Fun Things to do This Week in L.A. [7-12-2021 to 7-16-2021]

There’s always lots to do in Los Angeles, and per usual we’re here with a bi-weekly (Monday and Thursday) rundown of the best of what’s happening in the city and county.

This week, from July 12 to July 16, features National Michelada Day, an HBO takeover of the SM Pier, the public reopening of MOLAA, an outdoor Shakespeare performance, the return of the OC Fair, and more!

Monday/ Throughout the Week

1. Parks After Dark -> The 10th annual Parks After Dark hosted by the Pasadena Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Department (PRCS) returns with a full schedule of activities including basketball games, soft ball tournaments, swimming , movie screenings, coffee and tea workshops and so much more. Registration and the schedule can be found here.

2. Grand Park’s Portraits of Freedom: Building a Life in L.A. -> Now through the end of the month, Grand Park in DTLA hosts a month-long public art installation examining the themes of home and freedom, with publicly viewable photography, video exhibitions, and a special nighttime projection installation. Free to the public. More info here.

3. The Plastic Bag Store -> In association with CAP UCLA, artist/director Robin Frohardt has produced a public installation that critiques consumer culture by creating a faux retail store featuring thousands hand sculpted item, each made from discarded single-use plastics found on the streets and in garbage dumps. The installation is free to visit with reservations, though there is a $10 suggested donation. Runs from June 30 to July 11 at gallery space in the Arts District. Get more info and book a timed visitation slot here.

4. L.A. LIVE -> L.A. LIVE’s Summer Series lineup kicks off with restaurant week specials at Katsuya, Paxti’s Pizza, and Sovca. Get more info on the special menus here.

5. RECONNECTING: A Vision of Unity -> A new exhibit by artist Kengo Kito is now on display at Japan House LA. Kito’s work takes 2,021 hula hoops to create a massive, unified art piece that explores issues of connection and re-connection in the wake of the past year’s unprecedented events. Admission is free to the gallery. Walk-ins accept, reservations are recommend. Exhibits runs from June 16 to Sep. 6. Learn more here.

6. Thinkspace Gallery ->  Starting July 3, Thinkspace will present a new limited-run exhibition entitled Real Life is Fragile, group shows featuring 10 creative artists from West African. Show ends on July 10. Admission is free, but limited. Masks required. More info here.

7. Burger Week -> The second annual Burger Week (July 11-17) will feature restaurants in Los Angeles, Orange County and Long Beach hosting burger-centric menus priced at $10, $15, $20 and $25.

8. Jazz Eclectic -> On Mondays starting at 8 p.m., head to Riviera 31 at the inside Sofitel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills for an evening of jazz music led by Ryan Cross and his band show, alongside special guest performers. No cover, but a table reservation is recommended. More info here.

9. Cinelounge Sunset -> Boutique art house theatre Cinelounge in Hollywood is open for indoor and outdoor movie screenings. This week they’ll screen Summer of Soul, The Exorcist Extended Directors Cut, PIG, Censor and Boogie Nights.

10. Legacies of Exchange ->The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) presents Legacies of Exchange: Chinese Contemporary Art from the Yuz Foundation. Featuring Ai Weiwei, Huang Yong Ping, Wang Guangyi, Xu Bing, and more, the exhibition brings together 20 works of Chinese contemporary art created by 15 artists in response to international trade, political conflict, and global artistic exchange. Runs through Feb. 13, 2022.

Tuesday

11. 80s Nights at the Roosevelt -> Every Tuesday evening throughout the summer the Hollywood Roosevelt spins 80s music. 80s-themed cocktails and bites will be available for purchase while an endless stream of MTV videos from the 1980s will broadcast on the big screen. Guests who come dressed to the era will be judged and winners receive a special prize. The pool will be open too if you opt to bring your swimsuit. Tickets are $19 to get in. More info here.

12. The Petersen Automotive Museum -> ADV:Overland is a new exhibit in partnership with the Motorcycle Arts Foundation featuring 23 vehicles that celebrate the spirit of adventure through “off- road” and “off-world” motorcycles and other related vehicles. Located in the Richard Varner Family Gallery, vehicles include record-setting motorcycles, Hollywood sci-fi vehicles, and spacecraft models on loan from NASA’s JPL.

13. The Autry -> The Autry Museum in Griffith Park is now reopened with two new exhibitions: Four Centuries of Pueblo Pottery and Making a Big Noise: The Explorations of Charles Lummis. Museum hours are 10 a.m to 4 p.m. on Tuesday through Sunday. More info here.

Wednesday

14. Bastille Day Celebration -> On July 14, the Beverly Center will host an afternoon of activities and entertainment in celebration of Bastille Day. Highlights include Cancan dance performances by Cabaret Versatile, live sketching with Zabé Arts, a pop-up petanque French ball game with La Boulisterie, pastries and sweets from Pitchoun! Bakery, and more. Details here.

15. Memorias de Nuestra Tierra -> On July 14 the The Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach reopens to the public with a new exhibition centered on the work on of Chicana artist Judy Baca. Judy Baca: Memorias de Nuestra Tierra, A Retrospective, is the first comprehensive retrospective of the work of the internationally renowned muralist. Walk-ups welcome. More info here.

16. Free Summer Lunch Cruises -> Every Wednesday at noon, Shoreline Village in Long Beach offers a free free 30-minute harbor cruise with purchase of lunch to-go from a participating on-site restaurant. A reservation is required. Program runs through Aug. 25. Get the full details here.

17. Secret Movie Club -> The Secret Movie Club has three nights of cult films this week at their DTLA location on Bay St. Wednesday is Beware of a Holy Whore, Thursday is a double-feature of Hud and Cool Hand Luke, and Friday is Stop Making Sense. Tickets for individual screenings are $16, and it’s $28 for a Thursday double-feature ticket. Get more info here.

Thursday

18. HBO Max x Santa Monica Pier -> HBO Max takes over the Santa Monica Pier July 15-18 with content-themed experiences throughout the park and freebies all weekend long. The public can ride the “HBO Max Ferris Reel,” enjoy a movie-inspired gondola highlighting upcoming movies Space Jam: A New Legacy, The Suicide Squad, Dune and Reminiscence and much more. HBO Max will also partner with local businesses on the pier for complimentary Space Jam: A New Legacy food items via HBO Max Premiere Perks passes. The passes are distributed to attendees after they ride the Ferris Reel and can be used any time after 5 p.m. Free to attend.

19. Dodgers 2020 World Series Championship Redux -> The Greyhound in Highland Park is hosting a Dodgers 2020 World Series Championship Celebration Redux this Thursday. Watch Game 6 of the World Series at 7 p.m. with fellow Dodger fans, then celebrate together with champagne provided by the bar.

20. Cardboard City -> Third Street Promenade is temporarily home to a 10,000 square foot pop-up art center featuring large-scale cardboard sculptures created by local artists and sponsoring architecture and design firms. Cardboard City is free to attend, open Thursday through Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. through Aug. 29. More info here.

21. Shakespeare Outdoors -> Ophelia’s Jump Productions’ Midsummer Shakespeare Festival is back this year, presenting Twelfth Night in an outdoor setting at Sontag Greek Theatre, on the campus of Pomona College in Claremont. Performances run through July 25. Adult admission is $25 per person. Get more info and purchase tickets here.

22. The Fowler Museum -> UCLA’s Fowler Museum has now reopened to the public with two new exhibitions on display, including a showcase of work from Cameroonian photographers Jacques Toussele, Joseph Chila, and Samuel Finlak. Hours are Thursday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free. More info here.

Friday

23. The OC Fair -> After a 2020 cancellation due to the pandemic, this year’s OC Fair returns on July 16 and runs Wednesdays to Sundays through August 15. Tickets are $12 weekday general admission (Wednesday, Thursday) and $14 for weekend general admission. General parking is $10. Get more info and purchase tickets here.

24. Tristan Eaton at LBMA -> L.A. native Tristan Eaton’s will have his first solo museum exhibition at the Long Beach Museum of Art starting July 16. The exhibition showcases a 25-year history of the artist’s work, from street art to murals to design projects for Fisher-Price and Kidrobot. A ticketed (cost $20) opening reception featuring DJ-spun music and food/cocktails by Claire’s takes place this Friday from 6 to 10 p.m. More info on the exhibition here.

25. Marina Drive-In Movies -> The Marina Del Rey drive-in movie series continues this weekend with two nights of screenings. Raya and The Last Dragon and Jurassic Park play Friday followed by Trolls World Tour and Rocketman on Saturday night. Tickers run $20 per car (includes all passengers), max 8 people per vehicle. See the full schedule for the season and reserve a spot here.

26. Summer Fridays at ROW DTLA -> Every other Friday shopping destination ROW DTLA will offer after-hours retail hours, food trucks on-site, live music, and a rose and oyster bar from Chesapeake Bay’s Rappahannock Oyster Bar. Get more info on ROW’s summer programming here.

27. NHM Extended Hours -> Every Friday now through Aug. 6, Natural History Museum will offer extended Friday hours (from 5 to 8 p.m.) that feature a live DJ in the Nature Gardens along with do-it-yourself family activities and food for purchase from the NHM grill. Admission is $15 for adults and $7 for children. More details here.

28. Nick Dong in Conversation -> On Friday, July 16, Artist Nick Dong discusses his immersive exhibition Divine Immersion in an intimate virtual conversation via Zoom. Dong’s work, now on display at the USC Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena, invites high levels of viewer engagement, whether it’s absorbing a kinetic light sculpture inspired by the Big Bang in Becoming Horizon, or self-reflecting on earthly accomplishments, fears, and pressures in Heaven. The exhibition features five of Dong’s works in all.  On view through Oct. 3. GA Admission is $10 for adults. Advanced tickets required. Get more info reserve tickets here. Friday’s talk is free to view, and you can RVSP here to attend virtually.

29. Cinespia -> Cinespia is hosting movie screenings at the Greek Theatre. Shrek screens this Friday. Tickets cost $18.

30. The Huntington -> Enjoy the gardens during twilight hours Fridays through Sundays when The Huntington hosts Summer Evening Strolls from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. June through August. Advance tickets ($20 per adult) are required.

Dining

31. $1 Micheladas at Golden Road -> Prepare to celebrate National Michelada Day on July 12 with Golden Road Brewing’s newest canned michelada, the Guava Chelada Cart for the special price of $1 per can (no limit, while supplies last) from Sunday, July 11 through Saturday, July 17 from noon to 4 p.m. Available at Atwater, Anaheim and Huntington Beach pub locations, the Guava Chelada Cart special can be accessed through this link here starting July 11 to order for delivery or pickup. Consumers can also visit any of these three locations and purchase to-go on-site, as well as call ahead for pick up. 

32. La Chuperia -> This bar in Exposition Park is known for serving over the top micheladas and sizable bar eats. Order a deep fried bacon wrapped shrimp michelada or go for a fruit version where chucks of mango or watermelon top the drink. All La Chuperia micheladas are served with a tamarind candy straw and you get to choose the beer. 

33. Guelaguetza -> Harvard Heights Oaxacan legend Guelaguetza offers a classic michelada, a mango version served with mango hefeweizen and a cucumber michelada made with Cucumber Sour. They even have two for one michelada specials on Fridays.

---

Any notes or corrections? Want to suggest an event we should add to an upcoming list? Hit us up at [email protected].