Best Of LA - Week Of November 23
Thankfulness fills the air in Los Angeles this week with Thanksgiving Day taking place this Thursday. In addition to the slew of holiday-related activities, find time this week to take a break for yourself at a variety of LA events and attractions including must-see art installations, world-premiere theaters, and a celebrated cross-town rivalry that every Angeleno can get behind. Let's kick off our week, Los Angeles.
Rain Room
LACMA
5905 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 857-6000
www.lacma.org
Take a look inside LACMA's Rain Room: an indoor set or large scale installation brought to you by London-based art collective Random International. On display at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art now through March 6, 2016, the technological wonder will please all who enter into the room. The work, a blend of science, visual art and technology will have the room dripping with rain, yet you won't get wet no matter where they walk. As you pass through the installation, sensors detect your presence and the rain will automatically pause making it a veery fun exhibit. The specially ticketed experience is a must-see during its time in Los Angeles. It seems like we could use a little rain here in LA!
Mr. C's Winter Poolside Cinema - "Good Will Hunting"
Mr. C Beverly Hills
1224 Beverwil Dr.
Los Angeles, CA 90035
(310) 226-6245
www.mrchotels.com
Take advantage of LA's fabulous weather with a visit to Mr. C's Winter Poolside cinema during this mid-week special event. Seasonal treats will be offered including winter spice popcorn and spiked hot chocolate (as well as a full prix fixe dinner) to enjoy during the show while snuggled up under a blanket under the stars. Tonight's film showing is the series' last of the non-holiday-themed films, "Good Will Hunting". Food and beverage tickets begin at $35.
"Straight White Men"
Kirk Douglas Theatre
9820 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
www.centertheatregroup.com
The West Coast premiere of "Straight White Men," written and directed by Young Jean Lee, presented in collaboration with Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA, runs now through December 20, 2015 at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. In "Straight White Men," Young Jean Lee offers a traditionally structured take on the classic American father-son drama. Ed and his three adult sons come together to celebrate Christmas. They enjoy cheerful trash-talking, pranks and takeout Chinese, but find themselves confronting a problem that even being a happy family can't solve: when identity matters, and privilege is problematic, what is the value of being a straight white man?
Turkey Trot Los Angeles
166 S. Olive St.
Los Angeles, CA
www.turkeytrot.la
LA's Turkey Trot returns to the city again today kicking off Thanksgiving before the feasting even begins. Both 5K and 10K routes are offered for the run that kicks off at 8am, with a family-friendly festival (in front of city hall) and a Wibble Wobble Start for the littlest ones. If you aren't visiting with family or friends for a gigantic meal after the event, consider our guides to the best restaurants open on Thanksgiving Day in LA or OC or our handy list of restaurants serving up yummy take-out.
Reindeer Romp Holiday Celebration
Los Angeles Zoological Association
5333 Zoo Dr.
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 644-4200
www.lazoo.com
The Los Angeles Zoo presents a rare opportunity to see live reindeer at its Reindeer Romp Holiday Celebration, which debuts tonight and runs through January 3, 2016. Guests are invited to make the most of the season with a full day of fun and adventure at a great value highlighted by a visit with Noel, Belle, Velvet, and Jingle in their wintry Reindeer Village home, the only place to view live reindeer in Los Angeles. A flurry of other activities on weekends include holiday crafts for youngsters, ice carving demonstrations (Saturdays), Swazzle Holiday Extravaganza puppet shows (Sunday mornings), entertainment by the Satin Dollz, Los Angeles' popular retro musical troupe (Sunday afternoons), docent talks, and a rotating schedule of animals unwrapping gifts all their own. Visits with Santa Claus in an all-new whimsical Santa Village and photo ops are also available.
USC vs UCLA
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
3911 S Figueroa St.
Los Angeles, CA 90037
www.pac-12.com
It's Bruins vs. Trojans on the field today in the cross-town rivalry of Los Angeles' most celebrated college football teams. Kickoff begins at 12:30pm at the LA Coliseum in the must-see game of the season. If you can't make it to the game, consider a visit to Messhall Kitchen where they are serving up specialty-themed drinks for each team: USC's Red Rush (bourbon, honey, lemon, raspberries) and UCLA's BEES KNEES (gin, honey, lemon and blueberries). Pre-game orders will be kept in a tally in a fun attempt to predict the winner of this game.
Hollywood Christmas Parade
Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90029
www.thehollywoodchristmasparade.org
Kick off the holiday season with the 84th annual Hollywood Christmas parade, taking place today along Hollywood Boulevard, Sunset Boulevard, and Vine. Featuring Toys for Tots, this year's grand marshals are Penn and Teller, who will be providing entertainment along with guest co-hosts including Erik Estrada, Laura McKenzie, Dean Cain and Montel Williams. The celebration will be kicked off in style with concerts on two stages along the parade route featuring performances that range from beloved classics to modern hit makers. Guests staying overnight at the Hollywood Hotel can join in the parade, walking along the world's largest red carpet while wrangling their giant elf and candy cane balloon characters.
