KCRW Chinatown Summer Nights. Photo: Christina Champlin/We Like LA
Come on dads, this weekend is your weekend.
Los Angeles will host a ton of free, family-friendly concerts from June 14-16, including Chinatown Summer Nights, Off the 405, Summer of Salsa, and Latin Sounds at LACMA. Plus, there are plenty of events planned, including a Juneteenth Celebration, Father’s Day food specials, Taco Madness at LA Taco, the Rodeo Drive Concours d’Elegance Car Show, Bloomsday at The Hammer, and more. Take a look at all the options below.
Make the metro part of your weekend
KCRW Chinatown Summer Nights – FA > KCRW Chinatown Summer Nights brings an evening of fun for all ages to Central Plaza. Highlights include sets from KCRW DJs Travis Holcombe and Jason Bentley. Festivities begin at 8pm. As always, attendance is free. Click here for more details.
By Subway: Take the A line to Chinatown station.
What to do this weekend
M = Within 0.5 miles of an LA Metro station, FA = Free Admission, TP = Top Pick
Summer of Salsa – M FA TP > LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes’ Summer of Salsa series runs one Friday each month until the end of summer, showcasing some of the city’s best salsa and Cuban bands along the way. This week, see Gabrielito y La Verdad perform. Doors open at 6pm and music starts at 7pm. There’s no charge to attend. Find out more here.
Ivy Station Night Market Summer Kickoff – M FA > Ivy Station’s monthly Night Market kicks off summer this Friday with over 30 local vendors plus food trucks, craft beer, games and music. As always, participation is free. Runs from 5pm to 10pm. More info here.
Friday Night Wine Tastings at Barnsdall Park – M > After a five-year hiatus, Friday night wine tasting events are back on the Barnsdall Art Park West Lawn. A $45 ticket gets you access to a selection of wines from Silverlake Wines and a rotating food truck session. Enjoy music from local DJs and beautiful sunset views of the Hollywood sign and Griffith Park Observatory. The series will run every Friday through August 30. Find out more here.
Movie Fridays in Downtown Santa Monica – FA > Downtown Santa Monica’s free outdoor movie series, Movie Fridays, returns to the Promenade the second Friday of each month from April through June. This month’s series concludes with a screening of RENT. The event begins at 6:30 PM, with the movie starting at 7:30 PM. Each event includes photo opportunities, free popcorn, and DJ music before the movie. There are no age restrictions. More information here.
Jazz at LACMA – FA > The Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s annual Friday Night Jazz Series is back for a season of free weekly concerts through November in Smidt Welcome Plaza. This week, Larry Nash and the Jazz Symphonics are performing. LACMA is free for LA County residents (with ID) weekdays after 3pm. Seating is first come, first served. Music begins at 6pm. More info here.
Family Pride Fest at The Crow – M> This Friday and Saturday, Santa Monica is hosting its first ever Family Pride Fest. Highlights of the two-day event include two LGBTQ+ storytelling performances on Friday night, and a drag storytelling, face painting and dance performance in Santa Monica on Saturday morning. Full event details can be found here.
DTLA Dog Days – M FA > This Friday and Saturday, DTLA Dog Days returns to Pershing Square. This free event features dog-friendly vendors, activities, photo opportunities, a live DJ and more. Highlights include Bring Your Dog to Work Day, free community dog walks, puppy yoga and a marketplace with local dog vendors. Registration is required for some activities. Learn more.
TARFEST: A Day in the Park – FA TP > On Saturday, the 21st annual TARFEST will be a one-day festival at Pan Pacific Park. Enjoy reggae and Afrobeat music shows presented by Boomtown LA, free art-making activities, dance classes, artisan booths presented by Runway Boutique, face painting, local food trucks and more. The event runs from 2pm to 8pm. Admission is free. More info here.
LA TACO’S TACO MADNESS 2024 – TP > After postponing the event in May, LA Taco’s annual taco tasting event will officially arrive this Saturday at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes. The 2024 lineup will feature 12 of the city’s best taqueros, including Villla’s Tacos, Evil Cooks, Ditroit, and La Carreta. Plus, there will be hand-stuffed churros by San Diablo Artisan Churros and beer from Boomtown Brewery. Tickets range from $15 to $100 depending on the number of prepaid food vouchers and whether you choose basic admission or early access. The event will run from 6pm to late night. Learn more here.
Santa Monica Juneteenth Celebration – FA > The City of Santa Monica will celebrate Juneteenth this Saturday at Virginia Avenue Park with an afternoon of music, food, craft vendors, a children’s activity area, a community stage and local resources. The event runs from 2pm to 7pm and is free to attend. More details here.
Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival – TP > The annual jazz festival returns to the Bowl. The two-day concert series (Saturday and Sunday) will feature Jodeci, Andrea Day, Kamasi Washington, Soul Rebels, Seun Kuti and more. Tickets start at $29. More info here.
Siam Market Midsummer Festival -> Celebrate the start of summer this Saturday at Siam Market, the bustling Thai street food market that’s the talk of the town. In partnership with the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs this Saturday, Midsummer Festival will feature a stellar lineup of authentic Thai food stalls, vibrant arts and crafts stalls, and exciting live performances. Running from 10am to 11pm, the event is free to attend and family-friendly. Click here for more details.
Movies Under the Stars M FA > Old Pasadena shopping mall One Colorado will be hosting Movies Under the Stars on select Saturdays in June and July. This week the series continues with a showing of “Mamma Mia!” General seating is first come, first served. Movies start at 8:30 pm. Click here for more details.
Off the 405 – FA > The Getty’s annual Afterhours concert series will return for five dates in the summer of 2024. Off the 405 continues this Saturday with a performance by Slauson Malone 1. Free advance registration is required to attend, and please note that parking is $10 after 6pm on Saturday. More info here.
Grand Performances – M FA > This year’s Grand Performances free concert continues on Saturday with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Free admission. 6pm to 10pm. More details here.
LACMA Latin Sounds – FA > In celebration of the exhibition “Painting on the River of Angels: Judy Baca and the Great Wall of China,” LACMA will host a series of outdoor concerts on Saturday evenings at the Dorothy Collins Brown Amphitheater (just north of the La Brea Tar Pits Museum). This weekend, enjoy a performance by East Los Angeles-based Son Jarocho band, Cambalache. Free admission. 5-7pm. More info here.
Q Con – FA > Southern California’s only LGBTQ comic convention, Q Con, returns to West Hollywood’s Plummer Park this Saturday, bringing together comic creators, cosplayers and panelists throughout the day. This year’s event will feature Holly Chow (voice of Jubilee in X-Men ’97) and JP Karliak (voice of Morph in X-Men ’97). The event runs from 11am to 6pm. Attendance is free. More info here.
Juneteenth Celebration in El Segundo – FA > Black in Mayberry, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to fight racism through the arts, will host its third annual Juneteenth Celebration on Saturday at El Segundo Recreation Park. Scheduled for live music, performances, interactive art activities, art exhibits, a kids’ zone, Black-owned business vendors, food trucks and more. Runs from noon to 6 p.m. Free to attend. More info here.
CAAM Juneteenth Celebration – M FA > The California African American Museum will host a Juneteenth Celebration on Saturday. There will be activities for all ages, including live music, food trucks, storytelling and discussions about the significance of Juneteenth. Attendees will also get to explore the museum’s new exhibit. Learn more.
Griffith Observatory Public Star Party – FA > Every month, Griffith Observatory hosts a free public star party with the help of volunteers from the Los Angeles Astronomical Society, the Los Angeles Sidewalk Astronomers Association, and the Planetary Society. Saturday’s event runs from 2pm to 9:45pm. Attendance is free. More information here.
Rodeo Drive Concours d’Elegance – FA> Is your dad a car lover? Celebrate Father’s Day with an up-close look at some of the world’s most exclusive vehicles at this free annual car show in the heart of Beverly Hills on Sunday. Free to attend. Runs from 10am to 4pm. Learn more.
Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome -> Mount Wilson Observatory will host its 2024 season of classical concerts inside its historic 100-inch Telescope Dome, which boasts some of the best acoustics in the world. The Sunday concert will feature Carte Blanche, featuring Leah Zeger, Corey Pesaturo, and Jorge Villanueva. There will be two performances, at 3pm and 5pm. Tickets are $60. More info here
Bloomsday 2024 – FA > The Hammer celebrates author James Joyce and his novel Ulysses on Sunday Bloomsday. The day will feature a combination of staged readings and performances, centred around the author’s most iconic work. The performance will be followed by a celebration in the museum’s courtyard, with live music and Guinness on tap. Starts at 7.30pm. More details here.
Food and Drink
(Selected by Christina Champlin)
Salty Girl Lobster Roll. Photo by Mike Cotrone.
National Lobster Day at Saltie Girl -> Join in the fun National Lobster Day celebration this weekend at Saltie Girl in West Hollywood. To mark the occasion, Saltie Girl is offering 20 free lobster rolls from Saturday through Sunday. Customers who order a lobster roll and have a gold lobster sticker on the bottom of their plate will enjoy a free roll. Lobster rolls at Saltie Girl are $40 and are served hot or cold and come with housemade salt and vinegar potato chips.
Celebrate Father’s Day at The Rose -> This Sunday, bring dad to The Rose in Venice Beach for a special Father’s Day Brunch and Beer Garden experience. Brunch will be from 9am to 3pm and will feature specials like braised beef tongue cheesesteak tacos, beer-brisket sandwich and a meat platter loaded with bone-in carnitas pork shank, short ribs, chorizo, turkey wings, potato salad and grilled corn. Skyduster beer will also be featured in the beer garden, offering $3 beers until 5pm. Reservations can be made on OpenTable.
World Martini Day at Bar Next Door -> Martinis and oysters are a match made in heaven. Bar Next Door on the Sunset Strip was voted Best Martini by Esquire magazine. Stop by this Saturday from 5pm to 8pm for a $16 Ford Gin Martini and fresh oysters from The Lonely Oyster. It’s the perfect way to kick off summer. Find out more here.
Pride Month and Father’s Day at Broken Shaker in Freehand -> Throughout the month of June, Broken Shaker, the rooftop bar in Freehand, will be running a special cocktail promotion in collaboration with local queer-owned gin brand, Future Gin. For just $15, you can enjoy the Tiki Kiki, a refreshing mix of Future Gin, Velvet Falernum, lemon, passionfruit and orgeat. Plus, on Father’s Day (June 16th), dads can get a free beer with any food purchase. These are two great special offers you’ll want to take advantage of this weekend.
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