You've planned a day at one of L.A.'s best beaches and figured out how to spend your Labor Day, but are far more free things to do in September after the long weekend. From a surf dog competition to a slew of Pacific Standard Time exhibitions, these are the best ways to make the most of your month without breaking into your wallet.
Sept 2–4
Downtown Hermosa Beach; Glendale Central Park
Roam the hundreds of vendor stalls at this summertime, beachfront fair.
Sept 3
Delicious Vinyl West Adams Block Party; Delicious Pizza
Celebrate West Adams' rich culture at this hip-hop pizza joint's block party, with headlining sets from Talib Kweli and Doug E. Fresh.
Through Sept 3
Free Shakespeare in Griffith Park; Old Zoo
Take in Shakespeare’s The Two Gentlemen of Verona, while enjoying the great outdoors.
Through Sept 3
Oracle; The Broad
Scope out 30 images from the museum's own collection for Oracle, an examination of globalizing forces at work in contemporary society.
Sept 7
First Thursday Art Walk; San Pedro
Expect plenty of art, gallery tours, restaurant deals and food trucks between 4th and 7th and Pacific Avenue to Palos Verdes Street.
Sept 9–March 4
Cuba Is; Annenberg Space for Photography
More than 100 photos fill this Century City museum to tell the tale of the island nation from before the revolution to its contemporary coming out.
Sept 9
Tiny Porch Concerts at Peter Strauss Ranch; Peter Strauss Ranch
See soulful country-folk acts perform in a stone amphitheater nestled deep in the Santa Monica Mountains.
Sept 10
Beat Swap Meet; Grand Park
Thumb threw crates of vinyl at the L.A. installment of this traveling record market.
Sept 14
Silver Lake Picture Show; Sunset Triangle Plaza
Cruise over to Silver Lake for the final, free outdoor showing of the season, Scream.
Sept 15–Dec 29
Radical Women: Latin American Art, 1960-1985; Hammer Museum
Feminist and radical artists from Latin America and the U.S. get their due with this survey of more than 100 artists from 15 countries.
Sept 16
Glendale Open Arts & Music Festival; Glendale Central Park
Get to know Downtown Glendale at this free community festival with music performances, arts and craft markets, beer and wine gardens and more.
Sept 16
Tarfest; La Brea Tar Pits
Pay tribute to L.A.'s bubbly asphalt pools with this annual afternoon of live music, DJs, dance and live artwork.
Sept 16–Jan 28
Golden Kingdoms: Luxury and Legacy in the Ancient Americas; Getty Center
This study of antiquities traces the use of gold and rare materials back to pre-Columbian times, when spiritual designs were more than mere status symbols.
Sept 17
PST: LA/LA Free Day; Various locations
Kick off Pacific Standard Time with free admission to 52 SoCal museums.
Sept 23
Museum Day Live!; Various locations in L.A.
Art lovers can spend a day at select museums for free during this one-day event hosted by Smithsonian magazine.
Sept 24
Abbot Kinney Festival; Abbot Kinney
Take every artsy street fair you’ve ever attended and add in innumerable food trucks plus all the stereotypes about Venice.
Sept 24
Surf City Surf Dog; Huntington Dog Beach
Start teaching your pooch how to carve waves for this annual K-9 surf competition.
Sept 30-Oct 1
Watts Towers Day of the Drum and Simon Rodia Jazz Festival; Watts Towers
Get your feet stomping at this annual duo of pan-African and jazz festivals.
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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