We moved our clocks forward, we’re basking in longer (albeit rainy) days this week, and the bird’s nest I discovered on my balcony is full of baby hummingbirds. All signs point to spring.
Sure, L.A. doesn’t really have seasons, but the arrival of spring this year does feel different. Maybe it’s particularly appealing to welcome a season of sunshine and new life after the truly trying winter we faced in Los Angeles. So we’re all in on spring: Bring on the cherry blossoms, music festivals, outdoor movie screenings and carnival rides. Here are 35 things we can’t wait to get out and do from March to May.
Stop and smell the flowers
Despite a dry winter, the recent rain has meant an explosion of seasonal blooms at Los Angeles’ beautiful botanical gardens. And the belles of the ball this month are cherry blossoms. Descanso Gardens, the Huntington, South Coast Botanic Garden and Lake Balboa are all hot spots for the pink flowered trees—but bear in mind cherry blossoms don’t bloom for long.
During a visit to the Huntington over the weekend, there was a sold-out but still very manageable crowd there to see the blooms. There are cherry blossoms—and also peach, redbud, plum and apricot blossoms that might get less attention but are still every bit as photogenic. You’ll find a good handful in the Japanese garden, but when I was there, a blooming tree right outside the Chinese garden was free of crowds and perfect for picture-taking. Descanso still has waves of blooms on the way, as does the Japanese Garden in Lake Balboa. Get the most up-to-date info on current blooms in our cherry blossoms guide.
But we know what you’re thinking: What about wildflowers? Will there be a superbloom? The jury’s still out, but due to our dry, warm winter, while some wildflowers are likely, a full-blown superbloom unfortunately isn’t. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, for instance, normally a wildflower hot spot, is currently “bone dry with no great displays of the usual wildflowers,” according to the Theodore Payne Foundation. But don’t worry: We’ll be keeping a close eye on the wildflower forecast and updating you with our wildflower guide.
Hear some tunes
Spring also marks the start of music festival season. Whether you’re looking to get away for the weekend or stay in town, there’s sure to be a fest that will suit your musical tastes and preferences. Things kick off this weekend with Rolling Loud, where hip-hop stars A$AP Rocky and Playboi Carti—along with special guest Peso Pluma—will take over the SoFi Stadium-adjacent Hollywood Park, complete with a Coachella-reminiscent Ferris wheel.
Speaking of Coachella, tens of thousands will flock to the desert April 11 to 13 and April 18 to 20 for the massive music fest. This year’s headliners lead a stacked lineup: Lady Gaga, Missy Elliott, Green Day, Charli XCX, Post Malone and Megan Thee Stallion—plus Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Phil will even take the stage Saturday. (If you’re heading to Indio, make sure to stop along the way to check out the site-specific installations of biennial exhibition Desert X.) And if you aren’t up for the hassle or price tag of Coachella, Goldenvoice Presents April will bring some of the festival’s acts—including Beabadoobee, Miike Snow, Jimmy Eat World, Together Pangea and Kneecap—to more convenient venues including the Fonda, the El Rey, and the Fox Theater and Glass House in Pomona. Back in the Coachella Valley the following weekend, April 25 to 27, the Empire Polo Club is keeping the party going with Stagecoach, where Zach Bryan, Jelly Roll, Luke Combs, Lana Del Rey and many more country stars will take the stage.
But you don’t have to drive to the desert for a full music festival experience; luckily there are some closer to home as well. Pasadena’s Brookside at the Rose Bowl is a perfect festival venue: nearby but idyllic and expansive enough that you feel like you’re getting away from the hustle and bustle of L.A. And on May 10, it will be filled with millennials embracing aughts indie nostalgia at the fifth edition of Just Like Heaven, where Vampire Weekend, a reunited Rilo Kiley, Empire of the Sun, Bloc Party and TV on the Radio headline. A week later, on May 17, the nostalgia is of the ’80s variety at Cruel World, a goth, new wave and punk fest featuring New Order, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, the Go-Go’s, Devo, Garbage and more.
For laid-back, coastal vibes, BeachLife Festival at Redondo Beach welcomes Lenny Kravitz, Sublime, Alanis Morissette, Train, Cake and the Pretenders May 2 to 4. And the touring Outlaw Music Festival returns to the Hollywood Bowl on May 16 with Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan headlining, joined by Billy Strings and Sierra Hull. Check out our full music festivals guide for even more fests coming up.
There are also some high-profile concerts worth calling out this spring. First, Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter Tour at SoFi—she’s playing five shows at the stadium—is finally almost here. The recent Grammy winner for best album is actually kicking off her new tour here in L.A. Catch her April 28 and May 1, 4, 7 and 9. Later in the month, hometown hero and Super Bowl Halftime Show star Kendrick Lamar will be joined by SZA for three dates at SoFi Stadium as part of his Grand National Tour: May 21, 23 and 24.
And color me intrigued by Cercle Odyssey, “the world’s first 360-degree nomadic concert,” which is making its debut at the Los Angeles Convention Center this May. (It’s an offshoot of the French concert series Cercle, which has staged shows in epic settings around the world.) Moby, Empire of the Sun, the Blaze and Paul Kalkbrenner will play shows that promise to be an “otherworldly journey,” blending audio and visual, thanks to immersive 360° projections.
Honorable mention goes to Garden State: The 20th Anniversary Concert, where the Shins, Iron & Wine, Frou Frou, Colin Hay, Thievery Corporation, Remy Zero and more will play through the indie film’s formative soundtrack at the Greek Theatre, all to benefit Midnight Mission. You can still snag a seat at the sold-out show if you’re willing to shell out upward of $260 for a resale ticket on Ticketmaster.
Have fun at a festival
Music festivals aren’t the only festive fun to be had in spring. Every weekend is full of festivals—many of them free!—that celebrate everything from books to strawberries. This month, you can welcome the start of spring with Holi, the Hindu festival of colors. Pelt fellow festival-goers with colored powder at PopShift’s warehouse-party edition March 16 or during a weekend on the waterfront at Holi & the Beach, billed as the city’s biggest Holi festival, where Bollywood DJs will provide the soundtrack from March 29 to 30.
During Bob Baker Day on April 13, the beloved marionette theater hosts an all-day free fest and outdoor carnival at Los Angeles State Historic Park. In the wake of the fires, this year’s theme is “Recovery Through the Arts,” so expect an uplifting and community-building event with puppet performances, crafts and fun activities.
One of my favorite festivals, the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, will return to the USC campus for a weekend celebration of all things literary from April 26 to 27. The outdoor book fair of sorts features stalls from a variety of booksellers, as well as author readings, signings and culinary demos. The just-announced lineup of talent includes an impressive mix of superstars from the literary, entertainment and culinary worlds, including Chelsea Handler, Percival Everett, Amor Towles, Jenny Slate, Rachel Kushner, TJ Klune, director Jon M. Chu, Griffin Dunne, Josh Gad and Max Greenfield, as well as chefs Tom Colicchio, Brooke Williamson and Nicole Rucker. Entry and tickets to conversations are free, while a select few events are ticketed.
In May, you can fly a kite and take art workshops at L.A. State Historic Park the during the fifth-annual free Community & Unity People’s Kite Festival on May 17. And if you’re up for a bit of a drive, the California Strawberry Festival from May 17 to 18 is worth a day trip to the Ventura County Fairgrounds. Fill up on strawberries in all forms: There are strawberry nachos, pizza, chimichangas, tamales (!) and even beer, as well the more traditional options: chocolate-dipped or deep-fried strawberries, strawberry funnel cake and strawberry shortcake. You’ll also find chef demos, concerts, contests and carnival rides.
Not technically a “festival” but still a free, fun, community-building event is CicLAvia, which will host two springtime editions: On April 6, the Koreatown meets Hollywood event features a 4.75-mile route that connects Hollywood, East Hollywood, Melrose Hill and Koreatown, and on May 18, a “CicLAmini” closes 1.4 miles in Pico-Union for activities, street games, art and cultural activities.
Catch a cool exhibition
You know it’s really spring when the Natural History Museum opens the doors of its Butterfly Pavilion. Just try not to be charmed when a butterfly lands on your shoulder, we dare you. More essential NHM springtime programming: First Fridays, which kicked off in March and continues into June with its “AMPLIFIED” series that’s shining a spotlight on sound and music this season. The next event, April 4, will explore Sound and Nature, but every month you can expect a different lineup of musical guests and DJs, art installations, food trucks, guided museum tours and scientist-led talks in the new NHM Commons.
Right on the heels of the release of his new film, Mickey 17, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures delves into the career, creative process and cinematic influences of the Oscar-winning Parasite director with “Director’s Inspiration: Bong Joon Ho,” opening March 23. The first-ever museum show dedicated to the South Korean filmmaker will display over 100 storyboards, research materials, posters, concept art, creature models, props and on-set photos from Ho’s archive and personal collection. On opening day, March 23, catch screenings of Okja (2pm) and Parasite (7:30pm) in the David Geffen Theater—the director himself will be there in person.
Another can’t-miss pop culture exhibition will open at the Skirball Cultural Center on May 1: “Jack Kirby: Heroes and Humanity” delves into the life of the co-creator of Captain America, Black Panther, the Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men and more Marvel characters, but it goes beyond the comic book page to delve into his background as a first-generation Jewish American born to immigrant parents and a World War II veteran. Kirby’s original comic illustrations, as well as his fine art and commercial works—many on view for the first time—will be on display.
The Broad will unveil its latest special exhibition, “Jeffrey Gibson: the space in which to place me,” on May 10. The show is making its way to Downtown L.A. from the 2024 Venice Biennale, where Jeffrey Gibson became the first Indigenous artist to represent the United States with a solo exhibition. Known for his signature use of geometric patterns, patterned text, vibrant color, glass beads and found objects, the Colorado-born artist explores his Indigenous identity and pays tribute to histories of resistance in thought-provoking and optimistic ways. The first-floor galleries will be transformed into a kaleidoscopic environment with 10 paintings, seven sculptures, eight flags, three murals and one video installation by Gibson. Expect an accompanying slate of performances, talks and workshops.
See more outdoor movies
Rooftop Cinema Club has—singlehandedly at times—kept outdoor movies coming throughout winter, installing heaters and serving hot drinks during its Fireside Films series. And early this year, Community Cinema Night at the Hollywood Roosevelt began showing iconic L.A. movies Thursday nights at the hotel’s pool, with proceeds benefiting wildfire relief efforts. Both series will continue into spring, but they’ll be joined by additional alfresco options.
Rooftop Movies at the Montalbán starts up again at the end of April, hosting screenings of flicks like Grease, Sunset Boulevard and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in Hollywood on select Saturdays. And roving Street Food Cinema is back in action as of May 10, starting things off strong out of the gate with Wicked, Anora and The Royal Tenenbaums. The weekend prior, May 2 and 3, it’ll also take over the Heritage Square Museum with Boo-ze, Bites & Frights, screening The Craft and Final Destination amid Victorian mansions for those who already are feeling hungry for some Halloween programming. For a list of all of L.A.’s alfresco screenings, consult our comprehensive outdoor movies calendar.
Enjoy fair weather
Spring also brings the return of two SoCal traditions. The Renaissance Pleasure Faire, running April 5 to May 18, lets you channel your inner lord or lady and flash back to the ’80s—the 1580s, that is. Watch jousting, have tea with the queen and go to town on a huge turkey leg—the faire’s one of the only places outside of Disneyland where you can do so.
And lastly, having moved up from September a few years back, the L.A. County Fair will return to Pomona from May 2 to 26. Ever since the fair was the site of my very first field trip as a kid, it’s held a special place for me, and you’re likely to find me bouncing between carnival rides and funnel cake stands in May.