GTFO in January 2020! Here Is Our First L.A. Taco Event Guide of the Year

[dropcap size=big]H[/dropcap]ow is it 2020, isn’t that like a future year or something? This January, skip out on the trendy diets this year, and maybe make your new decade new me resolution to go out more. Let GTFO be your official guide to get out of the house and find fun, community, or a hobby! 

There’s something for everyone here, A Hip Hop Open Mic, Free Museum Day, Dancing, Book Club. and so much more!

SELA Hip Hop - Open Mic - $10-$12 - Jan 9th & 25th 

I went to a SELA Hip Hop event on a whim with a friend last month after the POC Media Mixer last month, it was fun. SELA Hip Hop provides space for folks living in southeast Los Angeles to perform and listen to live Hip Hop. If you want to hear locals rap their best lines or simply test out a few of your own, go! The space is chill, lowkey, and welcoming. The first show of the year will be at the Penthouse Lounge  and the second will be at Pacifico Cantina. Get more details here.  

MOCA Free Admission day - Free - Jan 11th

Have you been dying to go on a museum day with a friend, family member, or that special someone, but the holidays left you kinda broke? Both MOCA locations are free Saturday, January 11th. There will be screenings, art-making, workshops, sidewalk sales and of course, food trucks. This was made possible with a $10 million dollar gift by Carolyn Clark Powers, it’s kinda nice when rich people pay it forward, I guess. Get more deets here.

The Rock and Roll Flea Market - Free - Jan 11th

Everything is better when enhanced with a good ol’ electric guitar solo, especially vintagey things. Then this might be the spot for you. The Rock and Roll Flea Market has 40 rotating vendors selling vinyl, vintage goods, and food. There will be DJs and a boozy bingo where the winner gets free concert tickets, which for the record that is the only kind of bingo I wanna play. For all of you rockers with kids, it’s kid-friendly, so take your lifelong headbanger. Get more details here.

Rose Bowl Flea Market - $9 entry - Jan. 12th

If Rock and Roll isn’t your jam, go to the Rose Bowl Flea Market. There is a huge selection of lightly used clothing, cute furniture, and crafts. There’s a vendor that sells a mean breakfast burrito that basically cured my hangover last year between the clothing and vintage furniture section. It was a cute time, I looked around, smelled a bunch of scented candles, and ended up hanging out around the vintage record players which were in joyfully bursting with ragtime music. Get tickets and details here.

First Smorgasburg LA of 2020 - Free -  Jan. 12th

Where else can you go try Peruvian tacos, Halal Desi street food , tlayudas, and wash it all down with some micheladas? Smorgasborg, duh. The weekly free festival of all things mouthwatering and delicious is back and with new vendors; Burmese Please, Los Cochinitos, DCF Ghost Kitchen, Chinese Laundry, and Hello Paratta, and Mano Po. And, there will also be Latinx DJ’s spinning some great records. Parking is plentiful and the first hour is free. Get More details here. 

Queer Poetry Reading - Jan 16th - Free

Join the Influx Collective for their monthly queer poetry night. Influx creates a platform for Los Angeles based queer creators and queer content. If you want to hear stories that connect to your own as an LGBTQIA+ person, this is the spot to be. Influx is kicking off the year by featuring poets Gina Ali, Kata Garcia, P. Martín López, and Dare Williams. This event will be held at the Exposition Library. Get more details here. 

Mujeres Brew Club - Jan 18th - $10

Craft beer circles can often feel bro-y, but there are spaces that are more femme friendly, and the Mujeres Brew Club is one of them. Originally starting at the Border X’s Barrio Logan location, this wonderful event is now happening at the Bell location. The Mujeres Brew Club is a monthly series that aims to educate and empower women with info on the growing craft beer industry, finding opportunities and craft beer basics. Esthela Davila, who grew up in Barrio Logan and hosts a fabulous podcast about craft beer, will be hosting this event. Esthela is kicking off 2020 with a talk about the history of craft beer. RSVP comes with MBC merch, I think? Border X Bell is a great brewery, I personally really liked the Blood Saison, which is basically a jamaica (hibiscus) brew. I grew up around the area if you want a bite to eat before or after, I would go to Yaya’s Burgers down the street, which is famous for having basically any torta you’d ever want (my fave being the #4). If you can’t make it to this event, there will be others for the next five months. Get more details here.

Alivio Open Mic 6th Anniversary - Jan 24th

Alivio Open Mic returns this year for the 6th year in a row. I’ve gone a couple of times, and it’s one of my favorite events. A community-oriented space for southeast L.A. by SELA residents. There will also be delicious food, art, and really cute jewelry sold by 14+ local vendors, so support local artists. I tried tajin caramel apples for the first time here, my mind was blown. As always, the open mic will be held in a garage (I promise it’s way bigger than it sounds). Share your story and art on stage, or show love to the community. Get more details here.  

Corazon De Sur Central - $5 Donation suggested - Open Mic Jan 25th 

There’s also an open mic happening in South Central. Corazon De Sur Central provides a safe space for folks to “let their soul speak,” promotes healing through art, and uplifts community-oriented artists. So bring that poem you always wanted to share, perform that song, or listen to the talented folks around you. There will also be vendors selling clothing, jewelry, art, and food! Get more deets here.

Brews and Brushes - $30 - Jan 30th 

Ever thought about trying sip and paint but didn’t go because you don’t like wine or didn’t like the vibe? You’re in luck, Brewjería is home of some truly amazing craft beers and is hosting a Brews and Brushes event. Participants will be guided step by step to paint “La Sirena” by Yasmin CB. Each lesson comes with a free pour of beer. Take a homegirl and go paint and enjoy a nice beer. It’s from 7-9 PM on Thursday at Brewjería and get more details here to RSVP. 

Junior High Book Club - Free - Jan 30th 

Is your 2020 resolution to read more books (it should be!)? The Junior High Book Club is starting a month book club, which features work by women, non-binary people, and people of color. During this very first meeting, “Taína” by Ernesto Quiñonez will be discussed. Lina Abascal will be hosting this event. Everyone is welcome, but priority speaking time will be given to non-binary people and women (and if you have an issue with that, I’m sure there are other book clubs discussing Thoreau or Hemingway somewhere). Get more details here.  

Bilingual Yoga - $5 - Ongoing

Been wanting to try yoga but the prices are wack, or the nearest studio is far with no parking, or maybe you or the homie prefers Spanish? Bilingual Yoga in the San Fernando Valley is a low cost, bilingual, and has ample parking. It takes place at the Everybody LA Gym on 1845 N San Fernando Road three times a week. The class is taught by Alex Rodriguez at 7 PM Monday, 7 PM Wednesday, and 12 PM Wednesday. Get more details here.

Cumbia Nights at La Cita  - Thursdays $8

Do you ever want to dance the night away on a Thursday night and not worry about dressing up too much? Go to La Cita on a Thursday night, they’ll be playing all kinds of cumbias from all over Latin America—I heard everything from Celso Piña to Selena to Los Mirlos last time I went. If you get self-conscious about dancing cumbia but really want to try it, La Cita’s fabulously barely lit dance floor is the place for you. It gets popping around 10:45 PM, with everyone so into the music and focused on having a good time that they won’t even notice your good ol’ two-step. I recommend this for a night out with friends or a cute date. Get more deets here.