Best Things To Do This Weekend In Los Angeles and SoCal: Jan. 5 - 7

Classic downtown rock haven The Smell celebrates L.A. punk and post-punk all night long with The Spiders From SARS and other acts, featuring guest vocals from homegrown teen heroes The Linda Lindas and more.

If you’re more stadium rock than indie rock, make your way to the Forum for the Eagles, who kick off four nights of their Long Goodbye tour with Steely Dan this weekend.

Stop and smell the roses at the UCLA Botanical Garden. The seven-and-a-half-acre garden is a hidden gem on campus, containing over 3,000 plant species. Learn about the garden, how its plants are chosen, and their uses from a Garden Educator on this hour-long tour.

Cabrillo Marine Aquarium hosts their annual tour of the Salinas de San Pedro Salt Marsh this weekend. Educators and volunteers come out to share their knowledge of marine life with the public and visitors can join in or just hang out and watch the tides at this local natural wonder.

Celebrate the Year of the Dragon with interactive storytime, a traditional mochitsuku rice pounding performance, crafts, origami, and even a scavenger hunt at the Japanese American National Museum in the arts district. The free festival also means free admission all day to see the museum’s ongoing exhibits, including Glenn Kaino: Aki’s Market.

Nineties nostalgia has worked wonders for the theater world lately (see: &Juliet, Beetlejuice, and more), so it’s no surprise that Scissorhands, a jukebox musical based on the 1990 Tim Burton cult classic movie – and featuring songs from everyone from Taylor Swift to David Bowie – has New York in its plans. Lucky for us, it’s still here in L.A. at the Bourbon Room until Jan. 14.

If you, too, look around for Space Invaders on city walls as you travel the world, get yourself to the Gen X Forever show, featuring art from Douglas Alvarez, Kenny Scharf, and many others that play off video games and other classic ‘80s and ‘90s technology. See it at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica before it closes this Sunday and stop in for the closing party Saturday evening.

Join educators from Tidal Influence at the Los Cerritos Wetlands for an early morning scouting mission to visit the Great Blue herons and other feathered friends that make the lush wetland habitat their home.

Not having much luck on the apps? Maybe it’s time to see how Marilyn Monroe did it and check out a Fifties-themed evening planned around the 70th anniversary of the classic film How to Marry a Millionaire. The night also features a book signing, archival items from the movie on display, and a conversation with a historian. Fifties cocktail attire is encouraged!

We’re super sad to see two of our favorite bakeries close – Sweet Lady Jane and their famous triple berry cake said goodbye on New Year’s Eve and now Milk Jar Cookies is sweeping up the last crumbs these next two weeks. Get your birthday cookie while you can.

Explore the pasta-making techniques of central and northern Italy at this hands-on class at Eataly. There are gluten-free options available and the best part, of course, is you get to eat the fruits of your labor. Check “make pasta from scratch” off your 2024 to-do list!

Ironbark Ciderworks in Claremont is hosting its sixth annual winter celebration, featuring apple cider treats of all kinds, artisan vendors, music, games, and even a chance to bob for apples (using a spoon; this is post-pandemic times, after all).

We are conflicted about tipping your robot, but to see how the future of food might look, visit Flippy, the first “fully automated” burger and fry chef at CaliExpress. Welcome your new AI overlord as it grinds beef to order and makes fries crispy in Pasadena.