Promenade Temecula, 40820 Winchester Rd. May 17th. The Anime Temecula Valley Monthly Meetup is the version of the fandom community that exists outside of convention weekends — a regular gathering at a familiar spot for the people who care about anime and want to talk about it with someone who does too.
Temecula's anime community has been building this through the monthly format: show up, bring whoever you've been watching, find the conversation that starts. The Promenade setting gives the meetup room to breathe — outdoor, accessible, easy to find and easy to leave if you only have an hour. But the meetups tend to run long because anime fans talking about anime in person rarely find a natural stopping point.
Free to come. May 17th. meetup.com/anime-temecula for the details and headcount. This is the Temecula version of the community event that doesn't require a badge or a convention floor — just show up and introduce yourself to whoever's already there. The Inland Empire has a real anime community. This meetup is one of the places it exists.
May 16, 2026
$12–$17
California Center for the Arts, Es…
California Center for the Arts, Escondido. May 16th, 2026. $12-$17. AniPop brings the anime pop-culture market to a performing arts venue in North County San Diego — one of the only events in the region specifically designed for the community between Los Angeles and the San Diego convention circuit.
The AniPop floor is built around independent artists and anime merchandise — handmade goods, fan art, imported items, limited-edition products that circulate at conventions and don't exist in stores. The artists who table here chose this event specifically, which means the energy of the dealer's room is different from a mall pop-up: these are people who care about the work and came to be in a room with people who care about it the same way.
$12-$17 for the day. The California Center for the Arts has the layout to handle this well — the performing arts complex gives the event room to breathe without feeling underpopulated. Escondido is thirty minutes from San Diego and an hour from Los Angeles, which puts it in reach for most of SoCal. anipop.us for tickets and the full vendor list. The artist alley is where the real discovery happens — slow down in that section. The piece you didn't know you were looking for is usually on the table you almost walked past.
Scherr Forum, 2100 E Thousand Oaks Blvd, Thousand Oaks. May 16th. The Neil Diamond Concert Experience — starring Rob Garrett in the role built for a voice like Neil Diamond's, at the Bank of America Performing Arts Center, in a show designed to bring that catalog to a theater that can hold it properly.
Neil Diamond's songs are American cultural furniture. "Sweet Caroline." "Cherry Cherry." "Song Sung Blue." "I Am, I Said." "Hello Again." The catalog is the thing — songs that have been sung in stadiums and kitchen radios and karaoke bars for fifty years, each one recognizable in the first four notes, each one carrying the specific weight of wherever you were when it mattered most to you.
The Scherr Forum is a proper performing arts venue with the sound and the sightlines to make a tribute concert feel like the event it's designed to be. Tickets at ticketmaster.com. May 16th in Thousand Oaks. A Neil Diamond tribute in a room this size, with a voice built for this material, is the version of the concert that the recording approximates. Come ready to sing.
Nerd Nite: where people with obsessions share them with a bar full of strangers who immediately understand. Three 20-minute talks on science, pop culture, history, or whatever's been consuming the speaker's brain. Think TED Talk, but at a bar, with better questions from the audience.
Long Beach Arena-Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center in Long Beach on May 9, 2026: the kind of performance that requires a room to work — staged for an audience that chose this over everything else available that night. Long Beach Symphony Pops! Earth, Wind & Fire Dance performs at Long Beach Arena-Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center in Long Beach on May 9, 2026. all ages. What happens on stage exists only in the people who chose to be in that room — the recording, if there is one, will always be a translation.
Terrace Theater - Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center in Long Beach on May 9, 2026: the kind of room where the set exists nowhere in the recorded catalog — made for this floor, this system, this night. The Sleeping Beauty performed by the International performs at Terrace Theater - Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center in Long Beach on May 9, 2026. The crowd at a show like this has been waiting for exactly this room — the specific night where the distance between stage and floor is close enough to matter.
Los Angeles has a hundred anime communities. Most of them exist online. Little Tokyo is where they come to exist in person.
The neighborhood has been the physical home of Japanese American culture since the early 1900s, which means it has something most anime meetup spaces don't: real infrastructure. Kinokuniya's two-story bookstore stocks manga series before they're licensed in English. Anime Jungle carries figurines, doujinshi, and cosplay supplies that you can't find at major retailers. The izakayas on 1st Street stay open late enough that conversations about what you watched can run until midnight.
The informal gatherings here — watch parties in restaurant back rooms, group meetups before conventions, cosplay sessions in the Weller Court plaza — aren't always posted publicly. They form around things that matter to the community: new season premieres, convention preview screenings, merchandise drop nights. If you're looking for the LA anime community between conventions, this is where it lives.
First and second Saturday evenings are the densest nights. Daikokuya ramen has a line by 8pm — get there before 7 if you want a table. Kinokuniya closes at 8pm, so arrive early if you want to browse the import section. The Weller Court plaza gets lively around 7pm on summer weekends.
Metro A Line stops at Little Tokyo/Arts District station — no car needed. Parking in the Weller Court structure if you drive. Free neighborhood. No registration. The culture is here year-round, and it accelerates during AX week.
Big Boys Comedy Fiesta at Terrace Theater - Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center in Long Beach on May 5, 2026: the show that exists because stand-up only fully works in the room, where the laugh is real and the awkward pauses are part of the performance. Big Boys Comedy Fiesta performs at Terrace Theater - Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center in Long Beach on May 5, 2026. Stand-up comedy only fully exists in the room where it happens — the recording is always an approximation.
Lucha libre wrestling and burlesque in downtown Los Angeles. Founded in 2002, Lucha VaVOOM is the show that operates in its own genre — masked wrestlers, aerial acts, Guinness record-holding hula hoopers, and burlesque performers from around the world, all in one night at the Regent Theater. Rita's version has moved here from the Mayan. Twenty-one and over. Doors at 8. Saturday night. Forty-one dollars and up. This is the show people describe to friends who have never heard of it and then drag them to immediately.
Three people stand up and talk about the thing they are most obsessed with. Past topics: why mantis shrimp see colors humans can't, the hidden economics of professional wrestling, deep-sea bioluminescence, and the Soviet space dog program. Bar open the whole time. 7PM, $5–$8 at the door. Kensington Club. One of SD's best-kept secrets.
Apr 24, 2026
From $30
Anaheim Convention Center, 800 W K…
WonderCon fills the Anaheim Convention Center with comics, sci-fi, fantasy, film, and the cosplay community that doesn't need a San Diego hotel room to have the time of their lives. Panels from top creators, artist alley discoveries, and a dealer's floor that takes hours to properly explore.
Apr 18 – Apr 19, 2026
Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area, 1550…
Every weekend through May 17, the Santa Fe Dam recreation area becomes the sixteenth century. Jousters on actual horses. Archery ranges. Spear throwing. Bird shows. Pub crawls with theme weekends. Over 200,000 people attend every season — if you show up in costume, you belong here. Voted the number one family-friendly Renaissance Faire in the country. Ten in the morning. Seven at night. Irwindale, CA.
Violet Brown at Alex Theatre in Glendale — the stage-to-crowd distance that changes what a live show means, in the city where this particular crowd assembles. Violet Brown performs at Alex Theatre in Glendale on April 11, 2026. The people in the room carry it differently than the people who watched the stream.
Mar 27 – Mar 29, 2026
Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim…
Experience three days of nonstop pop culture action! From blockbuster panels and exclusive sneak peeks to cosplay competitions, celebrity meet-and-greets, and interactive gaming zones, WonderCon is a playground for comic, anime, and movie fans alike. Explore sprawling exhibitor halls, discover rare collectibles, and immerse yourself in the excitement and energy that only a premier fan convention can deliver.
Mar 21 – Mar 22, 2026
Inn at 2nd & C / Historic Eagle Ho…
Step into a time-bending, Victorian adventure! This two-day steampunk convention offers immersive experiences, including workshops, panel discussions, cosplay competitions, and themed social gatherings. Explore intricate gadgets, elaborate costumes, and the unique community spirit of steampunk enthusiasts. Perfect for fans of alternate history, cosplay, and interactive storytelling—every moment is a journey into imagination and creativity.
Jan 8 – Jan 11, 2026
Long Beach Convention Center, Long…
LA’s premier anime convention featuring celebrity guests, cosplay contests, interactive gaming, and the hottest anime screenings. Your anime fandom comes alive here.
Get ready for the ultimate geek celebration at Fan Expo San Francisco 2025! This premier pop culture convention is bringing fans of all things comics, movies, TV shows, video games, and anime together for an unforgettable experience. With appearances from celebrity guests, renowned comic book artists, cosplay contests, and exclusive merchandise, it’s the perfect event to immerse yourself in the world of your favorite fandoms. Explore interactive panels, meet the stars behind iconic franchises, and dive into the art, fashion, and games that make up the heart of geek culture. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a seasoned con-goer, Fan Expo San Francisco promises to deliver non-stop excitement and a chance to connect with fellow enthusiasts. 📚🎮🎤 #FanExpoSF2025 #PopCultureCon #GeekCulture
Nov 15 – Nov 16, 2025
Fresno Convention & Entertainment …
Get ready for an epic weekend at the Fresno Comic Expo 2025, where the worlds of comics, pop culture, and fandom collide! This highly anticipated event will feature celebrity guests, panel discussions, exclusive merchandise, and endless opportunities to meet fellow fans. Whether you're into comic books, cosplay, movies, TV shows, or video games, there's something for everyone at this action-packed convention. Explore the vibrant artist alley, dive into the latest geek culture trends, and get up close with some of your favorite creators. It’s the ultimate destination for comic fans and pop culture enthusiasts alike! 🎮🎤 #FresnoComicExpo2025 #GeekCulture #PopCultureCelebration
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