If you're as broke as we are from splurging on Coachella tickets and jewelry for Valentine's Day, you'll be glad to know that there are plenty of free things to do in L.A. this March. From a whale watching festival to a Pasadena-wide museum night, these are the best ways to make the most of your month without breaking into your wallet.
Mar 3-Apr 2
Laluzapalooza; La Luz De Jesus Gallery
Scope out 130 pieces from 64 artists at this annual juried group exhibition housed inside of the Soap Plant/Wacko complex.
Mar 4, 5, 11, 12
Dana Point Festival of Whales; Dana Point Harbor
Mark the annual gray whale migration from land with a parade, street fair and live music.
Mar 5
626 Golden Streets; Various locations
Walk, run, skate, bike and explore the San Gabriel Valley as Metro presents this car-free event across 18 miles of open streets, six Gold Line stations and seven SGV cities, from South Pasadena to Azusa.
Mar 9
Citizen Science + Suds; Angel City Brewery
Find out how harnessing the power of people can have a serious impact on science at this beer and Natural History Museum-curated lecture series.
Mar 10
ArtNight Pasadena; Various locations in Pasadena
Enjoy site-specific performances and a free evening of admission to the Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena Museum of California Art and more.
Photograph: Courtesy ArtNight Pasadena
Mar 11
Grand Park Downtown Bookfest; Grand Park
Watch the Downtown park transform into a literary Shangri-La with poetry, a local pop-up bookshop, food, tunes and more.
Mar 12
Festival of the Kite; Redondo Pier
Go fly a kite—or help launch a 25-foot-wide communal one—at this high-flying festival.
Mar 12
Nowruz Celebration; UCLA
Ring in the Iranian New Year and the early arrival of spring with a day of activities, performances, music and events for children.
Mar 18, 19
Bach in the Subways Day; Various locations
Wish Johann Sebastian Bach a happy 332nd birthday with performances at Union Station and across the Metro system.
Mar 19
L.A. Marathon; Various locations
Cheer on a friend or fellow Angelenos across 26.2 miles between Dodger Stadium and the ocean.
Photograph: Jakob N. Layman
Through Mar 19
Creature; The Broad
Examine different approaches to figuration and self-representation through more than 50 post-'80s works.
Mar 26
CicLAvia: Culver City Meets Venice; Various locations
Pedal your way through Culver City, Mar Vista and Venice during the bike-friendly fest.
Mar 30
The Platinum Collection Book Launch; Vista Theater
Celebrate the indescribable installations that have set up shop at Machine Project over the years at this launch party for the Echo Park space's new book, Machine Project: The Platinum Collection.
Ongoing
Free concerts; Various locations
Listen to some tunes without breaking the bank with free shows at the Echo, the Satellite, Grand Park and more.
Ongoing
Free museum days; Various locations
Make the most of free days at LACMA, the Natural History Museum and more, plus always-free museums like the Hammer, Getty and Broad.
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