The La Jolla Light presents this continuing listing of local in-person events and online activities.
Lectures & learning
• The La Jolla Community Center hosts a series of presentations by movie expert Lori Homes about “Musicals Through the Decades” on Thursdays beginning Jan. 8 at 6811 La Jolla Blvd. as part of the Peer Learning Collaborative. The movies will be viewed outside of class and discussed in class from 3 to 4 p.m. The schedule is: Jan. 8, “Top Hat,” Jan. 15, “Singing in the Rain,” Jan. 22, “West Side Story,” and Jan. 29, “The Greatest Showman.” The series is free for Community Center members, $35 for non-members. Registration is required. ljcommunitycenter.org/plc
• The La Jolla Historical Society presents a walking tour of the Scripps-Gill Cultural Zone beginning at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 11, at 780 Prospect St. The tour of The Village will focus on the architectural collaborations of the early 20th century between philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps and architect Irving Gill in the design and construction of buildings such as the La Jolla Woman’s Club and La Jolla Recreation Center. lajollahistory.org/walking-tours
• A public lecture organized by the 21st Century China Center at the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy will discuss “Exam Empire: How Exams Have Shaped Chinese Society and Politics” from 4 to 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15, at the School of Global Policy and Strategy’s Robinson Building 3, Room 3106, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla. Speaker Ruixue Jia, a professor of economics in the School of Global Policy and Strategy and co-director of the China Data Lab at the 21st Century China Center, will trace China’s exam system from its imperial roots to today and how it shapes opportunity, values and U.S.-China dynamics. Free, though registration is required. bit.ly/3KV0WX7
• Wildlife biologist Doug Smith speaks on the “Wild Wolves of Yellowstone” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15, at the Baker-Baum Concert Hall, 7600 Fay Ave., La Jolla. $36-$56. theconrad.org/events/doug-smith-wild-wolves
• The La Jolla Garden Club presents “Where Wonder, Beauty and Mother Nature’s Imagination Grow Wild,” with club member Stanya Owen, a former board member of Lotusland in Montecito, sharing stories about the renowned botanical garden beginning at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20, at the La Jolla Woman’s Club, 7791 Draper Ave. lajollagardenclub.org/next-meeting
• Retired Navy Vice Adm. Charles Martoglio speaks about “America’s Security in an Era of Confrontation, Conflict and Uncertainty” during the Republican Women of California — La Jolla meeting at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 22. $50, including lunch. Register by Friday, Jan. 16, to receive the address. 858-293-3296, email skipandtoby@yahoo.com
Health & fitness
• Saturday Morning Walkers, presented by the La Jolla Newcomers Club, meets at 9:30 a.m. Jan. 10 for a one-hour walk beginning on the front lawn of the La Jolla Recreation Center, 615 Prospect St. The walk will cover the Virginia Way and High Street areas of The Village. Afterward, those who are interested will go for coffee. lajollanewcomers.org
• The La Jolla Newcomers Club presents the wellness and self-care workshop “Stop. Reset. Go.” from 10 a.m. to noon Thursday, Jan. 15, at the La Jolla Community Center, 6811 La Jolla Blvd. Free, though registration is required. lajollanewcomers.org
• Hema Crockett, the founder of Recalibrate Coaching who works with women navigating burnout, reinvention and major life transitions, presents “Choice Point: The Courage to Change” beginning at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15, at Lavande Wellness Boutique, 5544 La Jolla Blvd., La Jolla. The event will include a panel discussion featuring Lavande founder Krystia Rae and Kim Bauman, founder of One Love Movement. $45. bit.ly/49Fzaaq
Art & film
• “Double Bill: The Art of Manny Farber and Patricia Patterson” runs through Sunday, Feb. 1, at the La Jolla Historical Society’s Wisteria Cottage gallery, 780 Prospect St. It features paintings, sketches, photographs and excerpts from never-before-seen interviews. Free. lajollahistory.org/current-and-upcoming
• The Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center hosts a San Diego International Jewish Film Festival Sneak Peek Day from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 11, in the Garfield Theatre, 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla. Trailers of films selected for the festival will be shown. Free. my.lfjcc.org/15701/15702
• The art exhibit “Color It Contemporary” runs through Saturday, Jan. 17, at the La Jolla/Riford Library, 7555 Draper Ave. The show features the work of Grant Pecoff, Mona Ray, Sally Samins and Kelly Villasenor. Free. 858-552-1657
• The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library hosts the art exhibition “Nolan Oswald Dennis: Demonstrations (i)” through Saturday, Jan. 17, at 1008 Wall St., La Jolla. ljathenaeum.org/events/exhibition-2025-insite
• “A Decade of Pop Prints and Multiples, 1962 to 1972: The Frank Mitzel Collection” runs through Sunday, March 15, at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, 700 Prospect St., La Jolla. The exhibit marks the public debut of Mitzel’s gift to the museum of more than 60 pop art prints he collected over three decades. It includes works by Peter Blake, Richard Hamilton, Gerald Laing, Joe Tilson and more. mcasd.org
Music & dance
• The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library and San Diego New Music present “Mythography,” the 18th annual SoundOn Festival, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Jan. 8-10, at 1008 Wall St., La Jolla. The lineup includes: Jan. 8, “Liebestod — Myths of Love and Death,” world premieres by Alyssa Aska and Franklin Cox and music by Chaya Czernowin, Alexandra Gardner, Zosha DiCastri and Benjamin Britten; Jan. 9, “Body and Soul — Memory, Contemplation and Expectation,” world premiere by Sidney Marquez Boquiren and music by Michael Gordon, David Lang, Vicky Ray and Michael Jarrell; Jan. 10, “Mythologies — Searching for and Seeing Ourselves,” world premieres by Juan Campoverde Q., Lukas Schulze and Sidney Marquez Boquiren and music by Yu-hui Chang and Salvatore Sciarrino. Performers will include the Noise ensemble and guests Stephanie Aston, Leslie Ann Leytham, Wesley Fowler and Matt Kline. $32-$89 for the series, $12-$32 per concert. ljathenaeum.org/events/soundon-2026-series
• Musician Dean Ratzman performs jazz, ’60s, ’70s, rock and soul hits by American artists at 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, in the Community Room of the La Jolla/Riford Library, 7555 Draper Ave. Free. sandiego.librarymarket.com/event/swingin-dean-concert-488157
• Le Salon de Musiques presents a classical concert featuring violinist Martin Chalifour, soprano Anna Schubert and others performing music by Liszt, Hiller and Fanny Mendelssohn beginning at 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 11, at the La Jolla Woman’s Club, 7791 Draper Ave. The show will be introduced by musicologist Adam Gilbert and followed by a Q&A with the artists and a high tea buffet with French champagne. $69-$120. lesalondemusiques.com
• Art of Elan presents “Sounds & Swells” at 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 11, at The JAI at the Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, 7600 Fay Ave., La Jolla. The show will feature surfing footage with live classical music played by the Hausmann Quartet. An artist talk will be held at 6:15 p.m. $38. theconrad.org/events/sounds-swells
• The La Jolla Music Society presents a slate of activities surrounding the presentation of “Cotton,” in partnership with the San Diego Opera. “Cotton” is a multimedia song cycle of poems by prominent American poets set to music by Damian Geter, featuring the photography of John Dowell and performed by opera singers J’Nai Bridges and Justin Austin. A free panel discussion on the show’s creation will be held from 2 to 3 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15, at The JAI at the Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, 7600 Fay Ave., La Jolla. “Cotton” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 16, at The Conrad’s Baker-Baum Concert Hall ($78-$118). Austin will present a free vocal master class from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, at The JAI. theconrad.org/events/cotton
• La Jolla-based Bodhi Tree Concerts presents the world premiere of “Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote,” a bilingual Spanish/English chamber opera composed by Pulitzer Prize-winning UC San Diego music professor Anthony Davis, at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, and 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 18, at the Southwestern College Performing Arts Center in Chula Vista and 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31, at Casa de Cultura in Tijuana. The production is based on the book of the same name by Mexican American author and illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh. General admission for the Chula Vista performances is $40-$75. Tickets for the Tijuana performance will be available soon. panchorabbit.org
• La Jolla High School graduate Ben Jimenez and Bishop’s School grad Joseph Aguilar, members of the Yale Whiffenpoofs, America’s oldest collegiate a cappella group, will perform in concert with other group members at 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 18, at All Souls’ Episcopal Church, 1475 Catalina Blvd., Point Loma. $17-$53. bit.ly/4jjTRvT
Sunny Jain’s Wild Wild East will play Sunday, Jan. 18, at The JAI in La Jolla. (La Jolla Music Society)
• The La Jolla Music Society presents Sunny Jain’s Wild Wild East playing Punjabi folk, jazz and rock music at 5 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 18, at The JAI at the Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, 7600 Fay Ave. $60-$65. theconrad.org/events/sunny-jains-wild-wild-east
• The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library presents its Athenaeum Jazz Winter Series with five concerts in La Jolla beginning Tuesday, Jan. 20. The schedule is: 7:30 p.m. Jan. 20: Hamilton de Holanda Trio, Scripps Research Auditorium, 10620 John Jay Hopkins Drive; 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28, Paul Cornish Trio, Athenaeum’s Joan & Irwin Jacobs Music Room, 1008 Wall St.; 6 and 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14, Anat Cohen, with Quartetinho, Athenaeum; 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 18, Tord Gustavsen Trio, Athenaeum; 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 23, Immanuel Wilkins Quartet, Athenaeum. $247 for the series for Athenaeum members, $273 for non-members; $53 per individual concert for members, $58 for non-members. 858-454-5872, ljathenaeum.org/jazz
• Pianists Lucas and Arthur Jussen play music by Mozart, Schumann, Widmann, Debussy and Rachmaninoff at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22, at the Baker-Baum Concert Hall, 7600 Fay Ave., La Jolla. Sold out, but a waiting list is available. theconrad.org/events/lucas-and-arthur-jussen
• San Diego Baroque presents its 2025-26 Bach’s Lunch Concert Series at 12:30 p.m. the first Wednesday of each month, except January, through May 6 at St. James by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, 743 Prospect St., La Jolla. Upcoming performances are: Feb. 4, Handel and Scarlatti vocal works; March 4, French baroque; April 1, Vivaldi Stabat Mater; May 6, works based on Shakespeare and Cervantes. Free. sdbaroque.com
Books
• La Jolla hairstylist Jonathan Berrebi signs copies of his book “Styles Beyond Borders: The True Story of a French Celebrity Hair Stylist’s Rise in America” from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, at his salon at 909 Prospect St. Refreshments will be served. 858-999-0190, email jonathanlesalon@gmail.com, jonathanlesalon.com
• Local resident Richard Ulevitch discusses his book “A Taste of Beauty: Spoons of Africa” from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 18, at Warwick’s bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. Free. warwicks.com/event/ulevitch-2026
Gabriella Saab will discuss her book “The Star Society” on Tuesday, Jan. 20, online. (Warwick’s)
• Author Gabriella Saab discusses her book “The Star Society” in conversation with Rachel McMillan at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20, in an online event presented by Warwick’s bookstore in La Jolla. Free, though registration is required. warwicks.com/event/saab-2026
Author Matthew Quirk will appear Wednesday, Jan. 21, at Warwick’s bookstore in La Jolla. (Warwick’s)
• Warwick’s bookstore hosts author Matthew Quirk as he discusses his book “The Method” at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 21, at 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. Free, or $32 for a reserved seat and book copy. warwicks.com/event/quirk-2026
Theater
• JCompany Youth Theatre presents the musical “Xanadu” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15, in the Garfield Theatre at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla. $22-$27. my.lfjcc.org/15622/15623
Galas & events
• The La Jolla/Riford Library hosts “Remember Us the Holocaust,” or “RUTH,” an exhibit that features stories of Holocaust survivors living in San Diego County and artifacts from the Holocaust and World War II, through June 28 at 7555 Draper Ave. Free. bit.ly/49TLiDr
The exhibit’s Speaker Series will feature representatives of The Butterfly Project from 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13, in the Community Room at the library. The project honors Holocaust victims through educational efforts and creating ceramic memorial butterflies. Free. bit.ly/4p4Bw7f
Do you have an event — online or in person — that you’d like to see here? Email your leads to Rob Vardon at robert.vardon@lajollalight.com by noon Friday for publication in the following week’s edition. ♦