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Arts & Entertainment

Best things to do Thanksgiving weekend in Los Angeles and Southern California: November 28-30

A dark-skinned man dressed in a colorful suit made of fruit and flowers holds a stick onstage in front of an image of a full moon.
'A Christmas Carol' starts at A Noise Within just after Thanksgiving.
(
Courtesy A Noise Within
)

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I hope your Thanksgiving was spent with friends, family and lots of good eats. Now it’s time to get your shopping on — and by that I mean skipping the mall and discovering your new favorite local boutique or finding your favorite Record Store Day release on vinyl.

Plus, there are plenty of bands in town, and the family that jams together stays together! Licorice Pizza recommends Air Supply at the YouTube Theater for their 50th anniversary tour on Friday, and L.A. ska legends the Untouchables are at the Whisky. On Saturday, the Osees are at the Teragram, Latin rock legends Maná return to the Forum, ’80s new-wavers Missing Persons and Gene Loves Jezebel play Saint Rocke. And if you (like me) are still mourning the long-gone Silver Lake club Spaceland, celebrate their would-be 30th anniversary with the reunited Lutefisk, Rob Zabrecky, Jon Wahl, the Centimeters and more.

Elsewhere on LAist, you can learn about the history of Valley Plaza, find out what Maccauley Culkin thinks about Home Alone as an adult and visit Santee Alley as the area plans for a Black Friday event amid ICE threats.

Events

Sounds of Sunset

Through Sunday, November 30 
L.A. Central Library
First Floor Galleries 
630 W. 5th Street, Downtown L.A.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

A pink poster for Sounds of Sunset, featuring a man hugging a woman from behind, and another woman standing behind them.
(
Courtesy Los Angeles Public Library
)
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Paris meets Hollywood in the Sounds of Sunset photo exhibit, closing this weekend at the L.A. Central Library. Developed through a Fulbright Specialist grant awarded to photo librarian Wendy Horowitz, The Sounds of Sunset looks at the Sunset Strip through the eyes of the French public, as a symbol of “youth, rebellion, and rock & roll.” It’s the first cultural partnership between the Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection and the Médiathèque Musicale de Paris.


Cat Lady Experience

Through Sunday, November 30
Tailtown Cats 
1780 E Washington Blvd., Pasadena
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

Whether you are a real-life cat lady (guilty!) or just aspire to be one, the Cat Lady Experience at Pasadena cat shelter Tailtown Cats lets you live out your Taylor Swift fantasy. Donate to the shelter to play and pet more than 40 cats (and maybe even bring one home).


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Record Store Day

Friday, November 28
Various locations 
COST: VARIES; MORE INFO

Several people browse records at a record store, while a light-skinned man in a red shirt sets up a drum set.
(
Samuel Dixon
/
Unsplash
)

From our personal faves, Licorice Pizza Records in Studio City, to Amoeba in Hollywood and  Record Surplus in Santa Monica, L.A. still has some great vinyl spots where you can snag all the special Record Store Day releases ahead of the holidays. Licorice Pizza is also hosting an in-store show with singer-songwriter Gatlin at 4 p.m. Get in line early to collect everything from limited editions by Charli XCX to special albums from Prince, Taylor Swift and many, many more.


Andra Day at the Blue Note

November 28 to 30
The Blue Note
6372 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood
COST: FROM $18; MORE INFO

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A woman with medium skin tone looks directly into the camera.
(
Courtesy Blue Note Los Angeles
)

Need to recover from Thanksgiving stress? Might we recommend the dulcet tones of jazz and R&B songstress Andra Day? She’s at the new Blue Note for three nights; while she’s done tons of covers for her movie soundtrack work, her second album of original songs crosses genres from R&B to pop and bossa nova.


Now Serving x Synonym Magazine Holiday Market

Saturday, November 29, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Far East Plaza
727 N. Broadway, 2nd floor, Chinatown 
COST: VARIES; MORE INFO

Did you know Now Serving launched a beautiful food-focused magazine called Synonym? Our favorite cookbook store is hosting a holiday market on Small Business Saturday, where you can score issues of the magazine and cookbooks by all your favorites for your holiday gift-giving. Plus, they made a Synonym tin full of cookies — when you finish the cookies, you can use it to store all your knick-knacks.

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A Christmas Carol

Through Wednesday, December 24 
A Noise Within 
3352 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena
COST: $30; MORE INFO

A dark-skinned man dressed in a colorful suit made of fruit and flowers holds a stick onstage in front of an image of a full moon.
(
Courtesy A Noise Within
)

It’s not the holidays without A Christmas Carol, which opens at A Noise Within right after Thanksgiving. While the whimsical musical version of the classic Dickens novel is on until Christmas Eve, this week’s Sunday, Nov. 30 performance is a special “Relaxed Performance” that “offers an inviting environment for those living with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Developmental Delay, Neuromuscular Disorder, Sensory Integrative Dysfunction, Attention Deficit Disorder and Disorders of Social Interaction and Communication.” There’s also a pay-what-you-choose performance on Dec. 4.


Museum Store Sunday

Sunday, November 30 
Various locations 
COST: VARIES; MORE INFO

After Record Store Day and Small Business Saturday are over, you can find the right gift for your most artsy friends at Museum Store Sunday, when museums across L.A. have discounts and events at their gift shops.


The Coffee Drop

Saturday, November 29, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 
Santa Cruz Brewing Co.
27825 Fremont Court STE 13, Santa Clarita
COST: FROM $40; MORE INFO

Taste specialty coffees and beers with Petrichor Brew Lab at their Coffee Drop event. Forty dollars gets you an open bar of coffee, beers and beer-mosas, and the pleasure of the company of artists, organizers and homebrewers.


Smell Good Saturday at Donut Friend

Saturday, November 29, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
5107 York Blvd., Highland Park
COST: MORE INFO

Not to be outdone by the other Small Business Saturday events, fragrance brand by/rosie jane is hosting Smell Good Saturdays, this time at Donut Friend, where the first 100 guests will get a complimentary travel-sized Rosie perfume and an exclusive rosewater donut inspired by the Rosie fragrance.


Black Friday Brunch

Friday, November 28 
American Beauty 
Venice and The Grove locations
COST: VARIES; MORE INFO

An assortment of brunch dishes on a table, including steak and fries, breakfast burrito and lobster tail.
(
Jakob N. Layman
/
BeccaPR
)

If you aren’t too stuffed from Thanksgiving or just couldn’t think about having more turkey, head to American Beauty for their brunch menu, which they’re offering on Friday this week. The menu includes favorites like the Western Frittata, Brisket Breakfast Burrito, Challah French Toast and more.

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