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, July 6 to Sunday, July 8, features Old Pasadena Summer Cinema,Late Night Fridays at the Tar Pits, Los Angeles Salsa Festival, The Dessert Goals Fest, Summertime in the LBC and MUCH more.
Hope you find the rundown useful and, as always, enjoy your week!
Friday July 6th, 2018
1. Old Pasadena Summer Cinema continues with screenings on Friday and Saturday that include Sunset Boulevard, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure and more. The series brings free movie screenings to the Old Pasadena area at select venues from July 5 to 28. FREE
2. 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 Thursday through Sunday of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. FREE
3. The Hammer museum will host a live broadcast of the FIFA World Cup this Friday and Saturday during the quarterfinals. FREE
4. 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 Dance DTLA an evening dedicated to line dancing. FREE
5. Anime Expo 2018 returns to the Los Angeles Convention Center July 5-8 , giving anime experts and beginners alike the opportunity to meet some of anime’s greatest creators, voice actors and more.
6. 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 and The Merry Wives of Windsor from Friday through Sunday. FREE
7. Mexican bolero icons Los Tres Reyes and Grammy award-winning recording artist Rosalie Rodriguez will take the stage of the Ford Theatre this Friday for a concert featuring bolero music a style considered to be the most romantic music genre of Latin America.
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. 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.
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. Performing this Friday is Ginkgoa; The Vignes Rooftop Revival performing the music of Django Reinhardt and Bootsy Collins of Parliament-Funkadelic fame on Saturday. FREE
11. Rooftop Cinema Club returns to the rooftops of LEVEL in DTLA and NeueHouse in Hollywood with multiple screenings this week that include The Shape of Water, Mystic Pizza and more.
12. 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)
13. The Department of Beaches and Harbors presents Beach Movie Nights at Dockweiler Youth Center this week screening Big Hero 6. FREE
14. 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
15. Madame Tussauds in Hollywood is throwing a 80’s style midnight party. In collaboration with 1987 Juices the event is a workout party with live music by DJ Lalaland and cold pressed juices. 80’s workout wear is suggested.
16. 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.
17. Jazz at LACMA welcomes Louis Van Taylor at the BP grand entrance at 6 p.m. FREE
18. Free museum days: Norton Simon Museum (5 to 8 p.m.), Pasadena Museum of California Art (noon to 5 p.m.), La Brea Tar Pits Museum (5 to 8 p.m.) and Long Beach Museum of Art (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
Saturday July 7th, 2018
19. The 3rd annual Los Angeles Salsa Festival 2018 returns to Pershing Square in DTLA July 7-8 for a fun-filled cultural event honoring salsa. An array of salsas will be available to sample, along with local food vendors selling their best dishes both days of the festival.
20. Enjoy a free outdoor concert featuring music from Broadway, Hollywood, and the Great American Songbook when the Pasadena Symphony and POPS brings Music Under the Stars to the plaza in front of Pasadena City Hall. FREE
21. The Dessert Goals Fest heads to Cooper Design Space in DTLA July 7-8, with the theme: the Moon + Stars. Attendees are encouraged to dress around the theme. Expect 20+ dessert vendors selling their wares, an Instagram Garden, complimentary coffee courtesy of Bodum, free candy, and more. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
22. Enjoy free movie screenings under the stars when the Amazon Treasure Truck heads to the Santa Monica Pier this weekend for a screening of Hotel Transylvania. FREE
23. Summertime in the LBC returns to the Queen Mary in Long Beach for a daylong music festival showcasing many of your favorite hip-hop artists of the last few decades. Snoop Dogg will perform his seminal record Doggystyle and you can expect Ice Cube, The Game, Ja Rule & Ashanti, The Isley Brothers, Method Man & Redman, E-40 & Too $hort, Warren G & Dove Shack, DJ Quik & Suga Free, Mack 10 and more to bring down the house.
24. Celebrate summer in the SGV during Movies in the Park, a free outdoor film series screening at Alhambra Park. This weekend they’ll screen the animated version of Beauty and the Beast. FREE
25. Eat|See|Hear returns for 2018 with a screening of Rear Window at The Autry Museum. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
26. The Long Beach Vegan Festival will feature delicious vegan fare from hundreds of vendors, live music, creative art installations, a kids play zone, a vegan chili cook-off and earth-friendly vendors. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)
27. The Mac & Cheese Beer Festival heads to the Globe Theatre for the ultimate comfort food pairing. Guests will have access to complimentary samples of 60+ craft beers, live music and over a dozen chefs will offer small size portions of their signature Mac and Cheese creations for $3-$5.
28. Street Food Cinema returns this weekend with a screening of My Girl at Central Park in Glendale and E.T. at Will Rogers State Historic Park in Pacific Palisades. Select screenings are discounted via Goldstar. DISCOUNTED
29. Picture This!, L.A.’s only live animated comedy show, is back with another free show at The Virgil in East Hollywood. During this show, see standup comics perform as talented animators, cartoonists and artists draw them live. FREE
30. Celebrate the glories of Los Angeles art with Made in L.A. at the Hammer in Westwood. On view now till September 2, 2018. FREE
31. 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 Austin Powers International Man.
32. 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.
33. 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.
Sunday July 8th, 2018
34. Take a free dance lesson with famed dance veteran Debbie Allen every second Sunday of every month now through August at The Wallis in Beverly Hills. This month she will lead a salsa class. FREE
35. There’s a free Union Station Art & Architecture Tour this Sunday. Led by Metro Art Los Angeles Docents the tour will help guest discover art works, architecture and spaces not generally open to the public. Tour begins at the information booth inside the Alameda Street entrance and no reservations required. FREE
36. Silver Lake’s female-driven wine shop, Vinovore, is teaming up with non-profit animal rescue organization, MaeDay Rescue, to host a pop-up dog adoption event. Hangout with furry friends and enjoy donation based wine tastings poured by certified sommelier and owner Coly Den Haan.
37. Check out the Rose Bowl Flea Market — one of the most beloved markets of its type this Sunday.Taking place at the Rose Bowl on the second Sunday of each month, the flea market features a staggering 2500-plus vendors and 20,000 shoppers.
38. E.P. & L.P. in West Hollywood continues their stylish cinema series Melrose Rooftop Theatre with a screening of The Greatest Showman.
39. 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.
40. The exhibit “Satoyama: Evolving with the Forest” celebrates epicurean ecology through a collaboration between Michelin-starred chef and Japanese cooking pioneer Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa and leading food photographer, Sergio Coimbra. The food photography exhibition will feature many interactive moments including educational workshops throughout the till July 29, 2018.
41. Free museum days: Museum of Latin American Art and Craft and Folk Art Museum (pay what you can)