What to Know
- Board Game Day featuring Dungeons & Dragons takes place Jan. 4 at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana
- Dungeons & Drafthouse at Alamo Drafthouse happens Jan. 5 in DTLA
- A fantasy-themed exhibit is also on view at the Bowers Museum through mid-February 2025
A new year is about fresh resolutions, novel outlooks, and, just maybe, a thrilling quest that can help you level up.
Of course, you may need to roll a natural 20 to do so, but consider this: You can't write "2025" without "20," so things may already be off to an auspicious and adventurous start.
You can up your sense of adventure, and find some game-loving camaraderie, too, by making your way to a pair of Dungeons & Dragons events over the first weekend of January.
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The roleplaying phenomenon has been around for over 50 years, but it has found a whimsical wave of new players in recent years, thanks to its high profile on the Netflix hit series "Stranger Things," its special 2024 issue of Time magazine, and a host of popular D&D podcasts, Youtube shows, and game forums.
So warm up your dice-holding hands and make for the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana on Saturday, Jan. 4 for Board Game Day, an event that is putting a special focus on Dungeons & Dragons.
Prepare to roam the Grand Duchy of Orange while encountering the "strange and astounding devices" constructed by Lum the Mad. Premade characters are available "if you are new to D&D" but players are invited to "bring your own" if you like.
The Scene
Want to find new things to do in Los Angeles? The Scene's lifestyle stories have you covered. Here's your go-to source on where the fun is across SoCal and for the weekend.
Reading up on the specifics, levels, and what to expect can be done so on this page, adventurers. You'll want to RSVP, too.
The museum's gather-round day of games is inspired by the "Fantasy: Realms of Imagination" exhibit, which is on view at the Santa Ana cultural institution through Feb. 16, 2025.
The D&D delights continue Jan. 5 at Alamo Drafthouse in Downtown Los Angeles. The Sunday afternoon happening is a "one shot," meaning the campaign can be completed at the event, and the theme? Oh goodness: "Gelatinous Gifts" sounds like an adventure with heaps of gooey get-up-and-go.
But best be on slime, er, time: Dungeons & Drafthouse begins at 2 p.m. Jan. 5, though doors open at 1:30.
The place? The cinema's Video Vortex, a hang-out spot with lots of tables and room to play. The price? It's $25.
Dungeon in a Box is helming the fantasy-fueled to-do, which is open to "first time players and seasoned D&D players alike."
Expect the fun to last around four hours, with "customized Dungeons & Dragons character sheets" to help jumpstart the gelatinously joyful event.
