Friday
Eat your way into the long weekend with a belly full of food truck fare at First Fridays on Abbot Kinney. The monthly Venice affair brings food trucks, open galleries and late-night shop hours—the triumvirate of LA street fest staples.
Up the street in Santa Monica, catch a screening of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. The Aero Theatre rounds out its Sergio Leone series with this 50th anniversary screening of the classic Clint Eastwood western.
Alternatively, let Garrison Keillor’s voice instantly lower your stress levels as A Prairie Home Companion hits the Hollywood Bowl. Keillor is embarking on a farewell tour before he hands over hosting duties of his long-running radio show to Chris Thile.
Saturday
Start your day at Rosie's Dog Beach in Long Beach for the So Cal Corgi Beach Day. This "corg of July" meet-up invites owners of stumpiest, most adorable pups to come together for photo ops and canine-friendly fun.
Back in LA, throw on a pair of pajamas and grab a bowl of cereal for Saturday Morning Cartoons at the Cinefamily. The monthly serving of nostalgia is welcoming summer with a slate of classic cartoons about the great outdoors.
Make your way to the Convention Center for Anime Expo. This quirky, cosplay-filled celebration of anime features specialty vendors, panels and signings; you'll find us honing our skills at the cosplay makeup and armor workshops.
Head around the block to the Grammy Museum for the opening weekend of Ladies and Gentlemen…The Beatles, a collection of more than 400 pieces of Beatlemania memorabilia, recordings, videos and photos. If you want to see a Beatle in the flesh, spend the night at the Greek Theatre for a concert by Ringo Starr.
Make it an outdoor movie night as Street Food Cinema screens Top Gun at Will Rogers State Historic Park and Eat|See|Hear shows Coming to America at the Autry—both of which we guess are patriotic in their own ways.
Sunday
Cue the Jurassic Park helicopter shot and that John Williams score—at least inside your head—as the Natural History Museum explores Pterosaurs: Flight in the Age of Dinosaurs. Scope out an assembly of rare casts, life-size models and interactive exhibits involving the bird-like flying reptiles.
Head to the Arts District where Angel City Brewery is pouring out a patriotic salute with the aptly named 'Merica Fest. Play lawn (read: parking lot) games, drink in a beer garden and stuff your face with BBQ and popsicles.
Cool off by the pool and let your freak flag fly at Rhondesia. This pool party from A Club Called Rhonda is taking over SkyBar with its anything goes atmosphere.
Grab a late-night snack at the summer kickoff of 626 Night Market. Come hungry to Santa Anita Park, where over 150 Asian street food vendors will be steaming, frying and roasting up delectable bites.
Monday
Take advantage of the extra day off and relax on the beach, picnic in a park or whip yourself into shape with a hike. It's another nine weeks—not that we're counting or anything—until the next long weekend, so savor every second of it.
In case the incessant sound of firecrackers didn't give it away, today's the Fourth of July. You'll find patriotic events throughout SoCal during the afternoon, like the Pacific Palisades Fourth of July Parade, followed by some seriously colossal fireworks shows at night.
If you're looking for some of the biggest fireworks imaginable, then Fourth of July Americafest at the Rose Bowl should fit the bill. For more of a buzz (sans booze) of activity, head into Grand Park for its Fourth of July Block Party; the fireworks are small and the crowds are big, but it's one of the few Metro-accessible shows.
If you'd rather avoid all of the chaos, hide out on the rooftop at Upstairs for Monday Movie Nights. Ace Hotel kicks off its '80s to the MaxX July series with a screening of Ferris Bueller's Day Off, complete with a cinematically-themed cocktail to match.
Find more things to do this weekend by clicking each day or by heading over to our weekend calendar.