UCLA PRESENTS THE BEST in arts and culture, community events, sports and entertainment. From fabulous film screenings and amazing art exhibitions, November has a number of experiences unlike any other. For more UCLA events, visit community.ucla.edu.
NOVEMBER 1–4
VOTE: Statewide Special Election at the Hammer
The Hammer Museum at UCLA is an official vote center for the statewide special election. You can cast your vote at any vote center regardless of where you live in Los Angeles. You can also drop off your mail-in ballot at the site. The early voting period is Nov. 1–3 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. On Election Day, Nov. 4, hours will be extended from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Parking is free for voters in the lot underneath the museum (entrance on Westwood Boulevard); just bring your parking ticket to a Hammer employee. Register to vote prior to arriving at the Hammer and learn more about the election at lavote.gov — and don’t forget to proudly wear your “I Voted!” sticker.
NOVEMBER 2 | 1 P.M.
Celebrate Día de Los Muertos at the Fowler
The Fowler Museum at UCLA welcomes you to celebrate Día de Los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, a joyful Mexican multiday commemoration to friends and family who have passed away. Artist Maria Elena Cruz and the Fowler have created a jam-packed program for you, condensing a host of traditional activities into one afternoon. There will be an opening blessing , followed by a curator-led walk-through of the Fowler’s newly installed interpretive kiosks showcasing Haitian, Guatemalan and Mexican devotional practices. Make skull piñatas and mini ofrendas, or altars, at craft stations and enjoy performances from Mariachi Alta California (a band of UCLA alumni who started playing mariachi together in 2006). Tickets are free — get them here.
NOVEMBER 17 | 6 P.M.
Compassion in Practice: Providing Water and Shelter
Learn about Clean Shelter, an NGO providing relief to displaced communities in Gaza. Clean Shelter was co-founded by Tom Kellner, an Israel-born scholar specializing in Israeli literature and postcolonial theory, and Seba AbuDaqa, a Gaza-born development professional with more than 15 years of experience in humanitarian action. Since its January 2024 founding, Clean Shelter has constructed and financed more than a thousand toilets, showers, tents and community spaces benefiting over 10,000 displaced persons. Their goal: eliminating the sanitary crisis in Gaza through the essential structures you might not even think about.
The pair will share their thoughts and views through an event sponsored by the Bedari Kindness Institute and its signature series “Compassion Conversations,” focused on discussing solutions, respect and dialogue in a conflict-ridden world. Join Kellner and AbuDaqa as they speak about their differences, what brings them together and what motivates them amid Gaza’s overwhelming challenges. RSVP and check your inbox for more information on event details.
NOVEMBER 1–2
It starts with four treadmills — and just keeps on going. The award-winning Australian group Pony Cam presents Burnout Paradise at the UCLA Nimoy Theater. This isn’t your traditional performance art or an endurance test (or even exercise). Burnout Paradise begins as a wager between the four performers and the audience — and then the pressure mounts. Simple tasks — for example, walking backward — spiral into desperation and hilarity as the assignments escalate. The Pony Cam collective aims to comedically push the limits of their bodies, minds and spirits in a way that will leave your cheeks sore and your stomach cramped. Get your tickets for Saturday or Sunday night here.
NOVEMBER 1 | NOON
Made in L.A. 2025 artist Will Rawls is a true performer — in addition to being an associate professor in UCLA’s Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance. While other Made in L.A. artists have more static contributions, Rawls performs his choreographic and visual art pieces on select Saturdays. His latest, titled Unmade, involves him traversing the Hammer Museum as he moves between the galleries and outdoor spaces with a troupe of six dancers and several objects. Follow him along his path and see how each month’s choreography is different, reliant on conversations Rawls has with performers observing and experiencing frictions of life across L.A.’s urban environments. At the end of the performance, Rawls reconfigures the materials, signage and tangible elements used during the performance, all of which will remain on view on the Annenberg Terrace until next month’s performance. Whether you plan on seeing each edition of Unmade or want an excuse to pop into the Hammer, Rawls’ dynamic choreography makes for a museum visit like no other. Admission to Unmade, like all Hammer events, is free.
NOVEMBER 2 | 7 P.M.
In 1970, Barbara Loden’s directorial debut Wanda premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where it won the International Critics Prize. Since then, the Library of Congress has preserved the independent production in the National Film Registry; film buffs hail it as a pinnacle of feminist moviemaking. Loden wrote, directed, produced and starred in (as the titular role) the film, a story about an apathetic housewife who goes on the run with a bank robber through eastern Pennsylvania. Artistic but not pretentious, Loden captures what happens when exotic intervention (with a hint of danger) interrupts a mundane life.
Prior to the film, author Elena Gorfinkel will be signing and distributing copies of her book Wanda, an exploration of the film’s legacy and its lasting influence on contemporary filmmakers, artists and writers. After the screening, there will be a Q&A with Gorfinkel, as she delves into her rich knowledge of the film and its place in American cinematic history. No RSVP required; just come to the Hammer’s Billy Wilder Theater.
NOVEMBER 5 – DECEMBER 7
Fresh off its hit off-Broadway debut, Table 17 comes to the Geffen Playhouse to pose a very important (and eternal) question: If your ex called you, would you pick up? Jada and Dallas were once engaged and are now meeting for dinner with hopes of untangling the past. Between cheeky waiters, old wounds and the undeniable spark that still lingers between them, their “casual” reunion may prove to be anything but. Don’t miss this witty new play about romance, regret and second chances. Insider tip: If you feel like joining Jada and Dallas onstage at Bianca’s Restaurant, you can by purchasing seats at tables 5–8. Tickets here.
NOVEMBER 8 | 8 P.M.
Wild Up at the Nimoy: What I Call Sound
Lively, exuberant, boisterous, nonsensical jazz improvisation. All the words, all the vibes, all the color. Experimental ensemble Wild Up takes on the music of several visionary composers as it melds its genius for a night of musical freedom. There are no rules — just musicians intuitively playing off each other’s tempos, melodies and harmonies. Presented by the UCLA Center for the Art of Performance, What I Call Sound features titans of creative improvised music: trumpeter Bobby Bradford, tubist William Roper and saxophonist Anthony Braxton. See the magic for yourself at the Nimoy Theater.
NOVEMBER 16 | 12:30 P.M.
Fowler in the City: Art, Land and Urban Memory in DTLA
The Fowler Museum gives you an exclusive peek into downtown L.A.’s underground art scene. This two-part, off-site program explores themes of displacement, memory and resistance in L.A.’s urban landscape as part of the Fowler’s current exhibition, Construction, Occupation. The day begins in visual artist Noara Quintana’s personal studio; she will share her work and how it engages with architecture, contested space and histories of erasure. Then, ecological artist and musician Paige Emery takes participants on a walking tour through the downtown L.A. art scene, inviting you to experience the city through the layered lives shaping L.A.’s streets and spaces.
Quintana and Emery have put together the ultimate itinerary for you, combining decades of personal artistic practice with insider knowledge and oral histories of L.A.’s artistic evolution. RSVP here for a view of the city you’ve never seen before.
NOVEMBER 22 | 7:30 P.M.
The Best of Ralph Story’s Los Angeles
Since its 1964 premiere, Ralph Story’s Los Angeles (1965–69) has become one of the most fondly remembered series in L.A. television history and one of the most requested items to view in the UCLA Film & Television Archive’s collection. Story, a Michigan-born television and radio personality whose love for Los Angeles made him a West Coast ambassador, developed Ralph Story’s Los Angeles with the goal of showcasing interesting and dynamic features, events and sites about the history and culture of the City of Angels. His warm, wry personality and informative, entertaining program were not just huge television successes, but inspired an entire genre of popular local TV programs.
Join the archive for a reprise of a specially curated best of Ralph Story’s Los Angeles, featuring excerpts and complete episodes filmed everywhere from Sunset Boulevard to Disneyland. In-person guests Joe Saltzman (a producer of Ralph Story’s Los Angeles) and Hollywood historian Alison Martino will speak on the development and significance of the series, and before the screening in the lobby there will be a display of selected archival paraphernalia straight from the UCLA Library Special Collections. Like all archive events, this special at the Billy Wilder Theater is completely free — no reservations required.
NOVEMBER 3 | 7:30 P.M.
Men’s Basketball vs. Eastern Washington
Don’t miss the debut of UCLA men’s basketball in the one-and-only Pauley Pavilion. This is the first regular-season men’s basketball game, and the Bruins are looking for a fast start to the 2025–26 season. The AP preseason poll ranks the Bruins as No. 12 in the NCAA, one of six programs in the Big Ten Conference to be ranked among the top 25. Get your tickets and come on down to campus to kick off basketball season before the Bruins get BIG.
NOVEMBER 8 | TBD
Come celebrate a new era of UCLA football at the Rose Bowl as the Bruins take on the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers. In addition to fantastic gameplay, there will be lively tailgating, in-game celebrations and activities throughout the concourse. BruinFest — UCLA’s tailgate open to all — starts six hours before kickoff and features food, drink and a concert series. There will also be UCLA Athletics celebrations all throughout the game, with appearances from the UCLA gymnastics team and the 2024 men’s water polo NCAA champions. Aside from the gridiron action, fans can walk the concourse and enjoy a slew of photobooths and other memory-making moments. Get game tickets here.
NOVEMBER 14 | 7 P.M.
The University of Arizona game is always one of the most anticipated of the season. This year, the Bruins and the Wildcats are taking it to a whole new level, squaring off at Inglewood’s state-of-the-art Intuit Dome. Home of the Los Angeles Clippers, the Intuit Dome is the perfect place to watch amazing gameplay: great food and drink, enormous screens and plenty of concourse activities. Get your tickets and get ready to see the Bruins create a new winning streak in one of the fiercest basketball rivalries in the NCAA.
NOVEMBER 15 | 1 P.M.
One of the winningest teams in Bruin history is sending you the Bat-Signal. The Bruins have had a near-perfect season, winning match after match. Their one-point loss to the University of Southern California last October toppled their weekslong winning streak. And now, as defending NCAA champions, they’re out for revenge. To get back on track as the 2025 NCAA Championship commences this month, the rematch against the Trojans is crucial; crowd support will be everything. Come to the Uytengsu Aquatics Center at USC in your Bruin blue, ready to eight-clap with full force. This match is completely free — just show up to Uytengsu Aquatics Center with your ID.
NOVEMBER 20 | 7 P.M.
Women’s Volleyball vs. Illinois
The women’s volleyball team is ready to bump, set and spike! The Bruins rank among the top 25 women’s volleyball programs in the nation. In their last game before post-season playoffs (and the eventual NCAA Championship tournament), they’re looking for your support in Pauley Pavilion. Active military and veterans get discounted tickets to this match, and UCLA Alumni get 50% off tickets. All other tickets can be purchased here; prices start at just $9.
THROUGH NOVEMBER
Can’t make it to the Rose Bowl? Enjoy the fun of a UCLA Watch Party. Connect with other Bruin faithful at bars, restaurants and other locations as you root for the Bruins. Visit the Bruin watch party page to find a gathering near you and come root for your favorite along with other like-minded UCLA sports fans.
NOVEMBER 9 | 7 P.M.
The newest film series from the Alumni Association, The Juniper Tree celebrates the radical legacy of UCLA’s Ethno-Communications Program (1969–1973). The program was a revolutionary affirmative action initiative launched by the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television’s first Black faculty member, Elyseo Taylor. Designed to train Black, Asian American, Latino and Native American students to use film as a tool for social change, the program blended filmmaking with journalism, mass communications and community engagement. This month’s screening brings in program alumni with the empowering films they made decades ago — works that redefined independent filmmaking in Los Angeles and cinematic portraits of multiracial America.
The night starts with a short film from program alumna Julie Dash M.F.A. ’85; set to Nina Simone’s string ballad titled Four Women, this dance film confronts longstanding Black female stereotypes. The night ends with the 1990 Icelandic film The Juniper Tree. While still a graduate student at UCLA, alumna and writer-director Nietzchka Keene M.F.A. ’79 used her Fulbright Fellowship to fund this quirky, stunning folk horror story starring a pre-Sugarcubes Björk.
No RSVP required for this event; just come to the Wilder Theater at the Hammer.
NOVEMBER 12 | NOON
Working for California: Your State Career
Join a panel of state employment experts as they walk you through the ins and outs of working for the great state of California. Panelists will provide resources and answer questions. By the end of the Zoom, you’ll have learned about the benefits of California state service, the range of career opportunities with the State of California and the process for searching and applying for state jobs. Led by Anthony Bonilla, a recruitment analyst from California State Parks, this instructional workshop will prepare you for a career in any public industry. RSVP to this free workshop here.
NOVEMBER 19 | NOON
Ask A Career Coach: How to Ace the Interview After 50
Haven’t interviewed in years? You’re not alone. The job market has changed, but your experience, skills and story still matter. A lot. Join career coach Emily Baxt ’92 for a practical and empowering session designed for professionals 50+ ready to land their next opportunity with confidence. This Zoom workshop is free and you can register here.
NOVEMBER 23 | 8:30 A.M.
Westside Bruins: Pre-Thanksgiving Hike
There are many things to be thankful for this year: events at Royce Hall, football at the Rose Bowl, sunsets at Will Rogers State Beach, hikes in the Santa Monica Mountains. On the Sunday before Thanksgiving, join the UCLA Alumni Association at the Sullivan Canyon Trailhead in Brentwood. The length of the hike is optional: There will be plenty of checkpoints to turn around early, or you can join hardcore hikers for the total 8.5 miles along the out-and-back trail. Bring your water, snacks, sunscreen and happy camper attitude — and a good pair of hiking footwear!
