Happy lunar new year! Celebrate Tết in the OC or watch the 120th edition of the Golden Dragon Parade in DTLA. Party like you're 15(ish) as the Music Center throws a re-imagined quinceañera. Wax nostalgic at a paper, print and typewriter festival, or watch an all-female cast perform Romeo and Juliet.
FRIDAY, FEB. 8 - SUNDAY, FEB. 10
UVSA Tết Festival 2019 - Vietnamese New Year Festival
OC Fair & Event Center -- 88 Fair Dr, Costa Mesa
Southern California's largest Vietnamese New Year festival celebrates the "Year of the Pig" with traditional Vietnamese dishes, live entertainment, cultural activities and eating contests -- including watermelon, pho and balut. (Yes, that balut, a developing bird embryo still in the egg.)
COST: $6; free for children 2 and younger; MORE INFO
FRIDAY, FEB. 8 - THURSDAY, FEB. 14
Why Beethoven?
Various locations
The music ensemble Camerata Pacifica continues its Beethoven project with concerts in Santa Barbara (Feb. 8), Ventura (Feb. 10), San Marino (Feb. 12) and downtown L.A. (Feb. 10). These concerts feature Beethoven's Sonata for Piano & Violin in C Minor, Op. 30, Nº. 2; Piano Sonata in C Minor, Op. 111; and Steve Reich's "Different Trains."
COST: $58, subscriptions available; MORE INFO
FRIDAY, FEB. 8; 8:30 p.m.
Night Voyage
Cafe Club Fais Do-Do -- 5257 West Adams Blvd., West Adams
Comedians Nick Skardarasy and Neel Ghosh host a night of standup and music featuring the Lucas Brothers, Beth Stelling, Sabrina Jalees, Amy Miller, Will Miles and Danielle Perez. Stick around for the afterparty.
COST: $5 - $20; MORE INFO
FRIDAY, FEB. 8 - SUNDAY, FEB. 10
One Love Cali Reggae Festival
Queen Mary Events Park -- 1126 Queens Hwy., Long Beach
Rain or shine, this reggae festival will play on with headliners Rebelution, Stick Figure (Friday), Slightly Stoopid, Dirty Heads (Saturday) and Sublime With Rome, Atmosphere and Iration (Sunday).
COST: Single day passes start at $85; MORE INFO
SATURDAY, FEB. 9; 11:30 p.m. - 3 a.m.
Sleepless: The Music Center After Hours - Quinceañera Reimagined
The Music Center's Dorothy Chandler Pavilion -- 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown L.A.
This immersive event honors, celebrates and re-invents the Latinx coming-of-age tradition of the quince años (15 years). The night includes art installations, DJ sets, serenades by all-women collective Las Colibrí, performances by punk rock icon Alice Bag and the jazz and mariachi music of singer/songwriter Nancy Sanchez and dances choreographed by choreographer Leslie Ferreira.
COST: $20 - $30; MORE INFO
SATURDAY, FEB. 9; 12 - 5 p.m.
So Cal Hot Sauce Festival
Common Space Brewery -- 3411 W. El Segundo Blvd., Hawthorne
Hot sauce makers from around Southern California showcase their wares for a day that includes live demos, food trucks and hot sauce samples. The brewery is a family- and dog-friendly space.
COST: FREE admission; MORE INFO
SATURDAY, FEB. 9; 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.
America's Got Talent Auditions
Pasadena Convention Center -- 300 E Green St., Pasadena
Do you have a hidden talent? An open talent? Know any stupid pet tricks? The TV show holds open auditions for season 14. Here's your chance to perform in front of the producers and hopefully start the clock ticking on those 15 minutes of fame.
COST: FREE with registration; MORE INFO
SATURDAY, FEB. 9; 6:30 - 9:30 p.m.
Love Stinks, Let's Laugh & Drink!
The Back Door -- 1105 19th St., Bakersfield
If the thought of Valentine's Day gets you down, laugh the night away with the first female comedy showcase in Bakersfield. Priscilla McNamara hosts a night of standup with Darling Hernandez, Kaitlin Hulsy, Cammie Syprasert Comedy, JC Roth, Bebe Queen, Jessica De La Garza Comedy, Tanya ChaCha Sandoval-Mcmahon and Margaret Haggard. Drink specials all night at this 21+ event.
COST: $10, $20 (includes after party); MORE INFO
SATURDAY, FEB. 9; 8 p.m.
The 10th Annual Edwardian Ball Los Angeles
Fonda Theatre -- 6126 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood
The annual party honors the artistic and literary contributions from cult author, comic artist, illustrator and cartoonist Edward Gorey. The night blends music, theater, fashion, art installations, dancing, DJs and cosplay. Organizers are focusing on Gorey's tale The Epiplectic Bicycle as this year's shindig.
COST: $60- $100 + VIP packages available; MORE INFO
SATURDAY, FEB. 9; 12 - 4 p.m.
You're Just My Type: A Free Valentine's Day Paper Arts Festival
Dynasty Typewriter -- 2511 Wilshire Blvd., Westlake
Calling all fans of typewriters, greeting cards and paper goods. Show up to this fest and you can create and craft your own Valentine's Day cards or use one of the vintage typewriters on hand (or bring your own to show off). The International Printing Museum will bring a small press and some Valentine's Day cuts for printing demos. Ars Poetica poets will perform and create haikus-on-demand. Members of the Society for Calligraphy will help address or write up cards. Letterpress and rubber stamp artists will also be on site.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO
SATURDAY, FEB. 9 and SATURDAY, FEB. 16; 4 - 7 p.m.
Bacchus Uncorked: Love, Loss, and Libations
Getty Villa -- 17985 Pacific Coast Hwy., Pacific Palisades
The Valentine-themed lecture and wine tasting focuses on love and art. The afternoon begins with a gallery tour that highlights famous lovers from classical mythology. After the tour, wine educator and sommelier Giammario Villa discusses wines from volcanic regions of Southern Italy, considered entry points to the Underworld. This event is 21+ and is limited to 40 guests.
COST: $75; MORE INFO
SATURDAY, FEB. 9; 8 p.m.
Sunrise (1927) with Live Score
The Frida Cinema -- 305 E. 4th St., Ste. 100, Santa Ana
Watch director F.W. Murnau's classic love story, Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans, on the big screen with live music by composer and musician Jack Curtis Dubowsky and his ensemble. The film follows a farmer torn between his loving wife and a temptress from the big city.
COST: $13.50; MORE INFO
SATURDAY, FEB. 9; 12 - 8 p.m.
Golden Dragon Parade and Festival
Various locations throughout Chinatown, downtown L.A.
The Chinese Chamber of Commerce presents the 120th edition of the parade that celebrates the lunar new year. Watch more than two dozen floats, multiple marching bands, cultural groups, dignitaries and performers take part in the parade that winds its way along Broadway between 1 and 3:30 p.m. The festivities continue at the festival with food vendors, performances, arts and crafts workshops and a marketplace.
COST: FREE admission; MORE INFO
SATURDAY, FEB. 9; 7:30 p.m.
3D Comics Alive! with Jason Little
Bing Theater at LACMA -- 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire
Cartoonist Jason Little is joined by actors James Urbaniak (The Venture Brothers) and Todd Alcott (Antz) for a slide show lecture and performance on the history of anaglyph 3D comic books. Little provides historical and technical context for 3D comics, which first appeared in 1953, and revivals in the 1970s and '80s. The event, which complements the exhibition 3D: Double Vision, features work by Joe Kubert, Don Glassford and Ray Zone.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO
SATURDAY, FEB. 9; 1 - 4 p.m.
Future Ladies of Wrestling
Zebulon -- 2478 Fletcher Dr., Elysian Valley
The multimedia extravaganza features the women wrestlers of F.L.O.W. battling for the title of "Ultimate Multiversal Warrior." The competitors include Candy Pain, Chemtrails, Lisa 5000, Diva Colada, Valibu Tina, Hardcore Tina, Machine, Eruptia and Flesh eating Corpulous. The night doubles as a fundraiser for the Women's Center for Creative Work, an L.A.-based, intersectional feminist community and arts space.
COST: $30 - $125; MORE INFO
SATURDAY, FEB. 9; 6 p.m.
The Voyager Institute
Zebulon -- 2478 Fletcher Dr., Elysian Valley
After the ladies have wrapped up their wrestling, a more cerebral event follows. The multimedia lecture series features these segments: The Olympics on Film: Capitalist Realism and Clean Cities (presented by NOlympics LA); a taping of the Heat Rocks podcast with w/ guest Guy Branum (author of My Life As A Goddess) and video mix presented by Bret Berg that features a supercut of the one good scene from a bunch of otherwise unwatchable movies of the '80s and '90s.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO
SATURDAY, FEB. 9; noon - 11 p.m.
Wingwalker Brewery and Taproom Opening Party
Wingwalker Brewery -- 235 W. Maple Ave., Monrovia
The new San Gabriel Valley family-friendly taproom features eight beers currently on tap and six more on the way. Brews available include dark porters, hoppy IPAs and pale ales. The party features live music by rock and blues band the Freedom Ledges and food from Tomski Sausage and the Goat Mafia. There are non-alcoholic drinks, board games and a TV.
COST: FREE admission; MORE INFO
SATURDAY, FEB. 9; 8 - 11 p.m.
Winter Exhibitions Opening Celebration
Hammer Museum -- 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood
The museum celebrates its winter season with a party for the opening of Allen Ruppersberg: Intellectual Property 1968-2018, the first comprehensive U.S. survey of the L.A. artist's work in more than 30 years. Dirty Protest focuses on recent acquisitions and works from the museum's contemporary collections, including works by Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Noah Davis, Christina Forrer, Mike Kelley, Ibrahim Mahama, Rodney McMillian, Mika Tajima, Torey Thornton and Alexander Tovborg. The Ruppersberg show is on view through May 12, and Dirty Protest closes May 19. Music by DJs Nubar and DJ ShyBoy and cash bars available.
COST: FREE admission; MORE INFO
SATURDAY, FEB. 9 - SUNDAY, FEB. 10; 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
ban.do's LA warehouse sale
1110 N. Beachwood Dr., Hollywood
Shop for shoes, apparel, jewelry, accessories, gifts and planners at a sale with discounts up to 80 percent off. There are also $25 goody bags (worth $75), free Health-Ade Kombucha and giveaways during the weekend. The event is kid- and pet-friendly.
COST: FREE admission; MORE INFO
SATURDAY, FEB. 9; 5:30 p.m.
Lunar New Year Celebration
Segerstrom Center for the Arts -- 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa
Enjoy cultural performances on the Argyros Plaza that range from K-pop to traditional Chinese folk dances and instrumental music. The celebration wraps at 7:30 p.m. with Ane Thanh Lion Dance. If you want to keep the festivities going, catch the Pacific Symphony's Lunar New Year concert at 8 p.m.
COST: Festival is FREE, symphony concert tickets start at $48; MORE INFO
SUNDAY, FEB. 10; 11 a.m.
Modern Times
Hammer Museum -- 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood
The museum's Family Flicks series screens Charlie Chaplin's swan song as his character, the Little Tramp. The 1936 film examines the dark side of technology and mass production, and also marked Chaplin's first use of a recorded soundtrack. While the film is recommended for those ages 6 and older, all ages are welcome and families are free to take breaks with infants and toddlers in the theater lobby.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
SUNDAY, FEB. 10; 2 - 5 p.m.
David Alekhuogie and Mariah Garnett Opening Reception
Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery (LAMAG) -- 4800 Hollywood Blvd., East Hollywood
LAMAG presents two solo exhibitions of works from David Alekhuogie and Mariah Garnett, running at the gallery from Feb. 14 to April 14. Alekhuogie's show, Gravity, uses gravity as a metaphor for human struggle, while Garnett's Trouble includes films from 2010 through today, alongside related prints.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
SUNDAY, FEB. 10; 7:30 a.m.
Mt. Hollywood 12K | 6K Trail Run Hike
Old Zoo -- 4801 Griffith Park Dr., Griffith Park
Run or hike a challenging and scenic 6K trail run (3.73 mi.) or take on a 12K (7.45 mi.) run to the Hollywood sign. (Yes, people do this for fun!)
COST: $50-$60+ fees; MORE INFO
SUNDAY, FEB. 10; 11 - 5 p.m.
New Exhibitions Opening
Wende Museum -- 10808 Culver Blvd., Culver City
The Cold War museum holds openings for three exhibitions. Crumbling Empire: The Power of Dissident Voices features work by Shepard Fairey, Komar & Melamid and Soviet artists of the 1980s and '90s. Upside-Down Propaganda: The Art of North Korean Defector Sun Mu is the first U.S. museum exhibition of the North Korean dissident artist. Red Alert! Air Raid Sirens of Los Angeles: Art Installation by Nicole Weingart includes environmental portraits that capture the "diversity of air-raid sirens in the L.A. landscape." The day includes talks, conversations and a children's tour. Exhibitions will remain on view through June 2.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO
SUNDAY, FEB. 10; 3 and 7:30 p.m.
Romeo & Juliet
The Everly Hotel -- 1800 Argyle Ave., Hollywood
The interactive production features an all-female cast and live musical accompaniment on the rooftop deck of the hotel. (The event will be moved indoors in case of inclement weather.) Grey Goose creates a special cocktail for the night, "Thus With A Kiss I Die," which is served with a small vial of butterfly pea water "poison." Guests can add the "poison" to the cocktail, which turns from clear color to purple. A portion of the proceeds will go to A Place Called Home, which assists youth in South L.A.
COST: $10; MORE INFO
SUNDAY, FEB. 10; 5 - 9 p.m.
SoulFood & SoundTracks vol. 2 LOVE
Downtown L.A. location revealed after purchase
The intimate dinner party invites a guest chef to translate songs from your playlist to your plate (and palate) through questions provided beforehand. This month's music and dinner theme is "love."
COST: $65; MORE INFO
Upcoming
Crazy about Crazy Ex-Girlfriend? On March 15 and 16, the show will tape a concert special at the Orpheum Theater in downtown L.A. The special will air after the series finale, on April 5. Tickets are free, but you need to RSVP ASAP to have a chance at winning them.
How are you spending your weekend? Let us know on Twitter @christineziemba and @LeoHasACat.
