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Things to do this weekend in Los Angeles: September 9-11

Michael Juliano
Written by
Michael Juliano
Editor, Los Angeles & Western USA
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We curate an LA weekend itinerary of the city's best concerts, culture and cuisine, every week, just for you.

Friday

Dive head first into your weekend during a Sunset Swim at the Annenberg Community Beach House. Though the evening open swim session and the beachfront pool are for adults only, it's anything but serious business with free fruit bars and s'mores.

Dry off and sink into a seat at the Theatre at Ace Hotel for an evening with Gad Elmaleh. The Moroccan-French stand-up is one of the most famous comedians in Europe—think Jerry Seinfeld in the '90s big—and he's worked obsessively to translate his live show to English.

Alternatively, head down the street to the Staples Center for Drake + Future. Find out what makes that hotline bling as hip-hop charmer Drake shares the bill with Auto-Tune-happy MC Future. 

Saturday

Make your way to the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA for the opening day of Doug Aitken: Electric Earth. Survey a selection of the LA artist's moving-image installations that explore the urban life and the natural world.

Head to the other end of Downtown for a shopping spree at the Unique LA Fall Market. Check out locally-crafted products at one of the largest made-in-America shopping events in the country, complete with tasty food and drink options and photo booth portraits at the California Market Center.

Geek out with fellow TV nerds at the Paley Fest Fall TV Previews. The Paley Center hosts this annual weeklong festival of fall pilot screenings and panel discussions, including today's ABC event with American Housewife, Notorious and Designated Survivor.

If you're up for an all-day music festival, spend the rest of your afternoon at MainFest. This surprisingly with-it neighborhood festival is taking over Downtown Alhambra with food trucks, local food specials and music sets from Capital Cities, Miami Horror, Nite-Funk, !!! and more.

Speaking of street fests, spend an afternoon outside the Velaslavasay Panorama for the Los Angeles International Neon Jubilee. Celebrate the relighting of the site's 1939 neon Union Theatre marquee with free DJ sets, puppet shows and roller derby demos, and stick around into the evening for a ticketed reception in its honor.

Live long and prosper at a screening of For the Love of Spock. This affectionate documentary about Leonard Nimoy heads to the Egyptian Theatre, helmed by the Spock actor's son Leonard—who'll be on hand for a post-film discussion.

Alternatively, make it a Molly Ringwald kind of night as Cinespia screens Sixteen Candles at Hollywood Forever Cemetery and Eat|See|Hear shows Pretty in Pink at Santa Monica High School

Sunday 

Peer into the first edition of prints from the 50-year-old, LA-based print workshop Gemini G.E.L. as LACMA opens this survey. The Serial Impulse at Gemini G.E.L. includes a series of seminal works by Josef Albers, Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Frank Stella and more. While you're there, make sure to see Agnes Martin on its final day; discover the restrained expressionism of the pioneering abstract artist's mesmerizing grids and striped canvases.

For lunch, crack open claws at the Long Beach Original Lobster Fest. The 20th annual lobster festival takes over Rainbow Lagoon Park with thousands of fresh Maine lobster, all shipped in for your dining pleasure.

Close out your weekend and the Hollywood Bowl's summer season at a Fireworks Finale with Jeff Lynne's ELO. The Electric Light Orchestra is back in business, with a fireworks show and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra on-hand to bring all of the bombastic, string-laden '70s hits you know and love.

Find more things to do this weekend by clicking each day or by heading over to our weekend calendar.

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