It’s the weekend before Halloween and it’s finally starting to feel like fall. The pumpkins need carving, candy bowls need filling and costumes need their final touch, but all of that can wait. This weekend’s filled with events to kick-start the holiday, including Cumbiatón’s Nightmare on York Blvd, Mayan Warrior’s EDM party and hip-hop legends Cypress Hill’s annual Haunted Hill tour. If Halloween’s not your thing, Chicana muralist Judy Baca starts her residency at LACMA, where she’s adding on to her iconic “Great Wall of Los Angeles,” the East L.A. Classic football game returns and Arroyo Fest is closing down seven miles of the 110 Freeway for car-free revelry. Get in your steps now and get down on Halloween candy later.
HALLOWEEN
Mayan Warrior Halloween Farewell: What began in 2012 as a renegade Burning Man art car has become one of electronica’s most successful touring brands to represent the Mexican dance music scene. The car, which resembled a supernatural Maya figure with a DJ booth, lasers and cutting-edge sound system, sadly burned down in the spring, but the party continues. The Mexico City-based project was founded by Pablo Vargas, and in 2018 the crew teamed up with local event collective Stranger Than for a series of parties off “the playa” that took them to Grand Park, El Pueblo de Los Angeles, Cabrillo Beach and the Petersen Automotive Museum. They return to the park where their L.A. pop-ups started for a special Halloween fundraiser with proceeds going toward rebuilding their car for Burning Man 2024.
When: 5 p.m. Saturday
Where: Grand Park, 200 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles
Admission: Tickets start at $91.67
Cumbiatón Nightmare on York Blvd: Boyle Heights-born collective Cumbiatón brings its signature style of celebrating the Afro-Indigenous sounds of cumbia by centering queer and trans people of color to this Halloween-themed pachanga. Friends Zacil Pech and Normz La Oaxaqueña started throwing parties in 2017 as an outlet for their immigrant rights uprising fueled by Donald Trump’s presidency. Expect a tropical mix of salsa, merengue and cumbia with hip-hop, banda and reggaeton by L.A.-born, Bay Area-based headliner DJ Nono and residents Jocelín and Sizzle. Nacho Daddy will be doing his drag king thing.
When: 10 p.m. Saturday
Where: Nativo, 5137 York Blvd., Highland Park
Admission: Presale tickets $10, $20 at the door
Looking for a playlist for the ‘espooky’ season? De Los head bruja (and cultural columnist) Suzy Exposito has you covered with 15 spanking new songs and haunting hits by Latinx artists.
Cypress Hill Haunted Hill 2023: The legendary hip-hop band that hails from South Gate is back with its annual Halloween tour, which started on the East Coast nearly 30 years ago and spread to the West Coast. Expect a serious contact high as concertgoers come in costume and B-Real, Sen Dog and Eric Bobo take you on a trip down 35 years of their musical career. Sacramento punk band Trash Talk and South Jamaica Queens hardcore hip-hop band Onyx open the night.
When: 8 p.m. Saturday
Where: The Novo, W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles
Admission: Tickets start at $45
MUSIC
Julieta Venegas in concert: The Long Beach-born, Tijuana-raised indie rock/pop star returns to the stage with a musical tour that brings her to Southern California. Starting Monday, the Latin Grammy winner will delight her fans with shows in Oxnard, Rancho Mirage and two nights in Los Angeles. Expect to hear her songs from her 2022 album, “Tu historia,” her first in seven years, as well as classics like “Andar Conmigo” and “Algo está cambiando.”
8 p.m. Friday
Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage, 32-250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
8 p.m. Monday
Oxnard Performing Arts Center 800 Hobson Way, Oxnard, CA 93030
8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday
Luckman Fine Arts Complex at Cal State L.A., 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032
Admission: From $69
Eladio Carrión at Hollywood Palladium: The Latin trap and reggaeton artist who quit a promising career as a swimmer for music was born in Kansas City and lived all over the U.S. before moving to his parents’ native Puerto Rico. It was here that his love for the genre grew and in 2020 he released his debut album, “Sauce Boyz,” on indie label Rimas, sharing a platform with megastar Bad Bunny. His single “Kemba Walker,” about the professional basketball player of the same name, features the fellow sultry-voiced rapper and singer who jumped on the track after commenting on a sneak peak about it on Instagram.
When: 7 p.m. Saturday
Where: Hollywood Palladium, 6215 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles
Admission: Tickets start at $59.50
Ask any local to define the neighborhood and they’ll tell you it’s the ‘real Eastside.’
ART, THEATER & FILM
East L.A. Film Fest: From the “hood to Hollywood” is their slogan, but their mission is much deeper. Founded by filmmaker and photographer Juan Escobedo, The East LA Society of Film and Arts (TELASOFA) educates and mentors youth on filmmaking and promotes local film projects at this annual fest. This year’s festivities include a costume and lowrider procession and film screenings of “Punk Is Punk,” “El Paisa,” “El Campo,” “Killer Oldies” and more.
When: 2 to 9 p.m. Saturday
Where: East L.A. Civic Center, 4801 E. 3rd St., Los Angeles
Admission: Donations accepted
Painting in the River of Angels: In her first solo show at LACMA, renowned Chicana artist Judy Baca expands on the iconic “Great Wall of Los Angeles” mural she and 400 youth and artists painted on the Tujunga Wash from 1976 to 1983. Guests get to see the artist and her SPARC team in action as they paint new sections of the mural, which depicts the plight of Black people in South L.A., Chicanos in East L.A., Filipinos in Echo Park and Japanese in Little Tokyo. Scenes from the East L.A. walkouts, farmworkers movement, Watts rebellion and renaissance and Black Panther organizing will be painted during museum hours at an exhibit that will be permanently added to the existing 2,754-foot-long “Great Wall.”
When: Opens 11a.m. Thursday through June 2, 2024
Where: LACMA, Resnick Pavilion, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles
Admission: Tickets
La Vida Es Sueño: Spanish Golden Age playwright Pedro Calderón de la Barca’s masterpiece is revived on stage in a play celebrating the 50th anniversary of Bilingual Foundation of the Arts (BFA). Directed by “Batman” voice actor and Spanish instructor Liane Schirmer, the play dives into a labyrinth of dreams and explores the thin line between reality and illusion. BFA was founded in 1973 by the late Mexican American actor Carmen Zapata and Cuban-born actor, playwright and director Margarita Galban. Today, the foundation continues to produce Spanish-language theater with English subtitles for diverse audiences.
When: 8 p.m. Fridays, 4 p.m. & 8 p.m. Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays through Nov. 5
Where: Plaza de la Raza, Margo Albert Theatre, 3540 N. Mission Road, Los Angeles
Admission: Tickets start at $35
GET OUTSIDE
East L.A. Classic: Since 1926, high school rivals Roosevelt Roughriders and Garfield Bulldogs have played against each other in a football game that centers on Eastside pride and bragging rights. Last year, Garfield brought home the win in a game held at the L.A. Coliseum, which drew 45,000 fans and featured a halftime show by the Black Eyed Peas. This year, the teams go back to their roots, playing at East L.A. College’s Weingart Stadium, where girls flag football kicks off at 1:50 p.m., JV football kicks off at 4 p.m. and the main event starts at 7:35 p.m. Garfield is the big contender with an 8-1 standing, while Roosevelt is 4-5. As always, it’s anyone’s game.
When: 7:35 p.m. Friday
Where: East L.A. College, 1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez, Monterey Park
Admission: Tickets can be purchased at Roosevelt or Garfield
626 Golden Streets Arroyo Fest: If you’ve ever wondered what it’d be like to roam a car-less freeway, now’s your chance. On Sunday, the 110 shuts down from Lincoln Heights to Pasadena for seven miles of car-free lanes open to all forms of active transportation. Golden Streets allows you to access the event route via any on- or off-ramp between Avenue 26 and Glenarm Avenue. Southbound lanes will be reserved for pedestrians, including walkers, runners, wheelchair users and small children, and northbound lanes will be reserved for people using wheeled devices, including bikes, skates, scooters and skateboards. Hubs with live entertainment, activity booths, food, restrooms and water bottle refill stations pop up at Lacy Street Neighborhood Park in Lincoln Heights, Sycamore Grove Park in Highland Park (in conjunction with Lummis Day) and Mission Street in South Pasadena.
When: 7 to 11 a.m. Sunday
Where: Check out the map here
Admission: Free
The holiday is an opportunity to spend time with the memories of those who came before us, and celebrate life.
DÍA DE MUERTOS
Hollywood Forever Día y Noche de Los Muertos: Sisters Deisy and Adela Marquez started this Día de Muertos event in 1999 and today it’s become one of the biggest festivals of its kind with an expansive lineup of musical acts and activities. The all-day celebration features fun for the whole family from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a children’s plaza, altars, vendors and performances by regional Mexican artist DannyLux and local soulful songstress Irene Diaz. The 21 and over portion kicks off at 5 p.m. with similar programming minus the kids’ corner and acts like Colombian electro cumbia band Bomba Estéreo and Mexican singer-songwriter Bratty. Both day and night events feature L.A. Taco-curated taqueros including L.A. Times Restaurant of the Year Holbox. Plus, Evil Cooks, Bom Bom Bake House and Angelenos Wood Fired Pizza.
When: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. & 5 p.m. to midnight
Where: Hollywood Forever Cemetery, 6000 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles
Admission: Tickets start at $35
Hecho Con Amor: In anticipation of its upcoming exhibition, “Festin de Sabores,” an intimate dive into the complexity of Mexican cuisine, the Museum of Latin American Art hosts its annual Day of the Dead family festival with food in mind. DJ Caveman will be spinning everything from oldies and new wave to house and hip-hop in between performances by folklorico groups Neiya Arts, Nueva Antequer and El Salvador’s ASOSAL and Danza Azteca Xochipilli. A Catrina costume contest with a $500 grand prize attracts all the makeup enthusiasts, and face painting, printmaking and sugar skull making keep kiddos entertained. Food vendors include Mama’s Tamales, the Quesadilla Calling, Zook’s Kitchen, the Banana Pudding Lady and Juice & Merch.
When: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday
Where: MOLAA, 628 Alamitos Ave., Long Beach
Admission: Free
Here’s your guide for events in L.A. and O.C. counties that are bringing the community together to celebrate Día de Muertos.
Mercado La Paloma: What better place to celebrate Día de Muertos than this South L.A. food hall where L.A. hot spot Holbox is housed? The garment factory-turned-vibrant community gathering space hosts a festival with performances by Mixe soprano Maria Reyna, Maestro Joaquín Garzón, Iztec Cuauhtly, Nueva Antequera and Los Elegidos de Asís. Workshops include alebrije and altarpiece painting, flower crown making, face painting, altar exhibit, storytelling and more.
When: Noon to 4:30 p.m. Sunday
Where: Mercado La Paloma, 3655 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles
Admission: Free
L.A. is too big for us to know about all the events happening this weekend. If we missed something you think we should know about, let us know.
Kamren Curiel is a fourth-generation Xicana born in East L.A. and raised in Monterey Park and South San Gabriel. She’s written for the Los Angeles Times, L.A. Taco, Latina magazine, LAist, KCET, Alta and the Huffington Post, and was the senior editor at Remezcla and Sí TV.
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