38 Things to Do in L.A. This Weekend [3-12-2021 to 3-14-2021]

We used to tell you about all the things you could go out and do in Los Angeles on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Then, COVID-19 changed life for all of us, in a thousand small and massive ways. Until the pandemic is behind us, we’ll post events that adhere to Public Health’s current protocols—including plenty of at-home and online events—every Monday and Thursday. We hope they keep you busy, make you laugh, teach you something, or help you feel less alone.

This weekend, we’ve got a Jarritos soda pop-up, drive-in comedy and movies, Pi Day specials, new art shows, and more. Have something you want to submit for next week? Hit us up: [email protected].

In-Person Events

Employees Only turned its parking lot into Summer Social Club last year featuring a roster of weekly culinary pop-ups paired with refreshing cocktails. Every Monday through Sunday, find a different pop-up, such as hand-made pasta from Orso Pasta, Mediterranean rice dishes and dips from Golden Rice Company, and wok-fried Asian street food by Pigeon.

Fans of Jarritos soda should head over to Grand Central Market this weekend to experience the Jarritos Innovation Kitchen. Located at the Golden Road Brewing stall, guests can enjoy a special menu infused with the popular Mexican sodas.

Universal Studios Hollywood reopened March 12 for Taste of Universal, which will continue every weekend this month. The ticketed event gives guests access to shops and outdoor dining from restaurants in the theme park’s upper lot, including The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Springfield, USA areas. The experience includes your choice of five classic and new culinary items, photo ops, offers at several themed shops, and a preview of the Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash shop. No rides yet, and don’t forget your mask! Tickets are $48 on Fridays and $53 on Saturdays and Sundays.

dineL.A. Restaurant Week continues through March 14. The two-week promotion features special menus from over 200 restaurants across Los Angeles for on-site al fresco dining, as well as exclusive takeout and delivery options through Grubhub. (We’ve got some of our top picks in the delivery section below.)

Muralist Erin Yoshi‘s “Through The Land of WE” is an outdoor billboard project that spans from Playa Del Rey to Atwater Village March 10-28, celebrating themes of ecology, culture, and diversity. A map and guide will post here.

Cinespia is going the drive-in route this season with weekend movie screenings at the Greek Theatre. Speed, The Little Rascals, and Romy + Michele’s High School Reunion screen this weekend.

CAP UCLA presents Ellen Reid SOUNDWALK, a GPS-enabled work of public art that brings the natural environment of Griffith Park to life through music. Created by Pulitzer Prize-winning sound artist Ellen Reid, the experience is dictated by the listener. As they explore the park, the app triggers musical cells that harmonize with the park’s landscape. The app is free to download and will be available until 2023.

Texino will host a Spring Forward Market at its camp store in Silver Lake this Saturday with a local lineup of vendors selling vintage clothing, baked goods, flowers, ceramics, wine, coffee, frozen pizzas to-go, and more.

Street Food Cinema has pivoted to a drive-in at the Santa Monica Airport. This weekend’s slate includes Coming to America, Moana, Crazy Rich Asians, and Grease.

Knott’s Taste of Boysenberry Festival features over 80 boysenberry-inspired savory and sweet bites and themed beverages. The festival takes place at the theme park on select dates through May 2. Tickets are $45.

GAVLAK’s latest show, Traces on the Surfaces of the World, runs March 13 through April 24. The group exhibit features Cristine Brache, Henry Chapman, Alex Chitty, Gisela Colón, Amalie Jakobsen, and Dean Sameshima and is inspired by an essay by theorist Judith Butler. Also on view is Jose de Jesus Rodriguez: Back On The Inside, a solo exhibit from the Brooklyn-based painter.

Gallery Nucleus hosts artist Gian Galang’s first solo exhibit. Per a release: “Gian Galang is a unique artist that has made a name for himself by capturing the energy and raw power of martial artists and professional fighters in a way that no one else has. His show will feature painted tributes to some of the greatest fighters alive today including Lomachenko and Manny Pacquiao. Gian has created murals for UFC, NIKE, EVERLAST and more.” The show opens March 13. A virtual Q&A streams at 5 p.m. 

The L.A. Louver gallery presents David Hockney: My Normandy, an exhibition of 16 recent prints from the internationally acclaimed artist, including two 40-foot-long Frieze prints. This will be Hockney’s 22nd solo exhibition with the gallery since 1978. This exhibit runs March 9 through May 1 on a by-appointment basis only.

Drive-In Theatre at The Hollywood Roosevelt screens classic films every Sunday in March in the hotel’s valet lot. This weekend, catch National Lampoon’s Van Wilder and National Lampoon’s Animal House. Guests who book a double feature get a round of drinks for everyone in the car.

WE Drive-Ins in Santa Monica is screening Disney’s Raya & The Last Dragon all weekend long.

Magic Asphalt, the drive-in standup comedy series in the Magic Castle’s parking lot, returns this weekend. In celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, all guests will receive a box of Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies and a Magic Castle board game. To see the lineup, times, and ticket options, go here.

Glendale’s Electric Dusk Drive-In will be screening Cheech & Chong’s Next Movie, John Wick, and Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse this weekend.

Hollywood Legion Theater at Post 43’s drive-in cinema is open seven days a week. This weekend’s films include The Maltese Falcon, The African Queen, Frozen II, and Dazed and Confused. Reservations include popcorn, soda, and candy for each guest. Tickets start at $65 for two people.

The Cinelounge Drive-in in Hollywood’s screenings include Cosmic Sin, Eraserhead, Abandoned: Angelique’s Isle, Nomadland, and Dear Comrades this weekend. Don’t forget to pre-order some of Cinelounge’s gourmet popcorn!

At-Home & Online Events

Atlas Obscura presents 3.14 Peculiar Pies with Gastro Obscura on Pi Day Sunday, March 14. The one-hour live special is hosted by Foods Editor Sam O’Brien, who’ll walk the audience through the history and curious culinary corners of 3.14 incredible pies. Recipes will be sent out after the presentation so attendees can bake up curious confections of their own.

The Jean Deleage Gallery at CASA 0101 presents the new exhibit Capturing Beauty: The Artwork and Photography of John Simmons. An Emmy Award-winning cinematographer, Simmons’ photography chronicles major moments in history. The exhibit includes images of the civil rights movement, portraits of Angela Davis and Shirley Chisholm, and photos of protests in Georgia for the Voting Rights Act. On display until June 5, 2021.

San Francisco-based Triple Coffee will be teaming up with World Barista Champion coach and coffee master Federico Bolanos for a special El Salvadorean edition of Triple Coffee’s Coffee Origins Virtual Tastings on March 27. Attendees will be the first to taste three exclusive new coffees from micro-producers of the region. The deadline to reserve a spot and receive your coffee is March 13.

Delejos is an immersive theater experience conducted over Zoom from writer/actor/comedian Julia Piñero. When her partner, Jose Zambrano, died unexpectedly in 2019, Piñero turned to Zambrano’s unfinished virtual reality game about long-distance love, Delejos. Though Delajos was originally about Zambrano’s forced immigration from Venezuela, it took on a new meaning for Piñero after his death. This two-hour performance is “a true story that weaves together standup comedy, live music, and a virtual reality experience.” Tickets are currently available through May 1. They’re free, but you’ll need to reserve them here.

On March 14 at 3 p.m., Regina Mamou and Lara Salmon of Research for the Bermuda Triangle will discuss their site-specific installation, Common Fantasy. Common Fantasy is a two-part exhibit, featuring both a virtual or in-person viewing at The Wende Museum of the Cold War and a scent-by-mail experience. Per a release: “Common Fantasy is a site-specific installation inspired by Ostalgie, a term coined after German reunification to identify nostalgia for East Germany as it was during the Cold War era. The installation is contained inside the Wende’s ADN guardhouse, a structure that was originally located in the parking lot of the headquarters of the General German News Service (Allgemeiner Deutscher Nachrichtendienst [ADN]) from 1971 to 1992 in East Germany.” Tickets for the discussion are $25-$35. You can sign up to receive a free scent sample here.  

Culinary Historians of Southern California presents “Someone’s in the Kitchen with Dinah (Shore)” by Flo Selfman on March 13 at 10:30 a.m. Selfman will share her experiences working with TV personality Dinah Shore. Register here.

The Skirball Cultural Center presents a conversation with photographer Lynsey Addario, whose work appears in Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope, and Tightrope journalist and co-creator Sheryl WuDunn on March 14 at 11 a.m. Free, register here.

CaltechLive! presents Herbert Siguenza’s A Weekend with Pablo Picasso, an on-demand film adapted from Siguenza’s solo show in which he takes the audience back to 1957 France to spend three days with Picasso as he draws and paints inside his private studio. Tickets are $35 and provide access until April 4.

From Katnip Productions and Spy Brunch LLC comes “A Dark and Stormy Murder.” This interactive, online murder-mystery takes place aboard a tiki-themed cruise in 1948. All guests will get a character name and bio in advance. Tickets are $30 for general admission. A VIP ticket for $75 includes a food and cocktail package for pickup from the Roguelike Tavern in Burbank. Remaining show dates include March 12 and 13. More info and tickets here.

The Groundlings Theatre and School will host performances in celebration of Women’s History Month all March. See the month’s schedule and purchase tickets at www.groundlings.com.

The Getty Villa Museum presents Laurel Ollstein’s Pandora, a feminist retelling of the myth of Pandora’s box, Feb. 26 through March 19. You can register to watch the pre-recorded reading here. You’ll need to register to receive the viewing password.

Dining Events, Pickup & Delivery

Paper Pizza Company in Downey will celebrate Pi Day with an ode to Tostino’s Pizza Rolls. Available for one day only (March 14), folks enjoying patio dining or takeout from Paper Pizza Company can get “Pizza Pi Bites” and “Churro Pizza Bites” for just $3.14.

Du-Par’s Pie Shop located at The Original Farmers Market will offer freshly baked pies at the special price of $3.14 per slice and $13.14 per pie in honor of Pi Day on March 14. Flavors include apple, blueberry, pecan, banana cream, and more.

Little Pie is a new cloud concept opening at Holy Cow BBQ locations in West L.A., Santa Monica, and Culver City. Their National Pi Day launch features little pies for $3.14 (ordinarily $4). Flavors include banana cream, key lime, and peach crumble. 

Korea’s SM Entertainment has landed in Los Angeles with an online-only version of its popular restaurant and club SMT. The global company already has locations in Korea and Tokyo, and has plans to open a two-story operation in the heart of Koreatown later this year. For now, the public can get a taste of what’s to come through delivery from DoorDash, GrubHub, and Fantuan. The introduction menu includes an assortment of yubuchobap, a multi-color veggie & bulgogi bowl, japchae fried dumplings, bulgogi puff pies, and more.

Bill Esparza’s taco festival Taqueando pivoted last year to a multi-week pop-up in DTLA featuring rotating guest chefs and their most popular tacos. For 2021, Taqueando continues with a four-week pop-up (March 10 – April 25) by Chef Priscilla Curiel of San Diego’s famed Tuétano Taquería, Ricky Piña of Ricky’s Fish Tacos, and tamales (to-go) from Tamales Elena y Antojitos. Wine, beer, and cocktails will also be on the menu. The Taqueando pop-up is open Wednesday through Sunday from 5-10 p.m. for takeout, delivery, and outdoor dining on the restaurant’s patio (first-come, first-served basis). Note that Ricky’s Fish Tacos will only be serving Thursday through Saturday.

Broken Spanish extends its residency at NeueHouse in Hollywood through April. Broken Spanish permanently closed its downtown L.A. location in early August of 2020 in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Some items on the menu include hand-pressed tortillas and lentils, seasonal tamal and tostada, duck meatballs, and chicharron with pickled cabbage salad. You’ll also be able to order cocktails, like Broken Spanish’s margarita or El Antiguo (bourbon, ancho reyes, suze, amaro meletti, aztec spice, achiote bitters, chocolate bitters). 

Georgia’s Restaurant is bringing “Nana” Gretchen Shoemaker’s Gumbo back at both Long Beach Exchange and Anaheim Packing House locations through March. The gumbo features Nana’s secret Southern-style roux, chicken, andouille sausage, shrimp, crab, and okra, served over rice.

As we mentioned, it’s dineL.A. Restaurant Week (March 1-14). Here are some top picks for on-site al fresco dining or exclusive takeout or delivery through Grubhub. 

• Clementine in Century City is offering a Deluxe Afternoon Tea Package for $35 that comes with loose leaf tea, a variety of tea sandwiches, scones, and a selection of sweets.
• Rossoblu in DTLA has a three-course dine-in only special that includes items like roasted duck breast, seafood brodetto, big eye tuna carpaccio, and more for $55 a person. The menu is available Wednesday-Sunday.
• Legendary Indian restaurant Mayura in Culver City is participating this year with a takeout-only menu for lunch ($35) and dinner ($65). Designed as a meal for two people, the promotion includes your choice of appetizer, two main dishes, bread, dessert, and drinks.
• Lunetta in Santa Monica is participating in dineL.A. March 3-12. They’ve got a $35 three-course lunch that includes a starter, main, and a chocolate fudge brownie with mascarpone for dessert. Entree choices include a crispy chicken chopped salad, steak frites, or BBQ salmon. Lunetta’s dinner menu is $65 per person and includes a white bean hummus amuse bouche, your choice of starter, sea scallops, your choice of main (options include mushroom bucatini, pan-roasted John Dory, or filet of beef), and your choice of dessert (sticky toffee pudding, chocolate truffle cake, or brown sugar panda cotta). Available for dine-in or takeout. 
• Bone Kettle in Pasadena will host dine-in-only specials. Its two-course $20 lunch menu starts with either citrus-brined chicken wings or spicy papaya salad paired with Bone Kettle’s legendary 36-hour bone broth noodles with your choice of top sirloin or ginger-seared chicken, or a vegan broth with noodles and crispy tempeh. The lunch menu is available Monday-Friday. For dinner, a $45 four-course prix fixe menu is available with options like duck confit, mushroom dumplings, braised oxtail noodles, Indonesian crab fried rice, dan dan noodles, and more.  
• Serving Creole cuisine in L.A. since 1969, Harold and Belle’s in Jefferson Park is offering a $35 deal for lunch or dinner daily. It includes your choice of a margarita or hurricane cocktail; gumbo with seafood, ham, chicken and sausage, or okra (vegetarian); plus beignets for dessert. Available for delivery and takeout only. 
• Casa Vega in Sherman Oaks has a $20 lunch special that includes a build-your-own combo of two items, a vegetarian burrito, or a trio of tacos. The meal comes with vanilla cream-filled churros or flan for dessert. The $35 dinner special includes Casa Vega’s famous margarita, a starter, and the entree and dessert options mentioned in the lunch special. The dineL.A. menu is available for dine-in and takeout. 
• Silver Lake’s All Day Baby has a $25 Lemmy Special that includes a smoked beef and cheese sandwich, fries, and a cocktail. Available for dine-in, delivery, and takeout. Open Wednesday-Sunday. 
• DTLA’s Poppy + Rose is open for dine-in, takeout, and delivery. For dineL.A., the three-course $35 special includes options like buttermilk biscuits, wild mushroom toast, shrimp + grits, brown butter fried chicken sandwiches, steak frites, espresso chocolate mousse, and more. Guests dining in for the special menu must have all parties at the table participating in the dineL.A. menu as well.  
• Dal Rae, the old school steak house in Pico Rivera, is offering a $25 lunch menu that includes two courses, and a $65 dinner menu that includes three courses. Available for dine-in or takeout.
• Family-owned Chao Krung is one of L.A.’s oldest Thai restaurants. For dineL.A., they have a three-course $20 lunch and $45 dinner menu. Available for dine-in, takeout, and delivery. All guests must participate in dineL.A. when dining in.
• Santa Monica’s Socalo is offering a three-course lunch at $20 and a four-course dinner at $45. The menu includes items like ceviche tostada, Vampiro steak and shrimp tacos, lamb birria, churro tots, and more. Available for dine-in, takeout, or delivery.
• All three Tsujita locations in Sawtelle’s Japantown are participating in dine L.A. Each has a two-course $20 lunch menu that includes a selection of ramen and your choice of starter, but ramen and starters vary with each location. The $45 dinner-for-two menu at the original Tsujita and Killer Noodle includes starters like rice bowls, takoyaki, and gyoza paired with two bowls of ramen and alcohol. 
• Manuela, located at the Hauser & Wirth gallery in the Arts District, is offering a three-course lunch ($30) or dinner ($55) menu for dine-in, delivery, and takeout. Black bean chilaquiles, wood-grilled Jidori chicken thigh, ocean trout tartare, Peads & Barnetts pork chop, and burnt honey cake are just a few of the choices. Open Tuesday-Sunday.
• Japanese fried chicken specialist Pikunico has a $15 lunch deal that includes its popular golden chicken sandwich and a flourless brownie cookie. For dinner, Pikunico has a family meal that feeds four (two adults, two kids) and includes a pound of tenders, slaw, two onigiri, fingerling fries, pickles, three dipping sauces, and four chocolate chip cookies for $35. Open Tuesday-Sunday at ROW DTLA for delivery and takeout only.
• For dineL.A., 13 of the Original Farmers’ Market food vendors are doing $15 lunch specials including DuPars, The Gumbo Pot, Trejo’s Tacos, and The French Crepe.
• Ms Chi in Culver City is offering a $15 lunch menu that includes house-made scallion pancakes and your choice of dumplings. The family-style dinner menu includes multiple courses like soy sauce cornish hen, crispy skin salmon, and salt & pepper shrimp for $45 per person.

Need more delivery and takeout options? Check out our latest comprehensive guide here.