24 Fun Things to do This Memorial Day Weekend in L.A. [5-28-2021 to 5-31-2021]

As Los Angeles finds its way out of the pandemic and restrictions gradually ease, we’re continuing our bi-weekly round-ups of fun to-dos, mixing in the occasional online/virtual event with an ever-growing listen of in-person experiences.

This weekend features a tap dance park, the reopening of the Pacific Asia Museum, a self-guided CicLAvia experience, a Memorial Day remembrance event at the USS Iowa, a Kubrik triple-feature at the Million Dollar Theater, and more!

Friday / All Weekend

1. The Super Villainz Tap Dance Park -> To celebrate National Tap Dance Day (May 25), the Music Center has created a week-long “tap dance playground” at Jerry Moss Plaza. Dance-related films will play on giant LED projected screens while guests puts their bodies in motion on five different types of specially constructed dance boards and receive guidance from on-hand tap dance instructors. Runs from May 24 through May 30. Attendance is free, but advance reservations are required. Also note that “The Super Villainz: A Tap Dance Act for the Modern Age” will be performing live this Sunday, May 30 at the plaza. The event has now sold out, but you can watch a stream of the event for free at musiccenter.org. Get more info here.

2. Hollywood Legion Theater -> Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi thriller Tenet and World War II epic Dunkirk will be screened in 70mm at the Hollywood Legion Theater during Memorial Day weekend, along with a 35mm presentation of the classic WWII film Twelve O’Clock High (1949). Ticket prices start at $20 for general admission, with discounted tickets for veterans at $18 and students at $16.

3. Urban Death Trail of Torment -> Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre has a new walk-thru attraction kicks off this Thursday. Per a release, the 20-minute experience takes visitors on a journey through “dimly-lit labyrinth straight into our phantasmagoria.” A $35 ticket is good for entry for two. Runs Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays starting at 7:20 p.m. Get tickets here.

4. The GRAMMY Museum is Now Open -> The GRAMMY Museum welcomed the public back on May 21 with three brand new special exhibits, including retrospectives on Motown Records, Dave Matthews Band, and the life and career of Marco Antonio Solís. Adult admission starts at $15 per person, and can be booked in advance here.

5. The Broad is Now Open -> The Broad’s latest exhibition is called Invisible Sun, an exhibition that was conceived last summer as a response to the issues of gender and race-based violence, capitalism, and colonialism. The exhibition features 59 works from artists including El Anatsui, Alexander Calder,Keith Haring, Jenny Holzer, Julie Mehretu, Nathaniel Mary Quinn, and Cindy Sherman, and many of the works will be on view for the first time. Advance reservations to visit can be made here.

6. The Original Farmers Market -> Live music is back at The Original Farmers Market this year. The Summer Sounds on the Plaza series happens every Thursday and Friday with an eclectic mix of artists. This Friday Dave Stuckey and the Hot House Gang will kick the weekend off 30s swing music from 5-7 p.m.

7. Haute Mess -> The European inspired market and café will celebrate National Hamburger Day (May 28) by offering The Mess Burger made of beef and topped with tomato, cheddar cheese, lettuce, caramelized onions with bacon aioli.

8. Japanese American National Museum -> JANM in Little Tokyo is now open for in-person visits on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The current exhibit, Transcendients: Heroes at Borders, by Taiji Terasaki, in collaboration with JANM, honors individuals who advocate against discrimination, prejudice, and inequality at borders. The museum also presents Transcendients: 100 Days of COVID-19 and Memorial to Healthcare Workers, a work created during the pandemic that tells a wide range of stories on topics including race and class, food sustainability, art, scientific innovations, and climate adaptation. Advance reservations (free) are required.

9. Celebration Spectrum -> A month-long public art installation produced by dublab for Art Rise in collaboration with artist Tanya Aguiñiga and curator Mark “Frosty” McNeill for The Music Center and Grand Park. Showcases the work of over 34 local artists, fusing art, music, and cultural identity experiences into art installations on the grounds of Grand Park, as well as digital programming accessible via werise.la/grandpark. 

10. The Skirball -> The museum is now reopened with Ai Weiwei’s Trace, an exhibition of portraits made entirely from LEGO® blocks that reflects the artist’s experience of being arrested and interrogated by the Chinese government for 81 days in 2011. Visitor info can be found here.

11. Love Note -> Rogue Ensemble has a new interactive audio expedition that invites guests to Plummer Park in WeHo, now through June 30. Per a release, Love Note is an “in-real-life audio experience that guides audiences through a twisted collection of love stories, meditative romance and lost connections.” The experience is free, but a smartphone and headphones are required. Plummer Park is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. More info and instructions for attendees can be found here.

Saturday

12. USC Pacific Asia Museum Reopens -> On Saturday, the USC Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena welcomes public visitors back for the first time in over a year. Guests will have a chance to see We Are Here, a collection of works that premiered online last year and that features contributions from seven Asian female artists. This weekend will be the first — and only — chance to see the exhibition in person before it is transitioned out for new work. Advance reservation required. More info and tickets here.

13. Ingrained LA pop-up -> The artisanal Asian rice bowl concept formed during the pandemic
by the team behind Honeybird LA is popping up for one day only at Café Dulce at ROW DTLA with two Asian comfort dishes for pre-order. On the menu is a Hainan Chicken Bowl ($14) with twice poached Hainan chicken, rice steam in chicken broth, pickles and several dipping sauces and a Japanese Beef Bowl ($14) made of USDA Prime Grade Brisket simmered in homemade gyudon broth served with onions and an egg. Pre-order is currently available via Ingrained LA’s website here, with pick-up at Café Dulce ( also known as “Dulce Dos”) at ROW DTLA starting at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday. Dulce Dos will also launch their signature seasonal AO lemonade as part of the pop-up.

14. Jewels of the White Tiger -> Escape Room LA is launching an outdoor escape room that takes players on a quest through Chinatown, and the first go-around starts this Saturday. Runs for two weeks only. Tickets are $30 per person. More info here.

15. Street Food Cinema -> The 10th season of SFC continues with two drive-in screenings at Santa Anita Park this Saturday: E.T. at 8 p.m. follow by Back to the Future at 10 p.m. Entry is $20 per car, and $8 for each individual inside the vehicle. Get tickets and more information here.

Sunday

16. WE RISE x CicLAvia -> Starting May 30, download CicLAvia’s Experience Central Ave Bike Map for a self-guided music bike ride through one of the oldest historic communities in Los Angeles. The playlist provided by Subsuelo Music Collective speaks to the cultures and experiences that help make each neighborhood what it is today.

17. The Groundlings -> Part of AAPI Heritage Month The Groundlings welcome back Randall Park for “Creating Your Own Path: A Proactive Approach to Your Career in Comedy.” The online conversation will be moderated by Groundlings Main Company member, Leonard Robinson (Insecure). Tickets cost $5.

18. Melrose Trading Post -> This weekly flea market takes place every Sunday at Fairfax Highschool Starting at 9 a.m., and this week the event will host live musical performances onsite for the first time in over a year. Admission costs $5. More info here.

Monday

19. Remembering Our Fallen Heroes ->  The annual Memorial Day remembrance day aboard the Battleship USS Iowa Museum will take place this Monday starting at 10 a.m., and will include posting of colors, a prayer for the departed, a memorial poem reading, and musical accompaniment. Admission, both for the ceremony and to the museum, is free for all active-duty military members and veterans. More info and other admission requirements can be found here.

20. Stanley Kubrik Triple-Feature -> On Memorial Day, The Million Dollar Theatre in DTLA teams up with Secret Movie Club to host back-to-back-to-back screenings of three Kubrik classics: Dr. Stranglove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and The Shining. Starts at 11 a.m.. $48 for a full triple-feature ticket. More info here.

21. Memorial Day Comedy -> Cult Comedy is hosting an outdoor show and block party at El Cochinito on Sunset Blvd this Monday. Pre-show music starts at 4 p.m., and the first set begins at 5 p.m. General admission tickets are $20. More info here.

Dining

22. Brooklyn Ave. Pizza Co. -> The Boyle Heights pizzaria launched a summer happy hour program available Tuesday through Friday 2-5 p.m. featuring a $5 rotating house cocktail, half price 16oz draft beers, $5 wings + papas specials and $4 well shots with purchase of any beer. During happy hour guests who purchased any pitcher of beer on the menu will also receive a cheese pizza on the house. Don’t sleep on Brooklyn Ave. Pizza Co. daily lunch special (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) either, diners can score a cheese pizza with choice of topping and choice of non-alcoholic beverage for just $11.

23. Messhall Kitchen –> Located in Los Feliz, Messhall Kitchen will offer Carolina-style BBQ and craft cocktails with house-infused spirits for dine in and take out for Memorial Day.

24. Salt & Straw -> The artisan ice cream company is collaborating with Scholastic this summer with a Rad Readers menu inspired by five children’s books, including R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps. Available May 28 through July 1, online for nationwide shipping, at local scoop shops, and for local delivery.

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