LA Auto Show
Through Dec. 1. Automakers rev up car buyers with their latest and greatest offerings at this annual show, held at the L.A. Convention Center. Ticket-stholders can check out more than 1,000 car makes and models, including more than 50 debuts, plus cutting-edge race cars and alternative fuel vehicles. $6–$12, under 13 free. Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 S. Figueroa St., downtown, 828.333.9403. laautoshow.com
Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty
Through Dec. 1. Tony Award-winning choreographer/director Matthew Bourne, along with his company New Adventures, returns to the Ahmanson Theatre with this timeless gothic romance. Perrault’s fairy tale about a young girl cursed to sleep for 100 years was turned into a legendary ballet by Tchaikovsky and choreographer Marius Petipa in 1890. Bourne takes this date as his starting point, setting the christening of Aurora, the story’s heroine, in the year of the ballet’s first performance at the height of the fin de siècle period when fairies, vampires and decadent opulence fed the gothic imagination. Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown, 213.628.2772. centertheatregroup.org
LA County Tree Lighting
Dec. 2. Usher in the holiday season in Los Angeles with the official lighting of L.A. County’s Holiday tree. Join host, Fritz Coleman, KNBC weatherman; County Supervisor Michael Antonovich; Burbank’s Providence High School Choir; area schoolchildren; The Music Center’s President and CEO Stephen D. Rountree and chamber music brass ensemble, Brass Pacifica, for a joyous event on The Music Center Plaza. 5 p.m. Free. Music Center Plaza, 135 N Grand Ave., downtown. musiccenter.org
Beyoncé
Dec. 3. Who runs the world? Possibly Billboard’s Top Female Artist of the 2000s, who, after a several-year touring hiatus, is back on the road with the Mrs. Carter Show World Tour. The Grammy Award–winning singer/actress/businesswoman/one-woman industry stops at Staples Center en route to world domination. L.A. Live, 1111 S. Figueroa St., downtown, 800.745.3000. staplescenter.com
KISS FM’s Jingle Ball
Dec. 6. Headliners of this heavy-hitting rockstar event, hosted by the radio station’s on-air personality, Ryan Seacrest, include Miley Cyrus, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Selena Gomez, Enrique Iglesias, Robin Thicke and more. The event kicks off with the KIIS FM Jingle Ball Village and public performances by Fifth Harmony, Bonnie McKee, New Politics and Travie McCoy, followed by meet-and-greets with fan favorites. 7:30 p.m. Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., downtown. staplescenter.com
Unique LA Holiday Show
Dec. 7-8. Largest indie design show in the country features wares from more than 350 designers and artists. Free workshops, cocktails and other beverages. 11 am–6 pm daily. $10, under 13 free. Parking $6. California Market Center, 110 E. 9th St., downtown. uniquela.com
Marina del Rey Boat Parade
Dec. 14. Festooned with twinkling lights and decorations, boats and yachts cruise their way through Marina del Rey for spectators’ pleasure. A fireworks show over the water starts the 50-year-old tradition with a bang. Fireworks, 5:55 pm; parade, 6–8 pm. Free. Burton Chace Park, 13650 Mindanao Way, Marina del Rey. mdrboatparade.org
Parfumerie
Through Dec. 22. The curtains are up at the long-awaited Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills. The debut theater production is Parfumerie, a romance set during the holidays in 1930s Budapest. Also featured: an exhibition on perfume, Timeless Scents: 1370–2013. Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310.746.4000. thewallis.org
L.A. County Holiday Celebration
Dec. 24. The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion downtown showcases the cultures of L.A. with holiday-inspired music and dance. More than 20 entertainment groups share their traditions in this free, Emmy Award–nominated show. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown, 213.972.3099. lacountyarts.org
Tournament of Roses
Dec. 28-Jan. 2. The world-famous Rose Parade in Pasadena features marching bands, equestrian units and an astonishing array of flower-bedecked floats; the Rose Bowl sees top college football teams go head to head at Rose Bowl Stadium, nearby the parade route. Dec. 28–Jan. 2. Float decorating, Bandfest, Equestfest, Rose Parade (Jan. 1, 8 am), Rose Bowl (Jan. 1, 2 pm). Free curbside viewing of parade on first-come, first-served basis; grandstand seats $50–$90 on sharpseating.com. Rose Bowl tickets start at $150 plus fees. Fees for other events vary. Rose Parade: Orange Grove, Colorado and Sierra Madre boulevards, Pasadena, 626.795.4171; Rose Bowl Stadium: Orange Grove Boulevard, Lida Street and Fair Oaks and Linda Vista avenues, Pasadena, 213.365.3675. tournamentofroses.com
NYE Voyage on the Queen Mary
Dec. 31. Be transported to the vibrant streets of India, carnival nights in Brazil, the extravagant Moulin Rouge in France and Times Square in New York before returning to the ship’s beginning in a village in Scotland, all while never leaving Long Beach. The sights, sounds and tastes will transform throughout the night, as the ship’s horn announces the arrival in a new Port of Call. Music, costumes, cocktails, food and activities will create the ultimate New Year’s Eve soiree with fireworks ushering in 2014. $99 for a Tourist Class boarding pass for general admission access; upgrades available for dinner, bottle service and New Year’s Day brunch. 21 and over. Reservations strongly recommended. 1126 Queens Hwy., Long Beach, 877.342.0738. queenmary.com
Carnival at the Hall: New Years Eve with Sergio Mendes and Sheila E.
Dec. 31. Celebrate the New Year with the tropical samba grooves of Sergio Mendes and the feisty percussion pop of Sheila E., plus Brazilian dancers. Performances at 7 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S Grand Ave., downtown. laphil.com
CHILL at the Queen Mary
Through Jan. 5. Witness the Queen Mary as it is overtaken by a deep freeze for the second annual Chill, bringing holiday cheer, enchantment and North Pole temperatures to families across sunny Southern California. See larger than life, hand carved ice sculptures that fill the 14,000 square-foot igloo called The Ice Kingdom, featuring scenes from The Nutcracker, such as life sized reproductions of Clara, the evil Mouse King, sugar plum fairies and the Nutcracker himself. Grab an oversized tube and race down one of the six slides standing two stories tall and 100-feet long and ice skate in the 6,000 square-foot ice skating rink. Enjoy a holiday village with gingerbread houses, holiday carolers and Santa. $29.95 for adults; $14.95 for children. Open Tu-Su through January 5. 1126 Queens Hwy., Long Beach, 800.437.2934. queenmary.com
Ice At Santa Monica
Nov. 1-Jan. 20. A Downtown Santa Monica turns winter wonderland with the arrival of the popular Santa Monica skating rink, back for its seventh year. The outdoor venue offers skate rentals, a snack bar and even a minirink for children younger than 7. M–Th 2–10 pm; F 2 pm–midnight; Sa 10 am–midnight; Su 10 am–10 pm. Admission, skate rental $12. 1324 5th St., Santa Monica, 310.461.8333. downtownsm.com/ice
The Magic Flute
Nov. 23, 30; Dec. 5, 8, 11, 13. LA Opera premieres a production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute that created a sensation at Berlin’s Komische Oper last season. Developed by British theater company 1927, the concept mixes live performance and music with elaborate pre-recorded animation and film projection at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion downtown. 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown, 213.972.7211. laopera.com
Après at the W Los Angeles – Westwood
Through January. Transport yourself to a Swiss ski chalet in the middle of Los Angeles at this winter-themed event at the W Los Angeles – Westwood. The poolside deck will be done up in winter chalet decor, complete with fire pits, s’mores and sweet and savory fondue stations. Sip on specialty Veuve champagne cocktails, strike a pose in the on-site photo booth, and play foosball on the Veuve table. The poolside Airstream bar will be serving cocktails including the Hot Apple Pie with apple cider and Tuaca with cinnamon sugar. 930 Hilgard Ave., L.A., 310.208.8765. wlosangeles.com