Free days at LACMA to give your brain a break, putting the fun in fundraisers for wildfire relief, new vendors at Smorgasburg, Pussy Riot at Honor Fraser and more.
In this weekend’s edition:
Art is proven to help calm anxiety and improve your mood. Head to LACMA before the end of the day Friday to get some of that Serra serenity for free. It’s been a stressful couple of weeks, friends.
If it’s rage you’re feeling, Pussy Riot’s Nadya Tolokonnikova, who has spent her career pushing back against the Putin regime and has been living in exile since her arrest in 2012, knows that one all too well. The radical frontwoman and founder of Russian punk band Pussy Riot will be performing at Honor Fraser Gallery with her new band, Pussy Riot Siberia, as part of the opening night of the art and performance-based exhibition Punk’s Not Dead, which will be on view until Jan. 25.
Our friends at Something New are back with a fundraiser on Venice Beach called Pickle Tickle Time to support the firefighting effort (assuming air quality levels stay in an acceptable range).
Play studio LoveBug & Me is offering free music classes, sensory art classes, virtual classes, and play dates for parents and kids at several locations.
Valley favorite Buvette is hosting a wine tasting with Fuil Wines on Sunday afternoon with proceeds going to Habitat For Humanity.
Smorgasburg L.A. reopens for 2025 with new vendors.
And L.A. Community Meals just launched as a way to support those on the front lines of the fires. You can donate meals from your favorite local restaurants for as little as $10.
It’s been a difficult couple of weeks for us Angelenos, but the resiliency, the love, the creativity, and even the humor in the face of tragedy have been nothing short of astounding. I was worried it would be hard to find things to fill the newsletter as we’re all so consumed by the fire emergency, but I was so, so wrong.
Nearly every restaurant, bar, arts organization, and community space that can is hosting events to raise money for our brave firefighters, other first responders and families in need. Museums are opening their doors for free to give everyone a mental health break, yoga studios and gyms are providing free or low-cost classes and places to gather, and so much more. So if you’re in a safe place and able to get out to support the community during this difficult time, please do.
And of course, there are myriad opportunities to volunteer your time to help the recovery efforts; check out our list here.
For daily updates on the fires in Los Angeles and resources from across LAist and our partners at KCRW, Cal Matters, and PBS So Cal, sign up for the Wildfire Updates newsletter. LAist has also launched a fund to support our reporters on the ground who are out there bringing you up-to-the-minute reports from the fire zones, including colleagues who've lost their own homes during this emergency. Support our efforts.
Events
January 13, 2025 through January 19, 2025
LoveBug & Me classes
LoveBug & Me - Santa Monica
1201 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica
LoveBug & Me - Los Feliz
1949 Hillhurst Ave., Los Feliz
LoveBug & Me - Pasadena
1127 Mission St., South Pasadena
This week, parents and kids can enjoy free music classes, sensory art classes, and play dates at the LoveBug & Me studios in Santa Monica, South Pasadena, and Los Feliz, as well as virtual music classes. These studios are a safe space where children and parents can find joy, connection, and healing through music and creativity during this difficult time.
January 13, 2025 through January 17, 2025
Free admission at LACMA
LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art)
5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire
The "Urban Light" sculpture by Chris Burden at LACMA.
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Victor Decolongon
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Art is proven to help calm anxiety and improve your mood. Head to LACMA before the end of the day Friday to get some of that Serra serenity for free. It’s been a stressful couple of weeks, friends. There are several great exhibits, including the final days of the Simone Leigh show and Digital Witness.
Saturday, January 18, 2025 at 2:00 PM
'Lightscape': Doug Aiken
Marciano Arts Foundation
4357 Wilshire Blvd., Koreatown
Doug Aiken’s Lightscape is the winter’s must-see art event, made even more dynamic with live performances in the space throughout the run. While last week’s performance was canceled, this week there will be a Lightscape Music Activation by the L.A. Phil New Music Group. Piano works from Philip Glass, Meredith Monk, and more will be performed by Joanne Pearce Martin and Vicki Ray. Tickets are free but go fast!
The overall exhibit will be available to experience through March 25.
Saturday, January 18, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Pussy Riot’s Nadya Tolokonnikova: 'Punk's Not Dead'
Honor Fraser Gallery
2622 S La Cienega Blvd., Mid-City
Nadya Tolokonnikova poses in front of the Pussy Riot collection at The Bomb Factory in 2024.
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Ben Montgomery
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Name a braver musician out there than Pussy Riot’s Nadya Tolokonnikova, who has spent her career pushing back against the Putin regime and since her arrest in 2012 has been living in exile. The radical frontwoman and founder of Russian punk band Pussy Riot will be performing at Honor Fraser Gallery with her new band, Pussy Riot Siberia, as part of the opening night of the art and performance-based exhibition Punk’s Not Dead, which will be on view until Jan. 25. The performance is Pussy Riot Siberia’s L.A. debut, which aims to create a "tower of sound" that's as "black and brutal" as Norilsk, the Siberian city where Tolokonnikova grew up. The project's members include Tolokonnikova as well as Max Lawton, Riley Bray, and John Caldwell.
Saturday, January 18, 2025 from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Pickle Tickle Time: Something New's LA fires fundraiser
Venice Beach Boardwalk
, Venice
Cost: $5 (FREE FOR ANYONE AFFECTED BY THE FIRES)
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MORE INFO
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Courtesy Something New
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I have no idea what Pickle Tickle Time is going to be and that’s half the fun. Show up at the Venice Boardwalk to support the fire relief effort and make some new friends. That’s it! Check the Something New Instagram for the exact location on Saturday.
Saturday, January 18, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Frank Black: 'Teenager of the Year' Tour
The Orpheum Theatre
842 S. Broadway, Downtown L.A.
Frank Black, aka Black Francis, performs in concert at Germania Insurance Amphitheater on June 26, 2024 in Austin, Texas.
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Rick Kern
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Teenager of the Year came out in 1994, the second album from former Pixies frontman Frank Black aka Black Francis aka Charles Thompson III. The album marked his most successful solo record and, in a way, it’s an ode to Los Angeles — something we all could use about now. He plays the Orpheum with support from opener Rocket.
Friday, January 17, 2025 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Essentials distribution event with LA sports teams
Dodger Stadium
1000 Vin Scully Ave., Elysian Park
BMO Stadium
3939 S. Figueroa St., Exposition Park
SoFi Stadium
1001 S. Stadium Dr., Inglewood
Cost: FREE FOR EVACUEES WITH PROOF OF ZIPCODE
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MORE INFO
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The Dodgers, Chargers, Kings, Sparks, Lakers, LAFC and more Southern California sports teams are uniting and collaborating with community partners to help Los Angeles wildfire evacuees. Angelenos must provide proof of residency in evacuated zip codes to receive free essentials, including hygiene kits, school supplies and shoes.
The distribution events are happening simultaneously at Dodger Stadium, BMO Stadium and SoFi Stadium, so pick the most convenient location for your needs.
If The Goonies is 40, that makes me… gaaaaah, never mind. But lucky for us, Goonies never say die. Bring yourself, your friends, and/or your kids to see the 1985 classic adventure from Steven Spielberg, Chris Columbus, and Richard Donner again — or for the first time — on the big screen. Baby Sean Astin and baby Josh Brolin star — oh, how far they've come.
Dine & Drink Deals
January 14, 2025 through February 14, 2025
Support meals for frontline workers and evacuees in the LA fires
The new L.A. Community Meals hub has banded together some of L.A.’s favorite restaurants to make it easy for anyone to donate a meal (pizza, coffee carafe, breakfast burritos, you name it) to frontline workers, evacuees, and relief organizations while supporting local businesses. They’ve provided direct links to restaurants so you can pay it forward right from your phone.
Taste some great wines and support a great cause with Fuil Wines at Buvette in Sherman Oaks on Sunday afternoon. They will be sampling a variety of wines and holding a raffle; all sales benefit Habitat for Humanity to start rebuilding L.A. after the fires. Union members get $5 flights with valid ID.
Sunday, January 19, 2025 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Smorgasburg reopening + new 2025 vendors
Smorgasburg LA at ROW DTLA
777 S. Alameda St., Downtown L.A.
More than a dozen new vendors join the 2025 lineup at Smorgasburg, so head down to the Row for an Indian boba from Band Baaja Boba, Filipino-American BBQ from Full Send, and Swedish hot dogs for January only from Hej Hej.
