26 Fun Things to do This Weekend in L.A. [8-6-2021 to 8-8-2021]

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 and food ideas.

This weekend, from August 6 to 8, features Levitt Pavilion Concerts, a Hello Kitty Carnival, Shakespeare in the Park, Movies on Location, the Rose Bowl Flea Market, a new cocktail pop-up, and more!

Friday / All Weekend

1. Levitt Pavilion Concerts -> Local ska band The Paranoias will be center stage at this Friday’s Levitt Pavilion concert in McArthur Park, and then on Saturday you can catch Miriah Avila & Angel City Soul Band along with a DJ set by Ruben Molina. Both concerts begin at 7 p.m. Free. Outdoors. All-ages. More info here.

2. Fireworks at the Bowl -> This Friday and Saturday, the Hollywood Bowl brings back its annual fireworks spectacular as Bramwell Tovey conducts the LA Phil in works by Tchaikovsky, capped by the 1812 Overture, and backed by dazzling pyrotechnics. More info and tickets here.

3. Dodger Fan Fest Market -> Over a dozen vendors will offer Dodger-inspired goods while T.V.’s will be set up to broadcast Friday’s game versus the Angels. Pet friendly and family friendly. Free to attend. More info here.

4. Parks After Dark Movies -> LA Parks After Dark the public can take advantage of a wide range of free community program this summer across 33 parks. Friday night movies, arts and health workshops, and Saturday night concerts are all parts of the program. This Friday’s lineup includes Trolls World Tour at Athens Park, Godzilla vs. Kong at Amigo Park in Whittier, and Wonder Woman 1984 at Allen J. Martin Park in La Puente.

5. Aquarius Cocktail Pop Up -> Culver City’s dining and shopping destination Platform LA is hosting a clothing pop-up this month for West Coast lifestyle brand Aquarius Cocktail. For a limited time shop one-of-a-kind summer looks that reimagine vintage materials into items like bucket hats (made of vintage beach towels!) Hawaiian shirts patched with bright vintage fabrics, dead stock shorts imprinted with smiley faces and much more.

6. 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.

7. Electric Dusk Drive-In -> The slate of drive-in flicks for this weekend includes Godzilla vs. Kong on Friday, Black Panther on Saturday, and Raya and the Last Dragon on Sunday. And just for this weekend, you can use promo codes “DATENIGHT” for 2 tickets for $30 or “FAMILYNIGHT” for 4 tickets for $50. Purchase tickets here.

8. 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.

9. Long Beach Burger Week -> From Aug 1-8, Long Beach Food & Beverage with partnering with local eateries to offer dozens of burger specials at restaurants all over the city of Long Beach, with prices ranging from $5 to $20. Browse the available burger options here.

10. Ultra -> The Torrance Art Museum has collaborated with over 20 artists to create a series of public art installations freely accessible in locations around the City of Torrance, now through Aug. 28. More info here.

Saturday

11. Hypland x Hello Kitty Carnival Pop-Up -> Streewear brand Hypland is teaming up with Hello Kitty for a new apparel line, and they’re launching it with a special pop-up carnival this Saturday and Sunday in Santa Monica. The event features eight multi-dimensional installations for photo-ops, but Hello Kitty herself will be making a special appearance. Events runs 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on both days. More info here.

12. Grand Performances -> This Saturday’s edition of Grand Performances will be a tribute to the late hip-hop legend and music producer J. Dilla, celebrating the anniversary of Dilla’s 2006 album Donuts. The event will feature live performances by Talib Kweli with a live trio along with Frank N Dank with Illa J and DJ Rhettmatic of The World Famous Beatjunkies crew. Free. All ages. Outdoors. More info here.

13. Shakespeare in the Park -> The Independent Shakespeare Co. is bringing back free, live theater to Griffith Park starting Aug. 7 with performances of The Tempest. Shows will run Wednesdays to Sundays through Sep. 5. For health and safety reasons, online reservations are required to ensure capacity limits are held. This weekend’s performances are wait-list only as of now, but tickets for futures shows are released 7 days in advance of each performance, so be sure to check the ISC’s website if you want to reserve a slot for a future show. Get more info and make a reservation here.

14. Movies on Location: Cars -> This Saturday, Movies On Location heads to the Pink Motel in Sun Valley for a family-friendly screening of Disney’s Cars. The event will feature a life-sized replica of the Lighting McQueen, a Hot Wheels Racing Track and a concession stand with treats for purchase. GA tickets start at $20. More info here.

15. Avocado Fest -> Angel City Brewery is celebrating the release of two new avocado ales with a party on Saturday featuring food, games, and music. Runs from 1 to 7 p.m. Free to RSVP. More info here.

16. Secret Movie Club -> The Secret Movie Club is hosting matinee screening of Full Metal Jacket at the Million Dollar Theater on Saturday at 11 a.m. Tix are $17. Get more info here.

Sunday

17. The Rose Bowl Flea -> Hundreds of vendors take over The Rose Bowl every second Sunday of the month. General admission is $10. More info here.

18. Free Valley Concert -> The Valley Cultural Center continues their summer concert series with another event offering this Sunday at 5:30 p.m. featuring local “Bands On the Rise.” More info here.

19. Smorgasburg Delivered -> If you can’t make it to the Smorgasburg LA Sunday market, you can now get bites delivered courtesy of GruhHub. Over two dozen Smorgasburg vendors are now available, including URBN Pizza, Shrimp Daddy, Plantae Bar, and others. Delivery (as long as your in the delivery radius of ROW DTLA) is free, plus customers can get a $5 off Perk for their first order of $15 or more by using the code SMORG2021.

20. Dave Koz & Friends Summer Horns -> This Sunday, catch an evening of smooth summer jazz at the Hollywood Bowl headlined by saxophonist Dave Koz and joined by Tower of Power. Seats still available as low as $9. More info here.

Dining

21. Yakiniku Osen -> This week, Yakiniku Osen officially opened in Silver Lake bringing Japanese barbecue and authentic A5 wagyu to Sunset Blvd. Diners have the option to try one of several tasting menus, as well as à la carte items that include A5 wagyu tartare and water parley salad, seasonal cold noodles, wagyu katsu sando and oxtail soup. The wagyu menu features both US and Hokkaido A5 wagyu grilled on the spot on individual tabletop grills. Make sure to save room for dessert, it’s a chef choice kind of deal and during our visit we enjoyed a decadent matcha mochi cake with a scoop of black sesame and matcha ice cream and semi dried persimmons rolled in cream cheese.

22. Mian Opens in West Adams -> Sichuan noodle house Mian is opening in its fourth and largest location in West Adams this Saturday with an open kitchen and chef’s counter. Chef Tony Xu, who rose to fame with his SGV restaurant Chengdu Taste, has partnered with restaurateur Bill Chait for the latest Mian incarnation. On the menu are hand-pulled, Sichuan-style noodles and traditional Sichuan dishes such as Chengdu Beef Jerky, Bone Broth Wontons, and Shrimp Fried Rice. Mian West Adams will also offer an assortment of natural wine and beer, as well as a soju-based Mung Bean Horchata cocktail inspired by the restaurant’s signature mung bean tea.

23. New Yakumi Specials -> Yakumi in Burbank recently added a happy hour, and bottomless weekend sakemosas. Score $5 drinks and 20% off all combination boxes Monday through Friday, from 3 to 6 p.m. during happy hour. On the weekends, Friday through Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. guests can also enjoy $12 bottomless sakemosas. 

24. Steep After Dark -> The Taiwanese night market style pop-up returns to Steep in Chinatown this Friday and Saturday from 5-10 p.m. Serving on the spot grilled items, cold dishes, tea based cocktails and mocktails, the menu includes sesame cold noodles, handmade dumplings, grilled three cup octopus, Taiwanese sausage served with pineapple chili sauce and more. No reservations are needed and tables as well as food are on a first come first served basis.  

25. Birdie G’s Fried Pickle Chick -> Birdie G’s in Santa Monica is bringing back their gluten and dairy free “Fried Pickle Chick” as a limited, on-site dining special now until Sunday, August 8. Chef Jeremy Fox and Chef de Cuisine Matt Schaler brine and coat the organic chicken in rice flour and organic potato flakes, then dust the whole thing in dehydrated dill pickle powder. The dish is served with a pickle brine hot sauce. Early reservations are strongly recommended for a visit. 

26. Monty’s Good Burger Launches a New Item -> On Friday Monty’s Good Burger will launch “Charlie’s Chickən Sandwich” offering a plant-based option that rivals all the fast food fried chicken sandos out there today. The first new menu item since their initial launch in 2018, “Charlie’s Chickən Sandwich” is made of pea-protein fried chicken topped with house made pickles, veganaise on an artisan bun accompanied by a new BBQ sauce.

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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].