Free events in LA: The best free things to do in the city

Every Sunday, you can find dozens of food vendors at this market at ROW DTLA, a Brooklyn import that boasts a mix of much-loved pop-ups and future foodie stars. Over a dozen new vendors joined the lineup this year: Feast on Afro-Caribbean cuisine from withBee, Lebanese street food from Teta, ice cream tacos from Sad Girl Creamery and more. Wash it all down at the family-friendly beer garden. You’ll also find shopping stalls selling everything from framed vintage ads to jewelry made locally with ethically sourced gemstones. Entry and the first two hours of parking are free.

Any crafter worth their weight in cashmere yarn knows that Renegade Craft Fair is the fair all other fairs aspire to. Held in urban epicenters around the country, Renegade is a locally focused marketplace showcasing work from hundreds of the best contemporary indie craft artists. Aside from the wares, Renegade offers all sorts of homemade DIY fun and festivities: Think classes and demos, free photo booths and tons of tasty food trucks. Renegade hosts an epic spring fair, along with a supplemental holiday fair in wintertime. Plus, entry is free. 

Bibliophiles flock to the USC campus each spring for this annual two-day event. The outdoor book fair of sorts features stalls from a variety of booksellers, as well as author readings, signings and culinary demos. The sheer variety and quality of talent the festival attracts is impressive and legendary—this year’s lineup includes a mix of superstars from the literary, entertainment and culinary worlds, including Chelsea Handler, Jenny Slate, Jon M. Chu, Rachel Kushner, TJ Klune and chefs Brooke Williamson and Nicole Rucker. Bring the kids and spend the weekend discovering new titles, watching screenings and enjoying live music and cultural entertainment. Entry and tickets to conversations are free, while a limited number of speaker-series events are ticketed, ranging in price but often starting as low as $10. Before the weekend kicks off, the 45th annual Los Angeles Times Book Prizes awards the year’s best in literature on Friday (tickets are $22–$83).

South Pasadena’s central business district—an idyllic stretch of shops and eateries at 1121 Mission St—becomes the stage for over 50 musical acts during this free family-friendly event now in its 15th year. Also on offer are beer gardens, food trucks, art activities, handcrafted goods from local artisans and a kids’ zone. This year, promoter Sid the Cat is programming the musical lineup on the Gold Line Stage at Mission and Meridian, lending some extra indie cred to the fest. Don’t miss sets by Jess Williamson and Christian Lee Hutson; the skilled lyricist is known for his collaborations with Phoebe Bridgers.

The desert-spanning biennial is back, with premieres of site-specific works from about a dozen artists. For its fifth iteration, Desert X will once again stage outdoor installations across about 40 miles of the Coachella Valley through May 11—making it the perfect pit stop if you’re making your way out to Coachella in April. This year’s works explore Indigenous futurism, activism and technology’s role in society, among other themes. Don’t miss Agnes Denes’s monumental The Living Pyramid.

The multicity Jackalope art fair is back in Old Pasadena this spring, featuring over 200 local artisans and high-quality, handcrafted goods at Central Park. You’ll find everything from luxe candles and cactus-inspired lamps to plant-based skin care and homemade treats. And unlike some artisan markets, Jackalope offers free admission.

The seaside town of San Pedro is home to a vibrant arts community that flies under the radar—until now, when this weekend-long event with open studios, live music, dance and immersive art installations will shine a light on some 100 Pedro artists. A step beyond your typical art walk, the event promises to turn San Pedro into a living gallery, with free trolley rides and tours that will take you from the waterfront to neighborhood gems. Chat with local artists, see the San Pedro City Ballet (the original home of Misty Copeland), take part in interactive workshops, watch live punk bands at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, and much more. See a full map of programming here.

One of L.A.’s best free live-music offerings, Jazz at LACMA has featured legit legends over its three-decade run at the museum. Seating for the program is available in the museum’s plaza on a first-come, first-served basis, though you’re welcome to picnic on the grass, too (you won’t really be able to see the show, but you’ll still hear it). You’ll find the series on Friday evenings in LACMA’s welcome plaza (just behind Urban Light) throughout the summer.

Listening to live poetry in the Getty Center’s Central Garden—can you think of a more idyllic way to spend an afternoon? For the next three Wednesdays, the museum is hosting a series of live readings inspired by the special exhibition What They Saw: Historical Photobooks by Women, 1843–1999, currently on view in the Getty’s pop-up reading room. The first installment on April 16 features L.A.-based DJ-slash-poet Mia Moretti, followed by Camae Ayewa with Veronica C. Ratliff on violin on April 23 and Solange Aguilar on April 30. Make a free reservation, bring a blanket, settle in and take in the inspiring points of view (and city views!).

The term CicLAvia stems from a similar Spanish word for “bike way,” and in L.A. it’s become a shorthand for the temporary, festival-like closing of L.A.’s streets. The event (inspired by the first Ciclovías in Bogotá, Colombia) welcomes bikes, tricycles, skateboards, strollers and basically anything else without an engine to ride a rotating cast of car-free routes. You’ll inevitably always find a route each year around Downtown, but past events have taken it anywhere from the harbor to the San Gabriel Valley. Expect music, street performances and food trucks, as well as general whimsy and shenanigans along the way. Shop owners and restaurants along the CicLAvia route also tend to host specials. It goes without saying that you should bike or take the Metro to your desired spot along the route.

Form a gallery in the sky made entirely of kites during this community festival from L.A.-based arts and culture nonprofit Clockshop. Held in honor of the communities surrounding Los Angeles State Historic Park, this fifth-annual free fest features flying demonstrations, art workshops and musical performances.

After its fall debut at Walt Disney Concert Hall as part of PST ART, artist Doug Aitken’s multimedia collab with the L.A. Phil and L.A. Master Chorale makes the jump to the Marciano Art Foundation. The free museum mounts the multi-channel video piece in its massive theater gallery, which you can see during routine opening hours (Tue–Sat 11am–6pm). But look out for separate reservations for weekly (typically on Saturdays) live performances organized by both musical ensembles.

Need a little lunch break relaxation? Log off, grab a bite and head to Colburn School Plaza for one of these free concerts by the renowned school’s students, held Tuesdays at noon from April 15 to May 6. 

The Los Angeles–based conceptual artist and now-retired CalArts educator is back with his first L.A. solo exhibition since 2019, debuting new works from his Numbers and Trees series. The colorful and complex works combine Plexiglas, watercolors and his signature numeric grid systems to depict the baobab trees Gaines photographed on a recent trip to Tanzania. The show opens February 19 with a conversation between the artist and LACMA’s Naima J. Keith, followed by an opening reception (6–8pm). The event is free, but reservations are recommended.

“Let’s hang out at the Pier” is something Santa Monica locals probably say next to never, but this monthly series is trying to change that. Every third Thursday from September to May, you’ll find everything from live music to storytelling to a classic car show on the Santa Monica Pier, all free to attend.

Pick up litter along the L.A. River for a few hours while learning about its history and how to protect it during this free cleanup event in honor of Earth Day. L.A. Waterkeeper is inviting Angelenos to register for a meetup at North Atwater Park, where you’ll begin picking up trash before going home with a handmade wildflower-seed ball to support local pollinators.

Tied to Earth Day, Friends of the L.A. River is pivoting its monthly cleanup into a bit of post-fire empowerment with this habitat resoration effort at the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Preserve. Volunteers will help remove invasive vegetation inside the San Fernando Valley park while learning about how they factor into flammability, as well as about the region’s watershed. Participation is free, but registration is required.

The Broad’s upcoming special exhibition makes 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.

The Hammer Museum’s excellent, ongoing series of biennial exhibitions ups the ante each year with its spotlight on emerging and under-recognized L.A. artists. Though its theme is still to come, this October’s edition—the seventh such show—will bring together works from 27 artists.

Roam the stalls at this Memorial Day arts festival, sample the food and listen to the music—and then take a dip in the nearby Pacific. A few logistical changes for the last few fests have streamlined the layout: You’ll still find on-the-street stalls and sidewalk vendors along Hermosa and Pier Avenues, but there’s now live music at the beach (one of five stages throughout the fest), and there’s a proper carnival (with a wine garden) inland at Pier and Monterey Boulevard. When is Fiesta Hermosa? This year’s event takes place Saturday through Monday—May 24, 25 and 26, 2025—from 11am to 7pm on the weekend and 11am to 6pm on Monday. You’ll find it along Hermosa and Pier Avenues. The carnival runs from noon to 8pm Saturday and Sunday, and noon to 6pm on Monday. Is Fiesta Hermosa free? Yes, though food, drink, games and craft vendors will of course cost you. Also, the Garden, a 21+ area with drinks and music, has a $5 cover fee. Is the event dog-friendly? The gated Garden area of the event isn’t dog-friendly (and, as is the case in nearly all of L.A. County, neither is the beach), but you’re welcome to bring a dog with you to the rest of the Fiesta.

Explore the history of early Los Angeles life with free admission to six museums in Northeast L.A. and Pasadena. The annual Museums of the Arroyo Day is the perfect opportunity to brush up on historical architecture—the Gamble House, Heritage Square and the Lummis Home—and relics from L.A.’s past—the L.A. Police Museum and Pasadena Museum of History and South Pasadena Historical Museum. In addition to free entry, you’ll find shuttle service between all six museums (though visiting three stops at most is recommended for the best experience). Some of the sites are bike- and A Line-friendly as well. 

Sure, you’ve seen the archival television clips of the Beatles’ famous appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, but what about firsthand, long-lost photographs from that same time shot by one of the band members? This spring, Beverly Hills gallery Gagosian displays 36 recently rediscovered photographs of the Beatles, all captured by Paul McCartney. A mix of black-and-white and color prints, the McCartney photos were shot during peak of Beatlemania, from December 1963 to February 1964. Expect to see a mix of self-portraits of Paul and candid shots of John, George and Ringo—as well as hysterical fans waiting outside the windows of the band’s car.