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Best things to do this week in Los Angeles and Southern California: October 27-30
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Cal Bingham
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Descanso Gardens
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Our Picks
Okay, serious question: Should I try to dress my cat up like the Louvre cat burglar for Halloween? And will she ever sleep next to me again if I do?
Yes, it’s almost Halloween, but luckily, there’s nothing spooky about the Dodgers. Follow along with all the World Series updates using our cheat sheet as the games continue this week. Let’s go!
Our friends at Licorice Pizza have your Halloween week music picks, including “Murder on the Dance Floor” songstress Sophie Ellis-Bextor at the Regent on Monday, Fred Armisen at the Largo also on Monday and Daryl Hall at the YouTube Theater on Tuesday. Plus, two incredible shows at Disney Hall: UK indie jazz star Jacob Collier on Wednesday and Nicole Scherzinger — whom I saw get a 10-minute mid-second act standing ovation during her turn in Sunset Boulevard on Broadway last summer — on Thursday.
Explore more from LAist: You can learn where to source marigolds for the upcoming Día de los Muertos, find fall favorites to try like pumpkin horchata and get a glimpse inside the world of artist R. Crumb with LAist host Julia Paskin.
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Events
Wednesday, October 29, 6:45 p.m.
100 Years of Hollywood with Beverly Hills, 90210 Insiders
Temple Israel of Hollywood
7300 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood
COST: $10; MORE INFO
'Beverly Hills, 90210' featured a breakout cast led by Jason Priestly and Shannon Doherty playing twins.
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Paramount Home Entertainment
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Only in L.A. can a synagogue celebrate its 100th anniversary in part with an event dedicated to a beloved TV show. Temple Israel members and Peach Pit regulars Ian Ziering — who, fun fact, I once saw him do Chippendales in Las Vegas at a bachelorette party — and Beverly Hills, 90210 writer John Eisendrath will join journalist Evelyn Taft Resnick for a trip down memory lane. They'll talk about the beloved evening soap, including memorable episodes ("Donna Martin Graduates"!) and behind-the-scenes gossip. Wearing your best '90s costumes is encouraged.
Through Thursday, October 30
Carved
Descanso Gardens
1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge
COST: ADULTS $45; MORE INFO
You don’t have to wait until Christmastime for a light and art-filled walk around Descanso Gardens. The railroad will be lit up with a Halloween theme, Chainsaw Jenna’s spooky wood spirits loom over the space and pumpkins surround the Rhizome installation. Plus, there are plenty of warm fall drinks, and you can even sit down and have a meal at the new on-site restaurant, Farmhouse.
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Thursday, October 30, 7:30 p.m.
Mars Symphony
Beckman Auditorium at Caltech
332 S. Michigan Ave., Pasadena
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Raja Palanimurugan
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Caltech
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What does Mars sound like? That’s the challenge that composer David Ibbett aims to answer with Mars Symphony, a piece produced with the Museum of Science in Boston and the Multiverse Concert Series. Using captured sounds of dust, wind, and other audio from the Perseverance Rover and Webb Space Telescope, the symphony blends music and science, transporting the listener to another planet. Hear the performance for free in the most fitting location — the auditorium at Caltech.
Thursday, October 30, 7 p.m.
Memory and Return
Bovard Auditorium at USC
3551 Trousdale Parkway, University Park
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
This free concert is a really exciting opportunity to see David Hidalgo from Los Lobos and musicians from Quetzal play their album, Memory and Return. The album and performance paint an exploration through East Los Angeles. Memory and Return was composed in the historic neighborhood and “features lyrics, music, memories and reflections by four generations of artists, blending their experiences and perspectives on growing up in East L.A., spanning from the 1930s to today.” The concert is followed by a discussion led by USC Vice Provost for the Arts Josh Kun and featuring artists, cultural theorists and L.A. historians.
Monday, October 27, 8 p.m.
Water From Your Eyes
Lodge Room
104 N. Ave. 56, 2nd floor, Highland Park
COST: $25; MORE INFO
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Indie pop meets electronic dance with Water From Your Eyes, the Brooklyn duo who are set to play a spirited set at the Lodge Room. Influences as diverse as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Charli XCX and The Lord of the Rings loom large on their new album, It’s a Beautiful Place; check out the video for "Playing Classics." Rolling Stone called the album "jaw-droppingly brilliant."
Thursday, October 30, 4 p.m.
Spooky Halloween Flower Arranging Workshop
Viola Floral Studio
1639 11th St., Suite 162, Santa Monica
COST: $85; MORE INFO
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Viola Floral Studio
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Who says flowers only have to be bright and happy colors? Viola Flower Studio is hosting a Spooky Flower Arranging Workshop to celebrate Halloween, featuring a darker palette of black calla lilies, orange dahlias and ranunculus, along with seasonal foliage. Of course, there will be plenty of candy to snack on while you’re working!
Viewing Pick
Thursday, October 30, 8 p.m.
L.A. Opera Presents: The Phantom of the Opera with live orchestra
United Theater on Broadway
929 S Broadway, Downtown L.A. COST: FROM $66; MORE INFO
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Long before Andrew Lloyd Webber took it on, the 1925 silent horror classic The Phantom of the Opera spooked moviegoers — and in 1993, composer Roy Budd added a spine-chilling score. In two performances at the United Theater, the L.A. Opera Orchestra brings the film to life for the 100th anniversary of its premiere. Frank Strobel will conduct two screenings on October 30 and 31. Friday’s show includes an after-party, so come in costume!!
Dine & Drink Deals
Blue Ribbon’s Oktoberfest Menu
The Fountain Bar at The Grove
189 The Grove Dr., Fairfax
COST: VARIES, MORE INFO
Oktoberfest comes to the Grove with a new menu at Blue Ribbon, including German-inspired classics like soft-baked pretzels with green onion–spiced mustard ($13), beer-braised dausage with pickled vegetables ($24), and smoky bacon spaetzle ($19) through the end of the month.
Through Friday, November 21,
Superba Thanksgiving 2025 pre-orders
Multiple locations
COST: VARIES, https://www.lifesuperba.com/thanksgiving-2025/
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Jed Owen
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Unsplash
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It’s hard to believe, but it is already time to get your Thanksgiving orders in at Superba and various other hotspots around the area. Superba is offering whole roast turkeys, all kinds of pie, sides and much more.
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