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Your quick guide to L.A.’s first-ever ‘Climate Week’ and its city-wide festivities

People gather in a lush park with the Los Angeles city skyline in the background.
The inaugural Los Angeles Climate Week begins on Sunday, Sept. 8.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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From hikes to sustainable cocktails to comedy shows, events addressing climate change are set to pop up around L.A. from Sept. 8 to Sept. 15 as part of the city’s inaugural Climate Week.

Inspired by New York’s Climate Week NYC (which has been described as “Burning Man for climate geeks”), organizers hope the mix of fun and flashy events with more serious policy-focused discussions will encourage Angelenos to get involved in climate action and connect them with leaders.

“The climate and sustainability spaces operate in echo chambers,” said JC Arce, co-executive director of the nonprofit organizing L.A. Climate Week, the Collidescope Foundation. “The real impact is reaching that broader audience.”

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Many of the big names in L.A.’s climate activism scene are on the speaker list, including vice and deputy mayors, a White House advisor and even musician Billie Eilish’s mom, Maggie Baird, who founded a nonprofit focused on food insecurity and climate change in 2020.

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With more than 100 events spanning eight days, here’s everything to know about Los Angeles Climate Week 2024:

How to participate

At least 5,000 people are expected to attend the festivities across the city. All the events are open to the public, and most are free.

“We want to be able to reach as many people as possible,” said Samantha Lau, an ambassador for the nonprofit organization Plant Based Treaty, which is hosting nine events. “There is an event for everybody.”

Lau hopes the week will mobilize Angelenos. “You have nothing to lose by just checking us out,” she said. “All the events created are for the community, by the community.”

Registration for events is available through the L.A. Climate Week website.

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What to expect

L.A. Climate Week wants to cut the fatalism that often surrounds the subject of climate change with fun and exciting experiences.

On Wednesday, a group of comics hosts a climate change-themed stand-up show.

Skylar King, who’s performing at the show, said she had a week of long conversations with her fellow performers on how to joke about climate change without desensitizing people to the seriousness of the topic.

“There were some reservations about how we could make this a space that talks about such a serious and depressing subject matter while also serving the purpose of it being a comedy show,” said King.

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After Climate Week

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Organizers want the impact of L.A. Climate Week to last more than a week. They’re aiming to build a coalition of climate-concerned people who, they hope, will inspire meaningful action.

New York’s version of the event has faced criticism for allowing companies to virtue-signal about sustainability.

L.A. Climate Week leadership is trying to draw a contrast. They plan to focus on building meaningful connections in local communities and with nonprofits and continue their work year-round.

“L.A. Climate Week is amazing, it’s exciting,” said Arce, “but there’s so much more work that we’re doing throughout this upcoming year.”

Notable events

Sunday, Sept. 8, from 5 to 10 p.m. in the Arts District: Opening ceremony with a green carpet, a trippy black-hole simulation and a vegan buffet ($50)

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Monday, Sept. 9 at 5:30 p.m. in West Hollywood: Climate action town hall.

Monday, Sept. 9, at 6:30 p.m. in Santa Monica: Casual few-mile run along the beach

Tuesday, Sept. 10, at 6 p.m. in Highland Park: Presidential debate watch party

Tuesday, Sept. 10, at 6 p.m. in the Arts District: Sustainable fashion show

Wednesday, Sept. 11, at 7 and 9 p.m. in Hollywood: Laugh for the Planet comedy show, featuring Skylar King ($15 with two-drink minimum)

Thursday, Sept. 12, from 3 to 7 p.m. in Culver City: Climate art gallery

Thursday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m. in East Hollywood: 5K climate run with free soft serve at the end

Saturday, Sept. 14, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Arts District: Clean energy expo and sustainable business market

Saturday, Sept. 14 at 11 a.m. in Santa Monica: Climate march for oceans

Saturday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. in Santa Monica: Climate Jeopardy at Patagonia

Sunday, Sept. 15 at 12:30 pm. in Malibu: Tide pool exploration with Heal the Bay

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