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Free weekend? Rose Parade floats, cartoons with cats and free vegetables
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Edward De la Torre/Flickr
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Downtown Los Angeles from Signal Hill near Long Beach, CA
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Photo by Aydin Palabiyikoglu via Creative Commons
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Did you sleep your way through New Year's Eve? Got some extra energy to burn? Good. Because we've got a list of cheap things for you to do. This weekend, we're hitting the streets of Pasadena, reminiscing about our favorite cartoon cats and taking a trip to Tanaka Farms.
Here's everything you need to know:
FRIDAY
1. Rose Parade float viewing
(Photo: Jason Georges/KPCC)
Sponsored message
Check out the Rose Parade floats without all that commotion. They'll be parked for a couple days on Pasadena side streets, and you can get tickets for up-close access. Advance tickets are available for $10 through Sharp Seating Company. Tickets may also be purchased at the venue until 3 p.m. each day of the event. Park-N-Ride Shuttle tickets are $3 for a round trip; children 5 and younger ride free.
When: Thursday through Saturday
Where: Sierra Madre and Washington boulevards | MAPS
Price: $10
2. Party at The Smell
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(Photo: Jim Fischer/Flickr)
Welcome to L.A.'s punk scene: Obscure bands, graffitied bathrooms, questionable cleanliness... and no booze. The DIY art and music space is going all out this weekend with a 17th anniversary party. Performers include Cherry Glazerr, Surf Curse, Girlpool, Moaning, Roses and Sacred Destinies. And they're sweetening the deal with vegan treats from Clara's Cakes. Read more about The Smell here. Pro tip: It's open to all ages.
When: 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Price: $18.94 for two nights | $12 for one night | Purchase here
SATURDAY
3. Saturday morning cartoons
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Who doesn't love watching vintage cartoons accompanied by a big bowl of cereal? That's what's happening at Cinefamily on Saturday. Here's what the theater says you can expect:
Whether it’s Tom chasing Jerry, Stimpy annoying Ren, or Eek helping Incredible Elmo, these cats have covered all the bases. For this lively inaugural SMC show, we’ve collected some of our favorite scenes from cat-themed cartoons throughout the decades, as well as a few full episodes to watch.
Where: Cinefamily | MAP
Price: $12 | Free for children under 14 | Get tix here
4. New Year's Race
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Start 2015 off right. Choose from a half-marathon, 10K, 5K or Kids Fun Run at this New Year's Race that starts in downtown L.A. Highlights along the way include Pershing Square, Olvera Street and a trek inside Dodger Stadium. Unlike most marathons, this one starts at 6 p.m. Be sure to pack gloves and any other warm clothes you can get your hands on. Here's detour info.
When: Kids run starts at 4 p.m. Saturday; other runs starts at 6 p.m.
Where: Kids run starts at 1st and Spring streets in Grand Park; other runs start at 7th Street and Grand Avenue | COURSE
Price: Kids run is $25; 5K is $35; 10K is $40; 1/2 marathon is $85
5. Play at the Lounge Theatre
(Photo: Stage Against the Machine Facebook)
Enjoy a play at whatever price you're able to pay this weekend at the Lounge Theatre in Hollywood. "W;t" is about an English professor who is diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer. During the course of her illness, she comes to reassess her life with profundity and humor. The play is hosted by Stage Against the Machine — a nonprofit that plans to donate 30 percent of its proceeds to Cuck Fancer.
When: 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Where: The Lounge, Hollywood | MAP
Price: Donation — "pay what you can"
SUNDAY
6. Coffin art Sunday
(Photo: One Of Us/Facebook)
Love unusual art? How about coffin art?
Here's what One of Us art gallery writes about the exhibit:
This is not just any art show. This is more of a spectacle based on FUN and all the wacky ideas that are floating in our heads from all the art that has been going on in the world since people started calling it that.
When: 8 p.m. Sunday
Where: One Of Us | MAP
Price: Free
7. Free vegetables from Tanaka Farms
(Photo: Peter Roome/Flickr)
You'll want to get to this one on time — if not early. Tanaka Farms wants to wish you happy holidays with fresh produce. Fill your bag with with pre-picked cauliflower, kale, rainbow swiss chard, lettuce, beets, spinach and broccoli. Limit one bag full of produce per family. First come, first served.
When: 10 a.m. to noon Sunday
Where: Tanaka Farms Produce Stand | MAP
Price: Free
8. Carney Magic — Comedy & Magic Theater
Video: John Carney on David Letterman
The holidays are officially over; let's unwind with a little magic. Carney Magic is known for his work at L.A.'s Magic Castle and guess appearances on on David Letterman's "Late Show." This weekend, he'll switch between comedic riffs and sleight of hand. Unlike other magic shows, Carney's show will have no big boxes, tigers, lasers or dancing girls.
When: 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday
Where: Grove Theater Center, Burbank | MAP
Price: $15
What'd we miss? Let me know @kristenlepore.
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