Venture into the heart of Hollywood over the last weekend of February 2017, and you'll come across a spectacle of red-carpet'd, giant-statue-y proportions.
For the 89th Annual Academy Awards will soon unfold at the Dolby Theatre.
But there's no fretting if you don't have a seat on the inside of the venue on Sunday, Feb. 26, or in the bleacher stands, or you're not interviewing the celebrities walking the world's best-known asphalt covering; there are ways around the show's larger hometown of Los Angeles to watch the spectacle, see an actual movie exterior, view some real costumes from nominated films, or raise a glass to your favorite nominee.
As is tony, swanky, dress-yourself-up tradition, a number of bars, restaurants, and private locales around Southern California will host before- and during-parties (for the predicting and watching) and after-parties (for the recapping). Some bashes are for Oscar guests only, or industry invitees, but some shiny soirees around town have tickets for the public.
Trés by Jose Andrés at SLS Hotel is hosting a Sparkle Like Starlets viewing party, while Caulfield's in Beverly Hills will once again throw its Oscar-shimmery to-do. A sold-out shindig at The Art Theatre in Long Beach will also center around the awards, as will several smaller gatherings at bars, eateries, and any place with a television around SoCal. Is your neighborhood tavern watching on Feb. 26? Give them a ring.
For non-party ways to get into Oscar mode, look to downtown, and the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, which is currently the place to see dozens of costumes from films nominated in the Best Costume category. Do note two things: It's free to see but you'll want to visit on Saturday, Feb. 25, and not Oscar Sunday, as the exhibition is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
But, the positive news, if your weekend is just too jam-packed: The costumes are on display through April 22, 2017.
The Scene
Want to find new things to do in Los Angeles? The Scene's lifestyle stories have you covered. Here's your go-to source on where the fun is across SoCal and for the weekend.
And if you hop on the Warner Bros. Studio Tour, you can view a recreated exterior from the multi-nominated "La La Land" — the coffeehouse where Mia, the character played by Emma Stone, works. But see it soon, prior to March 6, before the backlot building transforms into another business for another movie.
Such is the way of filmdom: Always onward to the future, the next scene, the next flick, the next Oscars, down the road. In fact, (Oscar) food for thought: Which of next year's nominees are already filming or in the can, as they say?
