An afternoon at the La Brea Tar Pits. Photo: Bryan Champlin
Mushrooms and music. Culture and comedy. Dance and dog days. The week ahead is packed with options!
Los Angeles will be hosting a variety of events from June 10-14, including the latest “Exploring the Mycoverse” event at Arlington Gardens, Free Second Tuesday at LACMA, Hollywood Fringe Festival, Cultural Festival in San Gabriel, Ivy Station Night Market Summer Kickoff, Movie Night in Downtown Santa Monica, Summer of Salsa at the LA Plaza, and more. Check out the full list below.
What to do this week
M = Within 0.5 miles of an LA Metro station, FA = Free Admission, TP = Top Pick
Learn Country Queer Line Dance -> Put on your cowboy boots and two-step into June at the Stud Country Queer Line Dance Party at Club Bahia in Echo Park. Every Monday and Thursday, Club Bahia transforms into a lively country music haven where you can kick back and enjoy the community spirit. Admission is $20 and lessons take place at 8:30pm and 10:30pm. Click here for more details.
Exploring the Mycoverse: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind – FA > Are you a truffle lover? Or a fungus lover? If either applies to you, stop by Arlington Gardens in Pasadena on Monday for the latest edition of Exploring the Mycoverse. This month’s event focuses on the Japanese manga Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, the story of a princess living on a post-apocalyptic Earth covered by a toxic forest of fungal life and plants. There will be a screening of the film adaptation, followed by a group discussion. The meetup is organized by Exploring the Mycoverse, a fungus-focused community education group founded by mycologist Aaron Tupac. The event starts at 7pm. Attendance is free. Find out more here.
Sketch Party LA – FA > Sketch Party’s bi-monthly drawing/drinking party returns to Benny Boy Brewing this Tuesday. Sketch paper, pens, pencils and markers will be provided, so it’s up to you to create, socialize, hang out and enjoy BB’s impressive lineup of craft beers and ciders. Food will be available for purchase at River St. BBQ. All artistic levels welcome. Free to attend. 7pm-11pm, 21+ only. More info here.
Free on the 2nd Tuesday – FA > The Los Angeles County Museum of Art offers free admission on the 2nd Tuesday of every month, and the nearby La Brea Tar Pits Museum offers free admission to LA County residents on weekdays from 3pm to 5pm. Make time for the whole day.
Big Sunday’s 1st Annual Pride Night 2024 -> On Wednesday, the nonprofit will be filling summer beach bags for LGBTQ+ youth. Volunteers are needed to help pack the bags and purchase items from the registry ($0.50- $25). As a token of appreciation, Big Sunday will also be hosting a community dinner with karaoke. All ages are welcome to attend. The event will run from 6-8pm. More info here.
GCM’s Comedy Patio – M FA > This Wednesday, Grand Central Market will bring you free stand-up comedy in the form of the showcase “Comedy Patio” at the Maple Block. Hosted by Jeff Buck, the event will feature Amy Silverberg, Kyle Ayers, Hey Beacon, Terrence Murphy, Maddie Schmidt and John Liu. Attendance is free, but donations are welcome. The show starts at 7pm. More information here.
Hollywood Fringe Festival -> Starting this Thursday, dozens of venues, including the Zephyr Theatre, The Broadwater and The Three Clubs, will host a plethora of performances across two and a half weeks of the annual Hollywood Fringe Festival, including comedy, ensemble theatre, dance and immersive performances. The official festival runs from June 13-30, followed by an awards ceremony on July 1. Find out more here.
Pride Celebration at The Original Farmers Market – FA > The Farmers Market is celebrating Pride Month this Thursday with a performance from tribute band Queen Legion, a dog adoption event with Wags & Walks, and vendors including Kaylin + Kaylin Pickles and Balam The Jaguar Coffee Roasters. The event starts at 5pm with music beginning at 6.30pm. Attendance is free. Find out more here.
Self Help Me w/ Jenny Yang – M> The Self-Care Comedy Show returns to Dynasty Typewriter this Thursday. This month’s topic is White Women with guests Kim Chi, Naomi Smalls, Caitlin Reilly and guest expert Maryam Ajayi. This month’s stand-up comedian is Laurie Kilmartin. Tickets are $20. More info here.
Culture Fest in the Mission District – FA > Culture Fest will bring the Mission District to life this Thursday evening. Celebrating global cultures through performances, food, live music, arts and crafts, community booths and family-friendly activities. Enjoy performances on the Main Stage in front of the Mission Playhouse and indoors at Blossom Market Hall. Enjoy board games from around the world and arts and crafts at the Lounge of Fun at Patisserie to Patio. Enjoy a variety of cuisines from the restaurants and food trucks at Blossom Market Hall. In partnership with Arts Grown LA at the Music Center, performances include Sakai Flamenco, Melody of China, Korean Classical Music and Dance Company and Alfredo Rolando Ortiz’s World Adventures with My Harp. From 5:30pm to 9pm. Click here for more information.
14th Annual Zócalo Book Awards Event: What is “Latino”? – M FA > This Thursday, Zócalo Public Square will celebrate Pulitzer Prize-winning author Hector Tovar’s book “Our Migrant Souls.” Tovar will be in the Zócalo to talk about how the book took him across the United States, to Guatemala and back to the United States, and his epic journey through the United States that defines the “Latino” experience. A pre-lecture reading will take place at 6pm in the Hoxton, followed by the main discussion at 7pm in the ASU California Center. Find out more here.
Taste of Downtown: Pine & Promenade -> Taste of Downtown returns to Long Beach on Thursday with live music, DJs, bite-sized food samples, beer, wine and cocktails from downtown’s vibrant chefs, brewers and bartenders. Presented by the Downtown Long Beach Alliance, the series features tastings of local specialties. Admission is free and tasting tickets are $1 each. Learn more.
Summer of Salsa – M FA > The LA Plaza de Culturas y Artes Summer of Salsa series takes place one Friday each month through 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.
Food and Drink
(Selected by Christina Champlin)
Big Gay Potluck flyer.
The Big Gay Potluck -> On June 12th, All Day Baby will be hosting the Big Gay Potluck, a sumptuous four-course dinner prepared by incredible chefs including Catie Randazzo from All Day Baby, Amanda Rios from Playa Baby, and Miles Shorey from Pijja Palace. The culinary event will feature products from queer-owned businesses such as Diaspora Co., Rancho Gordo Beans, and 18.21 Bitters. Tickets are $125 per person and can be reserved here. Additionally, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Leola Davis of Pansy Esthetics, a studio dedicated to providing care to queer and transgender people of color within the LGBTQ community. Learn more here.
Camphor Steak Frites Night -> Every second Wednesday of the month, Michelin-starred French bistro Camphor transforms into a steak-lover’s haven with Steak Frites Night. Camphor ditches the usual menu for a menu of traditional Persian staples: an 8-ounce steak served with golden frites and a crisp salad, priced at $65. You won’t want to miss out on this weekday indulgence; securing a spot is as easy as hopping on over to Resy.
Looking to the future
FESTIVAL OF FORGOTTEN GRAPES -> Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay are well known, but have you tried Semillon, Cinsault, Teroldego, Nebbiolo or Marsanne? The FESTIVAL OF FORGOTTEN GRAPES is a vibrant festival dedicated to the “minor” varietals that make California wine unique and diverse. The event, taking place at FRANKIE Los Angeles on June 29th, will showcase over 110 lesser known varietals and the passionate winemakers who champion them. You’ll get to sample many of these rare and unusual wines, order a bottle on the spot and have your selection delivered directly to your door for a very low, one-time delivery fee. VIP tickets are $79 and general admission is $59. Learn more here.
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