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, from Friday, June 15 to Sunday, June 17, features Outdoor Movies at the Skirball, Shakespeare By The Sea, Cat Art Show, DTLA Donut Festival, L.A. Beer Week, KCRW’s World Festival, Smokin’ Grooves, Father’s Day Dining and MUCH more.
Hope you find the rundown useful and, as always, enjoy your week!
Friday June 15th, 2018
1. Celebrate summer in Los Angeles watching some beloved films during Outdoor Movies at the Skirball. This Friday West Side Story will be screened with a Q&A with George Chakiris, who played Bernardo in West Side Story. We suggest you arrive early to check out famed composer Leonard Bernstein at 100 exhibit to get the full West Side Story experience. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
2. Shakespeare By The Sea will once again offer a ten-week program of admission-free performances with two featured productions: The Merry Wives of Windsor and The Winter’s Tale at a variety of venues across the Los Angeles. Kicking off the series is The Merry Wives of Windsor at Point Fermin Park in San Pedro at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. FREE
3. Cat Art Show 3: The Sequel Returns Again will be on view from June 14-24 at Think Tank Gallery in Downtown featuring over 120 globally-recognized and emerging artists. This Thursday is the ticketed opening reception with cocktails and artist in attendance. Admission is free on weekdays (starting Friday June 15) and $5 on weekends with several special ticketed events throughout the show dates.
4. Journey into the world of Netflix’s “Because You Watched It” an exhibit that celebrates hit originals like Stranger Things, The Crown, Black Mirror, Ozark, and dozens more at Raleigh Studios Hollywood on June 15-17. Expect costumes, props, surprises and selfie opportunities. FREE
5. For the 4th year in a row, the KTOWN Night Market is returning to Koreatown for a weekend (June 15-16) of live music performances, delicious food offerings and trendy Korean-beauty shopping.
6. Head to Malibu Wines for a free outdoor movie screening of Clueless. Guests are encouraged to bring their own picnic, blankets, pillows and purchase Malibu wines from the bar. FREE
7. FIGat7th Downtown Festival is back for another festive summer filled with live performances by leading artists in a variety of genres. The series continues with Gabriel Garzon-Montano and Jarina De Marco. FREE
8. Are you a Chase bank customer? Got a freebie you might want to know about. Coolhaus is teaming with the Forum and Chase to hand out free ice cream sandwiches to Chase customers on Fridays all summer long. Locations will change every Friday, and the offer is ice cream sandwich per cardholder. Get more info here.
9. Considering Mathew Shepard a musical response to the tragic death of Shepard through a hate crime seeks to celebrate his life and takes a deeper look into humanity. The choral drama will feature the 30-member GRAMMY winning Conspirare choir, a tight instrumental ensemble and projected imagery with special hosts like Candice Cayne and the Gay Men’s Chorus.
10. Venues such as 2nd Stage, Hudson Theatres, The Broadwater and the Underground Annex Theater will host comedy, ensemble theatre, dance and many more performances during the annual Hollywood Fringe Festival from June 7-24.
11. Experience the theatrical version of Douglas Adams’ cult classic novel The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy when it comes to the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts June 14-17. Check fordiscounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
12. Union Station in DTLA will host Filmmm, a series of food-centric films, this summer. The series begins on Friday with the documentary Harvey Girls: Opportunity Bound. FREE
13. For over 30 years, Grand Performances has offered a variety of performance events at California Plaza, for free. Their 2018 summer series runs June 1 through August 18. This Friday through Saturday C.O.L.A. Night will takeover with performances from comedian Kristina Wong, poet/writer Peter J. Harris, and choreographer d. Sabela grimes. FREE
14. Grand Park will host Big L.A. Portrait Gallery from June 7 to July 4, transforming itself into a nighttime art gallery featuring photos by Los Angeles-based artists. Photography will be projected onto the 100 square-foot wall of the historic L.A. County Hall of Records right in front of Grand Park. Art will be on display nightly from sundown to midnight and is free to the public. FREE
15. Odd Nights at the Autry take place every third Thursday of the month through October. Each evening includes 60+ pop-up shops, 22 food trucks, and tons of family friendly activities.
16. Rogue Artists Ensemble’s ‘Hyper-Theater’ style show Wood Boy Dog Fish combines puppetry and tech to produce a visually stunning show. A dark re-telling of the classic Pinocchio story, this show is strictly for adults. Wood Boy Dog Fish runs Friday through Sundays now till June 24 at the Garry Marshall Theater. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
17. Barnsdall Fridays returns to Barnsdall Art Park for the tenth year in a row, with evening tastings of boutique wines and music from KCRW DJs perched atop a hill with incredible city views.
18. 260 Sample Sale LA in Beverly Hills will host a Marc Jacobs sample sale from June 12-17 with women’s and men’s clothing, accessories, Little Marc and special items at up to 85% off retail price.
19. It’s Rhône Valley Vineyards Restaurant Weeks in L.A. from June 4-18. Participating restaurants include 71 Above, Kali, Nomad, Redbird, Spring and more. Each will highlight Rhône Valley wines by the glass, in flights and in pairings for the two weeks.
Saturday June 16th, 2018
20. Everyone’s favorite pastry now has a dedicated event! The DTLA Donut Festival taking place at Union Station featuring donuts tastings, live fry demonstrations, chef-led workshops, coffee tastings and much more.
21. L.A. Beer Week marks its 2018 return with over 90 independent craft breweries, live music and tons of entertainment at Los Angeles Center Studios.
22. Smokin’ Grooves the ultimate R&B and hip-hop blend festival is coming to The Queen Mary in Long Beach with Erykah Badu, The Roots with Busta Rhymes, Jhene Aiko, Miguel and much more on the bill.
23. La Bulla: A Lucha Libre Experience taking place at Plaza De La Raza Cultural Center in Lincoln Heights is a celebration of Mexican style wrestling. The evening will also include an art show featuring more than 100 artists; a fashion show; a live art competition, numerous arts and crafts vendors; lots of food for sale; movie screenings; a photography exhibit; and live lucha matches. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
24. Vegan Playground is coming to DTLA for a full day of vegan energy with a curated selection of more than 80 vegan vendors, a beer, wine, spirits and kombucha garden, music and performances, speaker panels, art installations, a roller rink and, of course, a playground.
25. Flying Lotus and Little Dragon will take the stage of the Hollywood Bowl when KCRW’s World Festival returns for a 20th year at the popular outdoor concert venue.
26. Street Food Cinema returns this weekend with a screening of Mrs. Doubtfire at Park Center in Griffith Park and The Greatest Showman at Will Rogers State Historic Park in Pacific Palisades.
27. HUSHfest returns for 2018, with five different Silent Disco events taking place on Saturday nights throughout the summer (starting June 16) at the Santa Monica Pier.
28. KCRW Summer Nights heads to One Colorado Old Pasadena with a free performance by shey baba and KCRW DJ Chris Douridas. FREE
29. Eat|See|Hear returns for 2018 with a screening of The Big Lebowski (20th Anniversary) at Santa Monica High School Amphitheater. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
30. June is California Avocado Month and Grand Central Market in DTLA is the place to be for all things avocado. A select group of chefs have rolled out avocado inspired offerings on their menu just for the month.
31. Celebrate summer when the City of Rancho Palos Verdes brings back Free Movies in the Park. These screenings of recent blockbuster films will take place at three different parks in RPV. The June 16 screening is the animated feature Despicable Me.
32. JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles teams up with Tastemade for The Art of Japanese Bento a workshop with master chef Atsushi Kenjo of M-Cafe. Guests will learn about main bento ingredients and its health benefits, basic proportioning and balancing and how to create some whimsical elements that bentos are known for.
33. Beyond the Streets is a fully immersive exhibition of street and graffiti art comprised of over 30 artist in a massive 40,000+ square feet exhibits. Artist are an eclectic mix of street and beyond including Retna, Shepard Fairey, Kenny Scharf Dennis Hopper and Jenny Holzer. Open Tuesday through Sunday this week. Open Tuesday through Sunday this week. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
34. Alfred Hitchcock’s classic thriller The Birds (1963) will be screened at the historic Los Angeles Theatre at 8 p.m. with host and architectural historian Christine Madrid French introducing the iconic movie.
35. Last Remaining Seats, the Los Angeles Conservancy’s annual event featuring classic film screenings in some of Los Angeles’ most beautiful vintage movie palaces. This week they’ll screen a matinee at 2 p.m. of Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) at Los Angeles Theatre in Downtown L.A.
36. There’s no better place to explore the history of our city than inside Becoming Los Angeles, the Natural History Museum’s newly revamped (and just reopened) exhibit that details the culture, events, geography, movements, art, and diverse peoples that have shaped the city of angels.
37. Cinespia is back for its 17th summer season, at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery for screenings of films modern, cult, and classic. This Saturday they’ll screen Alien.
38. Outdoor theater Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum, located in Topanga Canyon summer 2018 season begins on June 2 with a performance of Shakespeare’s Coriolanus.
39. The 26th Annual Pasadena Chalk Art Festival taking place on June 16-17 at Paseo Colorado in Pasadena will bring together hundreds of artists on the sidewalks of the shopping center to create massive works of art. Free to attend and suitable for all ages, the festival will also have live music, arts & crafts, merchandise vendors and food trucks.
Sunday June 17th, 2018
40. Still thinking about where to take dad this Father’s Day? Take a peek at the 15 great dining options for Fathers Day in Los Angeles we recently round up and make those reservations NOW.
41. Greenbar Distillery will throw an open house and BBQ on Sunday in honor of Fathers Day. The celebratory afternoon will feature free tastings from Greenbar’s selection of organic crafted spirits, a casual education on the process of distilling craft liquors and delicious BBQ served in the distillery’s parking lot.
42. E.P. & L.P. in West Hollywood continues their stylish cinema series Melrose Rooftop Theatre with a screening of Anchorman.
43. Shakespeare’s most magical play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream returns to the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum in Topanga Canyon for 12 performances throughout the summer, from June 3-September 3. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
44. Celebrate the glories of Los Angeles art with Made in L.A. at the Hammer in Westwood. On view now till September 2, 2018. This Sunday at 3 p.m. artist Taisha Paggett will present a series of solo and duet dances in dialogue with her Made in L.A. 2018 installation. FREE
45. Free admission at: Museum of Latin American Art and Craft and Folk Art Museum (pay what you can)
Schedule provided by We Like LA.