LOS ANGELES, CA — There is always a lot going on in Los Angeles, and the perfect New Year’s Resolution for 2014 is to “Stay & Play In LA.” People travel from all over the world to visit the City of Angeles, and there are a great many new things going on in 2014.
The Broad Museum — Located near the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Museum of Contemporary Art, a new contemporary art museum will open in late 2014 to display an extensive collection of contemporary art amassed by billionaire philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad. A stunning honeycombed “veil” will wrap the three-story, 120,000-square-foot museum. General admission for the highly anticipated museum will be free to the general public. www.thebroad.org
The Tournament of Roses — All eyes will be on Los Angeles when the Tournament of Roses takes place in early 2014. The Tournament of Roses, America’s New Year Celebration for more than a century, will be highlighted by the spectacular Rose Parade and “the Grandaddy of Them All,” the Rose Bowl Game. Beginning with the BCS Selection Sunday Party, to the pre-bowl game tradition of Lawry’s Beef Bowl, and on New Year’s Day, the Rose Parade and then the college football classic, the Tournament of Roses is a festival of flowers, music and sports unequaled anywhere in the world. The 2014 Rose Bowl is the site of the BCS National Championship Game, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary. On Jan. 6, 2014, the top two college football teams in the country will face each other to determine the NCAA national champion, a title game that will take place for the final time before a new, four-team playoff format begins in 2015.
CicLAvia and Car Free LA — Los Angeles celebrates its car-free community multiple times a year with CicLAvia, the largest open streets event in the world. CicLAvia closes down select streets to car traffic making the roads free and clear for people to walk, skate, play and bike. In 2014, CicLAvia, which draws over 100,000 participants, is planning four events to take place in April, July, December and October. Can’t make one of the events? Enjoy Car Free LA any day of the year with a series of self-guided tour options to see the sights in LA by walking, biking or taking the Metro. www.discoverLosAngeles.com/CarFreeLA.
DineLA’s Winter Restaurant Week — One of the country’s largest dining events, dineLA’s Restaurant Week, returns January 20-31, 2014. Travelers and locals are invited to eat their hearts out with returning favorites like BLD, Bouchon, Night + Market, Cleo, Mo-chica and many more restaurants offering three course prix-fixe menus starting at $15 for lunch and $25 for dinner. www.discoverLosAngeles.com/dineLA.
Museum of Neon Light — The Museum of Neon Art (MONA) has closed its Downtown location to prepare for its move to a larger location on Brand Boulevard, opening in 2014 across from the Americana at Brand in Glendale (a suburb of Greater Los Angeles). Designed by the Shimoda Design Group, the 10,000-square-foot museum houses a permanent collection of more than 50 vintage neon signs, rotating exhibition spaces and a neon fabricating facility, as well as a café and gift shop. MONA’s new permanent home is intended to fulfill the Museum’s mission of “preserving, collecting, exhibiting and interpreting neon art” under one roof. www.neonmona.org
The Wende Museum — The Wende Museum will open its collection, including 10 pieces of the Berlin Wall, in a newer, larger location in Culver City in 2014. The collections of the Wende Museum concentrate on preservation of cultural, political artifacts and documentary materials that are at-risk or are critical to scholarly investigation, and personal artifacts and histories of the Cold War. www.wendemuseum.org
Made in LA Biennial Exhibition at the Hammer Museum — Summer 2014 will see the second Made in LA Biennial Exhibition at the Hammer Museum. The exhibition will feature works by artists from the L.A. region, with an emphasis on emerging and under-recognized artists, and will debut new installations, videos, films, sculptures, performances, and paintings produced for the biennial. Made in LA will offer a snapshot of the current trends and practices coming out of Los Angeles, one of the most active and energetic art communities worldwide. The biennial exhibition returns in the first year of The Hammer Museum’s free admission offer. www.hammer.ucla.edu