You don't need the luck o' the Irish to have fun this St. Patrick's Day weekend. Yes, there's a screening of Disney's Darby O'Gill and the Little People and a Van Morrison Tribute Night, but there's also a TV, zine and Cherry Blossom fest as well as Holi on the beach. For more cerebral options, Peter Sagal reflects on 20 years of Wait Wait .. Don't Tell Me! while John Cusack talks Grosse Pointe Blank.
FRIDAY, MARCH 15 - SUNDAY, MARCH 24
PaleyFest LA 2019
Dolby Theatre -- 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood
Couch potatoes and TV addicts have a reason to leave home as the annual television festival returns with special screenings and panel discussions with casts and creatives. Amazon Prime Video's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel kicks off the festival, with NBC's This is Us closing it out. Other festival highlights include: CBS All Access' Star Trek: Discovery and The Twilight Zone, FX's Pose, NBC's Parks and Recreation 10th Anniversary Reunion and VH1's RuPaul's Drag Race.
COST: Individual tickets start at $35; MORE INFO
FRIDAY, MARCH 15 - SUNDAY, MARCH 17
2019 OC Cherry Blossom Festival
Huntington Central Park -- 18000 Goldenwest St., Huntington Beach
The annual spring fest celebrates Japanese and Japanese-American culture in SoCal with traditional and modern music (taiko drumming, minyo, gagaku, jazz and electronic) as well as origami, ikebana, cosplay contests, anime characters and video gaming tournaments. For the first time, the festival launches a Sakura Night Market on Friday and Saturday night with a focus on Japanese food and drink vendors.
COST: FREE admission; MORE INFO
FRIDAY, MARCH 15; 7:30 p.m.
Creature from the Black Lagoon
Aero Theatre -- 1328 Montana Ave., Santa Monica
The American Cinematheque remembers the late Julie Adams with a screening of the monster movie classic in 3D. In her most famous role, Adams gets kidnapped by an amphibious gill-man while on an Amazon expedition. The film will be introduced by Adams' son, Mitchell Danton, and the short "The Lucky Southern Star: Reflections from the Black Lagoon" (21 min.) follows the feature.
COST: $13 - $15; MORE INFO
FRIDAY, MARCH 15; 7:30 - 9:30 p.m.
XQ Super School Live: Los Angeles
Wilshire Ebell Theatre -- 4401 W 8th St., Mid-Wilshire
Developed with Pop-up Magazine, this immersive storytelling tour stops in L.A., bringing a night filled with inspirational tales, selfie confessionals and multimedia adventures. The XQ Institute collectively works to reimagine the American public high school.
COST: $29; MORE INFO
FRIDAY, MARCH 15 - SATURDAY, MARCH 16; 7 p.m.
Young Frankenstein / Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
New Beverly Cinema -- 7165 Beverly Blvd., Fairfax
Quentin Tarantino's repertory movie house presents a double feature of two classic comedies. Up first is Mel Brooks' 1974 film starring Gene Wilder, who taught us all that it's pronounced Fronk-en-steen. Second is Carl Reiner's 1982 film noir homage, starring Steve Martin as a private detective.
COST: $10; MORE INFO
SATURDAY, MARCH 16; 2 - 9:45 p.m.
Stargazing Family Meetup
Astronomers Monument, Griffith Observatory -- 2800 E. Observatory Rd., Griffith Park
Join other astronomy buffs to look at the sun, moon, visible planets and other objects through a variety of telescopes during this family-friendly meetup at the Observatory. Chat with amateur astronomers from the Los Angeles Astronomical Society, the Los Angeles Sidewalk Astronomers and The Planetary Society about the sky, celestial bodies and their star-viewing equipment.
Tickets: FREE; MORE INFO
SATURDAY, MARCH 16; 4 - 7 p.m.
BPAL's March Hare Lunacy
Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab -- 12120 Sherman Way, North Hollywood
The creators and sellers of esoteric goods, perfumes and potions (with dark Gothic and romantic tones) host a full moon party this weekend with the horror store Dark Delicacies serving as the night's guest vendor. And since it's March, Alice in Wonderland attire is encouraged. If you stick around until the end, baby goats will be onsite to wrap up the night.
COST: FREE admission; MORE INFO
SATURDAY, MARCH 16; 7:30 p.m.
Repo Man / Tombstone Rashomon
Egyptian Theatre -- 6712 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood
Director Alex Cox makes an appearance in between a double feature screening of two of his films. Repo Man (1984), starring Harry Dean Stanton and Emilio Estevez, is followed by the L.A. premiere of Tombstone Rashomon (2017), a direct hat tip to Akira Kurosawa's classic Rashomon. In the film, a time-traveling documentary crew heads back in time to record the O.K. Corral shootout, but arrive a day late. They must piece together conflicting details by witnesses.
COST: $13 - $15; MORE INFO
SATURDAY, MARCH 16; 11 a.m.
Botany of Booze
Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden -- 301 North Baldwin Ave, Arcadia
Join in a garden walk where botanist Frank McDonough explains there's more to booze and brews than just grapes and grain. Learn how "horticulture and hooch" have partnered to enhance the drinking experience for millennia. Meet at the Gift Shop Patio.
COST: Included with garden admission ($9 adults); MORE INFO
SATURDAY, MARCH 16; 8 p.m.
Peter Sagal
Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center -- 6200 E. Atherton St, Long Beach
The host of NPR's Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me! talks about his most memorable moments and behind-the-scenes stories of quizzing a lot of people over two decades, including Tom Hanks, then-Senator Barack Obama and Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. Sagal also discusses hosting the new PBS series Constitution USA.
COST: $65; MORE INFO
SATURDAY, MARCH 16 -- MONDAY, APRIL 22
The Wolves
Atwater Village Theatre -- 3269 Casitas Ave., Atwater Village
The Echo Theater Company presents the L.A. premiere of Sarah DeLappe's Pulitzer Prize finalist play. In this work for stage, a indoor girls soccer team of 16 and 17-year-olds navigate the big questions while waging battles.
COST: Tickets: $20 - $34; MORE INFO
SATURDAY, MARCH 16; 7:30 p.m.
John Cusack Plus A Screening of Grosse Pointe Blank
Fox Performing Arts Center -- 3801 Mission Inn Ave., Riverside
Watch the 1997 thriller-romance starring Cusack as a failing hitman who goes home for his 10-year high school reunion, and Minnie Driver as the old girlfriend he stood up at prom. The actor participates in a conversation following the screening about the film and his career (which includes Say Anything, High Fidelity and Better Off Dead).
COST: $33 - $79; MORE INFO
SATURDAY, MARCH 16 - SUNDAY, MARCH 17; 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Butterfly Celebration
Kidspace Children's Museum -- 480 N. Arroyo Blvd., Pasadena
Yes, L.A. is having its butterfly moment. Now celebrate the beautiful winged creatures as DJ Bree Flower takes guests on a musical journey through the life cycle of the butterfly at the museum. Other activities include: constructing butterfly kites to wave at the opening ceremonies, molding a butterfly puddler out of clay, painting nature scenes, and learning about butterfly and pollinator-friendly plants. Through April 30th, visitors can adopt a catepillar with a kit that includes caterpillar food, an adoption certificate and care instructions on how to feed, protect and release your adult butterfly into nature.
COST: $14 admission; catepillar kits $5.49 - $19.99; MORE INFO
SATURDAY, MARCH 16; 8 and 10 p.m.
Pink and Puppets: with Angelyne and the Bob Baker Marionette Theater
Dynasty Typewriter -- 2511 Wilshire Blvd., Westlake
Watch two L.A. classic acts share the stage. The one-night-only variety show features the pink-favoring performance artist alongside the marionettes, including pink puppet cats and pink mice. A new Angelyne music video will also be screened. This event is 18+. The first show is sold out, but a few tickets remain for the late show.
COST: $20 -$25; MORE INFO
SATURDAY, MARCH 16; 8 p.m.
Mind Parasites Live
El Rey Theatre -- 5515 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire
Adam Conover, the creator and star of the TruTV series Adam Ruins Everything, presents his live solo show that combines comedy and science. Conover takes on common misconceptions and encourages the audience to think critically about the world around them.
COST: Tickets start at $37.50; MORE INFO
SATURDAY, MARCH 16 - SUNDAY, MARCH 17
Nature Fest
Natural History Museum -- 900 Exposition Blvd., Exposition Park
The two-day festival explores urban nature, teaching visitors where and how to look for natural wonders throughout L.A. Learn about the region's plants and animals, while meeting the people devoted to protecting and studying them. Each day features performances, hands-on activities for kids and presentations for all ages. Also this Sunday at the museum: The Butterfly Pavilion opens!
COST: Nature Fest included with museum admission ($5 - $13), Butterfly Pavilion ($10 - $18); MORE INFO
SATURDAY, MARCH 16 - SUNDAY, MARCH 17; 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Holi on the Beach
Seaside Lagoon -- 239 North Harbor Dr., Redondo Beach
Celebrate the Hindu spring festival of colors with two days of dancing and eco-safe colored powder. DJ Darsh spins music nonstop, while food and drinks fromBollywood Zaika and Tea India. Proceeds from the 12th annual fundraising party will go toward underprivileged communities of India.
COST: $18 - $27.99; MORE INFO
SATURDAY, MARCH 16; 8 p.m.
Van Morrison Tribute Night
Hotel Cafe -- 1623 1/2 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood
Musicians pay tribute to Morrison -- one of Ireland's best known bards -- by performing their own interpretations of both the hit songs and the deep cuts. Expected performers include Jane Monheit, Greg Holden, MILCK, Garrison Starr, The Grand Southern, Cary Brothers and special guest Roger Parham Brown. This venue is 21+.
COST: $17; MORE INFO
SATURDAY, MARCH 16 - SUNDAY, MARCH 31
Mushroom Rally: Los Angeles
K1 Speed -- 19038 S. Vermont Ave., Gardena
This go-karting experience is in no way related to Nintendo (wink, wink), but does pit old and new characters against each other. Pre-registered racers from each city compete for the chance to win a trip to Las Vegas for the National Championship. There are 16 heats in 16 cities across the country, starting in L.A. and a limited number of tickets left for both adult and junior racers. Please read the height and weight maximums and minimums before registering.
COST: $55; MORE INFO
SUNDAY, MARCH 17; 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Valley Girl Redefined Zine Fest
Brand Library & Art Center -- 1601 West Mountain St., Glendale
In conjunction with the Valley Girl Redefined exhibition currently on view, the library hosts a pop-up fair featuring more than two dozen local zinesters (self-published indie artists). Check out the zines, artwork, stickers, pins and collectibles for sale.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO
SUNDAY, MARCH 17; 2 p.m.
Piaf! The Show
Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center -- 6200 E. Atherton St, Long Beach
The Sunday afternoon concert series continues with a musical tribute to the legendary French chanteuse, Edith Piaf. Starring Anne Carrere, the show follows the Parisian singer's career and life, from her humble beginnings to stardom, through her unforgettable songs. The show is peppered with previously unreleased photographs and images of Piaf's Paris.
COST: $40; MORE INFO
SUNDAY, MARCH 17; 10 a.m. - 11:59 p.m.
Irish I Were Drinking at Golden Road
Pub - Orange County -- 2210 E Orangewood Ave, Anaheim
Everyone's Irish on St. Paddy's Day, and the OC pub helps you celebrate your heritage through food and drink specials, including $5 pints of its Irish Red Ale and Nitro Stout, green micheladas and live music (from 1 - 4pm). If you're not in Anaheim, Golden Road's other locations in Atwater Village and Grand Central Market are celebrating, too.
COST: FREE admission; MORE INFO
SUNDAY, MARCH 17 - MONDAY, MARCH 18
Darby O'Gill and the Little People
New Beverly Cinema -- 7165 Beverly Blvd., Fairfax
Watch Scotsman Sean Connery in one of his first leading roles -- in a Disney film set in Ireland. There are banshees and leprechauns a' plenty in this 1959 film directed by Robert Stevenson. The Irish double feature closes with The Quiet Man (1952), a John Ford romance starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara.
COST: $10; MORE INFO
How are you spending your weekend? Let us know on Twitter @christineziemba and @LeoHasACat.
