Honor West Covina at the Crazy Ex-Girlfriend reunion, put on your boots for the Great L.A. River Cleanup, meet nocturnal plants and animals at the California Botanic Garden, catch a spooky poolside screening in Irvine and more of the best things to do this weekend.
Highlights:
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend creator Rachel Bloom and co. always put on a great show, whether it’s low-key jamming with friends at the Largo or in this bigger iteration at the Wiltern. Special appearances from former cast members are guaranteed, and this underrated gem will once again get its due on stage for its 10-year anniversary.
Bring your flashlight and get ready to uncover all the secrets of nocturnal plants and animals at Things That Go Bump in the Night at the California Botanic Garden in Claremont.
It’s the Great L.A. River Cleanup! Join Friends of the L.A. River at either Sepulveda Basin in Encino or Compton Creek in Compton to help clear trash and preserve the unique ecology of the L.A. River.
Only in Southern California can you watch Halloween movies and still be at the pool. Embrace the spooky spirit with a screening of Hotel Transylvania 2 with your whole family on the Hyatt Regency’s poolside screen.
It’s a big week, with some of us only able to focus on the Dodgers, others wrapping up a strong L.A. tech week and Morrissey fans gearing up for three local shows over the next week — ahem, assuming he doesn’t have to cancel.
Still, others will be marathoning Diane Keaton movies and mourning one of the greats. Fortunately, AMC is helping with this, so get out of the house and catch one of the rereleases of Annie Hall or Something’s Gotta Give. Keaton also played a huge role in preserving some of L.A.’s historic buildings through her work with the L.A. Conservancy, so another way to honor her is to visit places like Ennis House.
Our friends at Licorice Pizza have a ton of music picks this weekend, including Van Morrison at the Orpheum, Lorde at the Forum, Renee Rapp also at the Forum, '80s favorites the B-52s and Devo at the Hollywood Bowl, and indie rockers Tortoise at the Broad. It’s also the last weekend for the immersive Cortège project.
And if you need some brightening up in your home, swing by the free flower giveaway at That Flower Feeling at the STC Garden Walk in Anaheim from 9 a.m. to noon on Sunday.
Friday, October 17, 8 p.m. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: 10(ish) Year Reunion Concert The Wiltern 3790 Wilshire Blvd., Koreatown COST: SOLD OUT (THIRD PARTY TICKETS MAY BE AVAILABLE), LIVESTREAM: $20; MORE INFO
Actress and series co-creator Rachel Bloom at the "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" season 4 premiere party at El Cid.
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Sarah Morris
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The Crazy Ex-Girlfriend soundtrack is still on regular rotation on my Spotify, even nearly 10 years on. Creator Rachel Bloom and co. always put on a great show, whether it’s low-key jamming with friends at the Largo or in this bigger iteration at the Wiltern. Special appearances from former cast members are guaranteed, and this underrated gem will once again get its due on stage for its 10-year anniversary. Grab a pretzel and your favorite West Covina friends and enjoy, whether you head to the Wiltern or stream live at home.
Saturday, October 18, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 20th Annual Los Angeles Archives Bazaar Golden Eagle Ballroom at Cal State University Los Angeles 5151 State University Drive, El Sereno COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Conversations at this year’s L.A. Archives Bazaarrun the gamut from preservation following wildfire recovery to sci-fi fandom. Find your L.A. at the annual free-for-all love letter to the city at Cal State’s student union, and browse through booths from the L.A. Historical Society, the Television Academy Foundation, the Silver Lake History Collective and many, many more.
Saturday, October 18, 1 to 2:30 p.m. Angel Island’s Hidden History Japanese American National Museum Democracy Center 100 N. Central Ave., Downtown L.A. COST: FREE, MORE INFO
Journalists walk on the grounds of the Angel Island Immigration Station on December 9, 2008.
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Justin Sullivan
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The Japanese American National Museum is closed temporarily for renovations, but they are keeping the programming coming despite it. Join historian and genealogist Grant Din, co-curator of the exhibit "Taken From Their Families," for a lecture on the experiences of the nearly 700 Japanese immigrants who were temporarily detained at Angel Island’s Fort McDowell before transfer to other camps during WWII internment.
Saturday, October 18, 7:30 p.m. Megan Mullally and her band, Nancy And Beth Largo at the Coronet 366 N La Cienega Blvd., Beverly Grove COST: $50; MORE INFO
Megan Mullaly, best known for her turn as Karen on Will & Grace, is one of the funniest people I’ve ever seen on stage. From her Broadway roles to even hosting awards shows with equally hilarious husband Nick Offerman (Parks & Rec), she steals the show every time. In her band, Nancy and Beth, alongside fellow actress and musician Stephanie Hunt, she revives old-timey music into a subversive stage show. Don’t miss her turn on the intimate Largo stage. For a preview, check out this interview with the band when they joined us on The Frame back in 2019.
October 17-18, 5:30 to 9 p.m. Things That Go Bump in the Night California Botanic Garden 1500 N College Ave., Claremont COST: $21 ADULTS, $15 KIDS; MORE INFO
Bring your flashlight and get ready to uncover all the secrets of nocturnal plants and animals at Things That Go Bump in the Night at the California Botanic Garden in Claremont. There’s a night hike led by the Sierra Club, a spider-themed comedy show, crafting booths, food trucks and more.
October 17-19 UnRavelled: A True Story of Transformation Wallis Annenberg Center for the Arts 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills COST: FROM $32; MORE INFO
Art meets neuroscience in this play by Jake Broder, which was nominated for five L.A. Drama Critics Circle Awards. The play looks at the relationship between scientist-turned-painter Anne Adams and Boléro composer Maurice Ravel, both of whom suffered from a type of dementia that the play posits fueled their creative spark. The performance is accompanied by a three-day brain health festival with speakers, artwork and more.
Outdoor Pick
Saturday, October 18 FoLAR’s 35th Annual L.A. River Cleanup Multiple locations COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Friends of the L.A. River
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It’s the Great L.A. River Cleanup! Join Friends of the L.A. River at either Sepulveda Basin in Encino or Compton Creek in Compton to help clear trash and preserve the unique ecology of the L.A. River. The Compton location in particular still has space for volunteers and is one of the easiest spots on the river to reach. Just take Metro’s A Line.
Viewing Pick
Saturday, October 18, 6 p.m. Spooky Splash Cinema: Hotel Transylvania 2 Hyatt Regency Irvine 17900 Jamboree Road, Irvine COST: $12; MORE INFO
Only in Southern California can you watch Halloween movies and still be at the pool. Embrace the spooky spirit with a screening of Hotel Transylvania 2 with your whole family on the Hyatt Regency’s poolside screen. Join in with costumes and enjoy delicious seasonal offerings, including fireside s’mores and more.
Dine & Drink Deals
Saturday, October 18, 7 p.m. Good Things: An Evening with Samin Nosrat United Theater on Broadway 929 S. Broadway, Downtown L.A. COST: FROM $49.50; MORE INFO
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It’s here! Good Things, Samin Nosrat’s long-awaited follow-up to her groundbreaking cookbook Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, is in bookstores now, and she joins Song Exploder podcast host Hrishikesh Hirway to talk about the new book. LAist and Show And Tell are teaming up for this special live show where Samin will “share stories around the inspiration for the cookbook, her development and selection of the recipes, and the culinary rituals she shares with close friends.”
Saturday, October 18, 2 to 8 p.m. Pat’s King of Steaks x The Benjamin The Benjamin 7174 Melrose Ave., Hollywood COST: VARIES; MORE INFO
Who says you can’t get a good cheesesteak this side of the Mississippi? Iconic Philly establishment Pat’s is coming back to The Benjaminin Hollywood this weekend for two days of greasy goodness. Their martini and cheesesteak happy hour runs from 2 to 8 p.m.
Saturday, October 18, 2 to 6 p.m. CHAAK Mexican Wine & Food Festival: A Gastronomic Journey Through Mexico 215 El Camino Real,Tustin COST: $135.23; MORE INFO
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La Competencia Imports
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Taste food and wines from around Mexico at this festival from Gabbi’s Kitchen and CHAAK restaurants in Orange County. Expect plenty of diverse food and wine pairings, music and a cultural celebration of all things Mexico.
Saturday, October 18, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nékter Sip & Celebrate: South Pasadena grand opening Nékter 434 Fair Oaks Ave., South Pasadena COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Celebrate the newest Nékter location with $5 smoothies and juices and $8 bowls, available all day. Plus, spend more than $15 and you’ll get a free protein waffle.
