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As we sweep into a new week in Los Angeles, the forecast calls for sunshine in the skies and some fun on the calendar.
On deck from April 7-11, you’ll find the back half of the Pasadena International Film Festival, a new free film series at NHM Commons Theater, a Native Voices Short Play Festival at Autry After-Hours, a Spring Market at Ivy Station, the Acura Grand Prix in Long Beach, The Bruin Flea in Westwood, Pitch a Friend at Truly LA, and more.
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Things To Do This Week
M = Less than .5 miles from an L.A. Metro Station, FA = Free Admission, TP = Top Pick
NCAA March Madness Championship Game at ACB – M FA > College Hoops’ March Madness culminates on Monday with the NCAA Tournament Championship Game between Florida and Houston. If you want take in the game with a fresh brew in hand, hop over to Angel City Brewery where they’ll be hosting a fun watch party from 5 to 8 p.m. No cover to attend. More info here.
Pasadena International Film Festival – M > This Monday to Thursday, the Pasadena International Film Festival continues off an eight day showcase of film and creativity featuring 130 entrants from over a dozen countries, with submissions ranging from features and shorts to documentaries, music videos, animation and web series. Screenings will take place at the Laemmle NoHo 7 theater. Day passes start at $35 per person, and include admittance to all screenings, panels and Q&As for any single date. More info here.
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Benson Movie Interruption – M > What’s better than seeing a terrible/awesome movie with your friends and making fun of it while you watch it? How about live commentary from some of entertainment’s funniest movie-lovers. This Monday at Dynasty Typewriter, Doug Benson hosts a “your choice” version of his Movie Interrupted series with special guests including Patton Oswalt, Jonathan Mangum, and Steve Agee. Attendees are invited to bring in a Blue Ray / DVD of their choice, and the audience will vote on what to watch before the show begins. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 the day-of. More info here.
Free Day at LACMA – FA > The Los Angeles County Museum of Art offers free admission every second Tuesday of the month. Among the exhibitions on view now are Ritual Expressions: African Adornment from the Permanent Collection, Digital Witness: Revolutions in Design, Photography, and Film, and Imagining Black Diasporas: 21st-Century Art and Poetics. More info on tickets here.
Green Screen Series at NHM Commons – M FA -> To mark the 10th anniversary of City Nature Challenge, the Natural History Museum debuts Green Screen, a free film series at NHM Commons Theater exploring pressing environmental issues from local and global perspectives. This Thursday, the series opens with Nocturnes (2024), a Sundance World Cinema Documentary nominee. Event begins at 7 p.m. RSVP required. More info here.
Pitch a Friend at Truly LA – M FA TP > It says a lot if a friend is willing to stan you to a group of total strangers, right? That’s the premise behind Pitch-A-Friend, which pops up at Truly LA in the Arts District this Thursday. Presenters will run through a series of 3 to 5 minute slide deck presentations (in all earnestness) followed by a singles mixer where you can meet-and-greet with the friends who come so highly recommended. And if you have a great single friend you want to pitch, you can apply to be a presenter too! Free to attend. Starts at 8 p.m. More info here.
Autry After Hours | Native Voices Short Play Festival – > This Thursday’s edition of Autry After Hours features an evening of staged readings featuring groundbreaking new plays by Native playwrights. After hours access to the galleries starts at 6 p.m.and the play festival starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $18. More info here.
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Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach – M > This Friday to Sunday, the annual Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach brings three days of racing action to DTLB, all accompanied by a lifestyle expo and a variety of fun activations. Tickets start at $54. More info here.
Spring Market at Ivy Station – M FA > Ivy Station’s monthly night market morphs into a Y2K inspired “spring break” this Friday featuring over 25 local vendors mixed with food trucks and DJ-spun 90s-’00s hits. Runs 5 to 10 p.m. Free to attend. More info here.
The Bruin Flea – FA > This Friday, The Bruin Flea is back at Broxton Plaza in Westwood Village, wrangling a collection of local vendors offering everything from jewelry and collectibles to vintage clothing, streetwear, pins, stickers and more. And (just about) everything is $30 or less! Runs 3 to 8 p.m. Get more info here.
Back From the Ink: Restored Animated Shorts – FA > On Friday, The Hammer and the UCLA Film & Television Archive present an evening of 12 classic animated shorts 1920s to 1940s, all restored by Seth MacFarlane Foundation. The lineup includes nine animated pictures from Max and Dave Fleischer, who created Betty Boop and Koko the Clown. The screening event begins at 7:30 p.m., and is free to attend. More info here.
Dining & Drinking
(picks by Christina Champlin)
KOAST’s “Fish and Chips” Night -> KOAST, the new seafood spot from the team behind Michelin-starred Kali, serves up an elevated take on Fish and Chips exclusively on Monday nights from 6 to 9 p.m. They coat locally sourced fish like California halibut in a light tempura-style batter, toss it in crispy potato chips, and fry it to perfection. Mondays at KOAST also invite guests to BYOW (Bring Your Own Wine) with no corkage fee, making it the perfect excuse to splurge on dessert—think deconstructed banana cream pie or brown butter cake. More info here.
School Fundraiser with Nice Coffee -> Grab your morning coffee for a good cause! On Thursday, April 10, Nice Coffee (inside Carla’s Fresh Market in Highland Park) hosts a fundraiser supporting Aldama Elementary’s music, garden, and coding programs. Stop by between 7 to 9 a.m., pick up a coffee or pastry, and a portion of your purchase will go toward enriching local student education. More info here.
Happy Hour at The Bamboo Club -> Long Beach’s Bamboo Club serves up some of the city’s most affordable tropical cocktails, and weekday happy hour makes the deal even sweeter. Get $2 off cocktails, $5 well drinks and beer, plus a food menu priced between $5-$15, featuring Thai tea buttermilk-brined fried chicken sandwiches, Tempura Mahi Tacos, eggrolls, and potstickers. Happy hour runs Monday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m.—stick around for free shows, DJ sets, and vinyl nights. More info here.
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