Attend a Day of the Dead music and art festival. Ride in a bike caravan tour of ofrendas. Shop a native plants sale. Take a neon night walk. Be among the first to see what drops at ComplexCon. Cheer on runners in the L.A. Marathon. Catch a play that investigates a Thanksgiving mystery from the turkeys' point of view. Get literary at a printers’ fair and a zine fest. Take wing at the Festival of Flight. Nosh on Modern Filipino comfort food, sip cocktails at the reopened Spare Room and celebrate National Nacho Day.
With the COVID-19 Delta variant still out there, it's best to check ahead of time to make sure events are still happening as scheduled and vaccine requirements.
Ronny Chieng
The Wiltern
3790 Wilshire Blvd., Koreatown
The stand-up comic and correspondent for The Daily Show with Trevor Noah performs two shows.
COST: Tickets start at $27.50; MORE INFO
Fall Plant Sale
Monrovia Historical Museum
742 E. Lemon Ave, Monrovia
The San Gabriel Mountains Chapter of the California Native Plant Society holds a sale of approximately 1,900 California native plants to support the chapter. Experienced society members will be on hand to help answer questions. If you have new green thumbs, check out LAist’s Native Plants 101: A Starter Guide To Replacing Your Thirsty Lawn With Drought-Tolerant Foliage before you go.
COST: FREE admission; MORE INFO
El Velorio, A Day of the Dead Music/Art festival
Pico Rivera Sports Arena
11003 Sports Arena Dr, Pico Rivera
Alysha Del Valle and Danny Trejo host a night of performances on two two stages. Watch live music by El Dasa, Palenke Soultribe, La Junta, Twixxy and Amoraa as well as Aztec dancers, mariachi, Ballet Folklorico and DJs. The night includes a fashion show by Loretta Vampz, a lowrider show, an art exhibition curated by Isaac Pelayo, altars and bike displays. Food and alcohol vendors will be on site. This is a 21+ event.
COST: $35; MORE INFO
The Los Angeles Printers Fair
The International Printing Museum
315 West Torrance Blvd., Carson
The 13th annual fair takes place in a hybrid format this year. In-person components include hands-on printing activities, tours of the museum, exhibits, vendors and printed souvenirs, including the annual show guide with a cover designed by Tony Guadagnolo. The virtual components include livestream broadcasts of in-person activities and the ability to shop from vendors and purchase souvenirs.
COST: $5 - $10 (in-person); MORE INFO
ComplexCon
Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center
300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach
The festival and expo brings together pop culture, music, art, food, sports, innovation, activism, education and shopping. Guests can listen to talks, experience immersive art and watch performances by A$AP Rocky, Turnstile and top DJs. The "First We Feast Lagoon" features a mix of more than 20 L.A. and Long Beach food and beverage vendors including Afters Ice Cream, All Flavor No Grease, Bridgetown Roti, Burger Scholar Sessions, Coffee Manufactory, Katsu Sando, Kuya Lord and Milk Bar. The vendors usually drop dishes and bites available only at ComplexCon.
COST: $80 - $135; MORE INFO
Festival of Flight
Long Beach Airport
3590 East Wardlow Rd., Long Beach (Taxiway E, located on the west end of the airfield)
The festival returns with aircraft on display, live music, food and beer trucks, activities for kids and helicopter rides for purchase. Attendees must show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours (including children).
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Zines del Sol
Tierra del Sol Gallery
945 Chung King Rd., downtown L.A.
The inaugural show celebrates words and images made by more than 100 artists who work with the nonprofit gallery in Chinatown. The opening reception takes place Saturday, 6 - 9 p.m., with book signings, live portraits and DJs.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Bike Ofrenda Workshop and Caravan
Self Help Graphics & Art
1300 E. 1st St., Boyle Heights
Artist Sandra de la Loza and SHG’s Youth Committee host a workshop to help participants turn their bikes into mobile altars. At 4 p.m., de la Loza leads a bike caravan tour of Eastside altar installations created by local families as part of Art 4 [CHANGE], a campaign that holds community art activities to support youth mental health through self-expression.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO
Brick Fest
Pasadena Convention Center
300 E. Green St., Pasadena
The Lego fan experience returns to the convention center with interactive stage shows, life-sized models, games, limited-edition merchandise and tons of photo opportunities. Masks and proof of COVID-19 vaccine OR a negative test within 72 hours are required. Children ages 2 and younger get in for free.
COST: $24.99 - $49.99; MORE INFO
Head In The Clouds Music & Arts Festival
Brookside at the Rose Bowl
1001 Rose Bowl Dr., Pasadena
88rising, the global Asian music and media company, teams with Goldenvoice for a weekend of live performances. The lineup includes Joji, NIKI, Rich Bria, Saweetie, CL, DPR Live, Beabadoobee, Japanese Breakfast, keshi and The Linda Lindas. The festival’s food curator is 626 Night Market.
COST: $249 - $399 (two-day passes); MORE INFO
Turkeys! The Musical
ZJU Theatre Group
4850 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood
A bunch of singing turkeys look into the truth behind the massive yearly disappearance of their friends and fam. The book, lyrics and music are by Ian Michaels. Brandon Slezak directs with Zombie Joe producing. Recommended for those ages 14 and older. The show takes place on Saturdays and Sundays at 8:30 p.m.
COST: $20; MORE INFO
Sadie Barnette: Legacy & Legend
Loeb Family Art Pavilion
Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College
120 W. Bonita Ave, Claremont
To celebrate Barnette’s exhibition, which takes place at both the Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College and Pitzer College Art Galleries, Barnette delivers an artist talk on Saturday afternoon. It’s followed by an opening reception from 4:30 to 6 p.m. The exhibition will be open for viewing at both venues throughout the event.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO
L.A. Works Virtual Sandwich Making Party + Food Insecurity Panel
Virtual event
The volunteer organization L.A. Works marks its 30th anniversary this month. To celebrate, it’s mobilizing volunteers to create 30,000 meals in 30 days for food insecure Angelenos. The virtual kick-off takes place on Saturday morning with speakers and guests showcasing their favorite sandwiches. Volunteers will assemble a minimum of 10 sandwich sack lunches and deliver them to one of the partner sites. The sandwiches will be delivered to neighbors served by Midnight Mission and Hollywood Food Coalition.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO
Ridgecrest Petroglyph Festival
Petroglyph Park
880 North China Lake Blvd., Ridgecrest
Take a daytrip to the festival that celebrates Native American Heritage Month and the thousands of petroglyphs (rock art) in the area. The festival takes place on Saturday and Sunday in the Ridgecrest area, north of Lancaster and east of Bakersfield. Little Petroglyph Canyon contains more than 20,000 documented images, making it one of the largest collections in the western hemisphere — but it’s located on the China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station so access and tours are extremely limited. The street festival features a virtual petroglyph display, Native American music, performances and an art fair.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
The Obama Portraits Tour
LACMA
5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire
The highly anticipated works — official portraits of President Barack Obama by Kehinde Wiley and Mrs. Michelle Obama by Amy Sherald — are on tour from the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery. In conjunction with the opening, LACMA hosts a conversation between Sherald and journalist, author and Project Runway host Elaine Welteroth on Sunday at 6 p.m. at LACMA's Smidt Welcome Plaza.
COST: $16 - $20; MORE INFO
Los Angeles Marathon
Various locations throughout L.A.
Cheer on the elite runners, racewalkers, joggers and wheelchair racers as they navigate 26.2 miles of city streets. The course has changed this year, no longer ending in Santa Monica. The “Stadium to the Stars” race begins at Dodgers Stadium and ends at Avenue of the Stars in Century City. For participants, families, friends and spectators, there’s a Finish Festival at Century Park, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. The day includes live music, food specials, beer gardens, pop-up retail vendors and spa treatments.
COST: FREE (to watch); MORE INFO
Neon Night Walks: Jewish Lights Over Broadway
Various locations
Broadway Theatre District, downtown L.A.
The Museum of Neon Art and journalist Edmon Rodman present a two-hour walking tour of the district. Through signs, archival objects and stories, the tour will illuminate Broadway’s historical district as it connects to the Jewish immigrant experience in L.A.
COST: $25; MORE INFO
10th Annual San Pedro Film Festival (SPIFF)
Warner Grand Theatre
478 W. 6th St., San Pedro
The festival celebrates filmmaking from around the world, both in-person and virtually. Screenings begin on Friday, Nov. 5 with a gala presentation of Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights (1931). SPIFF presents four narrative and five documentary features and 25 short films and music videos over the course of the weekend. The festival continues virtually through Nov. 14.
COST: FREE - $10 per screening; MORE INFO
Wilderness Access Day: Black Star Canyon
The Irvine Ranch Conservancy hosts a few open access days a month, giving the public a chance to explore and visit the 40,000 acres that have been designated Natural Landmarks on both a state and federal level. On Saturday, Nov. 6, Black Star Canyon (near Silverado in Orange County) is open 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. for hiking, biking and equestrian use. There are a number of trail loops in the canyons that offer easy walks as well as challenging cardio treks of more than seven miles. All trails must be cleared by 2 p.m. Dogs are not allowed.
Dexter: New Blood
Dexter, the Showtime series that ran for eight seasons from 2008 to 2013, was great (for the first four years). It’s getting a limited-series revival with fans hoping it will make up for a much-derided series finale. The former Miami police blood splatter expert and serial killer Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) lands in upstate New York, 10 years after disappearing in the middle of a hurricane. He’s living a quiet life as a salesman at a fishing shop and dating the town’s police chief (Julia Jones). Things don’t stay calm for long as the serial killer who kills criminals can’t keep his past buried. The series begins its 10-episode run on Sunday at 9 p.m. on Showtime.
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