As the final countdown to 2024 begins, your last chance to enjoy seasonal delights such as light displays and ice skating is upon you, along with a brand spanking new year! And I know it’s down to the wire for NYE reservations, but there are still some options left, along with a couple free events for those of you with no real plans. And if you’d rather usher in the new year as a new you, consider immersing yourself in a healing sound bath session at PRS, happening on NYE, NYD, and all week long. Whatever you decide to do, I hope you’ll rejoice in all the possibilities ahead of you, and ring in 2024 with friends, family, yourself, or however you choose. Cheers to that!
Arts, Culture, and The New Year
Before you embark on an evening out (at one of the events below) or an evening on the couch, be sure to stop by Hollywood’s 41-year-old Michelin-rated British pub & restaurant, The Cat & Fiddle, which will be serving up its special NYE menu to stuff you into 2024 with bellies full of comfort and cheer. This local favorite loves serving a holiday meal, and this delicious NYE menu will have offerings of Almond Encrusted Salmon, Beef Wellington, Nut Roast Wellington (veg), mulled wine, specialty cocktails, and sticky toffee pudding, plus party favors! Reservations are strongly recommended and still available, so do it now! And be sure to get there by 4 p.m. if you’d like to celebrate the ringing of the British NY with our brothers from across the pond. Dinners range from $40-$50. The Cat is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner and Brunch, Afternoon Tea on weekends and Sunday Roast. NYE Menu served from 4-10 p.m. Closed on NYD.
And the countdown begins! 5 – 4 – 3 – 2 -1- Happy FREE New Year! Bring the fam on down to Gloria Molina Grand Park’s NYELA Countdown to 2024 and experience the West Coast’s largest FREE family-friendly New Year’s Eve event, right here in LA. Dance, eat, and explore your way into 2024 with DJs, family activities, immersive art installations, delicious foods from more than 30 of LA’s favorite food trucks, and a midnight countdown show spectacular projected on City Hall, highlighting LA’s beauty, diversity and culture by A3 Visual. Parking will be available at The Music Center garage and Walt Disney Concert Hall garage for $10. Public transportation is highly encouraged – Grand Park is located conveniently at these Metro stations: Civic Center/Grand Park, Historic Broadway, and Grand Ave Arts/Bunker Hill. Festivities run from 8 p.m. – 12:30 a.m.
Next in line is another FREE, yet more adult celebration nearby – No Cover New Years: 80s Edition happening at the Angel City Brewery. Get ready for the most radical (their words) NYE celebration on the west coast… that just so happens to be FREE! With DJs spinning all night, a full menu of delicious food, and a complimentary midnight toast, this year’s throwback NYE is going to be a night you won’t soon forget (or so it is promised). Angel City Brewery is proud to be both brewery and canvas, and center of a revival for the city’s artists, musicians, hustlers, and craftspeople. ACBC is located at 216 Alameda St. in the Arts District of DTLA. The celebration takes place from 11 a.m. – 2 a.m.
Meanwhile, the Walt Disney Concert Hall and its favorite child, the LA Phil, will join forces with Pink Martini for a NYE Concert you‘ll be talking about all year. Count down to 2024 in style with Portland’s celebrated “little orchestra!” Returning for another quintessentially eclectic New Year’s program, Pink Martini mixes Brazilian samba and party sounds of ’30s Cuban dance music, with a dash of Parisian café cool. There’s no classier way to ring in 2024! And enhance your experience and capture the year’s last moments in the Hall’s Winter Wonderland New Year’s Eve lounge, complete with illuminated trees, a photo booth, and music in the air. Enjoy drinks at the cash bar and cheers to the new year. Event starts at 9:30 p.m. Few tickets remain for the 7 p.m. concert, but there are plenty left for 10:30 p.m. Tickets range from $99-$269.
Switching gears now… Come get your bliss on, and maybe even a life-changing experience, at New Year’s Sound Bath Bliss at the Philosophical Research Society (PRS) in Los Feliz. Heal yourself into the new year as you bathe in the sounds and vibrations of 7 quartz crystal “singing bowls,” giving every cell in your body a musical massage. Benefits include: stress reduction, creative inspiration, improved sleep, enhanced energy, increased productivity & focus, and release from guilt (that’s all?). So dare yourself to take an hour off the grid and live in the moment for once! NYE sessions (Sun, Dec 31) from 11 p.m. – 12:15 a.m. or opt for an earlier time at 9 p.m. The cost is $50 in advance; $60 at the door. Luckily, Sound Bath sessions will be happening all week (Dec 30 – Jan 5), including candlelight and full moon experiences, so all you have to do is pick your day! Tickets range from $34-$50.
And, finally, let images of Pokémon dance in your head, while you make your way over to JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles for its whimsical exhibition, POKÉMON X KOGEI | Playful Encounters of Pokémon and Japanese Craft. Unfortunately, it’ll be closing on Sun, Jan 7, but you still have time to visit this enchanting exhibit that brings together two of Japan’s most celebrated contributions to world culture – beloved characters from one of the world’s biggest entertainment franchises, and craft that has evolved and been refined over centuries. Artworks include stencil-dyed silk cloths, ceramic jars, and one “dazzling” gold-and silver-plated copper sculpture (left), to describe just a few of the ingenious creations that make up this delightful pop culture exhibit. JAPAN HOUSE is open Mon-Fri, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. and Sat-Sun, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Seasonal Family Fun (ending soon!)
We’ve been listing these multi-week events for several weeks now, but we wanted to give you one last chance to catch any or all before they disappear in the next week or two.
First up, Bob Baker Marionette Theater’s adaptation of the Nutcracker running through January 14, with both weekday shows, and weekend performances on Saturday and Sunday at 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 4:30 p.m.
Next, there are two big ice skating rinks, starting with the LA Kings Holiday Ice at L.A. LIVE, which closes tomorrow (New Year’s Eve). Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for kids, seniors, and military. Hours for these last couple of days are 4 p.m. – midnight (4 sessions).
The second place to get your skates on is the Holiday Ice Skating Rink in DTLA’s Pershing Square, which runs through Jan 7. Skate rentals are included in admission ($20 per hour). Lockers and skating aids for the kiddos are $5 extra. Rink opens at 11:30 a.m. daily; closing times vary. And, yes, it will be open on both New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Next, the L.A. Zoo Lights: Animals Aglow also runs through January 7. Ticket prices vary depending on day of the week, so check the website for deets (and see the Buzz’s cool photos here).
Closing a bit earlier, on January 2, is the Lightscape at the L.A. County Arboretum. Tickets range from $29-$35 and $14-$18 for kids (under 3 are free).
And finally the Descanso Gardens Enchanted Forest of Light will also run through January 7. Advance tickets are required for entry and will NOT be sold on-site. Entry times start at 5:30 p.m. and end at 8:30 p.m. Gardens close at 10 p.m. Tickets are $35-$45 for adults and $25-$30 for kids ages 2-12.
Community and Local Government
Local civic affairs will start to come back to life slowly this week. The Mid City West Neighborhood Council relaxes into the new year with the Film, Arts, and Recreation (FAR) committee virtual meeting on Tues, Jan 2 at 7 p.m., followed by a virtual Homeless Count Planning meeting on Wed, Jan 3 at 6:30 p.m. All in-person MCWNC meetings take place at the Pan Pacific Park Senior Center (lunch room) located at 141 S. Gardner St. Check Mid City’s website for Zoom links, agendas, and full calendar.
And I’ll leave you with a gentle reminder from last week.. being the wonderful Angelenos that you are, I’m sure you’d like to help end homelessness in LA, and now you can! The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) has opened registration for the 2024 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count (January 23, 24, and 25) and they need people like you to volunteer. The data collected is an essential component in understanding the scope and nature of homelessness in LA County and helps LAHSA and its partners deliver services where they are needed most. This year, the agency needs 8,000 volunteers to cover the entire Continuum of Care, and will mark the second year that Esri’s Homeless Point in Time App will be used, helping to make The Count as accurate as possible. Homelessness is a humanitarian crisis that truly takes the support of an entire community to end. Register to Volunteer here: TheyCountWillYou.org.
