The 86th Annual Academy Awards: Yep yep, the gargantuan rain cover is up on Hollywood Boulevard, and you can bet a bevy of umbrellas are at the ready. The Oscars are a force of their own, puddle-y weather or not, and the red carpet awaits, snugly covered from the elements. Watching? Plenty of people do the at-home group thing, but you can watch 'em go big screen at the Grauman's Million Dollar Theatre, which precedes the invention of the Oscars by, oh, a decade? It's a benefit for the LA Historic Theatre Foundation. Get dressy, wear evening gloves, Tinseltownist.
Lantern Festival: The Lunar New Year has a lively, month-or-so-long run, and this Chinese American Museum's glow show is the typical closer. No doubt, the weather might lean wet, but "rain or shine" is the order of the day. You can make your own lantern or simply watch the pretty proceedings. Lion dances, crafts, and more festive happenings fill up the afternoon and evening of Saturday, March 1.
Flower Fields Open: Things that grow are rather partial to damp weather, you might have heard, meaning that a wet weekend is kind of the perfect thing to coincide with the yearly debut of the leafy Carlsbad destination. It's all about ranunculus -- so many ranunculus -- in hues so spectacular we're fairly sure no color wheel or Roy G. Biv scale can hold them. The petals really get popping come April, but keep a watch on flower reports. Oh, and closing date? Mother's Day. Act now, bud lovers.
Gene Kelly: The Legacy: How many times can you watch "Singin' in the Rain"? Wait, is that the question we should ask? Or how many times should a person watch the seminal sweet Hollywood film, per year? Our answer: At least thrice. Patricia Ward Kelly heads for the Pasadena Playhouse to remember her husband and his life and career, including a certain famous film, on March 1 and 2.
Rainy Day Ideas: If you love finally seeing some real precipitation but don't necessarily want to go the cooped-up route, here are some drier spots to head with your poncho in hand. The Hammer Museum's free now and select AMC Theatres? They'll be showing all nine Best Picture nominees on March 1. Or just find a fireplace to sip a warming hot toddy near. Don't forget your galoshes, SoCalers.
