What You're Doing This Week: February 20

Even in the winter months in Los Angeles, there is never a shortage of varied and exciting entertainment. Don't let the Santa Ana winds keep you away, there is much to do and see in Los Angeles this week!

Tuesday, February 21

Join in the Fat Tuesday celebration from 6:30pm - 9:30pm at the Farmer's Market at the Grove. The evening features delicious Cajun cuisine, Dixie Beer (imported just for the occasion), lots of dancing, and New Orleans music from Eddie Baytos & The Nervis Bros, one of the most requested bands of the year. They will be performing on the Market's West Patio stage. This evening is the culmination of a weekend-long event at The Farmer's Market which included a Mutti Gras Pet Parade, hourly bead tosses, King cake and beignets and lots of fun music.

Not in the mood for Mardi Gras? Looking for something a little more refined? Experience the bravado and the baritone of Placido Domingo at the LA Opera in Verdi's masterpiece Simon Boccanegra. He will be joined by conductor James Conlon, internationally recognized as a master of Verdi. The performance is at 7:30pm at The Opera House in downtown Los Angeles.

Thursday, February 23

The Los Angeles Central Library is hosting a very special evening with poet laureate Philip Levine whose writing captures the beauty in our everyday lives. The winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, Levine grew up in Detroit where he worked in factories and lived the working man's blue collar experience. His poetry is real and alive and finds beauty in the reality of making a living, the labor of work, and the hardships of living. His words paint a picture of Detroit that brings to life the city noises, the music, and the people. The event is free in the Mark Taper Auditorium at the Central Library, 7pm.

Friday, February 24

If you are still in the mood for opera experience the sensational voice of 11-year-old Jackie Evancho at the Nokia Theatre. From You Tube sensation to singing for millions on America's Got Talent, this young singer has ears perked-up all around the world. Her 2010 O Holy Night album debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 and she is the youngest artist to have an album go platinum. And to think her love of opera started with a family outing to see Phantom of the Opera. Go see and hear the phenomenon for yourself in person, live at Nokia.

Sunday, February 19

Free Sundays in February from 12:30pm - 5pm at the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium courtesy of the folks at OVO, Cirque du Soleil's current show adjacent to the Aquarium in the pier parking lot. This partnership is an obvious choice for the show as OVO is described as an "immersion into the teeming world of insects." When visiting the Aquarium you will be immersed in the underwater world, gaining knowledge about the creatures of the Santa Monica Bay through hands-on, interactive exhibits of more than 100 species native to the Bay. The free Sundays will celebrate crustaceans – the ocean's counterpart to insects on land.