March 2019 events calendar for Los Angeles
Shed that extra, light sweatshirt—spring is here. Fill your lungs with the sweet, less-smoggy air on one of the best hikes in L.A. or stretch every muscle at a yoga class. Whether you’re looking for things to do around town or a weekend getaway to Ojai, there are plenty of springtime happenings to find in our March events calendar.
RECOMMENDED: Full events calendar for 2019
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First Fridays at the Natural History Museum
If you're sick of First Fridays only offering a high density of food trucks and lines at your favorite dive bars, check out something new—err, old rather—at the Natural History Museum, where First Fridays offer dinosaurs and DJs.
Ai Weiwei: Life Cycle
The acclaimed Chinese artist takes over the Marciano’s massive theater gallery, including Ai’s floor-covering “Sunflower Seeds,” which features millions of porcelain seeds, as well as the similar but smaller “Spouts,” a pile of thousands of Song dynasty teapot spouts.
‘Scissorhands’
If you’ve always been pining for a musical parody of Edward Scissorhands that features reimagined pop songs from the past few decades, well, then Rockwell Table & Stage has a production that perfectly suits your oddly specific desire.
Dana Point Festival of Whales
Mark the annual gray whale migration from the shore with a parade and street fair, or sail the ocean to spot the massive marine mammals for yourself.
CicLAvia: Culver City Meets Mar Vista + Palms
Pedeal your way through Culver City, Mar Vista and Palms during the latest edition of the car-free fest.
Bryce Dessner’s Triptych (Eyes of One on Another)
The National guitarist premieres his latest multimedia composition, inspired by photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, with a world premiere performance from the LA Phil.
PPLA Food Fare
Planned Parenthood is gathering some of Los Angeles’ most prestigious culinary names under one roof for a full day of pure indulgence—and there’s a Chef of the Year who’ll receive a special honor, as well.
Andrew Bird
The gifted multi-instrumentalist sets up at Largo to perform songs from his newest album, My Finest Work Yet.
ArtNight Pasadena
Pasadena’s underrated collection of museums and performance spaces open up their doors for free at this biannual art celebration. Take advantage of the free shuttle buses or hoof it between site-specific installations and local institutions such as the Norton Simon Museum, Pacific Asia Museum and more. And, of course, no arts fest would be complete without food trucks, often including local bricks-and-mortar Pie ’n Burger and Churro Stix.
L.A. Festival of Colors
What better way to ring in spring than by blanketing L.A.'s smoggy skies with a plume of technicolor yellow, cobalt, magenta and acid green powder, dancing your butt off and practicing a little yoga to boot?
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Time Out L.A.’s Comics to Watch LIVE
Trying to keep up with our picks for the year’s best up-and-coming L.A. comedians? See them all on one stage for a night of stand-up at Dynasty Typewriter. Jane Borden hosts an evening that includes sets from Katrina Davis, Merrill Davis, Jared Goldstein, Nate Jackson, Casey Ley, Matt O’Brien, Atsuko Okatsuka, Natalie Palamides, Ahamed Weinberg and Mo Welch.
NightGarden
Stroll Descanso Gardens’ grounds as the sun starts to set during this inaugural after-hours series of workshops and performances. NightGarden kicks off in February with storytelling, shadow puppets and stargazing. As it starts to stay lighter later, the programming shifts with plant-related activities in March, spring blooms in April (floral attire encouraged) and a spin on a science class in May.
Justin Timberlake
A consummate pro, J.T. mixes a young Sinatra's swagger and charisma with the airtight funk of Michael Jackson at his peak, making magic night after night with an accompanying big band.
Sounds of L.A.
Catch sets from up-and-coming performers and local legends during this free music series at the Getty, which features a pair of shows from a different band each weekend. The series kicks off in January with Los Pleneros de la 21, plus LADAMA in February and the Adiyta Prakash Ensemble in March.
Andrew Bird
Since moving to L.A., multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird has been known to pop up every few months for small, intimate shows. The shows aren’t too different from his “Gezelligheid” tours; the name translates to “extra, extra cozy” in Dutch, an atmosphere Bird encourages at the intimate performances where he uplifts listeners before entering the dark winter. Expect a reworking of his impressive back catalog with a heavy emphasis on violin pieces, an instrument he’s been playing since he was four—plus songs from his newest album, My Finest Work Yet.
Hannah Gadsby
Hannah Gadsby isn’t done with stand-up after all. The comedian’s boundary-pushing solo show Nanette was an award-winning revelation, a deconstruction of her memories of growing up gay in Tasmania. Its complexity gripped Netflix viewers, as did its twist, of sorts, that Gadsby was quitting comedy. That’s seemingly not the case, though: Gadsby tweeted that she’s “working on a new little something something on stage,” and luckily for us, it’s going down here in L.A. See her work out material during a nearly two-week residency at Dynasty Typewriter. Who knows, you might end up getting a peek at the early stages of another lauded solo show.
PaleyFest
Geek out with fellow TV nerds at PaleyFest, the annual weeklong festival of exclusive episodes, clips and panel discussions with the cast and creators of the hottest TV shows. Now in its 36th year, the Paley Center for Media-hosted festival is held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood from March 15 to 24. The Paley Center has announced its full lineup for shows for 2019, including a Parks and Recreation 10-year reunion. Showrunner Mike Schur and the beloved comedy’s creative team will join the full cast for a panel event. In addition to the first batch of shows, which includes Pose and This Is Us, Paleyfest has added The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Grace and Frankie, an evening with Stephen Colbert, RuPaul’s Drag Race, 9-1-1, The Walking Dead, Stak Trek: Discovery, The Twilight Zone, farewell celebrations for Jane the Virgin and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, plus a joint panel with Hawaii Five-0, MacGyver and Magnum P.I. Multiple member presales begin on January 15 and 17, followed by general sale on January 18 at 9am.
Telestron
“Immersive installations” are a dime a dozen in Los Angeles lately, but a pair of polyhedron-twirling robot arms that bathe a raw space in haunting light patterns? Well, we’ve never seen anything remotely like that before. Telestron, a futuristic light show from design firm and technology studio VT Pro Design and director GMUNK, will come to ROW DTLA this winter for a monthlong run. The installation is entirely free to visit and is open Wednesday through Friday from 4 to 10pm and Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 10pm. VT Pro Design describes Telestron as—deep breath—a light and shadow installation, inspired by an ancient Greek ritual, that recreates the Earth’s rotation from day to night and draws upon the movement of the sun, the change of seasons and climate change. Translation: A pair of robot arms project light patterns onto each other and all surfaces of the room during a seven-minute show. TELESTRON from VTProDesign on Vimeo.
Hot Tub with Kurt and Kristen
Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler host their variety show, Hot Tub, every Monday night at the Virgil. Expect a fresh, oddball lineup each week of stand-up comics, sketch performances and new music.
Cats
The national tour of the first-ever Broadway revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic musical promises new choreography and new designs.
Free
Ai Weiwei: Life Cycle
The acclaimed Chinese artist kicks off a flurry of activity in L.A. with this takeover of the Marciano’s massive theater gallery, including Ai’s floor-covering “Sunflower Seeds,” which features millions of porcelain seeds, as well as the similar but smaller “Spouts,” a pile of thousands of Song dynasty teapot spouts. “Life Cycle” also marks the premiere of its namesake work, a nearly 60-foot inflatable raft made entirely from bamboo. Inspired by the European refugee crisis, the work employs traditional kite-making techniques to create its passengers, which are often pulled from the signs of the Chinese zodiac—such figures also factor into the astounding mythological mobiles and creatures that surround the black box space.
CicLAvia
The term CicLAvia (Spanish for “bike way”) can also be used to describe a temporary closing of L.A.’s streets. The event—inspired by the first Ciclovías in Bogotá, Colombia—welcomes bikes, tricycles, skateboards, strollers and smiles (sounds cheesy, but it’s true) to ride a rotating cast of car-free routes. While most rides center around Downtown, past events have taken the event to Wilshire Boulevard, Venice and South L.A. Expect music, street performances and food trucks, as well as general whimsy and shenanigans. Shop owners and restaurants along the CicLAvia route will also open their doors. It goes without saying that you should bike or take the Metro to your desired spot along the route.
ArtNight Pasadena
Pasadena’s underrated collection of museums and performance spaces open up their doors for free at this biannual art celebration. Take advantage of the free shuttle buses or hoof it between site-specific installations and local institutions such as the Norton Simon Museum, Pacific Asia Museum and more. And, of course, no arts fest would be complete without food trucks, often including local bricks-and-mortar Pie ’n Burger and Churro Stix.
Sounds of L.A.
Catch sets from up-and-coming performers and local legends during this free music series at the Getty, which features a pair of shows from a different band each weekend. The series kicks off in January with Los Pleneros de la 21, plus LADAMA in February and the Adiyta Prakash Ensemble in March.
Dana Point Festival of Whales
Mark the annual gray whale migration from the shore with a parade and street fair, or sail the ocean to spot the massive marine mammals for yourself.
Artists & Fleas Venice
The newest flea market on the block, the Venice outpost of this artisan/craft-focused flea market mini-empire is bringing records, vintage and vintage-inspired clothing, cosmetics, jewelry and more to the Westminster Avenue Elementary School. A handful of small batch confectioners provide sweet treats to snack on or take home, while food trucks and nearby restaurants provide heartier bites. Though relatively small in size, owing perhaps to its prime location bookending the neighborhood’s famed Abbot Kinney stretch, vendors hawk a diverse range of hand-made and expertly curated wares that seems to simultaneously fit in and stand out in one of the nation’s most unusual neighborhoods.
Hermosa Beach St. Patrick’s Day Parade
It’s no emerald seaside, but Hermosa Beach injects a bit of Irish spirit into the coastal city for the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade. Bagpipers, marching bands, cars decked out in green and festive pups from the Irish Setters Club of Southern California all make their way across the seven-block route. The parade kicks off near City Hall on Valley Drive, heads west on Pier Avenue and ends at the corner of Hermosa Avenue and 10th Street.
Mar Vista Art Walk
This fun neighborhood stroll highlights the numerous artists, musicians, shops and galleries of Mar Vista, where huge vivid murals brighten exterior walls everywhere you look. Since launching in 2015, the quarterly event has dramatically expanded, now featuring several clusters of activity along Venice Boulevard. Catch local musicians and performers throughout the evening, artists selling their works as well as creating new ones on the spot, grab food from trucks, and browse galleries and shops that stay open late. The walk takes place the first Thursday of March, June, September and November, each time featuring a different theme and the artists are curated by Monique Boileau and Mitchelito Orquiola.
Telestron
“Immersive installations” are a dime a dozen in Los Angeles lately, but a pair of polyhedron-twirling robot arms that bathe a raw space in haunting light patterns? Well, we’ve never seen anything remotely like that before. Telestron, a futuristic light show from design firm and technology studio VT Pro Design and director GMUNK, will come to ROW DTLA this winter for a monthlong run. The installation is entirely free to visit and is open Wednesday through Friday from 4 to 10pm and Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 10pm. VT Pro Design describes Telestron as—deep breath—a light and shadow installation, inspired by an ancient Greek ritual, that recreates the Earth’s rotation from day to night and draws upon the movement of the sun, the change of seasons and climate change. Translation: A pair of robot arms project light patterns onto each other and all surfaces of the room during a seven-minute show. TELESTRON from VTProDesign on Vimeo.
“Annie Leibovitz: The Early Years, 1970-1983”
When you set foot inside Hauser & Wirth’s north gallery, you’re greeted with a wall-filling timeline of the 1970s that’s comically meticulous in its detail. But once you round the corner of the wall, it’s clear why: Annie Leibovitz was there for seemingly all of it. The artist dug through her archives to handpick this early-career collection of works that meant the most to her, arranged chronologically and thematically in the Arts District gallery. “I lived with my camera, I never went home,” said Leibovitz during an exhibition walkthrough, and the photos prove it. Her Rolling Stone cover photos from the ’70s are indelible parts of pop culture history, and those instantly recognizable shots are certainly on display (think David Cassidy nude, a fiery Patti Smith, and a naked John Lennon embracing Yoko Ono shot hours before he was murdered). But the most remarkable parts of this early-career retrospective are the moments in between, all captured with fly-on-the-wall candor (“No one paid me any bit of attention because I was a woman,” she says). Candid shots of Jerry Garcia and Dennis Hopper occupy the same space as behind-the-scenes photos of an always-smoking Hunter S. Thompson, with whom Leibovitz worked extensively. There’s Richard Nixon’s fall, Jerry Brown’s rise and the surge of cults. And then there’s her documentation of a 1975 Rolling Stones tour, with no drug-addled details spared. (“It took me a while to get off the tour,” remarked Leibovitz about the experience).
