dineL.A. Restaurant Week: Don't we all get super-stoked when we find out the mozzarella sticks at our go-to hangout are discounted for an hour or two? Apply that emotion to this region-spanning, fortnight-crossing, mega-beyond Restaurant Week, a money-saving celebration that encompasses 400 SoCal eateries, and then some, and then some more beyond that. It all wraps Jan. 31, so get out, grab a fork, and get noodling/steaking/salading.
Lunar New Year at Disney California Adventure: Dance through this celebratory fresh start at this multi-week festivity, one that includes a host of auspicious events. Mulan's Lunar New Year Procession is one music-filled must-see, while a nighttime water extravaganza called "Hurry Home" will also feature the beloved character. Mickey and Minnie will be wearing traditional costumes, while several food stops around the park have the delicious Lunar New Year bites. Visit through Feb. 9 to enjoy the fun.
Museum Free Days: If you are counting down the days to the 15th Annual Museums Free-for-All, which will see 40+ Southern California museums waive admission on Jan. 25, you can get the jump on all of that cash-keeping action while still taking in some terrific museums. The Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach will be free on Thursday, Jan. 23 from 5-9 p.m. while USC Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena is free every Thursday from 5 to 8 o'clock (and Oscar Oiwa's "Dreams of a Sleeping World" is currently on view).
Oscar-Nominated Movies: We're in the zone now, just a few weeks out from the Academy Awards, which means that if you're going to catch "Ford v. Ferrari" or "The Irishman," the time is nigh. American Cinematheque is screening all three of those lauded works on Thursday, Jan. 23, at The Egyptian in Hollywood, with "Joker," another Oscar darling, closing it all down as the evening ends. Can you catch all four? You'll start at 1 p.m., so get your fill of snacks, take your seat, and enjoy some top-notch movie mastery.
Lunch À La Park: We aren't nearly in the warmer stretch of the year, a time when food truck festivals are as plentiful as toppings for a basket of still-hot fries, but we can find a taste of that soon-to-come time at Grand Park in DTLA. For every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday a group of food truck favorites show up to keep downtowners in gyros, lobster rolls, cheeseburgers, and/or ice cream sandwiches. "Rotating" is the key word here, meaning if you go on different days you'll find different offerings, oh yum. The hours? 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., giving you time to stroll by the trucks, and then stroll by again, before making your selection.
