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Best things to do this weekend in Los Angeles and Southern California: November 22 - 24
(
Edie Tyebkhan
)
As I walked through Descanso Garden’s annual Enchanted light installation earlier this week, I was — as always — taken by the sheer amount of work it takes to launch something that extensive. If you’ve never been, the gardens every year turn their space into a lit-up fairy land, with fields of illuminated flowers, trees bespeckled in colored light, artist installations across fields, and a model train that’s the stuff of A Christmas Story dreams. It’s an event that really encapsulates the magic of the holidays in L.A. to me — that you can be transported somewhere more “holiday-y” using the city’s creativity and still celebrate that we live in Southern California. (Those enormous agaves kind of give it away!)
And that’s just one of the many holiday events that kick off this week. If you, like me, get stressed out by the "what should we do today?" question when you have family in town, then hopefully this list will give you a head start on planning. And if you’re heading out of town for Thanksgiving, take advantage of the last weekend ahead of the holiday to get in the spirit before things get busy and more booked up in December.
For more to explore, visit LAist.com where you can get a preview of the Long Beach Opera’s upcoming season, and pore through our exclusive holiday gift guides featuring local experiences, books, crafts, and more.
Events
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Fri, Nov 22Songs to Soothe Your Worried Mind
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Alana's Coffee Roasters
12511 Venice Blvd., Mar Vista
Hear your favorite protest songs celebrating freedom, unity, and progress.
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Alana's Coffee Roasters
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Sat, Nov 23Princess Fiona Pajama Party and 'Shrek the Musical'
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Segerstrom Center for the Arts
600 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa
Settle in for this special performance of Shrek the Musical.
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Segerstrom Center for the Arts
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Sun, Nov 24'Moby Dick' Reading With Venice Oceanarium
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Venice Beach Breakwater
Ocean Front Walk, Venice
Participate in the sunrise-to-sunset two-day event, which celebrates the start of the California gray whale migration.
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Venice Beach Breakwater
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Fri, Nov 22John C. Reilly: 'Mister Romantic'
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Largo at the Coronet
366 N. La Cienega Blvd., Beverly Grove
Mr. Cellophane himself, John C. Reilly, is putting on his one-man show with a band at the Largo.
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Largo at the Coronet
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Sun, Jan 5Enchanted Forest of Light
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Descanso Gardens
1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge
Grab a hot cocoa or cider and wind your way through Descanso Gardens’ annual festival of lights.
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Descanso Gardens
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Sun, Nov 24'Little Women Ballet'
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Heritage Square Museum
3800 Homer St., Montecito Heights
The Little Women immersive ballet experience at Heritage Square brings audiences into the story through five unique, site-specific performances.
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Heritage Square Museum
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Sat, Nov 23Sandra Tsing Loh: 'I’ll Burn That Bridge When I Come to It'
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Odyssey Theatre
2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West L.A.
Sandra Tsing Loh will present a new work-in-process at the Odyssey Theatre.
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Odyssey Theatre
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Sat, Nov 23Flux Festival 2024
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Audrey Irmas Pavillion
3643 Wilshire Blvd., Koreatown
The Flux Festival culminates with an all-day event celebrating emerging filmmakers and artists with films, performances and presentations.
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Audrey Irmas Pavillion
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Sat, Nov 23'The Crossword Show'
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Dynasty Typewriter
2511 Wilshire Blvd., Westlake
If you love puzzles, you will love The Crossword Show. Host Zach Sherwin (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) presides over comedians solving an actual crossword puzzle live on stage.
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Dynasty Typewriter
Sponsored message
Outdoor Pick
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Sat, Nov 233rd Annual LA Bike Fest
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Highland Park Brewery
1220 N. Spring St., Highland Park
Ride your bike over to Highland Park and connect with other cycling enthusiasts at the L.A. Bike Fest fundraiser.
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Highland Park Brewery
Viewing Pick
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Tue, Nov 26Israel Film Festival
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Multiple Locations
A wide range of Israeli filmmakers are featured among the 40 documentaries, shorts, and features.
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Multiple Locations
Dine & Drink Deals
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Sun, Dec 15All Day Baby closing
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All Day Baby
3200 Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake
Last chance to order! Silver Lake favorite All Day Baby is closing its doors for good on Dec. 15.
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All Day Baby
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Tue, Dec 31Zero Lounge, now open
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Zero Lounge
1710 N. Hudson St., Hollywood
If you’re nostalgic for your Motorola Razr and Britney Spears’ heyday, Zero Lounge is now open in Hollywood.
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Zero Lounge
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Wed, Dec 25Genghis Cohen holiday reservations
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Genghis Cohen
740 North Fairfax Ave., Fairfax
WeHo favorite Genghis Cohen's reservations are live, so book your table early.
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Genghis Cohen
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Sat, Nov 23Tsujiri Iced Matcha Sampling at WAZA Shop
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Japan House L.A.
6801 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood
Try a Tsujiri iced matcha for free, accompanied by sweet snacks!
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Japan House L.A.
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Sat, Nov 23Downtown Burbank Winter Wine Walk & Street Fair
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Burbank Winter Wine Walk
San Fernando Blvd. between Magnolia Blvd. and Olive Ave., Burbank
Enjoy local wine tastings, live entertainment, and a variety of artisan vendors.
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Burbank Winter Wine Walk
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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