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We’re breaking in a new month this weekend, and with it the premier of multiple of our favorite free summer event series. What could be better?!?!
From May 31 to June 2 in Los Angeles, you’ll find Outdoor Movies at the Skirball, Grand Performances at Cal Plaza, Off the 405 at The Getty, Latin Sounds at LACMA, WeHo Pride, Movies Under the Stars in Old Pasadena, the Sherman Oaks Spring Concert & Festival, Hollywood Bowl Day at Smorgasburg, and more. Let’s jump into the full list below!
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Make Metro Part of Your Weekend
Grand Performances -> This year’s Grand Performances free concert series kicks off on Saturday with a KCRW collaboration featuring a performance by Puerto Rican singer-songwriter iLe, preceded by opening acts Mestizo Beat and DJ José Gálvan. Free to attend. Runs 6 to 10 p.m. More info here.
Go Metro: Take the A or E Lines to Grand Av Arts/Bunker Hill station.
Things To Do This Weekend
M = Less than .5 miles from an L.A. Metro Station, FA = Free Admission, TP = Top Pick
Outdoor Movies at the Skirball: The NeverEnding Story – TP > The Skirball’s annual outdoor movies series returns this Friday with a screening of the 1984 classic The NeverEnding Story. Follow Falkor and Atreyu’s journey as they save the magical realm from The Nothing. Plus: guests are invited to come early to view the latest Skirball exhibition Wild Things Are Happening: The Art of Maurice Sendak. Tickets start at $20. More info here.
Friday Night Wine Tastings at Barnsdall Park – M > After a five-year hiatus, Friday night wine tasting events are back at the Barnsdall Art Park West Lawn. A $45 ticket gets you a flight of wine curated by Silverlake Wine, plus access to a rotation of food trucks, all supported by tunes from local DJs and sweet sunset views of the Hollywood Sign and Griffith Park Observatory. The series continues every Friday through August 30. More info here.
WeHo Pride – > WeHo Pride 2024 has a weekend-long celebration in store, starting with Friday Night at OUTLOUD (headlined by Kesha), then Saturday’s OUTLOUD at WeHo Pride music festival and the annual Dyke March and Women’s Freedom Festival, all capped by annual WeHo Pride Parade on Sunday. Additionally, entertainment venues in West Hollywood’s Rainbow District along historic Route 66 will host numerous special Pride events. More info on the full schedule of events here.
Venice Pride Block Party – FA > The Friday, the Venice Pride Block Party brings music sets by DJ Victor Rodriguez, a queer market place, food trucks, community booths and vendors, all centered around 99 Winward Ave in Venice. Runs 5 to 11 p.m. Free to attend. More info here.
Is Car Culture The Ultimate Act of Community? – M FA > This Friday Zócalo Public Square pairs artist and sculptor Charles Dickson along with Destination Crenshaw founding lead historian Larry Earl for a discussion on Dickson’s sculpture, “Car Culture,” which will be on permanent display in Sankofa Park. The conversation will explore the relevance of public art projects and cruising scenes throughout Southern California as tool to bridge community divides. Free to attend. Get more info here.
Jazz at LACMA – FA > The Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s annual Friday Night Jazz series is back for a season of free weekly concerts at Smidt Welcome Plaza through November. This week: a performance by award-winning singer, songwriter, producer, and arranger Sweet Baby J’ai. And remember that LACMA is free to visit for L.A. County Residents (with I.D.) on weekdays after 3 p.m. More info here.
Barbie Movie Night – M FA > On Friday Ivy Station in Culver City hosts a free screening of Barbie with complimentary popcorn and a costume contest. Lawn opens at 7:15 p.m., movie starts at 8:15 p.m. More info here.
Music Under The Stars in Pasadena – M FA > Catch a free concert in front of Pasadena City Hall this Friday put on by the Pasadena Symphony and POPS, preceded by a performance from Bob Baker Marionette Theater and plenty of kid-friendly activities. No reservations required. Seating is first-come, first-served. More info here.
LACMA Latin Sounds – FA TP > LACMA is bringing a series of Saturday evening, outdoor concerts at Dorothy Collins Brown Amphitheate (just north of the La Brea Tar Pits Museum) in celebration of the exhibition Painting in the River of Angels: Judy Baca and The Great Wall. This weekend, catch Cuban violinist and band leader Dayren Santamaria. Free to attend. Runs 5 to 7 p.m.
Off the 405 – FA > The Getty’s annual after-hours concerts series kicks off this Saturday with Ethiopian musician and composer Hailu Mergia. You’ll need to pre-register for free to attend, and remember that parking is $10 after 6 p.m. on Saturdays. More info here.
Pride Month Kick Off Party at Cabra -> This Saturday Cabra atop the Hoxton Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles will celebrate Pride with an afternoon of bites and beats from 2 to 5 p.m. sponsored by Bacardi Group and Mommenpop. GA tickets cost $12 and includes passed finger foods. A drink ticket option cost $39 and includes passed food and two cocktails. More info here.
Movies Under the Stars – FA > Old Pasadena shopping mall One Colorado is hosting Movies Under the Stars on select Saturdays for the months of June and July. The series opens on June 1 with a showing of Crazy Rich Asians. Public seating is first-come, first-served. Movie starts at 8:30 p.m. Get more info here.
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Last Remaining Seats – M > The Los Angeles Conservancy’s annual series Last Remaining Seats features classic film screenings in some of Los Angeles’ most beautiful and historic movie theaters, including Million Dollar Theatre, the Orpheum Theatre, and Los Angeles Theatre. First up: a screening of The Seven Year Itch (1955) at the Orpheum this Saturday. Tickets start at $25 for GA. Movie begins at 8 p.m. More info here.
Torrance Summer Nights -> The Torrance Summer Nights series offers a blend of outdoor movies, concerts, and Shakespeare in The Park. It all starts with a performance by the Taylor Swift cover band Taylor Nation on this Saturday at Wilson Park Amphitheatre. Starts at 5 p.m. Free to attend. More info here.
Small Screen/Big Screen at The Hammer – > The Hammer has a new screening series that pairs critically acclaimed motion pictures with pivotal moments in television history that inspired the films. For the second installment in the series, this Saturday you can catch a screening of Quiz Show (1994) along with an episode from from the game show Twenty-One that originally aired in 1956. Free to attend. Event begins at 7:30 p.m. More info here.
LAWineFest -> LAWineFest returns to Long Beach for a two-day event featuring a packed lineup of wine tasting, craft brews, ciders, kombucha, food, lifestyle exhibitors, and live music, all taking place at Harry Bridges Memorial Park. Saturday runs 2 to 6 p.m., Sunday is 1 to 5 p.m. GA tickets start at $80 per person. More info here.
Hollywood Bowl Day at Smorgasburg -> This Sunday, Smorgasburg LA celebrates the new summer season at The Hollywood Bowl with a series of “punny” food specials, including a NUTELLA Lafourcade gelato by MOOMMAAM, Quarantine Pizza’s Mozz-art-ella under the stars, or a Beckon cheeseburger bowl by Evil Cooks. Smorg is free to attend as always. Runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at ROW DTLA. More info here.
Sherman Oaks Spring Concert & Festival – FA TP > The Valley Cultural Foundation’s re-scheduled spring concert and festival finally arrives this Sunday with an evening event at Van Nuys/Sherman Oaks Recreation Center featuring “Beatles vs. Stones” cover band battle plus food trucks, free balloon art, and special activities for kids. Runs 4:30 to 7 p.m. More info here.
FROGS: Facing a Changing World at AoP -> The Aquarium of the Pacific recently opened a new exhibit that spotlights the colorful, strange, and rapidly changing world of frogs. Visitors can explore an array of vibrant habitats featuring colorful tropical frogs from around the world, and can learn about the threats facing these animals in the wild today and what can be done to help. Included with adult admission, which starts at $44.95. Remember that on weekends and holidays, advanced reservations are required. More info here.
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Dining & Drinking
(picks by Christina Champlin)
Long Beach Cambodian Restaurant Week -> Long Beach Cambodian Restaurant Week kicks off this Sunday June 2 and runs through June 9. Organized by United Cambodian Community to shine a light on Cambodia Town restaurants in the city of Long Beach, featured eateries are offering $5, $10, $15, $20, $25 and $40 menu specials including $10 wings from Shlap Muan and multi-course $40 meal for two from Sophy’s Restaurant.
Happy Hour at Stache -> Celebrate Pride Month at Stache in West Hollywood with their happy hour specials. Enjoy drinks and food priced at $5, $8, or $10. Happy hour is Monday to Friday from noon to 7 pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 3-7 pm. Highlights include Palomas, Gin Martinis, crispy chicken sandwiches, banh mi fries, and calamari.
Looking Ahead…
Italian Cooking Class & Dinner in a Garden -> On June 8, Impastiamo will host a cooking class led by Chef Gino Campagna and dinner in the garden at Subcontext in Mid City. Guests will learn to make Cavatelli Arrabbiata from scratch, enjoy wine, and connect with fellow students. Tickets are $135 per adult and $45 per child. Each guest will receive a video recipe and a gnocchi board to continue their pasta-making journey. More info here
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