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, August 3 to Sunday, August 5, features Sparrow Mart, The Emoji Art Show, Free Happy Hour at the Viceroy, Stronger | Weekend, The Mayan Warrior art car experience at Grand Park, CatCon, Beach Goth, TASTE OF ECUADOR and MUCH more.
Enjoy your weekend!
Friday August 3rd, 2018
1. British artist Lucy Sparrow has transformed the second floor of the Standard in DTLA into Sparrow Mart a supermarket art wonderland fill with over 31,000 adorable felt-covered food replicas all for sale. Part art installation, store and loads of photo worthy moments, Sparrow Mart is free to attend on a first come first serve basis. FREE
2. Jackalope Arts is bringing a new night market to Pasadena on August 3-4 featuring a massive assortment of artisan vendors, free sunset yoga classes, acoustic music, DIY activities, and local food and drink, including a beer garden to sit back and enjoy the summer evenings. Happening at Old Pasadena’s Central Park. FREE
3. There’s a multi-sensory art party revolving around emojis coming to Los Angeles for one night. The Emoji Art Show, at DTLA’s Inner Space, will feature over 30 emerging local artists, live art, body painting, performances, DJ tunes, a full bar with food and emoji desserts.
4. Enjoy a vintage-style summer evening watching a drive-in movie during San Fernando Valley Summer Drive-In Movie Nights at the Lake Balboa Complex. Each evening will offer food trucks, a 26-player arcade game truck, laser tag, silent disco headphone party and family board games all included in your ticket price. Kicking off the weekend is a screening of Fast Times at Ridgemont High on Friday followed by Back to the Future Part II on Saturday. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
5. Viceroy Santa Monica is hosting a “Vice Hour” happy hour this Friday to celebrate their new chef, Sean Piccarreto and the Angelenos are invited to come in for complimentary drinks and eats poolside with summer music vibes provided by TSR Airlines’ Dan and Lindsay Mancini.
6. American Cinematheque and LACMA present 3-D Double Vision a 3-D movie screening seriesfeaturing Amityville, Friday The 13th, Spacehunter: Adventures In The Forbidden Zone, The Meg and more.
7. 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 dedicated to curated music, dancing, and more from 9 p.m. to midnight. FREE
8. Brew at the L.A. Zoo features beer sampling from 40+ local craft and microbreweries, live music, pop-up zookeeper talks, animal discovery stations and more. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
9. Back for the 15th year in a row, The Independent Shakespeare Co. presents Shakespeare in the Park at the Old Zoo in Griffith Park with free performances of Titus Andronicus on Friday and A Midsummer Night’s Dream Saturday through SUnday. FREE
10. The Hammer will host a Yappy Hour at 6 p.m. this Friday. Meet adorable adoptable dogs over a drink in the Hammer’s courtyard explore the museums current exhibition Made in L.A. The Hammer kindly ask you to leave your own dog at home for this event.
11. 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
12. 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 Moonrise Kingdom.
13. The Griffith Observatory hosts a monthly forum where some of the most amazing phenomena in the known universe are explained and discussed. It’s called All Space Considered and it takes place on the first Friday of every month. FREE
14. Rodeo Drive’s BOLD Summer is set to bring an energizing spin to Beverly Hills’ Golden Triangle this August. Come enjoy a block party with live entertainment, special restaurant offers, and more. BOLD happens every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from August 2-25. FREE
15. The Roadium in Torrance presents Classic Drive-in Movies every Friday night in August and the first Friday of September. Each family-friendly event features classic films projected on the screen tower. Kicking off the series is a screening of The Goonies.
16. See Hershey Felder as Beethoven at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. The one-man shows will depict the iconic composer’s story through music and monologue. Hershey Felder: Beethoven will run from July 26 to August 19. Hershey Felder: Beethoven will run from July 26 to August 19. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
17. 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.
18. 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.
19. 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 “When Moons Become Stars” a panel discussion featuring five indigenous ballerinas—Maria and Marjorie Tallchief, Rosella Hightower, Yvonee Chouteau, Mocelyne Larkin—and moderated by Bonnie Oda Homsey. FREE
20. 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 on Friday and The Merry Wives of Windsor Saturday through Sunday all at three different locations. FREE
21. Rooftop Cinema Club returns to the rooftops of LEVEL in DTLA and NeueHouse in Hollywood with multiple screenings this week that include Black Panther, A Quiet Place, La La Land and more.
22. The Summer Playwrights Festival will show 30 plays in eight days from July 29 through Sunday August 5 at the Road on Lankershim in the Historic Lankershim Arts Center in North Hollywood.
23. 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. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
24. The City of Monterey Park presents Summer Movies in the Park a family friendly event with free popcorn taking place in different parks in the neighborhood. This month the series concludes with CoCo at Barnes Park Amphitheater . FREE
25. 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. This Friday is “Free Kids Friday” with a purchase of an adult ticket. Also, check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
26. Since its the first Friday of the month check out all the cool events happening around town including block parties and art walks for First Fridays.
27. Free museum days: Norton Simon Museum (5 to 8 p.m.) and Pasadena Museum of California Art (noon to 5 p.m.)
Saturday August 4th, 2018
28. To celebrate LiveStrong.Com turning 10 years old, the entire team is holding a day of workouts and wellness this Saturday on the field of the Rose Bowl. Stronger | Weekend will feature celebrity trainers leading the day with workout classes, wellness insights, a marketplace, art installations, DJ tunes, and much more. You can even be a part of history, as Stronger | Weekend will include an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for Most People Holding an Abdominal Plank! Use the promo code LOSANGELES10 for $10 tickets to the event!
29. Celebrate Los Angeles’ unique celestial beauty when the National Park Service’s Night Sky Festivalreturns to Paramount Ranch in Agoura Hills this Saturday. The free event will allow guests to observe the planets of our Milky Way Galaxy through telescopes, listen to Native American night sky stories, and enjoy kids’ activities, including the opportunity to become a Junior Ranger. FREE
30. KCRW’s Summer Nights for the first time will be held at the new KCRW headquarters this Saturday. The Backyard Party will have 18 piece band The Midnight Hour, Ali Shaheed Muhammed, Adrian Younge, KCRW DJs Garth Trinidad and Travis Holcombe performing. A selection of food trucks curated by KCRW’s Evan Kleiman will also be available, along with record collectors and dealers hand-selected by Beats Swap Meet. FREE
31. CatCon is back August 4-5! The ultimate feline convention where pop and cat culture converge will have two days of cat merchandise from 150 vendors, DIY workshops, cat-world celebrities, adoptions and more. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
32. Head over to Boyle Heights for the 1st Annual Beer Fest, celebrating the best of locally crafted beers. Food vendors and live entertainment will be available, while guests will sip on beers from the likes of Brewyard, Iron Triangle, Indie, Old Stump, and plenty more. According to Eventbrite this event has been delayed until October. Apologies for any confusion!
33. One of Burning Man’s most iconic art cars The Mayan Warrior will stop at Grand Park in DTLA August 4-5. The immersive light and sound experience is a ticketed event. All proceeds go towards funding the art car’s journey from Mexico City to Burning Man in August and Create Now, an organization fostering arts and education for youth’s.
34. Pop Saturdays, a free summer series taking place at Marina del Rey’s Burton Chace Park returns this week with a performance by Cat Power. FREE
35. Eat|See|Hear returns for 2018 with a screening of Groundhog Day at Centennial Square at Pasadena City Hall. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
36. The Actors’ Gang will once gain bring back Free Shakespeare in the Park for Families with a production of Much Ado About Avengers an original play inspired by William Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” and the characters of Marvel’s Avengers. Taking place at Media Park in Culver City, the 45 minute, all‐ages production will run every Saturday and Sunday this month through August 26. FREE
37. If you’re a brunch enthusiast, you’ll want to head over to the Brunch Life Festival in Long Beach this Saturday. The inaugural event brings together restaurants in Orange County, Long Beach and Los Angeles for brunch tastings, mimosas, bloody marys, live entertainment, outdoor games, photo booths, and more. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
38. Flypoet is bringing its Summer Classic to the newly renovated Ford Theatre for another year of the most highly sought-after spoken word poets in the country. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
39. Heritage Square Museum in Montecito Heights is hosting a screening of L.A. Confidential this Saturday.
40. HARD Summer Music Festival is returning to the Fontana Speedway with a jam-packed EDM lineup on August 4-5 featuring Marshmellow, Travis Scott, Diplo, Virgil Abloh, Yellow Mustard, Flosstradamus, Rick Ross, Jaden Smith and much more.
41. Street Food Cinema returns this weekend with a screening of The Mask at Victory Park in Pasadena and Mama Mia at Poinsettia Rec Park in West Hollywood. Select screenings are discounted via Goldstar. DISCOUNTED
42. The Hollywood Beer and Music Festival is coming to the Hollywood Event Lot featuring 60+ local and regional craft beers, live entertainment and eight food trucks. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
43. Enjoy a summer movie night at Warner Ranch Park in Woodland Hills when Movies on the Greenwith a screening of Grease. FREE
Sunday August 5th, 2018
44. Local L.A. band The Growlers presents the Beach Goth music festival at Los Angeles State Historic Park. Headliners include The Voidz, Doug E. Fresh, and The Growlers of course, with fan favorite experiences like Death of a Clown Cabaret a Beach Goth Island, which will feature a world of palm trees, dubbed out reggae music in quadraphonic sound, beer and plenty of sandy vibes.
45. Mount Wilson Observatory is offering classical music concerts within the dome of the 100-inch telescope above the observatory. Located in the San Gabriel Mountains above Pasadena, the shows happen once a month from May to October.
46. Bon Iver will take the stage of the Hollywood Bowl this Sunday as part of KCRW’s World Festival.
47. The 20th Annual TASTE OF ECUADOR Food Festival & Parade comes to Placita Olvera for a full experience of Ecuadorian cuisine and culture featuring crafts, musical groups, folklore customs, a parade and more. FREE
48. Head over to the Regent in DTLA for The Rock and Roll Flea Market. Happening on the first Sunday of every month, this flea market features 50 vendors offering vintage and handmade crafts, memorabilia, instruments, vinyl and more. The space also offer two full bars, a brunch menu, DJ’s all day, and “boozy bingo.” Free to attend.
49. The third annual BrunchCon LA returns to The Reef in Downtown L.A. with plenty of brunch items, plus an open Mimosa and Bloody Mary bar. In addition to brunching, there will also be photo booths, a Museum of Brunch, dancing, a marketplace, Mimosa Pong, Giant Jenga, corn hole, and more! Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
50. Escape the summer heat during Jazz on the Lawn, a series of free summer concerts at Santa Monica’s Gandara Park every Sunday in August. In addition to live music there will be free dance lessons, food trucks and picnic games. FREE
51. Movie Night at The Wiltern will host a Toy Story matinee screening with themed photo ops, face painting and coloring stations. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
52. The Beverly Hills Farmers Market is hosting a Picklefest, featuring a variety of pickled fruits and vegetables this Sunday. Event is free to attend!
53. Check out LACMA’s latest exhibition, 3D: Double Vision an interactive exhibit that explores the art and illusion of 3D.
54. E.P. & L.P. in West Hollywood continues their stylish cinema series Melrose Rooftop Theatre with a screening of How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days.
55. Sunday August 5 is National Oyster Day! Herringbone in Santa Monica will be offering $1 oysters all day long (limit two dozen per table) and Ivory on Sunset will be offering $1 oysters all day in honor of the day.
56. Celebrate summer in the SGV during Movies in the Park, a free outdoor film series screening at Alhambra Park. This weekend they’ll screen Lego Ninjago. FREE
Schedule provided by We Like LA.