Nearly 30 of California's community colleges offer bachelor's degree programs. Here's our guide with tips, history, research, and student and other expert voices.
A brief history: In 2014, then-Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill that allowed community colleges a few years to try out bachelor degrees programs. A 2021 assembly bill extended the programs indefinitely and allowed colleges to offer an additional 30 bachelor’s programs per year.
Why it matters: The application process for the bachelor’s degrees at community colleges, while simpler than UC and CSU applications, still require effort and planning. Some programs can get competitive, as most colleges try to maintain a 25-student cohort size.
Keep reading: For more advice on how to take advantage of these programs, including why you need to apply for financial aid.
In my years reporting on community colleges, I never knew that 29 campuses offer bachelor’s degrees (at the time of writing this).
My goal — as a first-generation Latina student — is to receive a degree at one of the UC schools. But, could my life have been different had I known about these degrees? If I knew there were other opportunities to get a bachelor's degree locally, would I still be a journalist? (I like to think I would.) Along with many others, I felt like I was missing out on what these community colleges provide.
So, I interviewed students and faculty to learn more. This guide contains tips, history, research, and student, faculty, and expert voices.
This guide is for everybody: students, educators, co-workers, and everyone in between.
You never know who might want to start or resume their college journey.
How long have these programs been around?
In 2014, then-Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill that allowed community colleges a few years to try out bachelor degrees programs.
I was offered a job transferring bodies at night. And once I started doing that, it was like nothing else.
A state bill passed in 2024 even attempted to make these baccalaureate programs free at community colleges, as an extension of the already existing California Promise Program. (Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed it.)
Profile: Santa Monica College’s interaction design degree
The beach town's local community college, Santa Monica College, offers a bachelor of science in interaction design.
Estimated cost: $10,000. Financial aid and scholarships are available, and their website provides a net price calculator.
Application process: A portfolio of three to five projects is required. The application usually opens about a year before the anticipated start date in the fall.
Cohort size: Twenty-five students are accepted into the year’s cohort — out of the 60 to 90 people who apply on average.
Students in this program (which is also known as IX design) learn to collaborate in groups. The hands-on environment fosters open discussions on how to improve user interaction with technology. Think homepages and app interfaces. When you see an aesthetically pleasing website or app, this is the work of interaction designers.
Christian Enriquez, a 2021 IX program alum, created the company Reality Experience Design. He is one of six “reality designers” who creates augmented reality experiences — think the work of filters on social media, where an animation can be added to your photo. (Another good example is those brown dog ears and long tongue added onto a selfie in real time- for the old-school Snapchat users.)
“It provided my calling,” said Enriquez. “When our company creates experiences, it's well thought out. So, there is research involved, which is crucial when it comes to the stuff that we learn in the program. I know that I'm definitely more successful in this area because of the skills that I learned in that program.”
How much do these degrees cost?
California Community Colleges states that a bachelor’s degree costs $10,560. On most of the community college websites, this number is rounded down to $10,000.
The $10,560 number is determined by the sum of 60 units in lower division courses and 60 units in upper divisions. (We're going to explain units in that infobox two paragraphs down from here.) Californians pay $46 a unit for community college courses. This includes those parts of an associate’s degree or general education — or lower divisions. Courses for a bachelor’s degree (upper division courses) cost more: $130 per unit.
Out-of-state students pay more.
The More You Know: What Is A Unit?
Colleges have a price “per unit.” But: What is a unit? Is that different from a course?
A unit, also called a credit, reflects the amount of class time and work that is expected in a course.
Courses will almost always have a number of units attached to them, usually on a scale of one to five. So, a five-unit course may be longer and more intensive.
Course catalogs provided by each college clearly display the unit numbers.
Bottom line: Apply for financial aid.
“Honestly, it's weird. I think this hasn't happened before; community colleges offering bachelor's degrees,” said Alison Parrales, a senior in the interaction design program at Santa Monica College. “Because many people, the reason why they don't do it is because, maybe they don't have the time, don't have the money. And community colleges are for people who are like that, basically.”
Profile: Cypress College’s funeral service degree
Cypress College, located in north Orange County, offers a bachelor’s of science in funeral service. It is one of three community colleges in the state that offers this degree.
Estimated cost: $10,560. Financial aid and scholarships are available.
Application process: The application opens about ten months before the anticipated start date.
Cohort size: There are typically 20 students per cohort, and the program is almost entirely online.
For students who want to work in the funeral service industry — think embalmers, funeral home directors, cemeterians and more — obtaining a bachelor’s degree allows you to have the possibility for upward mobility and higher paying positions within the field.
Kimberly Worl, a student who graduated in 2022, was part of the pilot program with just five other students in her cohort. She was in the funeral service industry for about 15 years before she started her college journey at Cypress.
“I can't imagine what my life would be like if I didn't find [the funeral service program],” said Worl. “I'm so glad that I was able to further my education in exactly that focused coursework for my job.”
She started by “transferring bodies” from where they died to where they needed to go for funeral services. But prior to getting her degree, there was little room for pay raises.
“I was offered a job transferring bodies at night,” said Worl, who now manages administration for two funeral homes in Westminster Memorial Park and Mortuary. “And once I started doing that, it was like nothing else. It was a huge paradigm shift, because it felt everything that happened was meaningless, and the stuff I was doing at night was super fulfilling, and it meant something to someone. So, I asked for full time work with the funeral home and quit my other job, and then did my embalming apprenticeship, and finally went back to school.”
What should I know before applying?
The application process for the bachelor’s degrees at community colleges, while simpler than UC and CSU applications, still require effort and planning. Some programs can get competitive, as most colleges try to maintain a 25-student cohort size.
(A cohort is what the community colleges call the group of students in the bachelor’s program of that year.)
Research finds that many students who pursue these degrees are already within the community college system, as they build off of pre-existing associates degree programs. But these bachelor’s programs are open for everyone!
Look into the program you want to join at least six months to a year before enrolling.
Check if you need to provide a portfolio of work, or if you are missing any prerequisite courses.
Make an appointment with a community college counselor — for new and returning students.
Profile: West L.A. College’s dental hygiene degree
West LA College is one of five community colleges in the state that offers a baccalaureate degree in dental hygiene. The program has existed at the college since 1969 and became a baccalaureate program in 2016.
Estimated cost: $23,040. This price includes the cost of the individual units for each course, textbooks, required license fees, supplies, and more.
Application process: It opens about six months before the program starts. West L.A. College has applications in both the fall and the spring semester, which is rare for these community colleges.
Cohort size: On average, 35 students are accepted while upwards of 200 students apply.
Students in this program learn the ins and outs of oral healthcare by operating the free clinic on campus. Abigail Martinez, a senior in the program, said that the clinical aspect allows students to go through the motions of what a dental hygienist would do at an appointment.
“They start making the same money as people who have been in a field for 30 years, with the same amount of salary,” said Lisa Kamibayashi, the dental hygiene program director and professor at West LA College for 24 years. “You don't have to move up in dental hygiene, each office makes the same, whether you are 30 years a dental hygienist or fresh out of college.”
The other community colleges with this program are Cerritos College, Foothill College, Fresno College, and Taft College.
How do new programs get established?
In order for these programs to exist, a community college must submit an application to the California Community College Chancellor’s Office where strict criteria is expected to be met: curriculum, enrollment projections, unmet workforce needs, and the curriculum and program itself that does not duplicate a CSU or UC program — to name a few.
This process is necessary for every community college that applies for a bachelor’s program, and once the program is approved, it then needs to be accredited.
Cecilia Rios-Aguilar is a UCLA Education Professor, and co-author of a research study about Latino experience and success post community college bachelor degree program.
“[Students] end up having jobs, you know, in the field that they're studying,” she said. “That's part of why these programs are created. They have to have that component, even from the application, from the design, they're very thoughtfully and intentionally designed so that students can take advantage of jobs that are available locally.”
Some opponents of these degrees at community colleges claim that they take students from four-year universities. Rios-Aguilar disavows this claim, and argues that the community colleges help to serve Black and Latino students — who historically have low baccalaureate degree rates.
“But they're not serving the same students,” Rios-Aguilar said. “If we had done a good job as a state of serving students, they may be competing. The evidence tells us we are not serving a large portion of Californians, ones who need a baccalaureate degree to achieve that upward economic and social mobility.”
What I do if I'm interested?
If this guide piqued your interest — for you or someone else — here are some next steps to get a bachelor’s degree at a community college.
Look into the program you are interested in — online or in person. Whether the degree is related to a field of study you are familiar with or not, bachelor programs are available to everybody. Here's a handy list of all the programs.
Take a tour. Even if your degree is mostly remote, or just two years, it will allow you to learn about your college and make in-person connections.
Book an appointment with a counselor at the college you want to attend! Whether in person or online, counselors are there to help you with the enrollment process. They can let you know what general education courses are needed if you are new to college. They will also fill you in on costs and scholarships unique to the college.
Look into financial aid. Even though these degrees are available at a reduced cost compared to universities, it is still a pretty penny. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a great place to start.
Get a copy of our zine
Our newest zine.
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Ross Brenneman
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LAist
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We have a limited number of copies of this story as a 12-page zine. If you work for a community college, an academic enrichment program, or community space in the L.A. area and would like to provide copies for your constituents, please reach out to Ross Brenneman, senior editor for our education team. Please note that supply is limited.
Notice any issues?
There is a lot of information to cover. And there are a lot of programs, and things can change fast. Anything important we missed? Spot any problems? Get in touch.
Gab Chabrán
covers what's happening in food and culture for LAist.
Published January 1, 2026 5:00 AM
Members of Kodama Taiko perform mochitsuki at Yama Seafood Market's San Gabriel location Dec. 20.
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Courtesy Yama Sushi Marketplace
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Topline:
Yama Sushi Marketplace is hosting a free mochitsuki demonstration Saturday, offering the public a chance to witness — and participate in — the traditional Japanese art of pounding fresh mochi for the new year.
Why now: The events coincide with the Japanese New Year period, the most important holiday in Japanese culture. The word mochi comes from the Japanese word motsu, which means "to hold"; the ritual symbolizes holding on to good fortune for the coming year.
Why it matters: While mochi has become a trendy dessert in L.A., these public demonstrations showcase the ceremonial traditions that have anchored Japanese celebrations for over a millennium. By making this sacred practice participatory, Yama hopes to bridge Japanese cultural heritage with L.A.'s diverse communities.
These days, mochi might bring to mind the ice cream selection at Trader Joe's or the cute, shaped donuts at Mochinut, which have made the chewy rice cake an L.A. favorite.
But for more than 1,000 years in Japan, at this time of year, fresh mochi has been celebrated through mochitsuki — a rhythmic New Year's ceremony in which steamed glutinous rice is pounded with wooden mallets into smooth, elastic cakes symbolizing good fortune.
Yama Sushi Marketplace is turning this tradition into a public celebration with a free mochitsuki event Saturday at its Koreatown location. (The marketplace also hosted two previous events, one Dec. 20 at the San Gabriel location and the other last Saturday in West L.A.).
The ceremony
Scott Kohno, CEO of Yama Sushi Marketplace, grew up eating mochi and attending mochitsuki festivals around Los Angeles. He describes the spectacle as "like a dance."
The two-part process requires pounders wielding mallets and turners flipping the rice between strikes, demanding rhythmic precision to avoid injury. Attendees at the Yama events can try their hand at pounding.
Cultural significance
The New Year marks the biggest holiday celebration in Japanese culture. In Japan, Oshogatsu is observed Jan. 1, with the main celebrations beginning on New Year's Eve and continuing through the first days of January.
Traditionally, Mochitsuki is celebrated chiefly through community events, but many families also rely on store-bought mochi rather than pounding their own.
Kodama Taiko performers demonstrate the rhythmic "dance" of mochitsuki, synchronizing the pounding and turning of steamed glutinous rice.
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Courtesy Yama Sushi Marketplace
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The word mochi comes from the Japanese word motsu, which means "to hold," Kohno said. "And so it's very symbolic: holding onto good fortune for the coming year.”
The ceremony holds personal meaning for Kohno, who recalls participating in mochitsuki throughout his childhood. For him, the pairing of mochi and the new year represents a time of reflection — acknowledging his staff and customers while looking ahead.
The demonstration held at Yama will be led by Kodama Taiko, a performance group that has brought mochitsuki to various Southern California communities for several years.
A partnership of legacy brands
This year, Yama is partnering with Fugetsu-Do, the historic Little Tokyo mochi shop founded in 1903 and now in its third generation of ownership under Brian Kito, whose grandfather, Seiichi Kito, started the business.
Kohno sees the partnership between the two businesses — Yama has operated for more than 40 years — as a continuation of Japanese community resilience in Los Angeles.
The partnership feels personal for Kohno, who grew up eating Fugetsu-Do mochi and now sells its products at Yama.
"These two legendary brands coming together, we think it's a natural fit," he said.
An attendee tries his hand at pounding mochi during Yama Seafood Market's Dec. 20 mochitsuki demonstration in San Gabriel.
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Courtesy Yama Sushi Marketplace
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The events pair taiko drumming with rhythmic mochi pounding, offering a celebratory experience most attendees will witness for the first time. For Kohno, these gatherings serve a larger purpose: bringing the community together while passing traditions to future generations.
"I hope that the customers really can understand that Japanese food is beyond just the tasty dishes, that there's a lot of symbolism tied to the culture behind it," he said.
More info:
Yama Sushi Marketplace will host a free mochitsuki demonstration Saturday: Yama Seafood Market, 3178 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles (Koreatown), 11 a.m.-noon
Gab Chabrán
covers what's happening in food and culture for LAist.
Published January 1, 2026 5:00 AM
From personal cake slices to diasporic cuisines, here's what will shape the Los Angeles food scene in 2026.
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Logan Voss
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Courtesy Unsplash
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Topline:
LAist food and culture writer Gab Chabrán predicts 2026's biggest food and drink trends, from cappuccinos and personal cake slices to diasporic cuisines and walk-in-only restaurants.
Why now: Conversations with chefs, restaurateurs and frequent diners reveal what's bubbling up in L.A.'s food scene as we enter a new year.
Why it matters: These predictions offer insight into how Angelenos will eat, drink and gather in 2026 — from health-conscious choices driven by GLP-1 medications to the rise of all-day cafes that maximize their appeal across different dayparts.
One advantage of being someone who writes about food is getting to talk to people involved in L.A.'s food scene — from chefs to restaurateurs to frequent diners. That gives me insight into what trends are bubbling up and likely will come into full view this year.
Last year, I predicted the Manhattan cocktail and pavlova desserts would make a comeback and Orange County's dining scene would gain momentum. This year's forecast includes a range of predictions, from personal-sized treats to low-alcohol craft beers to diasporic cuisines ready to take center stage.
Desserts
Individual cake slices will be the hot new treat in 2026 — a perfect, commitment-free indulgence for one or two.
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Sam Lashbrooke
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Courtesy Unsplash
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Personal cake slices: Forget the whole cake. Expect individual slices to be the hot new treat — a perfect, commitment-free indulgence for one (or two).
Cinnamon rolls: The breakfast pastry, whether homemade or from your local bakery, will dominate social media feeds and the baked goods conversation.
While restaurant reservations aren't going away, a new crop of restaurants will be less dependent on online bookings or will host only a few seatings per meal. This helps combat revenue loss from no-shows, reduce third-party platform fees and enable more precise staffing and inventory management.
All-day cafes with restaurant and nightlife elements
Your favorite coffee shop will also serve lunch and dinner, staying open late for drinks, thereby maximizing its concept to appeal to a broader range of customers.
Drinks
The cappuccino is making a comeback in 2026, with its carefully crafted 1:1:1 ratio of espresso, steamed milk and froth.
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Taylor Franz
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Courtesy Unsplash
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The year of the cappuccino: Move over, latte. The sophisticated cappuccino is making a comeback. With its airier texture and perfect 1:1:1 ratio of espresso, steamed milk and froth, it's a balanced coffee choice that emphasizes traditional craft over the milk-heavy lattes that have dominated American coffee culture.
Low-ABV beers: We've seen low-alcohol wine and liquors in previous years, and now it's beer's turn to be in the spotlight. As more people prefer lighter-style beers, both independent brewers and larger brands will offer additional lower-alcohol options for consumers looking to avoid hangovers.
Kevin Lee at work behind the bar at Tokyo Noir, hand-carving the ice that defines his cocktails’ texture and clarity.
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Wonho Lee
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Courtesy Tokyo Noir
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Artisan ice: In cocktail bars, expect more attention to ice in various forms, including shaved ice in different types of drinks, plus imported ice from other countries featured in cocktail menus.
Health and wellness
High-fiber vegetables like broccoli, carrots and leafy greens will get new attention in 2026 as the fibermaxxing trend emphasizes gut health.
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Inigo De La Maza
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Courtesy Unsplash
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Fibermaxxing: Fiber is set for a big year. The trend emphasizes gut health and is popping up everywhere — in high-fiber foods like beans, lentils, artichokes and brussels sprouts that will get new attention, as well as an additive in pastas, drinks and snacks to boost fullness. It aids digestion, stabilizes blood sugar and helps lower cholesterol.
Smaller portions: Driven partly by the rise of GLP-1 medications, expect smaller meal sizes everywhere — from fine dining to fast food. Del Taco recently launched a $2.99 "Micro Meal" designed specifically for lighter-eating lifestyles, featuring deliberately small portions: a mini beef and cheddar burrito, seven to 10 fries and a single donut bite. It signals what's to come.
We'll see a bigger emphasis on diasporic communities — populations displaced from their homelands through conflict, colonization or forced migration, as opposed to voluntary immigrant communities. Southern California's restaurant scene and cookbooks will spotlight Cambodian, Haitian, Palestinian and Puerto Rican cuisines — all shaped by displacement, conflict and colonial histories.
Keep up with LAist.
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Julia Paskin
is the local host of All Things Considered and the L.A. Report Evening Edition.
Published January 1, 2026 5:00 AM
Frankie Quiñones as the character Creeper in Episode 3 of "Creeper’s Crib."
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YouTube
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Topline:
The internet’s favorite Cholo-Fitness instructor has a new job hosting a PeeWee’s Playhouse inspired talk show for adults called “Creeper’s Crib.” Creator Frankie Quiñones continues to use his childhood influences growing up in L.A. to fuel his character, Creeper, in a new format.
Where Quiñones gets his inspiration: Creeper went viral 15 years ago inspiring viewers to get healthy with comedic workout routines like CholoSpin class. In his latest evolution, Creeper hosts specials guests, animated segments and chats with talking puppets, inspired by PeeWee's Playhouse, which the comedian enjoyed growing up.
Why now: Quiñones recent standup comedy special explores more of his childhood influences, including his experiences growing up in LA.
Read on ... more of the characters you'll meet on "Creeper's Crib" in 2026.
If there were more fitness instructors in the world like Creeper, getting in shape would be a lot more fun.
The satirical character, played by Frankie Quiñones, leads inspirational workout routines such as a CholoSpin class where scenarios like running out of beer at a barbecue push you to peddle harder because “we don’t want fools to start fighting each other."
Quiñones has been creating content as Creeper for 15 years now, and he’s still finding new ways to keep the character fresh.
In Hulu comedy special Damn, That’s Crazy, which came out in October, Quiñones explained that he started developing characters when he was a kid as a form of personal escapism and based them on those around him. Quiñones' father was a big inspiration for Creeper’s sense of style.
“My dad was an old school cholo. Dickies creased, Chuck Taylors, white tee or the Pendleton,” Quiñones says in the special. “Always had the palm comb with the three flowers. Always had a lowrider.”
Quiñones added that he was around “the positive side of the culture” growing up in Los Angeles and that his dad is “one of the most positive men” he knows.
Quiñones’ childhood influences still are at play in his latest web series, Creeper’s Crib.
Growing up, Quiñones watched Pee-wee’s Playhouse, the whimsical 1980s children’s program that was populated with puppets and hosted by Paul Reubens’ performing alter-ego, Pee-wee Herman. Quiñones loved the show and grew to identify with Reubens as his own career advanced.
“When Creeper went viral, a lot of people were like, 'You should just do that.' … I was like, maybe that's going to be my career. I'm just gonna be this character. Am I okay with that or do I want to go another direction,” Quiñones said.
In releasing a new comedy special and launching Creeper’s Crib in the same year, Quiñones is saying he doesn’t have to choose.
Puppet sidekicks Rudy and Pantufla in Episode 6 of "Creeper’s Crib."
Pantufla the puppet
Creeper’s Crib follows the Pee-wee format in that there are vignettes, colorful characters and, of course, puppets! But let’s be clear: It’s not a kid’s show. Creeper still is the host, and his humor is good-natured but definitely adult-themed. Like featuring the dating exploits of the puppets.
A partially animated, talking hot water heater named Rudy is a frequent character. But Pantufla, the soft-spoken slipper, often steals the show. Even he is looking for love on websites like IfTheShoeFits.com.
While Rudy is louder and quicker to react, Pantufla is the tranquil sidekick, commenting from his perch atop Creeper’s couch.
“He's like this spiritual guide, like, a chill-a** dude,” Quiñones said. “[Pantufla is] how you say slipper in Spanish, but it's such a funny word to me. That came because I have a bunch of sets of pantuflas for Creeper, like the Deebo slippers. And they wear out and they start opening up. … And it just came to life.”
Creativity took hold, and a torn-open slipper became a talking character.
“It's funny because people love Pantufla,” Quiñones said. “I got messages from this middle-aged white lady in Wisconsin. She's like, 'Oh, honey, I love Pantufla and the sound of his voice.'”
Creeper’s Crib features a special guest every episode with new installments on YouTube every other Monday.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Winterfest O.C., a dual piano show, Star Wars on the big screen and more of the best things to do the first weekend of 2026.
Highlights:
Musicians Stephanie Trick and Paolo Alderighi will take you on atour through the Roaring ‘20s(the 1920s, that is, I don’t know what we’re calling the current ‘20s just yet…) with music from jazz to Broadway on two pianos at the historic Old Town Music Hall in El Segundo.
Missed your chance to kick off last year with a taxidermy class? 2026 is your year. Head to theOddities and Curiosities Expo to connect with other folks who are fascinated by the obscure and creepy, delve into antique collections, meet horror enthusiasts and just be surrounded by the weird and wonderful for an afternoon.
Indie rock trio the Dirty Projectorskick off their short residency at the Blue Note Saturday, with an early and a late set each night. Founder David Longstreth has been delving into the world of orchestral music with his 2024 release Song of the Earth, as well as movie scores, with two feature film projects in the last two years alone. Expect a mix of the band’s hit early 2000s sound and new material.
If you’ve never seen the original Star Wars trilogy on the big screen (or maybe your kids haven’t), there’s no better opportunity to make a Star Wars nerd out of someone you love than taking them to the Egyptian for a triple feature.
Happy New Year! We’re kicking off 2026 with some new year’s resolutions of our own. Each week, we’ll share some of our LAist staff’s plans to see new things coming to L.A. this year — and spots we’ve had on our list for ages but just haven’t had a chance to check out yet.
If your resolution is to get out and see more local music, you can’t go wrong with Licorice Pizza’s pick for Saturday night, when Huntington Beach punk rockers T.S.O.L. play the Regent Theater.
Saturday, January 3, 2:30 p.m. Old Town Music Hall 140 Richmond St., El Segundo COST: $25; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Agile Ticketing Solutions
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Musicians Stephanie Trick and Paolo Alderighi will take you on a tour through the Roaring '20s (the 1920s, that is, I don’t know what we’re calling the current '20s just yet…) with music from jazz to Broadway on two pianos at the historic Old Town Music Hall in El Segundo.
Oddities and Curiosities Expo
Saturday and Sunday, January 3-4 L.A. Convention Center 1201 S. Figueroa St., Downtown L.A. COST: FROM $15; MORE INFO
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Big Event Media
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Missed the chance to kick off last year with a taxidermy class? 2026 is your year. Head to the Oddities and Curiosities Expo to connect with other folks who are fascinated by the obscure and creepy, delve into antique collections, meet horror enthusiasts and just be surrounded by the weird and wonderful for an afternoon.
Winter Fest O.C.
Through Sunday, January 4 O.C. Fair Center 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa COST: FROM $24.99; MORE INFO
It’s your last chance to pretend like we have snow in the winter here. The O.C. Fair Center hosts the annual Winter Fest, complete with snow tubing, a snow play area, fireside igloo drinks, carnival rides and more.
Dirty Projectors
Saturday and Sunday, January 3-4 Blue Note 6372 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood COST: FROM $37.54; MORE INFO
David Longstreth of Dirty Projectors performs at El Rey Theatre in 2018.
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Oliver Walker
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Getty Images
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Indie rock trio the Dirty Projectors kick off their short residency at the Blue Note Saturday, with an early and a late set each night. Founder David Longstreth has been delving into the world of orchestral music with his 2024 release Song of the Earth, as well as movie scores, with two feature film projects in the last two years alone. Expect a mix of the band’s hit early 2000s sound and new material.
Star Wars (Episodes IV, V, VI)
Saturday, January 3 The Egyptian Theatre 6712 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood COST: FROM $12; MORE INFO
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20th Century Fox
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If you’ve never seen the original Star Wars trilogy on the big screen (or maybe your kids haven’t), there’s no better opportunity to make a Star Wars nerd out of someone you love than taking them to the Egyptian for a triple feature.
Santa Monica Airport Antique Market
Sunday, January 4, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Santa Monica Airport, Interim Open Space 3233 Donald Douglas Loop S, Santa Monica COST: $5; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Santa Monica Airport Antique & Vintage Market
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Find whatever was missing from your holiday haul with a trip to the twice-monthly Santa Monica Airport Antique Market. Treasures abound — who knows what you’ll find that you definitely must have?
Dessert Hands-On: Pannetone at Eataly
Sunday, January 4, 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Eataly at Westfield Century City 10250 Santa Monica Blvd., Century City COST: $60.29; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Eataly
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Christmas may be over, but winter baking has just begun. Learn how to make your own classic Italian panettone at Eataly.
Sunday, January 4, 2:30 p.m. Stoneview Nature Center 5950 Stoneview Drive, Culver City COST: $17.85; MORE INFO
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Hongbin
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Unsplash
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We all became amateur birdwatchers during the pandemic, but now you can make it less of a solo pastime by joining this queer community-building event at Stoneview Nature Center. You’ll get an intro to birdwatching from an experienced guide and make some new friends.
Freak Scene with DJ Jenny LSQ
Friday, January 2, 7 p.m. Sid the Cat Auditorium 1022 El Centro Street, South Pasadena COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Dice FM
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Step out to the new Sid the Cat Auditorium in South Pasadena for a dance DJ night at Freak Scene.
