On the night of October 23, a line formed on the sidewalk at the corner of Broxton and Weyburn. The Bruin Theater had reopened. It sold tickets only at the box office outside, so the crowd waited there in the street. The Daily Bruin reported showings of "Wildwood" at 7 p.m., 9:30 p.m. and 11:45 p.m. that first night. One student told the paper the evening felt "so local and so quintessential to Westwood."
That corner is a good place to start this holiday season. From mid-November through year's end, most of what happens in Westwood Village happens on a short stretch of Broxton Avenue. The Bruin has the movies. Broxton Plaza has the community calendar. A new cafe has opened between them. The Geffen and the Hammer fill the later evenings a few blocks away.
The Bruin is lit again at Broxton and Weyburn
The Bruin first opened in 1937. It closed on July 25, 2024, when Regency Theaters' 14-year lease ran out. Canyon News reported that the building got a new roof during the two dark years. Its 1950s blue draperies were replaced with new curtains, and the flashing neon sign was repaired.
The new operator is Rui Pereira, a theater operator from Toronto. He signed a 10-year lease in July, according to LA Magazine. The booth now has new digital projectors alongside vintage 35mm and 70mm equipment. Canyon News reported plans to show both first-run and classic films. The address is 948 Broxton Avenue. Hours vary with the film schedule and special events, and on most days the theater opens around noon.
Staff spent the weeks before reopening painting pillars, cleaning the interior and restoring murals that are nearly a century old, a staff member told the Daily Bruin. Inside the foyer are patterned carpet and beige tile. The snack counter is lined in blue, yellow and white tile. The paper also reported a $15 student ticket for "Wildwood."
The Bruin's December lineup changes with the film schedule, so the box office on Broxton is the best place to check what is playing.
The neighboring Village Theatre is between seasons
The Bruin closed in 2024 alongside the Fox Westwood Village Theatre, now known as the Directors Village. The two theaters are taking very different paths back.
In 2024, the Village was bought by Village Directors Circle, a group of 35 filmmakers led by Jason Reitman that includes Christopher Nolan, J.J. Abrams, Guillermo del Toro, Judd Apatow, Steven Spielberg and Chloé Zhao. American Cinematheque will operate it. That nonprofit already runs Santa Monica's Aero Theatre and co-programs the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood and the Los Feliz 3.
This summer the Village opened for a limited run of screenings meant to support its restoration. It hosted the Los Angeles debut of Billie Eilish and James Cameron's concert film in May. LA Magazine reported that it would then show Nolan's "The Odyssey" in 70mm from July 16 to August 6. In June, the Los Angeles Times described a $25 million, 12-month renovation set to begin this fall. The plan adds a restaurant, a bar, a gallery and a lobby space for filmmakers and premiere events, with reopening planned for 2027.
For this winter, the Bruin is the Village's working movie palace. The Village Theatre is the one coming in 2027.
Broxton Plaza holds the community calendar
The Westwood Village Improvement Association holds its seasonal events at Broxton Plaza, 1036 Broxton Avenue. This year's holiday dates:
- Thursdays, noon to 5 p.m. The Westwood Village Farmers Market runs every week, according to the association's November newsletter.
- Friday, November 13, 3 to 8 p.m. Bruin Flea was scheduled for the plaza.
- Saturday, November 14, 4 to 7 p.m. The Holiday Tree Lighting started the season, with free Santa photos, crafts, music, refreshments and family activities on the schedule.
- Saturday, December 12, noon to 5 p.m. Holiday Village is a free market at the plaza. The association has said more details are coming.
December 12 is a Saturday, and it is the easiest day of the season to spend entirely on Broxton. The market runs until 5 p.m., and the Bruin's marquee is a short walk up the block at Weyburn.
What changed on the surrounding streets this fall
Broxton gained a new cafe this fall. Sana'a Cafe, which serves Yemeni-inspired drinks and pastries, opened in early October. The association's September newsletter listed its address as 939 Broxton Avenue, and the Daily Bruin reported a grand opening planned for October 15. That puts a coffee stop between the plaza and the theater.
One block east, 26 Pho Cafe opened on Glendon Avenue on October 4. Its menu includes pho, bánh mì, vermicelli and Vietnamese coffee, according to the Daily Bruin. Also on Glendon, Westwood Orthodontics opened an expanded office at 1060 Glendon Avenue.
Westwood Boulevard lost one of its longest-running shops this fall. Sarah Leonard Fine Jewelers, a family business at 1055 Westwood Boulevard for nearly 80 years, closed in late summer. The family told the Daily Bruin the owners were retiring, and that the closing was not about sales.
Several more names are headed to the same few blocks. In September the association listed Chill Since '93 at 923 Broxton Avenue, plus Boichik Bagels at 911, Ghost Sando at 901, The Melt at 913 and Better Buzz Coffee at 951 Westwood Boulevard.
Parking has changed too. AirGarage now manages the Westwood Village Square lot, with hourly, daily and monthly options. The association also says sidewalk repairs are continuing at several Village locations, which may briefly affect pedestrian routes.
When the evening runs past Broxton
The Village's two major cultural venues both have holiday programs. Their dates line up with the Broxton calendar:
| Venue | What's on | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Geffen Playhouse, Gil Cates Theater | "Purpose," directed by Phylicia Rashad with the original Broadway cast | Nov. 11 to Dec. 20, extended |
| Hammer Museum | Huguette Caland talk and Dorothy Dandridge screening | Dec. 2 |
| Hammer Museum | "La bola negra" | Dec. 3 |
| Hammer Museum | Caland tour, Art Lab and "A Page of Madness" | Dec. 5 |
| Hammer Museum | Writing workshop, Caland lecture and a silent-film program | Dec. 6 |
| Hammer Museum | Mike Cloud exhibition closes | Jan. 3 |
| Hammer Museum | Vibeke Mascini exhibition closes | Jan. 17 |
The Geffen's "Purpose" closes eight days after Holiday Village. If you want both the play and the Broxton market, plan for mid-December. The Geffen's next production, "Liberation," starts January 27. At the Hammer, the Gê Viana exhibition runs through February 7, and the Huguette Caland and Mavis Pusey shows run through February 28. Those three outlast the holidays.
The construction on Wilshire
The one ongoing interruption to Village errands is a few blocks south. Metro says construction on the D Line's Section 3 continues at the Westwood/UCLA and VA Hospital stations, and off-peak lane reductions and temporary pedestrian detours may come with it. Section 1 opened May 8, 2026, serving La Brea, Fairfax and La Cienega. Metro's October 2026 schedule forecasts Century City service for spring 2027 and the two Westwood stations for fall 2027.
So 2027 is the year both the Village Theatre restoration and the Westwood subway stations are scheduled to finish. For now, the Village's evenings are on Broxton, from the plaza at 1036 up to the Bruin's box office at Weyburn.
Sandler + Hirsch Group follows how Westwood Village's landmarks shape the streets around them. If you own near the Village and want to know what its next chapter means for your home, request a private home valuation.
