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Best things to do this weekend in Los Angeles and Southern California: January 2-4
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Courtesy Oddities & Curiosities Expo
)
Our Picks
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.
Major Gifts Officer Malka Fenyvesi vows to get to a film screening at Vidiots, check out a Griffith Park Star Party, and go for a hike at the magical Vasquez Rocks; reporter Adolfo Guzman-Lopez plans to head to the beach for the annual Grunion Run and make the trek up to bucolic Modjeska Canyon, north of Mission Viejo. Watch this space for more excellent suggestions — and don’t worry, we’ll keep everyone honest on their resolutions!
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.
Elsewhere on LAist, you can check out a special illustrated project documenting the memories of Eaton and Palisades fire survivors, and don't forget to catch up on our favorite Explore L.A. stories of 2025.
Events
Roaring Twenties on Two Pianos
Saturday, January 3, 2:30 p.m.
Old Town Music Hall
140 Richmond St., El Segundo
COST: $25; MORE INFO
Sponsored message
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Courtesy Agile Ticketing Solutions
)
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.
Sponsored message
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
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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.
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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.
Queer-guided birdwatching & friend-making outdoor gathering
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.
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Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
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