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 L.A. 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, July 13 to Sunday, July 15, features Outdoor Movies at the Skirball, ‘Summer of Salsa’, Colorado Street Bridge Party, Summer Train Fest at Union Station, the Lotus Festival, Swingin’ Summer at The Wiltern, Ice Cream Ally at Smorgasburg LA, Sunday Sessions at Grand Park and MUCH more.
Hope you find the rundown useful and, as always, enjoy your week!
Friday July 13th, 2018
1. Celebrate summer in Los Angeles watching some beloved films during Outdoor Movies at the Skirball. This Friday Labyrinth will be screened. We suggest you arrive early to check out The Jim Henson Exhibition: Imagination Unlimited exhibit where costumes, sketches and more of Labyrinth are displayed.
2. ‘Summer of Salsa’ concert series is a monthly free concert series at La Plaza de Cultura y Artes running now till September 7, 2018. This month La Verdad, a West Coast nine-piece salsa group, under the musical direction of Gabriel Gonzalez will peform. FREE
3. Union Station in DTLA will host Filmmm, a series of food-centric films, this summer. The series continues with the documentary City of Gold where Pulitzer Prize-winning food writer Jonathan Gold, takes viewers on a gustatory journey through the City of Angels. FREE
4. Back for the 15th year in a row, The Independent Shakespeare Co. presents Shakespeare in the Parkat the Old Zoo in Griffith Park with free performances Wednesday through Sunday of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. FREE
5. The La Brea Tar Pits and Museum will host Late Night Fridays where guests can enjoy free general admission from 5 to 8 p.m. and gain access to special activities, 3D movies, behind-the-scenes tours, live excavations, and more. FREE
6. The South Bay Greek Festival, at St. Katherine’s Greek Orthodox Church taking place July 12-15 in Redondo Beach, will offer Greek food, music and dancing.
7. Old Pasadena Summer Cinema continues with several screenings at One Colorado, Central Park and Distant Lands this weekend. The series brings free movie screenings to the Old Pasadena area at select venues from July 5 to 28. FREE
8. The Music Center’s annual Dance DTLA series is back for 2018 with a series of Friday-night events at Grand Park. This week features DJ Nights an evening curated by some of the city’s best and most influential DJs. Enjoy music, dancing, and more from 9 p.m. to midnight . FREE
9. dineL.A. will have food-lovers and connoisseurs taste, explore and enjoy various prix-fixe menus from restaurants across various L.A. neighborhoods from July 13 through 27 .
10. 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 they’ll present Now More Than Ever: Protest Songs Sing-Along. Lyrics will be projected on a screen behind the performers so the audience can join in. FREE
11. There’s a Friday The 13th Part VI screening with filmmaker Tom McLoughlin in person at the Landmark’s Nuart Theatre.
12. Shakespeare By The Sea will once again offer a ten-week program of admission-free performances. The series continues with performances of The Winter’s Tale at Monte Verde Park in Lakewood on Friday andThe Winter’s Tale at Rush Park in Los Alamitos on Saturday. FREE
13. The Department of Beaches and Harbors presents Beach Movie Nights at Dockweiler Youth Center this week screening Coco. FREE
14. Perfect for dog lovers, Mutt House is a musical centered around a doomed animal shelter, a boy named Eddie and six zany mutts working together to save the shelter they all call home. Performing at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City from July 15 through August 5 with previews beginning this week on July 10. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
15. 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.
16. 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.
17. WP24 by Wolfgang Puck’s Summer Supper + Show returns every Friday and Saturday, July through August, with a Asian-inspired dinner at WP24 by Wolfgang Puck followed by a movie screening on the private 26th floor hotel rooftop. This weekend they’ll screen Top Gun.
18. The Sorting Room nightclub housed within the Wallis Center’s Lovelace Studio Center presents a new season of unpredictable performances from poets, composers, jazz singers, cabaret veterans and more in a variety of genres alongside happy hour drink specials. This week For The Record: Tarantino a musical performance celebrating the famous directors films will take the stage July 12-15.
19. 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)
20. Rooftop Cinema Club returns to the rooftops of LEVEL in DTLA and NeueHouse in Hollywood with multiple screenings this week that include Hocus Pocus, The Lost Boys, CLUE and more.
21. Jazz at LACMA welcomes Scotty Barnhart at the BP grand entrance at 6 p.m. FREE
22. The South Coast Botanic Garden in Palos Verdes will host a family friendley movie night on their 87 acre property. This Friday they’ll screen Coco. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
Saturday July 14th, 2018
23. Colorado Street Bridge Party returns to Defenders Park in Pasadena on Saturday for a night of music, dancing, vintage cars, free kids activities, food, wine and treats atop one of the most picturesque bridges in the world.
24. Union Station in DTLA is hosting their second annual Summer Train Fest. Fun for all ages, guests can tour vintage train cars, enjoy 360° virtual reality stations, shop local vendors, grab a bite at popular food trucks, dance to live music and much more. FREE
25. The 38th Annual Lotus Festival from July 14-15 at Echo Park Lake will include live entertainment, arts and crafts, a boat race, an asian food court, dragon boat races and of course and plenty of opportunities to enjoy the blooming flowers on the lake. FREE
26. Marina Movie Nights returns to Burton Chace Park in Marina del Rey for free Saturday-night screenings of beloved musicals. This weekend it’s La La Land with tap dancing lessons. FREE
27. The 9th Annual Reggae On The Mountain returns to Topanga Canyon’s Topanga Community Center on July 14-15 for two jam-packed, fun-filled days of roots reggae from Toots and The Maytals, Derrick Morgan, The Lions, Pato Banton and more. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
28. FX presents a Snowfall Summer Kickback on July 14-15 to celebrate season 2 of the show through a free immersive arts space, featuring live DJ sets, art installations, interactive experiences inspired by LA in the 80s, food from In-n-Out and Homeboy Industries. FREE
29. Gallery Nucleus in Alhambra is hosting a pug-a-palooza celebrating the adorable Puglie. Pets and children are welcome to this all ages party featuring Puglie installation, ice cream, boba, swag and a meet and greet with Puglie creator Euge Leung.
30. Off the 405, free concerts at the Getty will host a performance by FEELS and a DJ set by Boss Harmony in the museum courtyard. FREE
31. Enjoy free movie screenings under the stars when the Amazon Treasure Truck heads to DTLA this weekend for a screening of Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs. FREE
32. Tiki Night returns to the Egyptian Theatre this Saturday with a Tiki Marketplace, a Tiki Bar, Tiki cuisine, Tiki music, Polynesian Paradise Dancers and film screenings of “Bosko” and “The Whimsical Imagineer.”
33. Street Food Cinema returns this weekend with a screening of Romeo + Juliet at Brand Library Parkin Glendale and 500 Days of Summer at Marriott Golf Course in Manhattan Beach Select screenings are discounted via Goldstar. DISCOUNTED
34. Visit Austin heads to Los Angeles for a day of complimentary food and drink inspired by The Live Music Capital of the World. Chef Jonathan Whitener from Los Angeles’ Here’s Looking at You and Austin’s Chef Callie Speer of Holy Roller will be on deck handling food while Blackillac will be spinning tunes. FREE
35. Beautycon Festival returns to the Los Angeles Convention Center July 14-15 for a two-day beauty convention with Kim Kardashian West and many other personalities.
36. Celebrate summer in the SGV during Movies in the Park, a free outdoor film series screening at Alhambra Park. This weekend they’ll screen Jumanji (1995). FREE
37. Sri Lanka Day 2018 returns to Pasadena City Hall Centennial Square on Saturday, for its annual celebration and tribute to the Sri Lankan culture and heritage. FREE
38. KCRW’s Summer Nights offers free all-ages outdoor music shows over the course of the summer throughout Los Angeles and this weekend they’ll takes over the California African American Museum with KCRW DJs Aaron Byrd and Garth Trinidad. FREE
39. Eat|See|Hear returns for 2018 with two screenings at LA State Historic Park. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind on Friday and The Warriors on Saturday. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
40. Get Fit an inaugural Workout Week Los Angeles Festival happening July 14-21 will bring 100+ classes at participating boutique gyms and studios for $10 per class.
41. Presented by Downtown Long Beach Alliance, Summer and Music (SAM) continues with Twisted at The Pike, a free music event at The Pike Outlets with headliner hypnotic punk band, L.A. Witch. FREE
Sunday July 15th, 2018
42. For three nights in July, August and September, The Wiltern hosts Swingin’ Summer, a series of vintage-style evenings with swing dance lessons, drinks, and dancing to live music. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
43. #NationalIceCreamDay is July 15, and one of the best ways for Angelenos to celebrate this special day is at the launch of Ice Cream Alley. This new area at Smorgasburg LA will feature vendors like Wanderlust Creamery, Yellow Business – HK Egg Waffle, Churro Boss, Sweet n’ Hollow and more.
44. Sunday Sessions, at Grand Park, is a celebration of Los Angeles House music. Highlighting music and dance culture the event continues with performances by Doc Martin, Tara Brooks, and Anton Tumas. FREE
45. Events and activists company SameSide will host a cannabis infused brunch prepared by Cheftoferin Koreatown this Saturday where guests will fight to legalize cannabis on a federal level while enjoying tasty bites and mocktails.
46. The Hammer museum will host a live broadcast of the FIFA World Cup this Sunday during the final showdown. FREE
47. Hot Mama Mommy Fitness Day at Cheviot Hills Park is a work out day with your kids for a good cause. There will be a Mommy and Toddler Bootcamp, Fun & Fit- Mommy and kid workout, a kids play area, crafts tables, healthy snack samples and more. Dad’s are also welcome. This event is free but they’re asking for new pairs of shoes to help out charity partner “Shoes That Fit.”
Schedule provided by We Like LA.