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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 26 to Sunday, July 28 features Long Beach Crawfish Festival, Outfest Under the Stars, 24th Annual Central Avenue Jazz Festival, Camp Fangoria, Peruvian Fest 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 26th, 2019
1. Long Beach Crawfish Festival comes to the Rainbow Lagoon in Long Beach July 26 – 28 for a crustacean-centric, weekend-long celebration where chefs will prepare true, Louisiana-style crawfish along with other cajun delicacies. Festival highlights include the Second Line Dancing Parade, live entertainment, a Karaoke Lounge with a live band, and of course, crawfish prepared Louisiana style in the world’s largest crawfish pots. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
2. 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
3. The Chocolate and Art Show happening July 26-27 brings together some of Los Angeles’ most talented up-and-coming artists, photographers and creators. Highlights include art, live music, live body painting, face-painting, and of course large amounts of free chocolate.
4. Outfest Under the Stars is four nights of LGBTQ films at Hollywood”s Ford Theatres. This year’s lineup features Trixie Mattel: Moving Parts, Kathy Griffin: A Hell of a Story, Gay Chorus Deep South, and Sid & Judy.
5. It’s Christmas in July at Here and Now as they transform their DTLA bar into Blitzen’s a winter holiday themed pop-up from July 23 through July 28. Transport yourself to the North Pole thanks to a snow machine, festive entertainment and a selection of yuletide and Hanukkah themed food plus cheerful punny cocktails.
6. 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 Disco at Grand Park. Dance DTLA continues on select Fridays through August 30. FREE
7. Old Pasadena Summer Cinema concludes their series with three screenings this week that include Ocean’s 8 at One Colorado this Friday, Zootopia at Central Park on Saturday and Nacho Libre at One Colorado on Saturday. FREE
8. It’s opening night for The Groundlings’ latest hilarious main stage show, Groundlings Treasure Hunters. The opening night show will include hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, wine and beer, coffee and desserts after the show. The show plans to run every Friday and Saturday through September 14.
9. Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival returns on July 18 – 28 for eleven days of world-class films, panels, and parties. More than 150 feature and short films will be screened.
10. Head to The Hollywood Bowl to see an enchanting production of Stephen Sondheim’s Into The Woods July 26-28.
11. Shakespeare on the Bluff brings Shakespeare’s greatest plays to Loyola Marymount University and Playa Vista Concert Park for free shows in July. Pericles will be performed on Friday and Saturday at LMU and Sundays show will take place at Playa Vista Bandshell. FREE
12. Metro Art Presents “Movements at Union Station,” an evening featuring some of L.A.’s top DJs on the station’s South Patio alongside visual projections, a photo booth and food trucks. FREE
13. 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.
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14. On the last Friday of each month the California Market Center hosts a public sample sale with hundreds of showrooms offering men, women and children fashion as well as gift and home items at below-retail prices.
15. 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.
16. 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
17. Grand Central Market hosts Friday Night Flights this Friday starting at noon. The special includes a flight of drinks or bites from GCM vendors and a round trip ticket on the historic Angels Flight Railway right across the street for $15.
18. 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 The Avengers.
19.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
20. East LA Meets Napa celebrates Latin cuisine and California’s Latino-owned vineyards while raising funds for community health center AltaMed. This years event features 50 participating restaurants and wineries.
21. The Norton Simon Museum presents The Female Gaze a female-centric film series highlighting French women directors. Presented in conjunction with the exhibition The Sweetness of Life: Three 18th-Century French Paintings, this Friday the museum will screen Things to Come. The screenings are free with guest admission ticket.
22. The Greens at the Rose Bowl (the grounds surrounding the stadium) hosts Final Fridays a family friendly event happening on the last Friday (4-8 p.m.) of every month where food trucks, life-size games, stadium tours and so more are offered.
23. Cooper Design Space hosts Last Friday Sales a rare opportunity where showrooms open their doors to the public offering discounts on past seasons, samples and overstock. Keep in-mind showrooms are usually cash only.
24. The Department of Beaches and Harbors presents Beach Movie Nights at Dockweiler Youth Center every Friday. This week they will screen Incredibles 2. FREE
Saturday July 27th, 2019
25. The 2019 Long Beach Dragon Boat Festival comes to Marine Stadium in Long Beach July 27 – 28 for two days of excitement by the water featuring one of the largest dragon boat competitions in California plus Chinese traditional art demonstrations, Chinese Acrobats, martial arts performances and more. FREE
26. 24th Annual Central Avenue Jazz Festival July 27-28 celebrates the legacy of the Historic Central Avenue through a two-day festival featuring three musical stages, food offerings, and art. The event takes place along Central Avenue between MLK Blvd. and Vernon. FREE
27. Summer Film Series at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes screens Stand and Deliver (1988). FREE
28. POW! WOW! Long Beach – one of the largest mural events in the nation returns to Long Beach for a week-long festival highlighting murals by local and international artists, hosting special events and more. The public art experience is free and open to the public. The series concludes this Saturday with a KCRW Summer Nights pool party.
29. Camp Fangoria is a ten-hour-long event screening 80s horror classics at the Montalbán Theatre in Hollywood. The all most all nighter will include Q&As from special guests, a live podcast, DJ sets, horror trivia, Nintendo gaming tournaments, horror-camp photo-booth plus access to rooftop where there’s more surprises. The Alone Experience will also be there offering a “site-specific, fully immersive and existential experience” inside the historic theater.
30. CRYSTALLINE: Brazil’s Crystal Giants is the latest exhibition at Rhythm Visuals Gallery in DTLA. The exhibit showcases a bevy of Brazil’s biggest gems, including a 2000-pound Amethyst Violet Throne you can actually sit on. The gallery is open Tuesday-Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a closing event on Saturday from 12 to 6 p.m.
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31. Luxury mens yoga brand Coroa will host a free yoga workshop at One Down Dog this Saturday to celebrate and honor the male yoga community. Please note this event is only for men. FREE
32. Annual all-day, all-night comedy festival PACKCON starts at noon and ends “whenever” while promising appearances from celebrity friends, some of the best improv folks in town, sketches, stand-up, and other hilarious variety showcases. Happening at The Pack Theater in Santa Monica.
33. Street Food Cinema returns this weekend with a screening of CRAZY,STUPID,LOVE. Mean Girls and Boyz in the Hood at three popular Los Angeles locations. (DISCOUNTED) via Goldstar
34. 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 Pericles on Saturday and Sunday. FREE
35. The Venice Beach Festival will be held July 27 and 28 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. along the Venice Beach Boardwalk Windward Plaza and will feature food, local entertainment, live music, fashion trucks, vendors, and community booths. FREE
36. The 2019 Vans US Open of Surfing is a nine-day event featuring a full calendar of engaging and creative activities for all ages, including workshops, onsite surfboard shaping, public skate and BMX sessions, movie premieres, vendor exhibitions, art installations and more. The free event returns to the southside of the Huntington Beach Pier July 27 through August 4, 2019. FREE
37. Lala Lala performs at the Getty Center Courtyard as part of the museum’s Off the 405 summer concert series. FREE
38. Cinespia is back for its 18th summer season, at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery for screenings of films modern, cult, and classic. This Saturday they will screen Twilight.
39. Think Tank Gallery is teaming up with Pizzaboyzzz and Future Fantasy Delight to present Nothing Cheezy a pizza-fueled, self-aware, selfie-themed pop-up thats a little bit satire and is intentionally too encompassing to be captured in a picture, thus forcing viewers to live inside the art. This is a ticketed experience that takes guests through the “craziest kitchen you’ve ever seen” and thirteen themed environments plus pizza of course. Open Thursday through Sunday.
40. The Hammer will screen a double feature both taking place in Paris France, the classic 1957 film Funny Face and 1961 Paris Blues.
41. 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
42. The Valley Cultural Foundation presents Movies on the Green at Warner Ranch Park. This weekend they will screen Bohemian Rhapsody. FREE
43. Eat|See|Hear returns for 2019 with a screening of Home Alone at Centennial Square at Pasadena City Hall. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
44. 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
Sunday July 28th, 2019
45. Nic Harcourt presents an evening of Mexican electronica headlined by Kinky with special guest Mexican Institute of Sound at the Ford Theatres this Sunday as part of its IGNITE @ the FORD! series.
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46. Peruvian Fest Los Angeles comes to Plaza de la Raza on Sunday to celebrate Peruvian Independence Day with a festival featuring all facets of Peruvian culture like food, traditional drinks, as well as Peruvian music and dance. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
47. Smorgasburg LA’s 3rd Annual Ice Cream Alley returns bigger and better than ever with awesome scoop vendors, one-of-a-kind collaborations, plus its own dedicated beer garden with extended hours until 6 p.m. Happening every Sunday through September 1.
48. The Getty Villa’s Bacchus Uncorked series returns with engaging programs focused on art, wine and culture in the ancient world. This Sunday they’ll host Bacchus Uncorked: Wine and the Senses a talk and wine tasting that bridges ancient philosophy and modern neuroscience.
49. Ethiopia Day (an Ethiopian-themed festival) as part of the Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles concert series. FREE
50. The Summer Playwrights Festival will showcase 38 plays in eight days from July 28 through Sunday August 4 at the Road on Lankershim in the Historic Lankershim Arts Center in North Hollywood.
51. Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden hosts a World Music Series this Sunday with an afternoon of jazz by woodwind artist Bennie Maupin and pianist David Arnay.
Food Pick for the Week
Stop by The Bazaar By José Andrés at the SLS Beverly Hills this Friday for their al fresco bubbles and seafood series Terrace Fridays: Mar x Moet. Recurring every Friday starting at 7:30 p.m. and running through the end of September, the summertime series takes place on the Bar Blanca Terrace of the trendy hotel. Guests can sip on iced Moet cocktails as well as gin cocktails while nibbling on a menu featuring local seafood and signature dishes from Miami’s Bazaar Mar. Menu highlights include the savory California Funnel Cake made of seaweed and topped with blue crab; Spicy Tuna Cones; and raw abalone with braised shiitake mushrooms served in shell. See the full Terrace Fridays: Mar x Moet menu here.
The Bazaar By José Andrés at the SLS Beverly Hills is located at 465 La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048
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