Free things to do in Los Angeles this month

Everyone’s favorite NPR member station has a hand in a slew of summer concert slates at public plazas and beloved museums, and this summer’s schedule is particularly packed. Familiar KCRW DJs and local buzz bands will be providing free, open-air tunes on select nights from June through September at Union Station, CAAM, Descanso Gardens, Bowers Museum, Century Park, the Autry, KCRW’s Santa Monica headquarters and—our favorite—the party-till-midnight bashes at Chinatown Central Plaza.

Before the dog days of summer start to scorch the Southland, celebrate this dog day: a pup-friendly party at Pershing Square with dog-friendly vendors, treats and activities, plus free caricatures, photo ops and DJ sets. The event takes place on June 14 and 15, the latter of which also includes two community dog walk (10am, 1pm) and puppy yoga (10:30am–noon; $30).

This epic (and free) outdoor concert series features live performances by artists from around the world at the totally overhauled California Plaza stage in DTLA, where the shallow water separating the stage from the audience has been replaced by a proper event lawn. Don’t miss a diverse and highly intriguing mix of bands, DJ sets and dance parties.

Celebrate Black culture during this free Long Beach festival filled with family-friendly activities, local vendors, food and drink and music—including a set by Anderson .Paak under his DJ Pee .Wee moniker.

The L.A. Pride Parade occurs on Sunday, June 9 in Hollywood, at the site of the first permitted gay parade in the world (back in 1970). The parade is staged along Hollywood Boulevard, Highland Avenue and Cahuenga Boulevard, and starts at 11am. Following the parade, you’ll find live entertainment, local vendors and food and drinks along Hollywood Boulevard at the mid-day Parade Block Party.

Hilltop sunset views and rising bands combine to make this Getty tradition a worthy destination for Angelenos on both sides of the 405. This year’s lineup of free Saturday night shows includes Hailu Mergia (June 1), Slauson Malone 1 (June 15), Helado Negro (July 20), Julia Holter (July 27) and Woods (Aug 24). Tip: Avoid the traffic and the crowds and arrive early, preferably after 3pm when the parking price drops to $15 (though it’s $10 if you wait until the show starts). You’ll get to visit the exhibits, which stay open until 8pm on Saturdays, and beat the dinner rush.

Every Father’s Day weekend more than 500 artists create temporary masterpieces in chalk on the sidewalks of Pasadena, prompting thousands of onlookers watch where they walk. Eventually awards are presented in a number of different categories, and then it’s all washed away for good. Traditionally, the event has taken place at the Paseo Colorado, but after the shopping center’s new owner expressed no interest in hosting the event, it’s now moved across the street to the Pasadena Convention Center’s plaza.

Get out from behind your screen and into the world of printed lit at L.A. Zine Fest. The all-day event showcases nearly 200 exhibitors of zines and small press publications from across the country, bringing together the best of SoCal nerds for the exchange of art, ideas and more. Don’t miss the fest’s free readings and workshops.

The worlds of surfing, music, dance, food and skating will come together at this two-day fest full of ocean sports and beach vibes. At the Santa Monica Pier deck, live Polynesian bands and hula dancers will take over the stage, while an all-day lineup of music will soundtrack an obstacle course, roller rink and beer garden.

Rodeo Drive fills with supercars and motorcycles, both new and old, during this Father’s Day tradition.

The Music Center offers a free, joyous mash-up of music and dancing all summer long, with different themes (samba, Bollywood and reggaetón, among them) and free dance lessons plus live DJ sets. Head to the Music Center plaza and join in the fun—no dance experience required.

Best known for her rhinestone-studded paintings of Black women, collages of old Jet Magazine spreads and revisions of historic paintings, Thomas’s large-scale works (80 of them from the past two decades) are on display at the Broad. Though the Downtown museum’s transportive exhibition usually costs $22, you can swing by on Thursday evenings for free entry.

Shop local at this celebration of Mar Vista businesses, which brings together over 100 vendors typically once a season. Hatched by the Gym Venice and Shop Morpheus, you’ll find artisans, food and DJs on Venice Boulevard between Centinela Avenue and Grand View Boulevard.

Santa Monica illuminates the Third Street Promenade with a canopy of rainbows lights as part of this citywide LGBTQ+ celebration. Look out for a party along the expanse of the Third Street Promenade on June  22 (noon–8pm) as well as an afternoon of music at Santa Monica Place (noon–6pm).

Pedal along five car-free miles of Western Avenue as CicLAvia brings its latest open streets event to South L.A. on June 23.

Move through a suite of sci-fi installations that depict a world overcome by rising seas and unchecked capitalism in this exhibition from Josh Kline. The MOCA Grand Avenue show includes a mix of sculpture, photography, moving images and ephemeral materials.

Who says no to free outdoor concerts? We don’t, and neither should you. This celebration of live music and art will hit Pan Pacific Park (not the La Brea Tar Pits this time around) on June 15. Listen to live music and browse creations made by local artists. In the mood for food and something to drink? Grab a bite at one of the many gourmet food trucks and enjoy a soda or some mocktails. The annual fest also offers attractions ranging from kids activities to live painting.

You know it’s summer in L.A. when the live outdoor music starts swelling all over the city, including at MacArthur Park’s Levitt Pavilion. The Westlake concert series returns this summer with free shows almost every Saturday. Expect a genre-spanning mix of local acts that range from cumbia to ska to EDM.

He cocreated Captain America, Black Panther, the Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men and some of the Marvel universe’s most cosmic characters. Corey Helford Gallery and the Jack Kirby Museum & Research Center pay homage to the legendary comic book artist with this tribute show near Boyle Heights, which features comic-inspired pieces from over 70 artists, as well as original Kirby artworks.

The Los Angeles LGBT Center is holding two days of talks, workshops and a job fair at its annual Trans Pride event.

The Original Farmers Market is host to a plethora of fun, family-friendly outdoor events, and its summer music series are some of its best. Take a load off near the end of the work week and stop by the West Patio on Thursday nights from 6:30 to 8:30pm to hear a genre-spanning mix of live music.

Culver City’s staircase-dominated plaza screens free, family-friendly flicks on Fridays in June and July. Complimentary popcorn will be provided while supplies last. Each screening starts at sunset.

Summer’s just heating up, but thanks to a returning summer event series it’s set to be scorching: Beginning June 6, Santa Monica mainstay the Bungalow will host its night market every Thursday just a block from the beach. Over the summer, expect food from the likes of Tacos 1986, the Boiling Crab and the Lonely Oyster, plus celebrity guests.

Watch a movie inside Pasadena’s charming One Colorado shopping plaza during this free summer series. If you happened to have spent at least $50 per person cumulatively at the shopping center’s vendors earlier in the day, you’ll nab free VIP seating, which includes popcorn, candy and a beverage, plus a free ticket to the IPIC.

Angelenos, let it all hang out. The World Naked Bike Ride hits L.A. each year with its bare-as-you-dare dress code to fight “indecent exposure to cars.”

The 2024 ride will expose itself Saturday, June 22. So far, WNBR teases that it’ll be staging two rides somewhere in Downtown L.A., with more info to come in the weeks leading up to the event.

See our photos of some previous World Naked Bike Ride events.

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) starting in April.

See a free salsa concert every second Friday of the summer during this series at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes. This year’s lineup includes Rumbankete, Gabrielito y La Verdad, Son Mayor, Son Miron and Club Mambi—all featuring Super DJ Robby.

Take a seat under the arch at the former Hollywood & Highland for this free series of movie screenings, typically held on the last Friday of the month. Stop by the Ovation Hollywood booth for free popcorn and discounted treats from the TCL Chinese Theatre concessions stand.

Catch a slate of free family-friendly movies at Santa Clarita’s William S. Hart Park during this free summertime series.

Let the wild rumpus start at this celebration of beloved children’s author and illustrator Maurice Sendak. The Skirball Cultural Center is displaying more than 150 sketches, storyboards and paintings from the Where the Wild Things Are creator—and it’s completely free to visit on Thursdays.

David Zwirner has only had an L.A. gallery for about a year—plus a new flagship that opens with this show—but the gallerist’s history stretches back three decades elsewhere around the globe. To celebrate, you’ll find works by all of the gallery’s artists across its three L.A. buildings, including Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Josef Alberts, Diane Arbus, Ruth Asawa, R. Crumb, Dan Flavin, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Donald Judd, Toba Khedoori, Paul Klee, Barbara Kruger, Yayoi Kusama, Gerhard Richter, Richard Serra and more.

“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 you’ll find everything from performances to storytelling to a classic car show on the Santa Monica Pier, all free to attend.

Hollywood’s Japan House has tapped artist Sebastian Masuda to dive into the roots of all things cute and colorful with this exhibition on Japanese kawaii culture. The free show includes multiple pieces and installations from Masuda.

See works from seven contemporary artists (Eliseo Art Silva, Allison Hueman, Anthony Francisco, Maryrose Cobarrubias Mendoza, Christine Morla, Maria Villote and Junn Roca) who address issues related to Filipino culture and the Filipino-American experience during this exhibition at the Forest Lawn Museum.