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Welcome the Year of the Horse at the Oshogatsu Family Festival. Event photo by Doug Mukai for JANM
Welcome the Year of the Horse at the Oshogatsu Family Festival. Event photo by Doug Mukai for JANM
12/28/25 - By Toby B

Free things to do in Los Angeles always provide a nice break to your wallet after the spending spree in December, and lucky for us Angelenos, there are plenty of them in January. From walks in nature to the Oshogatsu Family Festival to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day parades and days of service, January's best events are 100% FREE! So, give your credit cards a rest while enjoying our top picks for free activities in Los Angeles with kids. 

For more free things to do in Los Angeles with kids, visit these always-free, kid-friendly LA museums, discover free museum days for kids in Los Angeles, and browse our Guide to Free Things to Do in Los Angeles with Kids. 

Want even more fun things to do this weekend? Our Los Angeles Events Calendar is packed with great family activities every day of the week— and you can filter by age, location, or even free events!

Not on our newsletter list yet? Subscribe for free and get the best local family fun sent straight to your inbox. Already subscribed? Share it with a friend and start planning your weekend together!

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Start the year off at the Rose Parade. Photo by David Photography via Flickr 2.0
Start the year off at the Rose Parade. Photo by David Photography via Flickr 2.0

Free Activities To Do with Kids in Los Angeles in January

2026 Rose Parade

Pasadena - FREE
Thursday, January 1, 2026
The 137th Tournament of Roses Parade blooms again, marching down Colorado Boulevard. This year's theme is “The Magic in Teamwork," and the Grand Marshall is truly magic: LA sports legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson! READ MORE

Norwalk Las Posadas Celebration 2026

Norwalk - FREE
Saturday, January 3, 2026
Norwalk holds a traditional cultural celebration at the Norwalk Arts & Sports Complex. Guests are treated to tamales and hot chocolate. Other activities include live entertainment, a folkloric dance, craft stations, and the distribution of 500 candy bags, as well as night market vendors and food trucks. READ MORE

Celebrating President Nixon’s Birthday

Yorba Linda - FREE
Friday, January 9, 2026
President Nixon's birthday is celebrated with free admission all day at the Richard Nixon Library & Museum. The observance includes a Formal Wreath Laying Ceremony at the President’s Memorial Site at 11am. READ MORE

Colburn School Early Childhood Open House

DTLA - FREE
Saturday, January 10, 2026
Families are invited to come and explore the Early Childhood Creative Arts Program at the Colburn School on January 10, from 11am to 1:30pm. The sequential curriculum helps support key developmental milestones in children ages 7 months to 7 years while instilling them with a love of music, dance, singing, and more. Guests can take a sample class, meet faculty and the Early Childhood Department Chair, Dr. Nita Baxani, and attend an orientation at this free family-friendly event. READ MORE

2026 Oshogatsu Family Festival

Little Tokyo - FREE
Sunday, January 11, 2026
2026 gallops in at the Japanese American National Museum's annual Oshogatsu Family Festival: this year's event celebrates Year of the Horse. The popular annual event features cultural performances, crafts, and activities for families and kids of all ages.  Activities are held on plaza at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center. READ MORE

Registration Opens for LA28 Olympic Tickets

Online - FREE to register
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
The Summer Olympics are coming to Los Angeles in 2028, but the time to sign up for the ticket draw is now! Starting on January 14, registration opens for the LA28 Ticket Draw. This is a random drawing for time slots to purchase tickets; time slot and ticket availability is not guaranteed. You will find out via email if you've been assigned a time slot to purchase tickets. If so, you can purchase tickets when your time slot opens!  READ MORE

OCSA Connects Community Arts Festival

Santa Ana - FREE
Saturday, January 17, 2026
Arts-minded children can enjoy a full day of play at the OCSA Connects Community Arts Festival, a free community event, hosted on the Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) campus. Kids and their families are invited to come and enjoy live performances by OCSA’s talented students while engaging in arts activities, interactive play areas, and creative games. READ MORE

MLK Peace and Unity Parade Celebration

Long Beach - FREE
Saturday, January 17, 2026
Long Beach's Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade and Celebration returns for its 38th year. The annual event celebrates the life and legacy of a visionary who changed the world by promoting equality, justice, and peace. READ MORE

Rancho Cucamonga Lunar Festival

Rancho Cucamonga - FREE
Saturday & Sunday, January 17 - 18, 2026
It's the Year of the Horse, and this massive celebration at the RC Sports Center honors this holiday with lanterns, lion dances, and other cultural entertainment. READ MORE

King Day Parade

Exposition Park - FREE
Monday, January 19, 2026
The Kingdom Day Parade, one of the nation's largest events celebrating the life of Martin Luther King, returns to celebrate MLK's life and legacy. This year, the cast of The Neighborhood, including Tichina Arnold, Marcel Spears, Sheaun McKinney, Beth Behrs and Max Greenfield, as well as Grand Marshall Cedric the Entertainer, headline the 2026 parade. READ MORE

LA Works MLK Day Volunteer Festival 2026

Exposition Park - FREE
Monday, January 19, 2026
The spirit of Martin Luther King's dream of lives on! LA Works holds a Day of Service Volunteer Festival in honor of MLK Day. This year's event invites the community to  join together to bring about Dr. King's vision of a Beloved Community, addressing areas of need including wildfire recovery, uplifting displaced families, and standing with immigrant communities under threat of deportation. READ MORE

The Broad Family Weekend Workshops

DTLA - FREE
Sunday, January 25, 2026
This weekend's family workshop at the Broad is really taking shape! Finding inspiration in The Broad’s special exhibition, Robert Therrien: This is a Story, participants build objects from shapes created using stencils, wire, cardboard, pipe cleaners, and more. READ MORE

Happy Birthday Marion

Santa Monica - FREE
Sunday, January 25, 2026
Santa Monica Conservancy docents turn the spotlight on Marion Davies—actress, philanthropist, famed party hostess, and mistress of media tycoon William Randolph Hearst—in honor of her birthday. Festivities in the courtyard include live music with Janet Klein and her Parlor Boys. Guests can learn quick 'n easy 1920s dance steps with James Zimmer & Cynthia Harper of the Historical Ballroom Dance Club and enjoy a Makers Group fashion show from Art Deco Society of Los Angeles. READ MORE

Monterey Park Lunar New Year Festival

Monterey Park - FREE
Saturday & Sunday, January 31 - February 1, 2026
Monterey Park's Lunar New Year Festival takes place in the downtown business district, featuring 5 blocks of booths, rides, and entertainment and drawing tens of thousands of visitors. The 2026 Festival celebrates Year of the Horse. READ MORE

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