Best Things To Do This Week In Los Angeles And SoCal: Oct. 23 - 26

Orange County Stand-Up presents a night of laughter with a little spookiness mixed in for good measure. Headlining the night is Saul Trujillo with feature act Hormoz Rashidi and opening comics Diana Hong and Amba Walka.

Walt Disney Concert Hall’s 20th anniversary celebration continues as architect Frank Gehry and LA Phil Conductor Laureate Esa-Pekka Salonen join in a night of music and conversation. The two friends and collaborators discuss the planning and building of the hall and its impact on the music presented in the venue for two decades. Moderated by the Getty Research Institute’s Senior Curator and Head of Architectural Collections Maristella Casciato, the conversation will be interspersed with musical performances by the LA Phil New Music Group that tell the story of the hall's creation and demonstrate "its perfect union of space and sound."

The Moth holds its first L.A. SLAM Showcase, a celebration of stand-out stories from the city's open-mic series. The night features eight storytellers, regaling the audience with their SLAM stories. The night is a non-competitive event, so just sit back and enjoy the tales. Held at the Tom Bradley Theatre.

The traditional double-hulled Hawaiian canoe Hōkūleʻa has been sailing from southeast Alaska down the Pacific Coast since June, when the Polynesian Voyaging Society launched the Moananuiākea Voyage. The canoe is on a four-year circumnavigation of the Pacific and makes several stops in SoCal, including this week in Marina del Rey. The public is welcome to learn about the storied history of this canoe as well as the environmental and cultural mission of the voyage through various talks, tours and events.

Additional stops include:

• Oct. 30 - Nov. 4: Newport, Newport Scout Sea Base
• Nov. 4 - 8: Dana Point, Ocean Institute
• Nov, 8 - 14: San Diego, Maritime Museum of San Diego

The schedule is weather dependent and subject to change.

A number of celebs have committed to the night of variety, comedy, music, talks and performance, raising funds for artists, craftspeople, technicians, production assistants and support staff who are out of work because of the SAG-Aftra strike. Stars expected to appear including Jason Alexander, Jack Black, Rachel Bloom, LeVar Burton, Nicole Byer, Bryan Cranston, Lil Dicky, Lindsay Dougherty, Simon Helberg, Janelle James, Michael McKean, Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, June Diane Raphael, Andrea Savage, Paul Scheer, Dax Shepard, Lily Tomlin, Julian Velard and Jeremy Allen White.

Musician Johnny Marr, best known as the guitarist and co-songwriter for The Smiths, stops in L.A. for a conversation about his new book Marr’s Guitars (Harper Collins), released on Oct. 17. The new guitar photography book follows his 2016 autobiography, Set The Boy Free.

Spice up your pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns this year at the museum's carving workshop. Learn how to carve a pumpkin and then add a twist to the tradition with chemistry concoctions and lab experiments that'll result in oozing and explosions. Price includes take-home pumpkin.

Jack Pierce was the legendary makeup department head at Universal Pictures from 1928 to 1947, responsible for some of cinema history's most memorable screen characters, including Frankenstein's Monster, The Mummy, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Wolf Man and The Phantom of the Opera. Learn more about Pierce's work and legacy in this multimedia lecture and presentation hosted by author and historian Scott Essman.

Listen as Metro Boomin's hip-hop tracks get reimagined into grand symphonies for the first time. He's collaborating with local L.A. conductor Anthony Parnther, arranger Laura Escudé and the Symphonic Orchestra.

Watch the U.S. premiere of Akram Khan's Jungle Book reimagined, a multimedia production inspired by Rudyard Kipling's work. The dance company tells the tale of young Mowgli as she navigates a world impacted by climate change. Movement is combined with animation and visuals to bring the story to life. This production is suitable for ages 8+.

Watch more than 140 films on the big screen at this year's AFI Fest, which opens this week with the world premiere of Leave the World Behind, written and directed by Sam Esmail and starring Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke and Mahershala Ali. Bookending the film festival is Bradley Cooper’s Maestro, a love story chronicling the lifelong relationship between Leonard Bernstein (Cooper) and Felicia Montealegre Bernstein (Carey Mulligan). Greta Gerwig serves as this year’s Guest Artistic Director.

Learn about Madeira, the fortified wine from the island of Madeira in Portugal at a walk-around tasting. Talk to five Madeira producers about the wine that can range from dry to sweet and can be enjoyed on its own, with food or in a cocktail recipe. Learn about different styles of Madeira in 15-minute speed-tastings with sommelier and Wines of Portugal's brand ambassador Eugénio Jardim. Participating wineries include Blandy’s/Cossart Gordon/Miles, Henriques & Henriques, Justino's Madeira Wines/Broadbent Selections, D'Oliveira/The Rare Wine Company and Vinhos Barbeito/The Rare Wine Company.

Calaca Mamas Cantina, Anaheim's Day of the Dead-themed restaurant, celebrates the holiday all month long with a Mes de los Muertos menu. Available through Nov. 2, the items are a creative twist on traditional Mexican cuisine. The menu features cocktails like El Regreso, small bites such as mango habanero guacamole, pork al pastor tacos and desserts like deconstructed chocoflan.

Executive Chef Thomas Tilaka Kalb’s new menu items are a tribute to cherished family recipes. From the Ribeye Steak de Burgo to the stuffed Lamb Agnolotti, Agnes showcases ingredients from local suppliers who emphasize sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices.

October is National Vegetarian Month, and Veggie Grill debuts six new veggie-forward menu items including a Pesto Chick’n Parm Sandwich, Caesar Crunch Wrap, Caesar Crunch Salad, Ranchero Bean Fiesta, Sesame Tofu Supergreens and Truffle Mac + Cheese. Veggie Grill offers a buy one, get one free on the new menu items at participating locations nationwide through Oct. 31 with promo code “NEWMENU.” Limit one per guest per order; valid in-store, online, and in app only.