What to Know
- Chinese New Year Festival at The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens
- Feb. 5 and 6, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Free with admission; reservations are required at The Huntington on weekends and holidays
Chinese New Year Festival: The beautiful Chinese Garden at The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens offers a peaceful and contemplative respite, all year long, but when Lunar New Year arrives? A host of convivial, hope-filled, and celebratory happenings unfurl, with a festive spirit, throughout the serene setting. The weekend-long festival is free with admission, but do note you'll need to make an advance reservation with The Huntington. Once there, revelers will enjoy lion dances, martial arts demonstrations, chances to try delicious cuisine, traditional tunes played in an ethereal setting, and so much more.
Free Open House at LACMA: DJ sets, dance activations led by Culture Shock, and the excellent opportunity to check out "... an exhibition featuring 50 works by some of today’s most celebrated artists inspired by albums and songs from three decades of the Interscope catalogue" sounds like a frankly fabulous way for a music maven to spend a Saturday afternoon. And that afternoon is up at the Los Angeles County Musem of Art on Feb. 5. "Artists Inspired by Music: Interscope Reimagined" is the exhibit at the celebration's center. Attending is complimentary but will require an advance reservation (also study the health requirements before booking your spot).
Super Bowl Experience: The big game is still more than a week out, but already snacky food specials, family-fun amusement park announcements, and other hut-hut happenings are running down the field in Southern California. One of the majors, starting on Feb. 5? it's the Super Bowl Experience Presented by Lowe's. The multi-day extravaganza, which will include opportunities for autographs from players, chances to take a snapshot with the Vince Lombardi Trophy, and lots more, lands at Los Angeles Convention Center on Feb. 5 and 6, and again from Feb. 10-12. Tickets start at $20, and you'll want to check it all out before securing your entry.
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Tinseltown Drive-In: The weekend before Valentine's Day, and the weekend to follow, will see several pop-up drive-in theaters around Southern California, with Street Food Cinema landing at Santa Anita Park and Cinespia making for The Greek Theatre. If you're eager for the experience of jumping into a tale while seated in your vehicle, with whatever snacks you brought and maybe a cozy blanket, too, look to the Hollywood Legion, which is showing "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" on Feb. 5, and then, later in the evening, "The Shining" (so, for sure: That blanket might be a good idea, to ward off those snowy chills). The Hollywood Legion is moving indoors on Valentine's Day, by the by, with a showing of "Love Actually."
Ice Cream for Breakfast Day: If you know your famous food holidays, you surely know what adds flavor and fun to the first Saturday of February, each and every year. It's the holiday when we're invited to eat a bowl of ice cream for our morning meal, if that's our thing, and Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams is getting in on the high jinks in 2022. The company is going for a world record, of the most people eating ice cream for breakfast (there are hashtags and ways to share your frosty feat, if you do), and a delicious giveaway, too: A winner will score complimentary ice cream for a year. Details on the Feb. 4 lark? Grab your scoop and start here.
