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Los Angeles provides no limit of things to do, some awesome and some not so awesome. Since time is precious in this fast paced city we curate a list of things to do in Los Angeles for every weekend that’ll help you decide how you want to spend your limited supply of attention (not to mention dollars!).
This weekend in L.A. from Friday, July 12 to Sunday, July 14 features the Lotus Festival, KCRW Chinatown Summer Nights, Concha Con, Sierra Madre Shakespeare Festival, Thrillist Taco Knockout, East L.A. Art Walk and MUCH more.
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Remember you can always go to our L.A. events calendar page to get an updated rundown of what’s happening around the city.
Hope you find the rundown useful and, as always, enjoy your weekend!
Keep in mind that while we retain complete editorial control of our content, for some of the ticketing options provided we utilize affiliate links and receive a commission if you purchase through our links.
Friday July 12th, 2019
1. dineL.A. Restaurant Week returns for a 15-day dining event that highlights the diverse and exciting culinary experiences Los Angeles has to offer. On July 12 – 26, patrons can enjoy specially-priced lunch and dinner menus at over 400 participating restaurants throughout the city. Peek our rundown of The Best $15 Menus During dineL.A. (July 12-26) You Have to Try for starters.
2. The South Bay Greek Festival is a three-day affair at St. Katherine’s Greek Orthodox Church in Redondo Beach offering lots of Greek food, traditional dance, music and more.
3. Summer Nights in the Garden returns to the Natural History Museum this weekend. Sip garden-inspired cocktails, listen to live music, take garden tours and more. Tickets are free to this series and can be obtained online. FREE
4. Old Pasadena Summer Cinema screens Clueless at One Colorado on Friday, then follows up on Saturday with The LEGO Movie at Central Park and Monsters, Inc. at One Colorado. FREE
5. The Music Center’s Dance DTLA features live music and/or DJs paired with expert dance instructors providing beginner group dance lessons for attendees. Each night has a different dance theme. The series continues with Hip-Hop (new for 2019) at Grand Park/Performance Lawn. Dance DTLA continues on select Fridays through August 30. FREE
6. Apollo 11: The Immersive Live Show retells the tale of the first moon landing using 40,000 square feet of 360-degree graphics beaming from 32 total projectors, and an almost full-scale replica of the mylar-draped Command Module Columbia. And of course the timing couldn’t be more perfect, with the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission coming up later this month. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
7. The Skirball museum will host an Outdoor Movie Series screening of The Devil Wears Prada. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
8. LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes in Downtown Los Angeles continues their Summer of Salsa concert series this Friday. Dance to the sounds of some of the city’s best salsa and Cuban bands one Friday evening each month through summer. FREE
9. The Hammer’s series Catch a Thrill! Celebrating 10 Years of the American Genre Film Archive will screen late 1980’s Mexican horror flick Don’t Panic.
10. Caltech Astronomy invites the public to sit in on a stargazing and lecture event this Friday at 8 p.m. FREE
11. Back for the 16th year in a row, The Independent Shakespeare Co. presents Shakespeare in the Park at the Old Zoo in Griffith Park with a free performance of Twelfth Night Friday through Sunday. FREE
12. The City of Pasadena hosts Parks After Dark a season of free activities including sports, fitness classes, arts & crafts and much more offered to youth, families and individuals every Thursday through Saturday from July 10 through August 10. FREE
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13. Spend the season sipping wine during sunset hour at Barnsdall Art Park’s Friday Night Wine Party Series. Happening on the lawn of architectural gem the Hollyhock House, the evening features a fine selection of wines curated by Silverlake Wine, a live DJ and tours of the house. The series happens every Friday evening till September 6.
14. Summer Friday Night Drive-In at the Roadium returns every Friday evening from June 7 to August 30 to revive your favorite films in a classic 1950’s drive-in setting. The series continues with a screening of Grease.
15. Shakespeare By The Sea will once again offer a ten-week program of admission-free performances with two featured productions: The Comedy of Errors and Henry V at a variety of venues across Los Angeles Wednesday through Saturday. FREE
16.The Hollywood Bowl welcomes Cyndi Lauper to their iconic outdoor amphitheater this Friday and Saturday and Kristin Chenoweth on Sunday.
17. The Department of Beaches and Harbors presents Beach Movie Nights at Dockweiler Youth Center every Friday. This week they will screen Little Foot. FREE
Saturday July 13th, 2019
18. The 39th Lotus Festival returns to Echo Park Lake with two days of cultural festivities focused on celebrating Thailand. There will be a food court, a Thai pavilion, handcrafted artwork, origami workshops, dragon boat races, and more. FREE
19. The Get Around is a free massive art walk covering 3.5 miles and featuring over 150 artists, Burning Man themed bars, an art playground, live painting battles, giant unicorns, and more running along Venice Blvd. FREE
20. KCRW’s Summer Nights series stops by Chinatown with KCRW DJs Jason Bentley and Garth Trinidad. FREE
21. Concha Con 2019 is a fun filled day celebrating the latin sweetbread. Happening at Plaza De La Raza the event will feature conchas from local panaderias as well as other snacks, cooking demos, pan dulce art and installations, a Latinx mercado, music, dance, kids crafts and a Concha Fashion Show.
22. The Queen Mary hosts Rock the Queen, a throwback to the British Invasion of the 1960’s and 1980’s featuring some of Southern California’s top tribute bands such as The Who Generation, Britain’s Finest and The Cured. Fans will have access to The Queen Mary and there will be games, multiple bars, and an outdoor pub style courtyard.
23. Sierra Madre Shakespeare Festival 2019 returns for its fifth year with the comedy “Much Ado About Nothing” at Sierra Madre Memorial Park. Guests are encouraged to bring blankets, lawn chairs, and picnics as they enjoy the show. FREE
24. Head to the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach for BEERFEST, a day of brews curated by Brewjería Company provided by SoCal Cerveceros a Latino based brew club beer. Happening in their sculptural garden, guests will enjoy à la carte food, DJ sets, live performances and MOLAA’s exhibits.
25. Pershing Square Downtown Stage presents RAIN – A Tribute to the Beatles. FREE
26. Thrillist Taco Knockout 2019 invite you to indulge on tacos from Los Angeles taquerias, sip on micheladas and cervezas then place your vote on which taco purveyor reigns supreme.
27. Street Food Cinema returns this weekend with a screening of Raiders of the Los Ark, The Sandlot and Rear Window at three popular Los Angeles locations. (DISCOUNTED) via Goldstar
28. Celebrate Kidspace’s 40th Celebration on July 13-14 with birthday-themed activities at the museum that include: birthday hat making, classic birthday games, DJ Brees’ interactive dance party, a confetti blast and more. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
29. Tiki Night returns to the Egyptian Theatre this Saturday with a tiki marketplace, a tiki Bar, tiki cuisine, tiki music, Polynesian dancers and film screenings that salute the 60th anniversary of Hawaii’s statehood.
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30. The Griffith Observatory hosts a public star party once a month from 2-9:45 p.m. where folks can get a look at the sun, moon, plants and other objects in the sky through a variety of telescopes. FREE
31. Put your dancing shoes on for Music: ¡Qué Calor! Dance Party at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes. FREE
32. Get to know the East Village Arts District this Saturday during the Long Beach Art Walk. The route is six blocks long with nine galleries, 21 murals, and 28 businesses ready to be explored. FREE
33. L.A.’s only live animated comedy show Picture This! is back with a show on Saturday at The Virgil with over a dozen well known comedians and animators.
34. The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art will host a family art-making day in Leimert Park in anticipation of the museum opening. Using inspiration from the artwork of the museum collection, the public is invited to make creature masks, enjoy a photo booth, and get inspired by Star Wars concept artist Terryl Whitlatch, Walt Disney Animation Studio artist Manu Arenas, and film and TV makeup artist Ana Miro as they discuss using the imagination to bring mask creatures to life. FREE
35. Eat|See|Hear returns for 2019 with a screening of Casablanca at The Autry. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
36. The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck stops by The Shops at Montebello from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. They’ll be serving lots of super cute treats while supplies last.
37. The NoHo ArtWalk takes place on the second Saturday of every month. This month the event will be held at Noho Plaza from 2-8 p.m. featuring vendors, artists and a dance battle. FREE
Sunday July 14th, 2019
38. Hecho in LA and Smorgasburg LA will put on a mercado featuring diverse artisans and makers along side 50+ regular pop up vendors and a family friendly I Love Micheladas Beer Garden.
39. 2nd Annual Tamal Festival with two-time GRAMMY-winning Mariachi Divas will perform as part of the Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles concert series. FREE
40. Sunday Yoga + Meditation at Angel City Brewery is a donation based event happening every week. The recommended donation is between $15-$20 and includes one free drink at the brewery.
41. The monthly East LA Art Walk returns this month to highlight independent artists, muralists, crafters and local businesses from the Eastside and its surrounding neighborhoods. This event is put on by the East LA Business Association of the 1st St corridor and is designed to be family friendly.
42. Manhattan Beach Concerts in the Park presents Queen Nation at Polliwog Park. FREE
43. A colorful, winding installation called The Second Home Serpentine Pavilion is now open at the La Brea Tar Pits for the summer and its 100% free for the public to roam and explore. The pavilion is open daily and will run through November 24. FREE
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44. Cinespia is back for its 18th summer season, at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery for screenings of films modern, cult, and classic. This Sunday they will screen Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back
45. Check out the Rose Bowl Flea Market — one of the most beloved markets of its type this Sunday. Taking place at the Rose Bowl on the second Sunday of each month, the flea market features a staggering 2500-plus vendors and 20,000 shoppers.
46. Concerts on the Green in Woodland Hills continues their free concert series with Led Zepagain this Sunday. FREE
47. After runs in Valencia and Woodland Hills POP SK8, a themed pop-up outdoor roller-skating rink opens this Saturday at Westfield Culver City, running through August 4. Keep in mind every day is a different theme so check their schedule.
48. E.P. & L.P. in West Hollywood continues their stylish cinema series Melrose Rooftop Theatre with a screening of American Pie.
Food Pick for the Week
This week’s pick by Christina Champlin, Co-Founder of We Like L.A.
July is National Ice Cream Month and with temps expected to spike into the high 80’s this weekend, we could all use a sweet treat to beat the summer heat. Here’s one idea: Indie ice cream purveyors Humphry Slocombe and tech brand Square are teaming up this Sunday, July 14 to give out free scoops at the Venice scoop shop between 11 a.m. to noon. The deal is for a complimentary scoop of Square’s collaboration flavor “Small Business Sundae” featuring strawberry banana ice cream and chocolate wafers.
Humphry Slocombe Venice is located at 1653B Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291
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