Arts Open House

Saturday

The arts in L.A. County are having an all-day open house, and everyone is invited. The events--from workshops in drawing comics to gospel and Chinese zither performances and a modern adaptation of Shakespeare--are free, and most are clustered around 10 sites, so participants can park and spend the day walking from event to event. A sampling:

Cal State L.A. (5151 State University Drive). Watch demonstrations of raku ceramic-making on the Fine Arts Patio from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., or hear a musical montage in the Music Hall, 2 to 4 p.m. The best of the Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival comes to the State Playhouse, 4 to 5 p.m.

Cal State Northridge (18111 Nordhoff St.). The Agua Luna Dance Company and the Pan Asian Foundation offer traditional and new choreography beginning at 8 p.m. in the Little Theatre, while the 12th annual John Coltrane Festival fills the Performing Arts Center with the melodious sounds of young jazz musicians, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts (12700 Center Court Drive). The Chris Ho Jazz Ensemble performs at 11 a.m., followed by flamenco dance from Susana Elena at 1 p.m. The Southern California Dance Theatre takes to the stage at 2 p.m., and the HAZ family sings songs at 3 p.m., all in the Garden Court.

The Music Center (135 N. Grand Ave.) and downtown L.A. Entertainment from Music Center resident companies, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with free parking in the Music Center garage and samples from downtown restaurants on the plaza. Teen Comic Art & Animation Festival at the Central Library, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. (630 W. 5th St.). .

Long Beach. An open house kicks off Long Beach’s monthlong celebration of the arts with the second annual Afrikan Marketplace and the Anaheim Street International Festival, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in MacArthur Park (1321 Anaheim St.); a performance of “Macbeth” by Bard in the Yard at 7:30 p.m. at the Community Center Theatre (3457 Stanbridge Ave.); a workshop on Day of the Dead skeletons for children 10 and older, 4 to 6 p.m. at La Luz (406 E. 1st St., Suite A); and more.

Museum Row. Admission is free at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Carole & Barry Kaye Museum of Miniatures, the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits and the Petersen Automotive Museum; booths from community organizations line Wilshire Boulevard (which will be closed to traffic from Fairfax to Curson avenues); children’s activities and food, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Pasadena Art Space (1 Colorado Blvd., 24 E. Union St.) and other locations. Listen to acoustic music from Hollow Log at 1 p.m. or jazz standards from ASKEW at 2 p.m. The Pasadena Dance Theatre previews “The Nutcracker” at the San Gabriel Civic Auditorium (1985 E. Locust St.), 1 to 4 p.m.

Santa Monica’s 18th Street Arts Complex with Crossroads School (1639 18th St.). Children can try woodworking, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. ([310] 829-0779 for reservations); Donna Sternberg & Dancers and Monica Favand’s TRIP Dance Theatre perform at Highways Performance Space, noon to 2:30 p.m.

Torrance Cultural Arts Center (3330 Civic Center Drive). The fifth annual Art’s Alive Festival includes exhibits, children’s activities, and craft and food booths, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Donlavy Dance Company performs to Disney music, 11:30 a.m. to noon; the Performing Arts For Life and Education Foundation offers an urbanized version of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” 3:30 to 5 p.m.

Watts Towers Arts Center (1727 E. 107th St.) and South-Central. Take in the sounds of ceramic instruments at 12:30 p.m. at the arts center, or a production about tolerance, “Roaches Need Love Too,” at 10 a.m. at the Tell It Theatre, 10950 S. Central Ave., (213) 563-5639 for reservations. Soul & Sounds of Watts showcases rap, dance and singing, 2 to 5 p.m., at Ted Watkins Co. Park, 1335 E. 103rd St.

For a complete schedule, call (213) 972-3099 or visit the Arts Commission Web site at https://www.lacountyarts.org.