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Cruising into a new weekend with fresh to-dos on our mind. Let’s talk about a few.
From August 16-18 in Los Angeles, you’ll find CicLAvia in Hollywood, a DJ dance party at Skirball, the return of Echo Park Rising, a Rustic Films Cinelounge Takeover, Sunday Sessions in Grand Park, a JACCC Plaza Festival, WeHo Summer Sounds, Renegade Craft, and more. Check out our full list below!
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Make Metro Part of Your Weekend
CicLAvia Meet the Hollywoods – > CicLAvia returns this Sunday with a course traversing portions of Hollywood Blvd, Highland Ave, and Santa Monica Blvd. Expect the signature mix of open streets and public activations along the way. Remember you can get there car-free by transiting by Metro’s B Line to Vermont/Sunset, Hollywood/Western, Hollywood/Vine, or Hollywood/Highland. More info here.
Things To Do This Weekend
M = Less than .5 miles from an L.A. Metro Station, FA = Free Admission, TP = Top Pick
Roll @ Santa Monica -> A new pop-up skating park “rolls” into Santa Monica for the summer and through October 14. Catch themed skate nights every 2nd Wednesday of the month, plus there are group skating lessons offered every Saturday and Sunday morning for both adults and children. Open daily starting at noon. Regular admission is $15 (plus fees), which also include skate rental. More info here.
Sunset Concerts at the Skirball – FA TP > The Skirball Cultural Center’s annual Sunset Concert series comes to a close this Friday with a DJ dance party featuring Jauretsi and Tosstones. As with past concerts, the evening includes complimentary gallery access. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the party goes till 10 p.m. Free walk-up tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Parking is free too! More info here.
LEGO® DREAMZzz™: A Wild Adventure at LA Zoo -> LEGO® DREAMZzz™ takes over the LA Zoo with larger-than-life creatures built by LEGO Master Builders from August 15-18, and during this time, the Zoo will be free for the first 100 visitors each day. More info here.
Dance DTLA at The Music Center – M FA > The Music Center’s Dance DTLA closes out summer with an evening of Disco this Friday, with instructors will be on hand to teach guests easy-to-follow steps, allowing everyone to get into the groove right from the jump. Event runs from 7 to 11 p.m. Free as always to attend 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.
Lucha VaVoom de La Liz: Rumble in the Jungle -> Masked Mexican wrestling is back at The Mayan Theatre this Friday, as Lucha VaVoom de La Liz closes out summer with a spectacular night of lucha libre wrestling, burlesque, aerialists, comedy, music, and more. Tickets are $72. Show starts at 8 p.m. More info here.
Zoo Friday Nights -> This Friday, the L.A. Zoo continues their summer series of weekly after-hours events, offering access the zoo grounds at the sunset hour while experiencing carousel rides, food delicious bites for purchase, beverages, DJ’d music, and a family dance party. Tickets start at $25 per adult. Runs 6 to 9 p.m. More info here.
Grand Performances – M FA > The summer of free programming at California Plaza continues this weekend with a pair evening events. On Friday, catch a night poetry show hosted by poet and writer Carribean Fragoza. Then on Saturday, check out a concert featuring headliner Madison McFerrin. More info here.
Shakespeare in the Park – FA > The Independent Shakespeare Co. is once again bringing a summer of the Bard to Griffith Park, but unlike in past years, the 2024 season will focus on a single production. From July 10 to September 1, catch Wednesday-through-Sunday performances of As You Like It at ISC’s familiar space near the Old Zoo. The show starts at 7 p.m. but you’ll want to come at 6 p.m. to enjoy the immersive prologue. More info here.
Nisei Week Japanese Festival – M FA > The Little Tokyo week-long celebration of Japanese and Japanese American heritage and traditions comes to a close this weekend with a Saturday-Sunday festival at The JACCC Plaza featuring dozens of vendors, along with a a star-studded musical cabaret show. There will also be a taiko gathering and a Street Ondo on historic 1st Street, where the entire community is invited to join in the annual festival-style dancing. The Plaza Festival runs 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days. Get more info here.
Endless Summer C.A.M.P. – M FA > Santa Monica’s second annual Endless Summer C.A.M.P. series brings four weeks of family-friendly entertainment to Tongva Park, celebrating everything from world music and dance to puppetry and animal ambassadors. The free programs runs 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays from August 3-24. This weekend enjoy a puppet show with the Bob Baker Marionette Theater along with a performance by Grammy-nominated family artists Andrew & Polly. A puppet-making workshop will be led by reDiscover and Angel Fruits Cart will offer fresh fruit for purchase. Free to attend. More info here.
Echo Park Rising – FA TP > The 2024 edition of Echo Park Rising returns this Saturday with live music and community activations at multiple venues within the neighborhood. Among the highlights, there will be a lineup of musicians performing at Semi Tropic from noon to 10 p.m. and ambient performances at P.F. Candle Co. from 2 to 5 p.m. As always the event is free to attend. More info here.
Rustic Films Cinelounge Takeover -> This weekend, Rustic Films is hosting a special takeover at Cinelounge Hollywood. On Saturday, catch screenings of The Resolution and Biosphere, followed by a secret 9 p.m. showing. Sunday’s lineup features The Endless and Thunder Road, plus Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead’s Short Blocks and an unannounced side project. Tickets are $14.50 for each screening. More info here.
KCRW Summer Nights – M FA > KCRW’s summer of free programming promises another exciting month of music events popping up at iconic venues and cultural institutions around Los Angeles. This Saturday the party will be held at KCRW HQ with a performance by Mexican Institute of Sound. Get more info here.
Cinespia -> Cinespia returns to the Hollywood Forever Cemetery this Saturday with a Kristen Dunst Slumber Party themed double movie night. Tickets cost $22-$32. More info here.
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The Clothing Collective -> This Saturday, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Young & Healthy is hosting their first-ever pre-loved clothing sale at their headquarters (136 W Peoria St., Pasadena, CA 91103). Young & Healthy, a non-profit dedicated to providing healthcare to families, invites you to support their cause by shopping from a wide selection of donated items. Expect to find retro pieces, designer goods, and current styles. More info here.
LACMA Latin Sounds – FA > LACMA is bringing a series of evening, outdoor concerts at Dorothy Collins Brown Amphitheater (just north of the La Brea Tar Pits Museum.) This Saturday, the series continues with Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca. Latin Sounds concerts are free to attend, and run 5 to 7 p.m. More info here.
Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles Concerts – M FA > Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles continues this Saturday with an evening of reggae featuring Red Store Bums, Flaco El Jandro, and East Side Agents. Concert runs 7 to 10 p.m. Free to attend, as always. More info here.
Movies at Warner Park – M FA> The Valley Cultural Foundations’ Movies at Warner Park series returns to Woodland Hills on select Saturday nights in the month of August. This weekend they’ll screen Wish. Each event starts at 7 p.m. Free to attend. More info here.
Renegade Craft – FA > Renegade Craft market pops up Saturday and Sunday at the Santa Monica Airport with over 275 craft designers, artists, and creative vendors. Runs 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Free to attend. More info here.
Sunday Sessions at Gloria Molina Grand Park – M FA TP > Grand Park’s summer house music series returns this Sunday with an afternoon of beats curated by by Los Angeles-based music brand Soul Source. Expect a beer garden with cocktails for purchase, plenty of space to picnic, and plenty of good vibes. Runs 3 to 8 p.m. Free to attend. More info here.
WeHo Summer Sounds M – > This Sunday, The City of West Hollywood’s Summer Sounds series presents The Neighborhood Orchestra and DJ Aaron Paar at Summer Sounds. Starts at 4 p.m.
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Concerts in the Park at Polliwog Park Amphitheater – > Polliwog Park Amphitheater hosts Concerts in the Park with a performance by The Tom Nolan Band this Sunday.
Dining & Drinking
(picks by Christina Champlin)
Ayara Thai Marks 20 Years with a Special Brunch Experience -> Ayara Thai is celebrating two decades of serving up standout Thai cuisine with a special weekend brunch curated by Chef Vanda and Cathy Asapahu. The anniversary menu, blending their parents’ traditional recipes with a modern Angeleno twist, features eight fusion dishes. Highlights include crab, shrimp, and chicken dumplings, a Coconut Pancake Blini Board with caviar and smoked salmon, and Fried Chicken paired with Pandan Mochi Waffles. Reservations are a must, with a prix-fixe family-style brunch costing $195 for two or $375 for four. Book through OpenTable under the “Experiences” tab. More info here.
Shins Pizza Anniversary Party -> Shins Pizza is marking its first anniversary with a lively party in Cypress Park. From 1 to 5 p.m., swing by for a special pizza of the day crafted by Chef Johnny Lee of Pearl River Deli fame. Barra Santos will be grilling sardines on the sidewalk, while Skyduster keeps the beer flowing all afternoon. Broken Keys will be spinning tunes to keep the party vibe going strong. More info here.
Parallel Palates -> In a culinary cross-cultural celebration, local Japanese curator and tea expert Tomoko Imade Dyen joins forces with Chef Debbie Lee of Joseon for an exclusive two-night dining event, “Parallel Palates.” Hosted at Joseon in Silver Lake, this unique experience showcases a thoughtfully curated multi-course tasting menu, where Japanese and Korean dishes are presented side by side, highlighting both the contrasts and common threads between the two cuisines. The evening culminates with one unifying dessert to tie the two cultures together. Tickets for the August 15 and 16 event are priced at $109 per person and can be secured through Resy. More info here.
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