Oshogatsu Family Festival
Photograph: Courtesy Doug Mukai, Japanese American National Museum
Photograph: Courtesy Doug Mukai, Japanese American National Museum

Free things to do in Los Angeles this month

Make the most of your month without breaking into your wallet.

Gillian Glover
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The holidays are behind us, and we’re looking ahead to another exciting year in L.A. If one of your new year’s resolutions is to save money in 2026, we’ve got you covered. January is the perfect time to get outdoors and see the city from a new vantage point on a hike or take a two-wheeled trek on the city’s best bike trails. Between free Lunar New Year festivities and the city’s many free museum days and free attractions, here are some more ways to make the most of your month without breaking into your wallet.

The best free things to do in L.A. this month

  • Things to do
  • Markets and fairs
  • Downtown Arts District
  • Recommended

Every Sunday, you can find dozens of food vendors at this market at ROW DTLA, a Brooklyn import that boasts a mix of much-loved pop-ups and future foodie stars. Thirteen new vendors are joining the lineup this year: Feast on burgers and orange chicken sandwiches from Terrible Burger, Viennese street food from Franzl’s Franks, Neapolitan-meets-Persian pies from Mamani Pizza, plant-based corn dogs from Stick Talk and more. Wash it all down at the family-friendly beer garden. You’ll also find shopping stalls selling everything from framed vintage ads to jewelry made locally with ethically sourced gemstones. Entry and the first two hours of parking are free.

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  • Museums
  • Science and technology
  • USC/Exposition Park

The California Science Center is inviting kids to get in the game with a new 17,000-square-foot exhibition about the power of play and the human body in motion. Besides teaching about the science behind sports, it also offers interactive challenges and video coaching from a team of Los Angeles-based mentor athletes including dancer Debbie Allen, the Dodgers’ World Series hero Freddie Freeman, Olympic medalist softball player Rachel Garcia and more. And for the first time ever, the center has commissioned public art—all by local artists—to complement the exhibition, including a Dodgers mural by Gustavo Zermeño Jr. The free exhibition will run at the Science Center through the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

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