RAT Beach
Photograph: Shutterstock
Photograph: Shutterstock

Things to do in Los Angeles on Sunday

End the weekend on a high note, whether on the beach or back at the brunch table, with the best things to do this Sunday

Michael Juliano
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Oh weekend, where have you gone? Before it’s time to head back to work, shake off those Sunday scaries with some relaxation on the beach or a picnic in a park… and maybe sneak in one more boozy brunch. Sundays in L.A. tend to be a little lighter on events than the rest of the weekend, but you’ll still often find some major events to attend before Monday rolls around. Regardless, make the most of your Sunday with these great things to do in L.A.

What to do in Los Angeles this Sunday

  • Things to do
  • Markets and fairs
  • Downtown Arts District
  • Recommended
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.
  • Movies
  • Downtown
  • price 2 of 4
  • Recommended
The masters of alfresco rooftop movie viewing have returned for another season of screenings to LEVEL in Downtown L.A. Known for excellent film choices and a steady supply of snacks and booze, Rooftop Cinema Club is your snazzy, comfortable and less stressful alternative to other outdoor movie screenings. You don’t even need to bring your own camping chair—Rooftop Cinema Club provides you with your very own comfy lawn chair (with optional blankets for purchase to up the coziness). And instead of listening to the movie over loudspeakers, you’ll get a set of wireless headphones so you never have to miss a word. Find the full schedule on their site, or in our outdoor movie calendar.
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  • Art
  • Installation
  • Little Tokyo
  • price 2 of 4
  • Recommended
This spectacular exhibition from the Icelandic–Danish artist brings a new series of optical installations to MOCA’s Little Tokyo location. Don’t let the reflective, colorful pieces fool you into thinking this is some run-of-the-mill “immersive” exhibit: Olafur Eliasson’s works invite you to admire the everyday miracles of physics that shape how we see the world. The towering, mirror-lined stacks that fill the entrance of “OPEN” bring the outside in, as the warehouse-style Geffen Contemporary’s skylights create infinite spaces and mini worlds out of the sun and sky. The surprisingly analog optics behind them can be truly sublime: Gently moving water has a pair of pieces appear as shimmery landscapes, mirrors turn tubing into floating rings that trail into a black void and a simple array of pendants produce colorful flares against a screen. These aren’t pieces you’re meant to disappear into; instead, they provide a lens for the enviornment around us. You’ll need a timed ticket ($18) to see “Olafur Eliasson: OPEN.” Look for reservations on the first Friday of the month, from 5 to 8pm, for free admission.
  • Things to do
  • Markets and fairs
  • San Gabriel Valley
  • price 2 of 4
The hour stands before another springtime, and the Renaissance Pleasure Faire is nigh. Good mistresses and masters, prepareth thy schedules and costumes for the return of the oldest Ren Faire in the country, a spectacle that cov’reth 20 Irwindale acres with Elizabethan libations and amusement: fully armored joust tournaments and tea parties with the queen along with beguiling stage acts, rides, games, delicious edibles and ales abound. The festivities will transpire each weekend at the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area; procureth day or season passes in advance by visiting ye olde online box office. And no, we can’t stop talking like this. When is the Renaissance Pleasure Faire near Los Angeles? The event takes place Saturdays and Sundays (10am–7pm) from April 5 to May 18, 2025, at the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area in Irwindale. How much are tickets? Tickets cost $44 for adults, $39 for seniors (62+) and those with military IDs, $22 for kids ages 5 to 12 and are free for kids 4 and under. A season pass costs $250. Parking is $12, with a VIP option available for $25.
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  • Movie theaters
  • Outdoor
  • West Hollywood
  • price 2 of 4
West Hollywood’s chic restaurant and rooftop bar, E.P. & L.P., is serving much more than handcrafted cocktails and modern American bites. The spot also hosts Melrose Rooftop Theatre, an outdoor screening series that runs much of the year on the rooftop space attached to its open-air bar, L.P. Its all-VIP seating setup means everyone gets their own bean bag to watch a mix of cult classics and newly released films, with the audio piped in to provided sets of wireless headphones. Opt for the dinner-and-a-movie package and you’ll get a pre-show starter, main and dessert—or you can skip it and just opt for a cocktail during the movie.
  • Things to do
  • Exhibitions
  • USC/Exposition Park
  • price 2 of 4
  • Recommended
Nature lovers, rejoice! Spend a day at the Natural History Museum’s Butterfly Pavilion, which will be open March 23 through August 24 and be home to up to 30 butterfly and moth species, as well as an assortment of California plants. The seasonal outdoor exhibit allows for adults and children alike to witness nature up close—we’re talking walking amid hundreds of butterflies and having them land on your arms or shoulders. Tip: The prime time for these unique butterfly flight experiences is typically between 10am and 11am each morning.
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  • Things to do
  • Exhibitions
  • Miracle Mile
  • price 2 of 4
  • Recommended
It’s more than just the low clearance: This exhibition at the Petersen explores the custom paint, engraving, upholstery and, of course, the gravity-defying suspension of the lowrider scene. In addition to iconic cars, the exhibit spotlights influential artists in the Chicano lowrider art scene. Even if you have no interest in cars, this colorful showcase of 20-plus lowered cars and bikes is excellent: The candy-colored paint jobs are dazzling, and the craftsmanship of the customizations—many vehicles are on display with their engines and undercarriages visible—is remarkable. You’ll learn a little bit of history here, how the “low and slow” movement is rooted in the postwar Mexican American zoot suit counterculture, but largely this is an excuse to ogle some L.A. automotive icons.
  • Attractions
  • Theme parks
  • Anaheim
  • price 3 of 4
  • Recommended
Disneyland’s already the happiest place on Earth, but throw in a massive parkwide food festival—and now it’s somehow even happier. Running nearly two full months, the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival takes over the state-themed park with eight different culinary marketplaces with themes such as garlic, local beer and wine, peppers and more.  Notable dishes for this year’s fest include birria mac and cheese topped with onion-cilantro sauce and tortilla crunch, corn chip chili pie with Impossible beef, a pork chicharrone taco with salsa verde, the SoCal Corn Dog that’s “rolled in fries,” a blueberry pancake cold brew and, for dessert, a Mickey-shaped caramel, peanut and chocolate macaron. To make the most of the festival, opt for the Sip and Savor Pass, which grants you four or eight tastes so you can wander the markets and try a little of nearly everything, or sample à la carte. Just be sure you don’t forget the rides in all of the culinary whirlwind—fan-favorite Soarin’ has temporarily brought back its California-themed version just for the occasion.
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  • Art
  • Installation
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.
  • Things to do
  • Markets and fairs
  • Montecito Heights
  • price 1 of 4
Magic Market is bringing all things fae and witchy to Heritage Square, including tarot, palm and lip readings, a pet psychic, aura photography, a scavenger hunt and, of course, tours of the museum’s handsome old homes. Don your witchy, whimsical best and spread out a blanket for a vegan picnic, or shop metaphysical and occult wares, crystals and vintage clothes from 75 vendors at a curated marketplace. Springing for a witch’s pass will get you a Magic Market tote bag, sound bath session and exclusive Octagon house tour.
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