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60 amazing things happening in L.A. this April 2017

Michael Juliano
Written by
Michael Juliano
Editor, Los Angeles & Western USA
Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve
Photograph: Courtesy CC/Flickr/Rennett Stowe
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Plan out your month with the city's best concerts, culture, cuisine and more.

THINGS TO DO

Mar 31-Apr 2
WonderCon; Anaheim Convention Center

Spend three days full of pop culture-filled sneak peeks, Q&As, screenings and special guests at this mega fan convention.

Apr 1
International Pillow Fight Day Los Angeles; Pershing Square

Fluff up your finest pillow and take part in this playful brawl complete with a DJ and food trucks.

Apr 7-9
Long Beach Grand Prix; Downtown Long Beach

Watch high-powered cars tear up the streets of Long Beach alongside live music and booze.

Apr 8
Harry Potter Roller Skating Night; Moonlight Rollerway

Lace up your Muggle skates and roll around the not-Quidditch pitch at this annual meet-up.

Apr 8
So Cal Corgi Beach Day; Huntington Beach

Hit the beach with fellow devoted dog owners at this adorable corgi meet-up.

Apr 8-May 21
Renaissance Pleasure Faire; Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area

Prepareth thy schedules and costumes for the return of the oldest Ren Faire in the country.

Apr 15, 22, 29
The Great Los Angeles River CleanUp; Various locations

Do your part in restoring the river with this coordinated cleanup effort across 15 different spots.

Apr 19
Earth Day L.A.; Grand Park

Celebrate Earth Day at Grand Park, the Music Center and DWP with green living demos and activities.

Apr 22, 23
California Poppy Festival; Sgt. Steve Owen Memorial Park

Mark the annual poppy bloom after a wet winter as Lancaster hosts a two-day street fair inspired by the bright-orange state flower.

Apr 22, 23
Dapper Day at Disneyland; Disneyland

Get out a bow tie and suspenders, and pull together a parasol and pearls for this old timey meet-up.

Apr 22, 23
Festival of Books; USC

Feed your bookworm tendencies with two days of lectures, signings and performances from the likes of Bryan Cranston, Margaret Atwood and Jessica Koslow.

Apr 29, 30
RuPaul's DragCon; Los Angeles Convention Center

Meet drag queens and pop-culture personalities at this inclusive gathering and expo hosted by the fierce, outspoken style icon.

Find more things to do in our April 2017 events calendar.

FOOD & DRINK

Apr 1, 2
Artisanal LA; California Market Center

Shop around for gourmet jams, handmade kitchenware, apparel and more at this food-focused craft fare featuring some of L.A.’s most talented artisans.

Apr 8
L.A. Beer Fest; Los Angeles Center Studios

Scope out more than 200 beers, food trucks, live music and more during this afternoon of sudsy revelry.

Apr 12
La Brea Bakery Grilled Cheese Night; La Brea Bakery

See what kind of gooey, cheese-stuffed, mouthwatering concoctions the bakery has come up with at this grilled cheese celebration.

Apr 13
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 lecture series.

Apr 30
Taste of the Eastside; Los Angeles River Center and Gardens

Sample food and drink from more than two dozen restaurants and bars operating in Silver Lake, Atwater Village, Echo Park and other Eastside 'hoods.

ARTS & CULTURE

Apr 1
Young Literati’s Annual Toast; NeueHouse Hollywood

Explore the city's literary roots at this L.A. Public Library fundraiser, with readings and performances from Andrew Bird, Chelsea Handler, Kumail Nanjiani and more.

Apr 5
The Director's Series: Michael Govan and Peter Zumthor; Bing Theater (LACMA)

Listen to LACMA director and CEO Michael Govan talk with Peter Zumthor about the Swiss architect's redesign for the museum and how the plans will fit LACMA's collection.

Apr 10-23
Portals Project; Grand Park

Step inside of a golden shipping container and connect with curious participants around the world during this two-week conversational installation.

Apr 21
Charles Phoenix: Southern Californialand; Union Station

Join humorist and Americana ambassador Charles Phoenix as he frames through this slide show of L.A.'s undiscovered, underrated and misunderstood mid-century gems.

Apr 26
Keeping the DREAM Alive; Hammer Museum

Hear undocumented-student advocate Angela Chuan-Ru Chen, Ph. D., provide insight into the tenuous future of the 2 million minors who came to the States as children and are seeking citizenship.

Apr 26
Kelly Oxford; Ann and Jerry Moss Theatre (New Roads School)

Listen to social media savant and writer Oxford share awful memories from her latest book with actress Busy Philipps.

Apr 27
2 Dope Queens; Teragram Ballroom

Listen to Phoebe Robinson and Jessica Williams riff on everything from racism to dad bods during this freewheeling conversation and stand-up showcase.

Apr 27-Sept 10
Paul Simon: Words & Music; Skirball Cultural Center

Learn about Paul Simon's life and creative process at this Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum-curated exhibition.

Apr 29-Sept 3
Oracle; The Broad

See 30 works pulled from the Broad's collection that show globalizing forces at work in contemporary society.

FILM

Starting Apr 5
Rooftop Film Club; Ricardo Montalbán Theatre

Get an early start to the outdoor movie season with the return of the Hollywood rooftop series.

Apr 5
Sci-Fi at Union Station: Blade Runner; Union Station

Watch the dystopian Los Angeles neo-noir classic for free inside of Union Station's historic ticketing hall.

Apr 6-9
TCM Classic Film Festival; Various Hollywood theaters

See time-honored favorites on the big screen, the way they were meant to be seen, during this year's festival, themed "Comedy in the Movies."

Apr 15, 29
Street Food Cinema; Various locations

Catch a special screening of 10 Things I Hate About You at the Million Dollar Theatre, followed by the outdoor kickoff with La La Land.

Apr 24-May 2
COLCOA French Film Festival; Directors Guild of America

Catch both vintage and modern French films alongside TV premieres at this annual screening series for Francophiles.

Apr 29
Cinespia: The Godfather: Part II; Los Angeles Theatre

Attend a '50s Vegas resort-themed soiree with DJ sets from Zach Cowie and Elijah Wood at this screening of the Coppola classic.

MUSIC & NIGHTLIFE

Mar 30-Apr 1
Drill: Los Angeles; The Echo + Echoplex

See legendary post-punk outfit Wire celebrate the 40th anniversary of their first performance with this two-day run of shows.

Apr 1-17
Reykjavík Festival; Walt Disney Concert Hall

Explore Iceland's captivating, eclectic music scene with performances from Sigur Rós, múm, Jóhann Jóhannsson and more.

Apr 3
Welcome! A Fundraising Concert for the ACLU; Staples Center

Support the ACLU with performances from Zedd, Halsey, Skrillex, Macklemore, Miguel and more.

Apr 8
Desert Generator; Pappy & Harriet's

Drive out to the desert for this throwback to gasoline generator-fueled parties curated by Brant Bjork, co-founder of seminal stoner rock band Kyuss.

Apr 8, 9
When We Were Young...; The Observatory

Relive your moody middle school obsessions with sets from Morrissey, Descendents, AFI, Taking Back Sunday and more.

Apr 11, 12
Vince Staples; The Fonda Theatre

Hear biting critiques of life from the Long Beach MC over two nights at the Fonda.

Apr 14-16, 21-23
Coachella; Empire Polo Club

Make a pilgrimage out to Indio to see the likes of Radiohead, Lady Gaga and Kendrick Lamar.

Apr 20
Mastodon + Eagles of Death Metal; Hollywood Palladium

Hear Mastodon's doom-meets-prog onslaught with support from desert rockers Eagles of Death Metal.

Apr 21, 23, 25, 26
Pixies; Various locations

Listen to the alt-rock legends—sans Kim Deal—scratch and scream their way through the classics.

Apr 22
Krush Groove; The Forum

Live it up at the Forum with KDAY's annual hip-hop concert featuring Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Ja Rule & Ashanti, DJ Quik, Warren G and surprise guests.

Apr 22
Record Store Day; Various locations

Catch pop-up concerts around the city at this annual celebration of independent brick-and-mortar music shops.

Apr 23
Broke LA Music & Arts Festival; 4560 Worth St

Check out more than 50 emerging local acts at this annual budget-friendly fest, formerly Brokechella.

Apr 28-30
Stagecoach Festival; Empire Polo Club

Strap on your cowboy hat and make the pilgrimage to country music's biggest jamboree, with Dierks Bentley, Shania Twain and Kenny Chesney.

Apr 28
Big Freedia; The Regent Theater

Shake and twerk the night away to the call and response stylings of New Orleans' "Queen Diva" of urban bounce music.

Apr 29, 30
The Weeknd; The Forum

See Abel Tesfaye move from mystery-cloaked buzz magnet to bona fide superstar on the Starboy tour, with an opening set from infectious hip-hop duo Rae Sremmurd.

Find more shows in our April 2017 concert calendar.

THEATER

Apr 4–May 14
Into the Woods; Ahmanson Theatre

Take a journey into the woods with classic—and new—fairytale characters and find out what happens when wishes do come true.

Apr 4–May 14
The Legend of Georgia McBride; Geffen Playhouse

Shake things up with this play about an Elvis impersonator who trades his blue suede shoes for platinum pumps.

Apr 8–May 13
Macbeth: Revisted; The Second Stage at Sacred Fools Theater

Go blind–or rather, gender blind–in this modern take on Shakespeare's classic tale.

Through Apr 9
An American in Paris; Pantages Theatre

Take advantage of your last opportunities to see this Los Angeles premiere of the Tony Award-winning play.

Apr 14–May 21
Block Party: Celebrating Los Angeles Theatre; Kirk Douglas Theatre

Celebrate Los Angeles's abundance of great theater with this event highlighting three shows from local companies.

Apr 22–May 13
Tosca; Dorothy Chandler Pavilion

Find yourself in the middle of a love triangle in this intense drama by LA Opera.

SHOPPING & STYLE

Apr 1, 2
A Current Affair; Cooper Design Space

Shop for vintage threads, couture gowns, designer shoes and retro jewels while sipping on cocktails and grooving to beats by KCRW's Marion Hodges at this pop-up marketplace.

Apr 6
Making your brand digitally cohesive with Eva Goicochea;

Build your business with web designer and brand strategist Eva Goicochea by learning how to identify and market your very own brand during this intensive workshop.

Apr 9
Natural Easter egg dyeing; Makers Mess

Add some color to your Easter celebrations with environmentally-friendly, plant-based egg dyeing at Makers Mess.

Apr 13
Odd Nights at the Autry; Autry National Center

Head to the return of this monthly market, a nighttime dance party, happy hour and shopping extravaganza.

Apr 14
Mt. Whitney trip planning clinic; Adventure 16

Plan the ultimate trip to Mt. Whitney during this free informational session covering everything from tips on gear to trip planning. (And if you weren't picked during this year's permit process, you can still get info about popular routes open to the public.)

Apr 22-23
Leather sandal-making workshop with Rachel Corry; Poketo at the Line Hotel

Spend a whole day getting a feel for the intricate craft of shoe-making at this small workshop led by bespoke sandal maker Rachel Corry, and walk away in a brand-new, made-by-you pair.

Apr 30
Downtown Modernism; Modernica Factory

Take a Sunday-morning stroll through five acres of 20th-century furniture and housewares at this biannual marketplace.

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