Free things to do in Los Angeles this month

Catch sets from up-and-coming performers, local legends and global talents during this free music series at the Getty, which features a pair of shows from a different band each weekend. The concerts kick off in February with Inuit soul musicians Pamyua and continue in March with gospel choir Jimetta Rose & the Voices of Creation and April with Persian poets Mahsa and Marjan Vahdat. Get there early to check out the museum’s exhibitions, then head to the Harold M. Williams Auditorium for the show.

Pasadena’s USC Pacific Asia Museum museum rings in the Lunar New Year with a free afternoon of pan-Asian activities—and a grand reopening. In addition to traditional performances in the museum’s courtyard (think: lion dances, martial arts demonstrations, Korean classical music and storytimes) plus art activities and food trucks, you’ll also be able to visit the museum’s galleries for free. Check out the brand-new immersive new exhibition “Mythical Creatures: The Stories We Carry,” which takes visitors on an interactive journey through the immigrant experience.

It’s Mardi Gras weekend, but you’re having a seriously hard time deciding whether to toss some beads or to play toss with Fido. Do both at the Original Farmers Market with its annual Mardi Gras celebration. The event includes the Mutti Gras Pet Parade and Costume Contest Saturday at noon. Pups parade along the Market Plaza in costume and are judged by the crowd. A King and Queen are then crowned in categories of small, medium and large dogs, and are awarded prizes from the Dog Bakery. The Mardi Gras celebration continues throughout the weekend with live Zydeco and New Orleans bands, while the Nervis Bros. will perform on Fat Tuesday itself. It’s the perfect accompaniment to seafood and gumbo, jumbalaya, blackened chicken, beignets, po’boys and more traditional NOLA food.

This display of film and video art, billed as “a sweeping odyssey into the depths of human experience,” will take over all six stories of the abandoned, historic Variety Arts Theater in Downtown L.A. (the theater served as the setting for this past Halloween’s immersive haunt Delusion, and the expansive space was as impressive as the production itself). Over a century of visual storytelling will be explored, blurring the line between visual art and cinema. The contemporary video works by artists including Marina Abramović, Doug Aitken, Chris Burden, Cyprien Gaillard, Arthur Jafa and Precious Okoyomon—juxtaposed with cinematic works by the likes of Walt Disney and Georges Méliès—come from the time-based art collection of the Germany-based Julia Stoschek Foundation.

KCRW’s School Night series—which has hosted the likes of Father John Misty and Odesza since it started in 2010—is back, this time with a new home: century-old Lincoln Heights bar the Airliner, which recently fully redesigned its music venue and upstairs listening room. Though the sets are short, the price is certainly right, as is the lineup curated by resident DJ and KCRW tastemaker Chris Douridas. It’s the perfect excuse to stay out late on a school night.

Who says Valentine’s Day has to be expensive? This February 14, all three blocks of Third Street Promenade (including its alcohol-friendly “Outdoor Entertainment Zone”) will be filled with one of the largest free nightlife and music events Santa Monica has ever hosted. Expect live DJs, pop-up bars, immersive nightlife and three three music stages hosted by L.A.-based collectives. There will also be plenty of themed V-Day and Mardi Gras touches.

Hark back to the heyday of radio at a massive, free all-ages Valentine’s Day celebration in Gloria Molina Grand Park. DJs will be on hand spinning vinyls and providing the soulful soundtrack. Add a personal touch and call 213-204-1666 to dedicate a song to someone you love. A classic car show will add to the vintage vibes, and you can also make your own cards, arrange your own flower bouquets, shop handmade goods and enjoy a free sweet treat. The evening will culminate with a dazzling drone show that promises to be a “love letter for the entire county.”

The Department of Cultural Affairs and NXT Art Foundation have teamed up on this free light and sound experience taking place simultaneously at parks across L.A. County this Valentine’s Day. Meant to amplify love, foster connection and inspire hope, the multi-disciplinary project will feature sound-based works by nine artists, and each site will be lit up by artist-designed sculptural installations. You can be a part of the moment at Barnsdall Art Park, Sycamore Grove Park, Exposition Park, Jane and Bert Boeckmann Park in Porter Ranch, Hansen Dam, Leimert Park, the Wende Museum in Culver City (which is hosting its own concurrent “My Sonic Valentine” event), Tongva Park, Promenade Square Park in Long Beach and Altadena’s renovated Loma Alta Park. Bring a picnic blanket, settle in and enjoy the sounds of harmony.

For another free, family-friendly Valentine’s Day option, make your way to the Frogtown Heart Walk—a V-Day edition of the Elysian Valley neighborhood’s artist-centric biennial. On the afternoon of Feburary 14, find art exhibits, live music, giveaways, a treasure hunt, arts and crafts, workshops and even a treasure hunt along the L.A. River between Fletcher Drive and the Taylor Yard pedestrian bridge. Highlights include a fresh flower cart, donation-based tarot readings, typewriter poetry and kitten adoptions, as well as an “Abolish ICE Cream Social” at Forager Crafts. Parking is notoriously tricky in Frogtown, so biking and rideshare are encouraged.

Get to know downtown Long Beach’s thriving arts scene at this massive art walk through the Design District—proving that the coastal city is ready for its close-up ahead of the 2028 Olympics. In addition to vintage shopping, an artist’s alley, an art and design village and a new exhibition opening at the Long Beach Museum of Art, the programming includes a Lunar New Year art installation, the beachside Future Fest and a Legacy & Unity Festival at Mosaic Promenade in honor of Black History Month. And don’t miss the county-wide Attune 1.0, a free light and sound experience—you’ll find one of the artist-designed sculptural installations at Promenade Square Park.

The Old Pasadena shopping center joins in the free festivities for Lunar New Year with live music, lion dances and free mochi. Tie your own wish on the Smith Alley wish tree, which will remain up through February 26. And if you spend $75 at any One Colorado retailer, you’ll receive a lucky red envelope with surprise deals.

Santa Monica Place is welcoming the Year of the Horse with red and gold lanterns, cherry blossom wishing trees, arts and crafts for kids and shopping deals for adults. Stop by on the afternoon of February 21 for a free, family-friendly event—expect Chinese lion dance performances and martial arts demos, dough and balloon artists, live music and special Lunar New Year blessings spelled out by a calligraphy artist. While you’re there, pick up a red envelope with exclusive offers from the shopping center’s retailers and restaurants, valid through March 2.

This South Bay Lunar New Year celebration offers live entertainment, dancers, arts and crafts, food trucks and more at Crafted at the Port of Los Angeles. The free, family-friendly event typically boasts a petting zoo, too, where visitors can get close to roosters, sheep, goats and pigs—maybe even horses in honor of the Year of the Horse. Parking is also free; head to 22nd and Miner streets to park and catch a free ride to the event from the San Pedro Downtown Trolley. 

Join in one of L.A.’s oldest traditions at the 127th annual Golden Dragon Parade. The colorful procession of lion dancers, dance troupes, music groups and more will make its way through Chinatown (kicking off at Hill Street at Temple, traveling toward Bernard, then right onto Broadway then back to Broadway & Temple) on Saturday, February 21, from 1 to 4pm. The parade historically coincides with a free Lunar New Year festival in the Central Plaza as well.

RECOMMENDED: Lunar New Year in Los Angeles

Got a list of L.A. museums you haven’t visited yet? Clear your calendar for Museums Free-for-All, when museums all over the region throw open the doors for free admission. Nearly 30 museums will drop their admission fees on Sunday, February 22. It’s the perfect opportunity to knock a couple of cultural to-dos off your list, like the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, LACMA, the Autry, the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum, Craft Contemporary, the Skirball and more. You’ll still have to pay to see any exhibitions that require a special ticket and for parking, but we can’t say no to free admission.

Both the Grove and the Americana at Brand observe Lunar New Year with the type of polished, curated displays that you’ve come to expect from the L.A. shopping meccas. Some stores and restaurants are offering special promotions and limited-time items for the holiday, and if you’re a Caruso Signature member, you can pick up a lucky red envelope and a collectible tote bag with custom embroidery on February 21 at the Grove and February 22 at the Americana (non-members might also be able to snag an envelope while supplies last—check with the Caruso Concierge). For some free fun, swing by the Americana that afternoon for a parade (1–4pm) featuring traditional lion and dragon dances, as well as performances by the Korean Dance Team and live music.

Scope out dozens food and craft booths while dragon dances, kung fu demonstrations, live candy sculpting and other entertainment play out across a street festival. For those new to celebrating the holiday, the fest’s “cultural passport” experience teaches you how different regions celebrate Lunar New Year. This annual event takes place just on Alhambra’s Main Street and celebrates the diversity of the San Gabriel Valley.

Participate in a 5K or 10K run/walk, a 2K dog walk, a kiddie run or a 20- or 50-mile bike ride that will take you along the L.A. River and through Griffith Park during this weekend-long Lunar New Year tradition centered in the heart of historic Chinatown. All courses start and end at Chinatown Central Plaza, which will host a concurrent, free family-friendly festival with a beer garden, kids’ activities and live entertainment, if you want to celebrate without breaking a sweat. Don’t miss the weekend opening ceremony, with lion dancers and the traditional lighting of 100,000 firecrackers. Check the website for a detailed schedule of events.

Coinciding with the Firecracker Run’s Paw’er Dog Walk, this third annual Lunar New Year celebration specifically caters to dogs and their owners. The Blossom Plaza event includes Year of the Fire Horse–themed pet photography sessions and custom portraits, plus shopping from local pet-centric businesses and cultural activities. 

Head to Benny Boy Brewing for a free Lunar New Year concert by multilingual singer and accordionist Jessica Fichot, who returns to channel the swing era of Shanghai with her band. Expect to hear classic Chinese New Year songs, jazz songs sung in Mandarin and Mandopop. Pair pours from the Lincoln Heights brewery and cider house with food from Yakitori Cartel (noon–6pm) and Zef BBQ and the Dumpling Dream (6–11pm). The San Gabriel Valley Chinese Cultural Association will close out the night with drumming and roaming lion dancers.

“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. 

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. 

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.

Robert Therrien’s Under the Table has long been one of the most popular pieces in the Broad’s collection (you know the one—the giant table and chairs that you ask your friend to snap a photo of as you stand underneath). Well now the museum is hosting the largest-ever solo exhibition of the artist’s work, displaying more than 120 pieces, including many that have never been shown in museums before. Expect more huge housewares and striking works, plus some intimate drawings and surprises from the late L.A.-based artist. While tickets for the special exhibition normally cost $19, it’s free to visit every Thursday from 5–8pm.

Dealing with a difficult subject head-on, the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA’s new show, “Monuments”—co-presented by the museum and nonprofit the Brick (formerly LAXART)—juxtaposes both intact and vandalized Confederate monuments with contemporary artwork. The show looks at the recent wave of monument removals from a historic perspective and encourages discourse about challenging topics amid an ongoing national debate about the role of these statues and what they represent. Tickets for the special exhibition are typically $18, though if you book far enough ahead of time, you can take advantage of free admission on the first Friday of every month.

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.

Scope out dozens food and craft booths while dragon dances, kung fu demonstrations, live candy sculpting and other entertainment play out across a street festival. For those new to celebrating the holiday, the fest’s “cultural passport” experience teaches you how different regions celebrate Lunar New Year. This annual event takes place just on Alhambra’s Main Street and celebrates the diversity of the San Gabriel Valley.