Plan out your month with the city’s best concerts, culture, cuisine and more.
THINGS TO DO
Through Aug 12
OC Fair; OC Fair & Event Center
Mix fried food, carnival attractions and the occasional rodeo or demolition derby, and you’ve got the OC Fair.
Through Aug 5
U.S. Open of Surfing; Huntington Beach
Hit the beach to cheer on the country’s biggest pro surfers at this annual competition.
Aug 4, 5
CatCon; Pasadena Convention Center
Meet Insta-famous kitties and peruse feline-friendly wares at the self-dubbed Comic-Con for cat people.
Aug 10
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.
Aug 10–12
KCON; Los Angeles Convention Center
If the word Hallyu means anything to you, then pencil this annual K-pop convention into your calendar this summer.
Aug 10, 11
Splash House; Palm Springs
Pamper yourself poolside at this hotel-hopping pool party and music fest in the desert.
Aug 11–19
Nisei Week Japanese Festival; JACCC
Celebrate Japanese culture with displays of martial arts, tea ceremonies, flower arranging and more.
Aug 21
The Evolution of Puppetry with Brian Henson; Skirball Cultural Center
Brush up on the history and future of puppetry with this talk and demo from Brian Henson.
Aug 25
Harry Potter Roller Skating Night; Moonlight Rollerway
Lace up your Muggle skates for the final edition of this annual Harry Potter-themed meet-up.
Aug 25
KCRW’s 24-Hour Radio Race; Various locations
Write, record and edit a non-fiction radio story—all within 24 hours—during this global competition.
Aug 31–Sept 23
L.A. County Fair; Fairplex
Bring your appetite for all things deep fried at the perennially popular event.
Find more things to do in our August 2018 events calendar.
FOOD & DRINK
Through Aug 31
Friday Night Wine Tastings; Barnsdall Art Park
Roll out a blanket and sip on pours of wine on the Hollyhock House’s front lawn at this seasonal benefit.
Aug 3
Brew at the L.A. Zoo; Los Angeles Zoo
Knock back some craft brews as monkeys and exotic birds screech in the background during this beer-centric party.
Aug 5
BrunchCon; The Reef
Bottomless mimosas, tangy Bloody Marys, 50 local vendors, and a ton of brunch-obsessed Angelenos come together for this all-inclusive food and drink fest.
Aug 10–12
626 Night Market; Santa Anita Park
Come hungry and grab a late-night snack at the massive Asian street food market.
Aug 11, 12
Avocado Festival; Angel City Brewery
Celebrate Southern California’s green staple with avocado-flavored beer and more.
Aug 17–19
Long Beach BBQ Festival; Rainbow Lagoon Park
Stuff your face with BBQ at this Long Beach ‘cue fest, where ribs, pulled pork, brisket and all kinds of sauces are up for grabs.
Aug 18, 19
California Hot Sauce Expo; City National Grove of Anaheim
Brave the heat from 40 hot sauce samples at this tasting expo.
Aug 18
Day-Lee Foods World Gyoza Eating Championship; JACCC
Test your love of dumplings at this epic showdown, where competitive eaters devour as many gyoza as possible in 10 minutes.
Aug 22–26
Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival; Various locations
Indulge in food from some of L.A.’s best chefs at this extravagant event, where grand tastings and the popular Night Market return for its eighth year.
Aug 31–Sept 2
The Taste; Paramount Studios
Indulge at the annual L.A. Times weekend food festival featuring the most exciting restaurants in the city along with demos and panel discussions.
ARTS & CULTURE
Through Aug 26
“Beyond the Streets”; Werkartz
Explore a massive Chinatown gallery filled with works from Shepard Fairey, Retna, Guerrilla Girls, Invader, Takashi Murakami and more
Through Aug 4
New Original Works Festival; REDCAT
See what’s cutting edge in the city’s vibrant performing arts scene at this annual showcase of artistic creativity.
Through Aug 25
Olafur Eliasson: Reality Projector; Marciano Art Foundation
See the sculptor bathe the art museum’s massive first floor gallery in light and shadow.
Through Sept 1
Pageant of the Masters; Festival of Arts
Life imitates art, literally: Classic paintings, statues and murals take on a new dimension as real people dress and pose to recreate original masterpieces.
Through Aug 29
Sea Saw; Santa Monica Pier
See six performances artists, dancers and musicians push the boundaries of their mediums with free performances by the sea every Tuesday and Wednesday.
Aug 1–31
Lucy Sparrow’s Sparrow Mart exhibition; The Standard, Downtown L.A.
Felt fabric and seemingly name-brand grocery store products sit in unlikely harmony on the shelves of artist Lucy Sparrow’s unique namesake installation.
Aug 4, 18
Alexa Meade Live Painting Exhibit; Beverly Cañon Gardens • Paley Center for Media
Let your eyes play tricks on you at artist Alexa Meade’s two-day exibition as part of the BOLD Summer Nights series in Bevelry Hills.
Aug 8
Did Women Ever Rule the World?; Getty Center
UCLA professor Kara Cooney and author Joyce Tyldesley delve into the history of female rulers in ancient Egypt.
Aug 11–Feb 10
“Rauschenberg: In and About L.A.”; LACMA
LACMA assembles a collection of photographs, screenprints and sculptural paintings from the pioneering artist’s brief time spent in L.A.
Aug 19–Jan 6
“Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition”; Natural History Museum
Witness the wonder and vulnerability of nature in a collection of 99 snapshots from photographers all over the world.
FILM
Ongoing
Rooftop Cinema Club; NeueHouse • LEVEL
Continue the outdoor movie season at the Hollywood and Downtown rooftop series.
Aug 2
Yellow Submarine 50th anniversary screening; The Wiltern
Live beneath the sea with this sing-along to celebrate a half-century since the Beatles film’s release.
Aug 9–18
HollyShorts Film Festival; Chinese 6 Theatres
Partake in a week and a half of Q&As with filmmakers and screenings of short films from around the world.
Aug 9
Skyline Sound + Cinema; The Bloc
Though Downtown L.A.’s Alamo Drafthouse is still under construction, you can catch an alfresco sampler of its film programming during this inaugural series.
Aug 11
Cinespia’s Annual Slumber Party; Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Roll out a blanket in the cemetery as the summertime series screens The Craft, Practical Magic and Witches of Eastwick.
Aug 15
Grease 40th Anniversary Screening; Samuel Goldwyn Theatre
Shoo-bop sha wadda your way to this screening with live appearances by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.
Aug 17
Filmmm; Union Station
See a free screening of I Am Love at Downtown’s handsome strain station.
Aug 22
The Joy Luck Club 25th Anniversary Screening; Samuel Goldwyn Theatre
Revisit your high-school English class with this screening of the film adaptation of Amy Tan’s best-selling novel.
MUSIC & NIGHTLIFE
Through Aug 25
KCRW Summer Nights; Various locations
Bust a move as this beloved live music and DJ series continues with nights in Pasadena, Chinatown and at Union Station.
Aug 4, 5
HARD Summer; Auto Club Speedway
The EDM mainstay welcomes Marshmello, Travis Scott, Diplo and Dillon Francis.
Aug 4, 5
Jeff Lynne’s ELO; The Forum
The “Mr. Blue Sky” scribe strikes up the Electric Light Orchestra.
Aug 4, 5
La Tocada Music Festival; Los Angeles State Historic Park
Legendary Mexican band Café Tacvba and Chilean songstress Mon Laferte head up this celebration of Mexico City’s music scene.
Aug 5
Beach Goth; Los Angeles State Historic Park
The Voidz, The Drums, Doug E. Fresh, GWAR, Jonathan Richman and Bleached top the Growler’s annual fest.
Aug 8
Weezer + Pixies; The Forum
Though the two alt icons’ best albums may be behind them, their live shows are still a nostalgia trip worth taking. Sleigh Bells opens.
Aug 11, 12
Hasan Minhaj; The Theatre at Ace Hotel
Charming stand-up and Daily Show correspondent Minhaj’s one-man show recounts his experiences coming to the U.S. as a first-generation Indian-American.
Aug 17, 18
Rodrigo y Gabriela; Hollywood Bowl
The flamenco-meets-metal duo teams up with the LA Phil for an evening of frenzied fretwork.
Aug 16–19
Echo Park Rising; Various locations
Celebrate the Eastside’s music scene with three days of free shows all over Echo Park.
Aug 18, 19
All My Friends Music Festival; ROW DTLA
RL Grime, Gucci Mane, M.I.A. and Jamie xx headline this inaugural fest from HARD founder Gary Richards.
Aug 18
David Cross; Orpheum Theatre
The Mr. Show and Arrested Development star’s stand-up is absolutely bizarre, joyfully innocent and hilariously quick.
Aug 24
Punch Brothers; The Theatre at Ace Hotel
Prodigious mandolist and Live From Here host Chris Thile leads this bluegrass ensemble.
Aug 24, 25
Tchaikovsky Spectacular with Fireworks; Hollywood Bowl
Gustavo Dudamel conducts the beloved annual tradition, featuring the iconic 1812 Overture with the LA Phil, the USC Trojan Marching Band and the Bowl’s famous pyrotechnic display.
Aug 25
Summer Happenings at the Broad; The Broad
Spend a late night at the Broad during this after-hours avant-garde music and art series.
Aug 30, 31
The Smashing Pumpkins; The Forum
Billy Corgan and founding members Jimmy Chamberlin and James Iha are hitting the road for a 30th anniversary show.
Aug 31–Sept 2
Ambient Church; First Congregational Church of Los Angeles
Check out ambient music in a majestic setting with a performance from composer and synthesizer whiz Suzanne Ciani.
Aug 31, Sept 1, 2
John Williams: Maestro of the Movies; Hollywood Bowl
The 86-year-old composer returns to the Hollywood Bowl with the LA Phil to mark the 40th anniversary of his Bowl debut.
See more concerts in our August 2018 concert calendar.
THEATER
Through Sept 30
The Crucible; Theatricum Botanicum
Arthur Miller set his now-classic play during the Salem witch-hunt era of the late 17th century—though he wrote it amidst the needlessly damaging politics of the McCarthy era.
Through Aug 18
Grand Performances; California Plaza
Scope out a diverse mix of music, live scores, films, poetry and theater at this water-encompassed stage.
Through Aug 18
Shakespeare by the Sea; Various locations
Enjoy one of the many free performances of The Merry Wives of Windsor or The Winter’s Tale, put on by Shakespeare by the Sea throughout summer.
Aug 2–26
Waitress; Pantages Theatre
The Sara Bareilles-scored film-to-musical follows unhappy wife and expert pie baker Jenna, her rotten husband, Earl, and dishy gyno Dr. Jim.
Aug 10–12
Moves After Dark; Walt Disney Concert Hall
Watch three L.A. dance ensembles perform on the staircases and amphitheaters of Disney Hall during this site-specific series.
Aug 16–Sept 9
Man of La Mancha; A Noise Within
This 1964 classic musical tells of 17th-century author Miguel de Cervantes and his own classic novel Don Quixote.
Aug 21–Sept 30
Ain’t Too Proud; Ahmanson Theatre
This musical follows the Temptations, the successful R&B group, in the 1960s.
Aug 29–Oct 7
Sweat; Mark Taper Forum
Layoffs, promotions and strikes threaten to tear apart fellow factory workers who have spent their workdays and free time together.
SHOPPING & STYLE
Aug 17
Odd Nights at the Autry; Autry Museum of the American West
Head to the latest installment of this monthly market, nighttime dance party, happy hour and shopping extravaganza.