Rock out with some of the coolest women in music, test out several forms of yoga in a single day and dine out on some damn good meals...that’s what you’ll be doing this winter. Here are the insider details to put on your calendar now.
19 Things You Have to Do in L.A. This Winter
•
Published Jan 3, 2020
Facebook/@ericmedsker for Death & Co.
1. Enjoy One of the World's Best Cocktails
The downtown Arts District is home to the latest iteration of Death & Co., the much-lauded cocktail bar run by foodie heroes. Their New York flagship is heralded as one of the bars that “changed cocktails forever in America,” due to the dazzling way they combine spirits to take classic drinks, like an old-fashioned, to the next level.
2. See the Unsung Movement of Contemporary Art
The Pattern and Decoration movement of the ’70s and ’80s defiantly championed forms assumed to be categorically inferior to fine art, such as those dismissed as feminine, domestic, ornamental or craft-based. MOCA Grand Avenue has a scholarly restrospective with boffo wallpaper. (Through May 11)
Facebook/Chinese Chamber of Commerce Los Angeles
5. Celebrate Chinese New Year
The festivities last for 23 days and include a parade (February 1) and kung fu exhibitions, all culminating in a stunning lantern festival. (January 25)
6.Read Everybody’s Opinion on L.A.
Dear Los Angeles: The City in Diaries and Letters, 1542 to 2018 is a moveable feast of quips, comments and love letters to the city from notables like Susan Sontag, Langston Hughes and Eleanor Coppola, wife of Francis Ford and mother of Sofia.
7. Catch the Future of Indie Pop
King Princess is the name of a 20-year-old genderqueer musical polymath who is wowing audiences with their high-energy performances. Catch the sure-to-be-buzzed-about show at the Wiltern. (January 24 and 25)
8. Curl Up at a Fireside Brunch in Malibu
Newly opened bar Cliffdiver in Malibu has all manner of cheesy and cheffy tacos, grilled branzino and the zestiest Bloody Mary—all by a flickering fireplace off PCH.
Tyler Haughey, courtesy of Sears-Peyton Gallery
9. Browse Photo L.A.
Art collectors and lovers will converge on Santa Monica’s Barker Hangar for this international fair of blue-chip galleries, dealers and publishers. (January 30 to February 2)
10. See Proto-TikTok Filmmaking
Mike Kuchar comes to Redcat to discuss the kooky 8mm films he and his brother made as teens in the Bronx that captivated outlaw filmmakers such as Andy Warhol and Jack Smith. (February 3)
11. Catch the Most Joyful Reunion Tour
International Bachata superstar group Aventura reunites with its breakout solo artist Romeo Santos for four—count ’em four—nights at the Forum. (February 5 to 8)
onda.la
12. Celebrate Valentine's Day with a Staycation
Book a room at the gorgeous new Proper Santa Monica hotel, and be sure to reserve a table at its bistro, the West Side’s most talked about new restaurant, Onda, opened by Jessica Koslow (Sqirl) and Gabriela Cámara (Contramar Mexico City).
13. Stroll the Coolest Art Fair
For the second year in a row, internationally acclaimed art-world happening Frieze Los Angeles comes to town. Expect to see galleries repping, artists talking, films screening and the Paramount Studios New York back lot taken over by site-specific installations. (February 14 to 16)
Facebook/The Huntington Library
14. Intoxicate Yourself With Blooms
Take a walk through the Huntington Botanical Gardens. It has 120 acres, 16 themed garden areas and an up-to-date web feed that tells you exactly what’s blooming.
15. Behold the 73-Year-Old Rock-Poet-Activist
Patti Smith comes to the Walt Disney Concert Hall with her band in a show called “Power to the People!” Expect. A. Lot. (March 6)
16. Browse All the Designers
Shop The Webster when the Miami-based retailer debuts in Los Angeles. It’s fun shopping—a boutique full of posh labels displayed in a home-like setting, debuting at the Beverly Center. (Spring 2020)
17. Get Fleet-Footed in Griffith Park
See all the major sites of this hilly urban wilderness—including the observatory and the panoramic view of the Hollywood sign—when you trail run a half-marathon, full marathon or 50K ultra-marathon starting at the Old Zoo in Griffith Park. (March 14)
Stephen J. Cohen / Getty Images
18. See Blues Rock Reinvigorated
Check out Grace Potter’s show at the El Rey Theatre. The famously exuberant performer has come through a band breakup, a divorce and motherhood to emerge with a triumphant new album, Daylight. (March 19)
19. Uncover How Creativity Is Going to Save Us
Legendary activist and scholar Dr. Angela Davis speaks on “Power to the Imagination: The Role of Art and Creativity in Social Change” at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. (March 18)
