date night.

At Flashpoint Brewing Company in Huntington Beach, you can check out the brewing vats and other machinery up close while enjoying the results.

(

Jill Replogle

/

LAist

)

Flashpoint Brewing Co. (Huntington Beach)

I only recently discovered Flashpoint, which opened in 2020 on an industrial street near Huntington Beach Central Park. I actually love this aspect of craft brewery taprooms: they’re often located outside of trendy food and retail areas because they need to be able to actually brew beer there as well as serve it.

Flashpoint has a big patio lit with fairy lights. The tall doors of their brewing area, and an adjacent room with the taps and more tables are rolled up during opening hours, giving it a spacious, indoor-outdoor feel.

One thing they do especially well: All the beers I tried were highly drinkable. In other words, not crazy hoppy or overly heavy on flavors. The nectarine sour was especially good, refreshing with just the right amount of tartness.

This place is great for … An early evening toast, watching the clouds turn pink.

Green Cheek Beer Co. in Costa Mesa serves great beer and food, including shareable, snackable items like pad thai cauliflower.

(

Jill Replogle

/

LAist

)

Green Cheek Beer Co. (Costa Mesa)

Green Cheek Beer Co. now has three locations in Orange County and one in Oceanside. Their Costa Mesa spot is conveniently located not far from the city’s Bark Park. So, naturally, after my pooch has fun, I deserve a cold one.

Green Cheek has a huge covered patio filled with long picnic tables. My dog, Ace, was very happy to find a bowl of water set out for their canine visitors, and lots of pets from the humans.

One thing they do especially well: Green Cheek makes great beer. But what I love most about their Costa Mesa spot is that you can soak up the alcohol with food, including smash burgers, tots, and pad thai cauliflower, from their good and reliably fast kitchen.

This place is great for … reading a book, or making a new friend! Their long picnic tables make it easy to opt in or out of the surrounding social scene.

Bootlegger's Brewery outside the LAB Anti-Mall in Costa Mesa has a quiet patio for day drinking, and a lively trivia night scene.

(

Jill Replogle

/

LAist

)

Bootlegger’s Brewery (Costa Mesa)

Within walking distance of Green Cheek is Bootlegger’s Brewery. Bootlegger’s started in Fullerton, and now also has tasting rooms in Costa Mesa and Redlands.

Their Costa Mesa spot is on the outskirts of the LAB Anti-Mall, a collection of small businesses and restaurants, at least one of which will deliver food to your table. A section of the parking lot has been turned into a nice outdoor patio with sun shades for daytime and heat lamps for chillier evening hours.

One thing they do especially well: Their Kosher Crusher pickle blonde ale. They debuted it last fall and it is seriously good — light, refreshing, and just a little bit zesty.

This place is great for … “working” on a Friday afternoon (I was not the only one there typing one-handed on my laptop with a beer in the other), and then inviting friends to join you for happy hour.

There's an ambiance for everyone at Salty Bear Brewing Co. in Costa Mesa.

(

Jill Replogle

/

LAist

)

Salty Bear Brewing Company

Salty Bear is part of The Camp, an uber-cool retail and restaurant complex also within walking distance of Green Cheek and Bootlegger’s (you can do a tasting tour!).

Salty Bear is worth a visit for the aesthetics alone. It has a great bar with midcentury tiling and dimpled red leather. The sprawling, leafy outdoor patio provides plenty of room for the kids to wander.

One thing they do especially well: Their Coastline Strawberry Blonde made me nostalgic for the fruity beers that got me hooked on craft beer in my 20s — but so much better.

This place is great for … Kickin’ it on the patio with friends, either listening to live music, or letting your kids practice performing on the teepee-themed outdoor stage.

Other options in OC south of the 405:

Steady Kitchen and Taps, 18055 Magnolia St, Fountain Valley

Synth Beer Company, 2960 Randolph Av, Costa Mesa

Brewing Reserve of California, 2930 College Ave D, Costa Mesa

Some government funding streams for L.A. County’s public health system are drying up, and officials are turning to private philanthropy to fill the gap.

A new privately funded foundation launched Thursday to strengthen public health services after $50 million in federal, state and local funding cuts to the county’s Department of Public Health since early last year.

“It is really a hard day for our community when we have to ask for private donations to fund a public good, but unfortunately, we've lost too much money to not take this important step,” said Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer.

In February, the county’s Public Health Department closed seven clinics, with six remaining open. About half of the patients seen in those clinics are uninsured, according to county officials. The department also cut hundreds of staff positions.

Ferrer is on the board of the new foundation, The Fund for Advancing Public Health LA, which held its first meeting Thursday.

She said the fund will help the county maintain its basic public health infrastructure, including disease prevention, health promotion, environmental health, and emergency response efforts.

Other board members include several health insurance executives, as well as actors Sean Penn and Danny Trejo. Board member Saree Kayne of the R&S Kayne Foundation pledged $150,000 to the fund Thursday. Kayne said she hopes the donation encourages others to give.

The foundation aims to raise $2 million this year.

More cuts expected

L.A. County Supervisor Holly Mitchell said it’s crucial to have an alternative funding stream to protect services for the county's most vulnerable residents.

“We are saving public health,” Mitchell said. “This fund represents a new approach, one that brings together government philanthropy in the private sector to invest in community-based solutions, protect vulnerable populations, and strengthen our public health infrastructure.”

Officials say more public health cuts are coming, through the federal budget law known as the "Big Beautiful Bill," which slashes funding for Medi-Cal.

The county Department of Public Health anticipates losing up to $300 million in revenue over the next three years because of the federal budget bill and other potential funding freezes. Federal funding accounts for almost 50% of the public health budget, according to county officials.

Mitchell also led an effort to put a half-percent county sales tax increase to fund public health on the June ballot.

If approved by voters, that proposal, known as Measure ER, is expected to raise about $1 billion a year for county safety net health services, including about $100 million for the public health department.

Board members

The Fund for Advancing Public Health LA announced its founding board of directors, which includes:

• Dr. Barbara Ferrer, LA County Department of Public Health director
• Debbie I. Chang, Blue Shield of California Foundation CEO
• Sean Penn, actor and co-founder of Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE)
• Martha Santana-Chin, LA Care Health Plan CEO
• Saree Kayne, R&S Kayne Foundation CEO
• Danny Trejo, actor and restaurateur
• Jarrett Barrios, an executive at the American Red Cross
• Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith, Charles R. Drew University College of Medicine Dean
• Kristin McCowan, an executive at the Los Angeles Dodgers