Things to do in Los Angeles today

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.

Any crafter worth their weight in cashmere yarn knows that Renegade Craft Fair is the fair all others 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, photo booths and tons of tasty food trucks. Renegade’s epic Los Angeles spring fair is held at L.A. State Historic Park. Plus, entry is free. 

Exercise your support for L.A.’s artists at the biannual Brewery ArtWalk. Totally free to attend (and park), this open studio weekend takes place at the roomy Lincoln Heights arts complex, where over 100 resident artists—including Guillermo Bert, Andre Miripolsky and Jane Szabo—show off their new works for purchase or simply the admiration of art-loving locals. Chat with midcentury-inspired ceramicists and multimedia sculptors before dining and drinking at the Brewery’s on-site restaurant. You’ll return home buzzed on culture—and potentially the proud owner of a one-of-a-kind piece of art.

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 Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire? The event takes place Saturdays and Sundays (10am–7pm) from April 4 to May 17, 2026, at the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area in Irwindale. How much are tickets? Tickets cost $53 for adults, $48 for seniors (62+) and military with ID, $28 for kids ages 5 to 12 and are free for kids 4 and under. A season pass costs $275. Parking is $15, with a VIP option available for $30.

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.

The multisensory nature of art is explored in this exhibition, which looks at the intertwined relationship between contemporary art and living materials through large-scale installations, painting, mixed-media sculpture, video and sound. Over 20 artists from North, Central and South America have employed mediums like stones, avocado, cacao, achiote, cochineal and clay in their works, inviting visitors to engage their senses of touch, smell and hearing when interacting with the art. On Saturday, April 4, get an after-hours sneak peek of “Several Eternities,” plus three more new spring exhibitions, complemented by sets by Chulita Vinyl Club DJs in the courtyard, a photobooth and a cyanotype art-making activity—all free.

Ponyo loves Sosuke! And we love this exhibition at the Academy Museum dedicated to the wholesome Hayao Miyazaki film. Studio Ghibli donated more than 100 objects to the Academy Collection, and you’ll find everything from an animation desk to colorful art boards to dozens of frame-by-frame pencil drawings of the scene when Sosuke first finds Ponyo. Though you may recognize a couple of items from the museum’s debut Hayao Miyazaki retrospective, the vast majority of Ponyo pieces are new—and some have never been displayed in North America before. It’s also a colorful and super kid-friendly exhibition; you can watch clips of the gorgeously hand-drawn movie, recreate the wave-running scene and even make your own stop-motion animation. You’ll find it on the museum’s second floor, inside the first few galleries of the “Stories of Cinema’ space.

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. Thirteen new vendors are joining the lineup this year: Feast on burgers and orange chicken sandwiches from Terrible Burger, Viennese street food from Franzl’s Franks, Neapolitan-meets-Persian pies from Mamani Pizza, plant-based corn dogs from Stick Talk 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.

The multicity Jackalope art fair is back in Old Pasadena this month, featuring over 200 local artisans selling their 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, as well as family-friendly activities. Kids can make their own slime, get their face painted, make friendship bracelets and feed butterflies in an interactive garden. For grown-ups, there’s custom poetry, tarot readings and screen-printing. And unlike some artisan markets, Jackalope offers free admission.

More than 200 of SoCal’s most innovative inventors, tinkerers and makers will come together to share their creations during this free celebration of science and creativity. Last year’s event at Exposition Park drew over 30,000 people; this year, the faire is back with educational programming aplenty. Fuel up at food trucks in the middle of all the hands-on learning and inspiration.