THINGS TO DO
July 4
Fourth of July Block Party; Grand Park
Watch Downtown LA light up for free at this patriotic street party.
July 4
Fourth of July Americafest; The Rose Bowl
See an explosive celebration of all things red, white and blue at this fireworks, music and stunt show.
July 5-7
Dalai Lama’s 80th Birthday; Honda Center & UC Irvine
Honor His Holiness's 80th birthday during this three-day summit about global compassion.
July 10-Aug 21
Summer Nights in the Garden; Natural History Museum
Spend an evening outside with live music, garden-inspired cocktails, hands-on science projects, botanical tours and food trucks.
July 10-Aug 21
Around the World in 80 Sips; Galco’s Soda Pop Stop
Sample an international selection of carbonated bubbly beverages from Highland Park's celebrated soda shop.
July 25-Aug 2
US Open of Surfing; Huntington Beach
Hit the beach to cheer on the country's biggest pro surfers at this competition and free music fest.
July 25-Aug 2
Special Olympics World Games; Various locations
Cheer on over 7,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities, starting with the opening ceremonies at the Coliseum.
Find more things to do in our July 2015 events calendar.
FOOD & DRINK
July 1-30
Tanabata Celebration; Hinoki & the Bird
Celebrate the Japanese holiday with a five-course menu at the Century City hot spot (bonus: hang a wish on a wall of bamboo at the end of your meal).
July 11
LA Street Food Fest; Rose Bowl
Snack your way around the Rose Bowl with selections from over 100 local vendors at this summer foodie paradise.
July 11
CA Hot Sauce Expo; Rainbow Lagoon Park
Scorch your tastebuds at this inaugural hot sauce festival featuring 45 fiery samples and enough eating contests to require a bottle of Tums.
July 13-26
DineLA Restaurant Week; Various locations
Choose from hundreds of LA restaurants for two weeks of discounted meals, ranging from $15 lunches to $50 dinners.
July 17
East LA Meets Napa; Union Station
Nosh on authentic tacos and sip vino from Napa at this mashup event, bringing two of the best things in life—Mexican food and wine—together.
July 20
Grain Dinner at Union; Union
Load up on carbs at Union’s second annual Grain Dinner, with proceeds going toward the Pasadena Community Gardens.
ARTS & CULTURE
July 8-Aug 31
Pageant of the Masters; Festival of Arts
See classic paintings come to life during this Laguna Beach musical and theatrical tradition.
July 10-12
BalletNow; Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Witness a duo of dancers lead an international ensemble in the premiere of this Europe-meets-Latin America program.
July 11
Podcasting 101 with Hrishikesh Hirway; Poketo at the Line Hotel
Brush up on the basics of podcasting as Song Exploder host Hrishikesh Hirway leads this three-hour workshop.
July 13-21
Moves After Dark; The Music Center
Catch four LA dance ensembles perform in and around the Music Center campus during this site-specific series.
July 21, 23
Carmina Burana with Dudamel; Hollywood Bowl
Hear the LA Phil perform the epic piece under the stars with two choirs (and $8 seats are still available).
July 25
Christian Marclay: The Clock: 24-Hour Screening; LACMA
Watch time tick by as this cinematically constructed montage plays for a full 24 hours in the middle of its summer-long run.
FILM
July 4
Jaws; Santa Monica High School
Spend the 4th of July with Spielberg, Richard Dreyfuss and one giant, pissed off great white shark.
July 10
Jurassic Park; CSUN
Decide where the original ranks compared to Jurassic World—though we all know a dinosaur movie is nothing without Jeff Goldblum.
July 11
A Hard Day's Night; Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Feel alright at an under-the-stars screening of the fab four’s first feature-length film.
July 19
Why Change Your Wife?; Paramount Ranch
Arrive early for a picnic dinner or tour of the ranch, then settle in for Cecil B. DeMille’s 1920 silent movie classic, accompanied by a live score.
Find more movies in our picks for this week's best film events.
MUSIC & NIGHTLIFE
July 2-3
Television; Teragram Ballroom
See the most interesting band of the mid-'70s New York punk scene play crowd-pleasers from their landmark album Marquee Moon.
July 7
Calexico; The Regent Theater
Watch the Tex-Mex bandits as they play their distinctive, evocative blend of alt country, mariachi and desert blues.
July 12
Death Cab for Cutie + Tune-Yards; Hollywood Bowl
Listen to Ben Gibbard and co. tackle their latest album, Kintsugi, with an opening set from the eclectic and rhythmic Tune-Yards.
July 13
Steely Dan and Elvis Costello; Hollywood Bowl
Catch the duo at the Hollywood Bowl with Elvis Costello and the Imposters, especially if you missed them at Coachella.
July 17
Woogie Weekend; Oak Canyon Park
Spend a weekend in the Irvine-adjacent wilderness with live painting, healthy food, morning yoga and house music.
July 30
Moses Sumney; The Echo
Catch LA's own Moses Sumney, who's blown up in the last two years, return to play one date at the Echo.
See more concerts in our July 2015 concert calendar.