Things to Do in San Pedro

The Dinner Detective's renowned troupe of talented actors engages audiences with an evening of laughs, intrigue, and suspense as mock murder accompanies a four-course meal where everyone in attendance is a suspect. A dressed-down cast of professional Hollywood- and Chicago-trained sleuths circulates through the crowd, sniffing out phony alibis and asking the hard questions to solve the mystery of each whodunit. Before the night is over, the fictional criminal is cuffed and the most accurately detecting diner takes home a prize package. The Dinner Detective leases out its gumshoes to clean up crime during private events such as fundraisers, family reunions, or embezzlement hearings. The thespians have sharpened their entertaining chops by performing for such Fortune 500 companies as Universal Studios and Walt Disney Imagineering.

Witness the U.S. World Cup team banana kick and back tackle their way through an exciting new season as they face off against teams including the New England Revolution (March 20), Seattle Sounders (July 4), and their archrivals Chivas USA (October 16). Depending on the Galaxy's ability to take names and kick grass this year, fans might see the team's "big three," comprised of the blazing Landon Donovan, superstar David Beckham, and score-savvy Juan Pablo Angel, executing a human pyramid in perfect unison. With the first option, soccer zealots can check out any one of the 17 home games of the season, and those choosing the second option can cheer, clap, and streak across the stands wearing sequined shin guards in a show of support for six separate matches.

Each year, more than 60 galleries and artists from Los Angeles and the intangible web of the art world beyond flock to Art Los Angeles Contemporary like butterflies in migration. During their stay, they display their colors in Santa Monica's Barker Hangar, which hosts 40,000 square feet of exhibition space with 40-foot ceilings ideal for extra-tall installations or human pyramids made of Shaquille O’Neal sculptures. In addition to paintings and functional furniture from emerging and established artists, Art Los Angeles Contemporary also hosts a programming series of talks, curator-led panel discussions, and film screenings. This year, the exposition will spotlight Ceci n’est pas… Art Between France and Los Angeles, a cultural-exchange program culminating in more than 30 French-American collaborations.

The Los Angeles Ballet is a group of more than two dozen dancers who prance across the stage like marionettes controlled by Santa's team of bethumbed reindeer. See this renowned company perform a holiday classic to the choreography of experienced husband and wife team Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary.

After a breakneck start following his brothers into investment and then raising a small empire of restaurants, Allen Sanford decided to slow down. At the helm of Saint Rocke, he follows a passion for music, keeping his life low-key and fostering blooms of fast-tempo rock, hip-hop, and Latin tunes. To further spread his love of music, he streams high-definition live concerts across the Internet and regularly throws fistfuls of sheet music out his car window. Yet to fully experience the thrill of dancing crowds and pulse-thrumming guitar riffs, music lovers dive into the venue's intimate stage shows.

When animals are rescued from dangerous living situations or seized from the hands of smugglers, STAR Eco Station provides second chances at peaceful lives. The facility offers a haven for more than 200 rescued animals and educates the public as an environmental science museum. During public tours, guides lead guests through exhibits of rescued exotic animals, such as parrots, pythons, and wildcats, while explaining the habits, history, and New Year's resolutions of each creature.

The recipient of multiple awards from media and government agencies, STAR Eco Station also provides educational outreach programs to more than 40 California school districts and works in concert with conservation organizations such as the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Paw Project, and Heal the Bay.