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As we enter the heart of the spring events season in Los Angeles, there is A LOT on offer. Over the next five weeks you’ll find an exhibition opening celebration at the Skirball, free admission during the annual Museums of the Arroyo Day, the Community and Unity Kite Festival at LA State Historic Park, the Beverly Hills Art Show, Fiesta Hermosa, CicLAmini, and the LA Times Festival of Books. And that’s just to start with!
Best part? It’s all accessible by Metro, meaning you’ll never be pulling your hair out looking for parking or uncapping the aspirin bottle to treat those traffic headaches. Now let’s see where the rest of spring might take you…
Upcoming Free Events
The 15th Eclectic Music Festival & Art Crawl (April 26) – > The South Pasadena Eclectic Music Festival and Art Crawl returns with dozens of diverse musical acts on stages and intimate venues all across town. An array of other activities are also on the docket including open galleries, beer and wine gardens, and food trucks. Go Metro: Take the A Line to South Pasadena station.
LA Times Festival of Books (April 26-27) – > The 30th Los Angeles Times Festival of Books returns to the campus of USC this April featuring over book and merchandise exhibitors, a number of outdoor stages and activity areas, expert panels, performances, demos, and more. Admission to the festival is free to attend with some programing ticketed. Go Metro: Take the E Line to Expo Park / USC station.
Fiesta Broadway (April 27) -> Four blocks of Broadway (between 1st and 4th) come alive for the annual Fiesta Broadway, a daylong Cinco de Mayo celebration featuring Lucha Libre matches, music, vendor booths, games, sports activities and a play area for kids. Runs 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Go Metro: Take the A or E Lines to Historic Broadway Station or take the B or D Line to Civic Center / Grand Park Station.
Spring Exhibitions Opening at The Skirball (April 30 – May 1) – > This spring, the Skirball Cultural Center will have a pair of new exhibitions on offer: Jack Kirby: Heroes and Humanity and Away in the Catskills: Summers, Sour Cream, and Dirty Dancing. They’ll both debut during an evening affair on April 30, where the public can enjoy after-hours access to the galleries plus a DJ set, sips and snacks for purchase, and artists and curators on hand. The following day (May 1), the exhibitions officially open to the public with a day of special spotlight tours. Best part? Both opening night and opening day are free to attend. Go Metro: Take Line 761 to Sepulveda / Skirball Center Drive.
Cinco de Mayo Mercado in San Gabriel (May 2) -> The City of San Gabriel celebrates Cinco de Mayo with an evening affair in the Mission District featuring live music, crafts, food, activities for kids and a beer and cocktail garden presented by Pez Cantina. Admission is free. Runs 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Go Metro: Take Line 487 to Ramona / Main.
JACCC’s Kodomo no Hi (Children’s Day) Celebration (May 3) -> Japanese American Cultural & Community Center (JACCC) will host a special Children’s Day celebration in Isamu Noguchi Plaza. Expect performances, food and beverage vendors, activities and ticketed workshops. Go Metro: Take the A or E Line to Little Tokyo Station.
Very Special Arts Festival Community Day (May 3) -> The Music Center’s Very Special Arts Festival is an annual free, inclusive event celebrating the artistic achievements of students with all abilities. The festival features student and professional performances, visual and performing arts workshops and a student art exhibit created around a theme that is introduced to the students each year. Runs 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Go Metro: Take the A or E Line to Grand Ave Arts / Bunker Hill Station or take the B or D Line to Civic Center / Grand Park Station.
Museums of the Arroyo Day (May 4) -> Six museums and historic homes along the Arroyo Seco offer free admission for the annual Museums of The Arroyo Day, on Sunday, May 4. Participants include The Gamble House, Heritage Square, the L.A. Police Museum, the Lummis Home, the Pasadena Museum of History, and the South Pasadena Historical Museum. Free shuttles connect museums for those who want to visit multiple locations. Runs noon to 5 p.m., with last admission at 4 p.m. Go Metro: Take the A Line to Heritage Square station.
Summer of Salsa at LA Plaza (May 9) -> LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes’ Summer of Salsa returns for the first installment of 2025 on May 16. The annual series offers monthly dance parties one Friday per month through September. Progressive dance orchestra Rumbankete kicks things off, with a supporting set by Super DJ Robby. Free to attend. Go Metro: Take the A, B or D Lines to Union Station.
4th Annual Valley Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Festival (May 10) -> To celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, head over to Pierce College on May 10 for the 4th Annual Valley Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Festival. This one-day showcase of Asian-Owned Businesses in the West San Fernando Valley offers food, music, dance, shopping, children’s activities, and more. Free admission. Runs 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Go Metro: Take Line 164 to Victory / Mason.
Community & Unity People’s Kite Festival (May 17) Head to Los Angeles State Historic Park this May for the 5th Annual Community & Unity People’s Kite Festival. Hosted by Clockshop, expect demos from kite masters, special workshops, curated snacks for purchase, and tons of colorful kites sailing through the sky. Free to attend, and donations welcome. Runs 2 to 6 p.m. Go Metro: Take the A Line to Chinatown station.
Beverly Hills Art Show (May 17-18) > Over 230 artists are expected to participate in the Beverly Hills Art Show this year. Taking place in Beverly Gardens Park the event is free to attend and includes a wine and beer garden, demonstrating artists, children’s activities, gourmet food trucks and several community exhibits. Go Metro: Take Line 4 to Santa Monica / Crescent.
CicLAmini – Pico Union (May 18) -> CicLAvia’s next open streets event will be a fresh edition of “CicLAmini” featuring a modest 1.4 mile course along Pico Blvd, bookended hubs at Pico/Normandie and Pico/Union. Expect the usual assortment of fun activations along with plenty of space to walk/skate/pedal to your heart’s content. Runs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Go Metro: Take Lines 30 or 206 to Normandie / Pico OR take line 30 to Pico / Union.
Fiesta Hermosa (May 24-26) -> Fiesta Hermosa marks Memorial Day weekend in Hermosa Beach with a three-day extravaganza of entertainment, including a marketplace with over 250 vendors, live music and a carnival. Admission is free. Go Metro: Take Line 232 to Pacific Coast Hwy at 16th St
Downtown Burbank Summer Arts Festival (May 31 – June 1) -> A huge vendor marketplace curated by Jackalope Arts takes over Downtown Burbank for a two-day event featuring 170+ indie sellers on hand offering curated goods include original fashion and jewelry design, paper goods, innovative home decor and housewares, art, photography, food, and more. Free to attend. Runs 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days. Go Metro: Take Line 92 to Magnolia / San Fernando OR Take Lines 154/165/294 to 1st / Magnolia.
Free Recurring Things To Do
Did you know We Like L.A. has been busy curating free to-dos every single day for the past six weeks?.Here are some recurring programs/offers (all Metro accessible as well) you might want to take advantage of as we wind down spring:
- Enjoy Poetry in the Garden at The Getty (Line 761/233 to Sepulveda / Getty Ctr.)
- Have a Sketch Party at Benny Boy Brewing (Line 251 or 76 to Main / Daily)
- Watch the Green Screen Series at NHM Commons (E Line to Expo Park / USC station)
- Enjoy an Evening Concert at Fowler Out Loud (Line 602 to Westwood UCLA Amtrak Bus Stop OR take Line 2 to Hilgard / Wyton )
- Peruse Art at Hauser & Wirth DTLA (A or E Line to Little Tokyo Station)
- Scope a View at Los Angeles City Hall Observation Deck (B or D Line to Grand Park / Civic Center station)
- Downtown Long Beach Presents Dance Downtown Revolution Every Tuesday Through May (A Line to Downtown Long Beach station)
- Enjoy Free Live Programming at The Hammer | Free To-Do #6 (Line 20/720 to Wilshire/Glendon OR take Line 233/602/761 to Westwood/Lindown)
- And find more free to-dos every day here.
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