Free things to do in Los Angeles this month

Beverly Hills and the Rodeo Drive Committee host this free community event to kick off the city’s holiday season. This year’s Enchanted Holiday Dreams theme takes inspiration from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker. Watch as the famed palm-tree-dotted shopping street comes alive with twinkling lights, then stroll amid the glow and enjoy live music and entertainment, street performers, festive decor, wine gardens, food trucks and an appearance by Santa Claus. A fireworks show will complete the festivities.

Formerly called “Black Bar Social,” this series in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is part happy hour, part conversation. Explore a range of “reality-bending projects” at a speakeasy of sorts, recalling the salons of yesteryear. This year’s “Connection Through Movement” theme focuses on the intersection of performance and technology via exciting new digital work. 

The contemporary art museum and independent local outlet L.A. Taco are teaming up for a community day of art, activism and amazing food that celebrates “what makes Los Angeles, Los Angeles.” The free gathering will feature indoor DJ sets by Chulita Vinyl Club and access to the third-floor art galleries. Buy some food from Evil Cooks, Frontera or Distrito 14, then head to Oculus Hall for an enlightening talk on building community through journalism, art and music between L.A. Taco’s Memo Torres, Broad collection artist Patrick Martinez and R&B recording artist and San Pedro native Miguel (RSVP required—advance tickets are sold out, but walk-ups will be admitted if there’s space). Be sure to pick up a free poster of Martinez’s “LA MIGRACIÓN ES NATURAL” neon artwork, too.

Altadena shopping stretch Mariposa Junction is reopening right in time for the holiday season. After the devastating Eaton Fire, the community has been working to pick up the pieces, and five local businesses once again being open to the public is cause for celebration. Shop retro fashions and pieces full of local love for Altadena at Sidecca; prints at Ms. Dragon Print & Copy; art at McGinty’s Gallery; and stationery at Carciofi Design Paper Boutique & Studio. Local restaurant Betsy will also be open, and more local eateries will pop up with complimentary refreshments. Stop by and show your support—and get started on your Christmas shopping.

You probably know of Shepard Fairey through “Obey Giant” stickers and later his Obama “Hope” poster, but his body of work comprises so much more than that. A new exhibition at Beyond the Streets explores the artist’s relationship with printmaking, displaying more than 400 of his original screen prints—including some rare and historic editions and hybrid works that combine screen printing with stenciling—and offering a behind‑the‑scenes look at Fairey’s methods. The exhibition runs though January 11 and will kick off with an opening reception on Saturday, November 15, from 7 to 10pm.

Can’t resist a fresh plate of oysters? Neither can owner of the Oyster Gourmet and shellfish master Christophe Happillon, who’s once again curating a mouth-watering tasting at Grand Central Market’s DTLA Oyster Festival. Slurp your way through briny, fresh varieties sourced from along the West Coast, from California to Alaska, meet the farmers, score plenty of oysters, try special oyster-themed dishes from market vendors, and sip on French wine from 11am to 6pm each day.

The multicity Jackalope art fair is back in Old Pasadena this month, featuring over 200 local artisans selling their high-quality, handcrafted goods at Central Park. You’ll find everything from luxe candles and cactus-inspired lamps to plant-based skin care and homemade treats—all perfect for gifting—as well as family-friendly activities. And unlike some artisan markets, Jackalope offers free admission.

Go back to the future and shop vintage toys, collectibles, art, music, games, fashion and even premium classic cars dating back to the 1970s at this second annual retro market—which has a tad more personality than your typical vintage fair. You’ll also find live entertainment and food on offer at the event, located in the heart of Altadena at the Community Resource Center (409 Woodbury Road). Many of the organizers live in Pasadena or Altadena and were temporarily displaced by the wildfires, so while entry to the fair is free, they’ve arranged for the majority of proceeds to go toward local residents—many of whom lost their own cars—and businesses that were impacted by the Eaton Fire.

Nope, that’s not some sort of catastrophic explosion in the center of the city—that sound’s just the arrival of Christmas at the Grove. Brace yourself: L.A.’s shopping mall metropolis lights up its Christmas tree with a dazzling drone show, snowfall and a slew of special guests, including Santa himself (may we humbly suggest that you ask Santa this year for a prime spot in that mammoth parking garage). Lance Bass hosts this year’s show, with performances by Nick Carter, Dasha, Natalie Jane, Loud Luxury, Kevin Woo, Straight No Chaser. Stick around for the fireworks finale (and we’ll reiterate that, yep, anxious Angelenos, those are indeed fireworks that you’re hearing on November 17).

Commuting through Union Station around the holidays? Make sure to take a detour into the station’s newly restored South Patio for the train station’s 10th annual tree lighting on November 20, with a musical performance by the Beverly Belles. You can also enjoy caroling, snowfall and arts and crafts—with a side of milk and cookies. Little ones can pose for photos with Santa. The holiday décor will stay up through Christmas.

Anonymous feminist art collective the Guerrilla Girls—whose members gained notoriety for donning gorilla masks and fighting the patriarchy—is coming up on its 40th anniversary, and the Getty Center is marking the occasion with a behind-the-scenes look at the group. See photography, protest art and the group’s famed posters—sporting statistics, bold visuals and satirical humor—that showcase the tactics the members used to demand recognition for women and artists of color. The Guerrilla Girls have even created a newly commissioned work for the exhibition. And you can add your own mark on the “graffitti wall” installation, giving visitors a creative outlet for their complaints about the world today. 

Accompanying programming throughout the run of the show will include a conversation between the Guerrilla Girls and author Roxane Gay, a feminist Valentine’s Day mail art workshop, cocktail receptions with the exhibition curators, tours and more.

Locally beloved open-streets event CicLAvia is taking a turn for the stranger this month, celebrating the fifth and final season of the Netflix hit Stranger Things. Four miles of Melrose, from Fairfax to Vermont Avenues, will be closed to cars and transformed into the show’s fictional setting of Hawkins, Indiana, in the 1980s. Immersive photo ops, pedal-powered activations, live entertainment, merch and giveaways will further plunge you into the Upside Down before the season airs. You can even pick up a map and embark on your own quest along the way. (And it goes without saying that you should bike or take the Metro to your desired spot along the route.)

“Let’s hang out at the Pier” is something Santa Monica locals probably say next to never, but this monthly series is trying to change that. Every third Thursday from September to May, you’ll find everything from live music to storytelling to a classic car show on the Santa Monica Pier, all free to attend. November’s DJs & Winter Art Mart edition lets you get a head start on holiday shopping with handcrafted goods and gifts from local makers. There are also two “Books & Cookies” storytime sessions for kids and a Thanksgiving food drive, courtesy of Feed the Streets LA.

Like a holiday edition of Fiesta Hermosa, this fifth annual weekend-long event transforms the coastal city’s downtown into a winter wonderland with an open house for local businesses, an artisanal pop-up marketplace on Pier Plaza and a Ferris wheel with ocean views. Also on the schedule: a letters-to-Santa station, family-friendly music fest and a kids creation market on Saturday, as well as a storytime tent, photos with Santa, tree lighting ceremony and community concert on Sunday. 

Every year on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, the Great Los Angeles Walk debunks all of those cliches about nobody walking in L.A. Hundreds of walkers start the free urban hike on one side of the city and, about half a day later, end up at the other. You can hop on or off the walk whenever you’d like, and though no reservations are required, RSVPs are appreciated. This year marks the 20th anniversary edition of the walk, which will return to its very first route, along Wilshire Boulevard. Exact route details are TBA, so stay tuned.

We could spend hours wandering the Huntington’s gardens—and about just as long in its wonderful gift shop. Well, here’s an excuse to spend even more time there: this one-day-only artisan pop-up market, which brings more than three dozen art, home, jewelry, craft and fashion vendors to the Huntington Store, Rose Hills Garden Court, Rothenberg Patio and Haaga Hall. We recommend viennoiserie pastries from Salted Butter Company, old-Hollywood-inspired makeup from Bésame Cosmetics, eco-friendly stuffed toys from Dear Mello and jewelry adorned with hand-pressed wildflowers from Cast & Clover. Admission is free and doesn’t require a ticket for the gardens.

Shop local at this free, pet-friendly celebration of small businesses, held not in Venice but in downtown Mar Vista, along Venice Boulevard. The arts and music festival—which promises “retro ski lodge meets surfside holiday groove” vibes for the holidays—brings together over 300 local brands and artists three times a year, attracting thousands of shoppers. You’ll also find live music, DJ sets and food trucks on Venice between Centinela Avenue and Inglewood Boulevard. The winter edition is offering free fitness classes and photos with Santa. 

Hatched in 1978 as the anti-Rose Parade, the Occasional Pasadena Doo Dah Parade is an anything-goes celebration of the delightfully weird. The event earned the “Occasional” in its title because it has taken a few years off here and there—including this year, which the organizers decided to skip to conserve funds. But there’s still a Doo Dah–themed bash going down outside the Pasadena Dog Haus, where hopefuls from all walks of life can compete for the title of “Doo Dah Queen” after watching a cabaret performance by Doo Dah legends (11am–3pm). As ever, there’s an official after-party at the Old Towne Pub, with a lineup of live music (66 N Fair Oaks Dr, 3–7pm).

Like an Angelyne billboard on Sunset Boulevard, the Hollywood Christmas Parade is an essential part of L.A. kitsch. The nine-decade-old parade will feature floats, balloons, marching bands, equestrians and celebrities (of a sort) as they ride in a U-shaped route that begins at Hollywood and Orange and ends up at Sunset and Orange. Reserved grandstand seats can be purchased, with proceeds going to Toys for Tots, but free curbside seating is also available.

Riverside’s stunningly beautiful Mission Inn is bathed in over 10 million twinkly lights during the annual Festival of Lights, which has lit up the city for 33 years now. The free, six-week-long holiday tradition runs from late November to early January and typically features more than 400 festive, animated figures. Having been voted the “Best Public Lights Display” by USA Today, the festival attracts over 500,000 visitors each year. The spectacle will kick off with a Switch On Ceremony on November 22, followed by live music from Matt Mauser and the Tijuana Dogs, and there’ll be holiday-themed kiddie rides outside the hotel all season long.

LA Compost’s annual autumnal event gives “smashing pumpkins” a whole new—and very literal—meaning. Now that Halloween is over, you likely have at least one pumpkin rotting on your doorstep. Did you know that trashing it and sending it to the landfill releases methane, which contributes to global warming? Instead of adding your jack-o’-lantern to the 1.3 billion pounds of yearly pumpkin waste, bring it (as long as its free of paint, glitter or anything else nonorganic) to one of these composting parties to help nourish the earth. Check here for the different locations and to sign up.

Japan House Los Angeles is bringing an exhibition of shokuhin sampuru—hyper-realistic food replicas that have crossed over from marketing tool to art form (think Is It Cake? but cultural)—to Los Angeles for the first time. See mouthwatering faux food representing each of Japan’s 47 prefectures, from coffee house parfaits to izakaya skewers, as well as Chinese and Western cuisine, and try your own hand at food presentation by filling a bentō box yourself.

The California Science Center is inviting kids to get in the game with a new 17,000-square-foot exhibition about the power of play and the human body in motion. Besides teaching about the science behind sports, it also offers interactive challenges and video coaching from a team of Los Angeles-based mentor athletes including dancer Debbie Allen, the Dodgers’ World Series hero Freddie Freeman, Olympic medalist softball player Rachel Garcia and more. And for the first time ever, the center has commissioned public art—all by local artists—to complement the exhibition, including a Dodgers mural by Gustavo Zermeño Jr. The free exhibition will run at the Science Center through the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Getty Villa reopens to the public five and a half months after its Palisades Fire closure with this international loan exhibition dedicated to the Greek Mycenaean civilization and the kingdom of Pylos, which Homer immortalized in the Iliad and Odyssey. It’s the first major museum show in North America devoted to the Late Bronze Age Mycenaeans. See treasures excavators unearthed from Messenia, the Palace of Nestor and burial sites including the tomb of the Griffin Warrior (1450 BCE)—think clay tablets, gold cups, ornate weapons and tiny signets and sealstones adorned with awe-inspiring amounts of detail. 

The Skirball’s latest pop culture exhibition takes a deep dive into the six-decade career of legendary comic book artist Jack Kirby. You might know him as the co-creator of Captain America, Black Panther, the Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men and some of the Marvel universe’s most cosmic characters. But did you know he was also a first-generation Jewish American born to immigrant parents, World War II veteran and family man who split his time between New York and Los Angeles? Learn about his life and see Kirby’s original comic illustrations, as well as other works—many on view for the first time. Tickets to the Skirball will cost you $18—except on Thursdays, when entry is free with a reservation.