Welcome to the weekend. Support your local police and fire dept at Summerfest, celebrate the First Friday of the month in Venice, or take in an outdoor movie at Grand Park, Exposition Park and Santa Monica. Lots of food and booze events this weekend! You can enjoy wine in Barnsdall park, all you can eat crab and beer in downtown, crawfish in the LBC, fine food and wine at Plate by Plate, you can Learn About Wine with Ian Blackburn, or a enjoy a Soiree for the Senses in Beverly Hills. Get to gettin’
Friday, Aug 2
Abbot Kinney First Fridays
Venice (6-10pm)
Get your beads, feathers, boas and masks on for 1st Fridays in Venice on Friday and celebrate good food, happy hours deals, and unique shopping! First Fridays is an open party along Abbot Kinney in Venice. Stores are generally open later, plus restaurants have extended happy hour specials and yes, the food trucks are plentiful. Admission is free!
Eagle & Badge Foundation SummerFest
Elysian Park (6-11pm)
Join the fun and support the Eagle & Badge Foundation as they raise awareness and funds to help police officers and their families, plus the children in the areas served by LAPD. There will be wine, spirits and beer, casino games, live music and dancing, food trucks and more! Tickets are $100 each, or $150 for couples. Or $50 each and $80 for couples if you have a police officer buy the tickets for you.
Summer Movie Series at NHM
Los Angeles
Bring your picnic and blanket and cozy up to watch a movie in our their brand new Nature Gardens at NHM. Enjoy a one-of-a-kind outdoor movie experience as you explore Los Angeles movies from the past! Get there early for special tours and enjoy a picnic on the lawn before the films. Sunday’s featured movie is Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Take a tour through the Becoming Los Angeles exhibit to see what fate befell Red Cars in L.A., and settle in under the stars to view a local classic!
Barnsdall Wine Tasting Fridays
Los Feliz (5:30-8:30pm)
Unwind and enjoy the beautiful Barnsdall Art Park as the sun is setting, from the gated gardens in the West Lawn of the historic Hollyhock House. Silverlake Wine will present four selections of boutique, small production, artisanal wines from around the globe. Grab a picnic and listen to music by KCRW DJs or enjoy delicious food from a selection of LA’s best food trucks. Tickets are $25, or $5 for kids and designated drivers. More info and tickets here.
65th Annual La Habra Corn Festival
La Habra (FRI-SUN)
Enjoy food, rides, games, music and fun for the whole family at the La Habra Corn Festival. Meet Miss La Habra and her court when you purchase raffle tickets for a New Car or other great prizes. Enjoy hot buttery Corn on the Cob, great sandwiches, sweet warm funnel cakes and other tasty treats. Be sure to visit the new Corn Festival Marketplace.
Saturday, Aug 3
Crab & Beer Thirty Fest
Downtown Los Angeles
The Crab & Beer Thirty Fest is “an-all-you-can-eat affair”! Attendees will enjoy unlimited portions of Dungeness Crabs, some quantities of Maryland Blue Crabs, King Crab sections, Roasted Red Potatoes and Corn. Enjoy more than 100 varieties of bottomless suds from a commemorative mug offered at the Festival gate. The festival also has multiple food options for guests who don’t enjoy crab! You’ll find mouthwatering barbecue, burgers, hot dogs and more! Other food options are at purchase point locations. Tickets are $59.
Plate by Plate
Downtown Los Angeles
This signature gala Plate by Plate will once again showcase savory foods and dessert delicacies prepared by talented chefs from the best restaurants in Los Angeles, as well as samplings from premier wineries and beverage companies. Sample dishes from Bestia, Paiche, Picca, Mo-Chica, Alma, Allumette, Chaya, Rivera, Little Bear and more. Tickets are $150.
20th Annual Long Beach Crawfish Festival
Long Beach
The Long Beach Crawfish Festival serves Cajun Crawfish dinners that include red baby potatoes, buttery corn on the cob and delectable remoulade dipping sauce. You can dance to Cajun and Zydeco Bands, join the Second Line Dancing Parade, enjoy the beach bars, culture and Big Easy atmosphere. General Admission is $15, with Crawfish Feast and Crawfish Buckets ranging from $38 to $48
626 Night Market
Arcadia
626 Night Market is back with Summer Garden Nights! Now located in the picturesque Front Paddock Gardens of Santa Anita Park. Join them as they continue to evolve L.A.’s largest night market with Asian street foods, merchandise, beer & spirits, live art, concerts, dancing, films, and more! Only in the 626.
The Residency at UMAMIcatessen “BBQ Elevated”
Downtown Los Angeles
Sharone Hakman residency at UMAMIcatessen entitled “BBQ Elevated” features upscale interpretation of barbecue from around the world. Best known for his standout performance on FOX’s hit show Master Chef, and his own Hak’s BBQ Sauce, Hakman is a culinary showman with an insatiable appetite for adventure and creating delectable food. Hakman’s menu will feature a mélange of various textures, flavors and colors inspired from his barbeque experiences around the world.
Street Food Cinema
Exposition Park (5:30pm)
This week’s Street Food Cinema, taking place at Exposition Park, is screening the oscar nominated cast and film, Silver Linings Playbook. There will be live music and of course food trucks. Admission is $10, or $15 for reserved seating.
Eat|See|Hear Presents: Donnie Darko
Santa Monica (5:30pm)
Eat|See|Hear is headed to Santa Monica. Complete with live music and food trucks. Doors open at 5:30, with live music at 7pm, then the movie starts at 8:30 sharp. Tickets are $10 and are available online.
Movies in Grand Park
Downtown Los Angeles
Movies in the Park is kicking off with a screening of The Sandlot, Grand Park partners with Street Food Cinema to bring food trucks, live performances, special guests and your favorite flicks from the 80s and 90s. Doors open at 5:30pm. Movie begins at sundown (just around 8:30pm). Come early to grab some lawn (highly recommended). Best of all, it’s all free.
Sunday, Aug 4
LearnAboutWine Wine Camp – An Introduction to Wine
Downtown Los Angeles
Learn the wine basics from A – Z at Learn About Wine’s Intro to Wine. Understanding how wine is made, improve your ability to describe what your tasting! Learn about the method of tasting wine, use all your senses and new found knowledge, wine pairing techniques and the do’s and don’ts of wine service. Taste seven great wines and acquire the skills to evaluate what you smell and taste. History, anecdotes, laughs all served in generous proportions. Tickets are $65 or two for $125. The perfect date. Get your tickets here.
Indulge: A Soiree for the Senses
Beverly Hills (5-8pm)
Indulge yourself and enjoy a Sunday early evening Summer Soiree in Beverly Hills’ new dining/nightlife spot, Carson House. Mix and Mingle as you Stroll Through a Taste of Wine Country, discover new varietals, meet winemakers, and sip from a variety of premium spirits too. Tickets start at $69, but use code 84 to get half off!
Continuing:
The Butterfly Pavilion
Downtown Los Angeles
The Butterfly Pavilion, the living habitat where hundreds of butterflies flutter among nectaring plants, returns for its 15th year at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. This year, in addition to hosting its usual far-flung travelers from across North America, the Pavilion will also have a distinctive California feel. Of the 53 species of butterflies, 20 will be native to the Golden State.
NoHo Dine Out Fridays
North Hollywood (5:30-8pm)
NoHo Dine Out Friday Nights is a place to get together with neighbors and make new friends, all while enjoying live music, Gourmet Food Trucks and shopping at local Boutique Tables. The dog friendly event takes place in the parking lot at 11452 Burbank Blvd just West of Lankershim Blvd. For a full list of trucks, check out their web site.
Afternoon Tea at Mignon
Downtown Los Angeles (3-6pm)
Every Saturday Mignon brings a touch of refinement to Downtown LA with its new high tea menu featuring Mariage Frères tea from the famed Parisienne tea house. For $15, guests can enjoy a proper salon de thè experience and choose from finger sandwiches like French Ham with Mustard and Jam, Paprika Egg Salad, Smoked Salmon, or cucumber and butter.
Sundays Live
Los Angeles (6-7pm)
LACMA’s weekly chamber music series, Sundays Live, features the best of national, international, Los Angeles and emerging artists. These one-hour concerts are presented free to the public at 6 pm each Sunday in the Leo S. Bing Theater. Admission is free. While you’re there, check out Ray’s Stark Bar for a cocktail, or two or three.
LA Derby Dolls
Echo Park (6-10pm)
The L.A. Derby Dolls are Southern California’s premiere all-female, banked track roller derby league. Watch girls on wheels as they battle out on the track with two teams of five players each: four blockers (one of whom wears a striped helmet cover as the “pivot”) and one jammer. Races take place every other Saturday and some Sundays. A full season schedule can be browsed here.
Silver Lake Farmers’ Market
Silver Lake (8am – 1pm)
The Silver Lake Farmers’ Market offers more than just fresh, local produce. Customers can also find vintage clothings, jewelry, music, and snacks, giving it more of a flea market vibe.
Weekend Flights at Rosso Wine Shop
Glendale (5-8 p.m.)
A new wine theme each week. Whether it is their Old World favorites or Pinot Noir from Russian River, they mix it up and keep the price reasonable. Visit www.rossowineshop.com for more details. They also have wines by the glass available at the bar, along with some select beer picks by the bottle, if the wine flight doesn’t work for you. Cost is around $10.
Maxwell DeMille’s Cicada Club
Downtown Los Angeles
Travel back in time to the glamorous days of Hollywood’s golden age of nightclubs at the Cicada Club in Downtown. Featuring the finest vintage dance orchestras and entertainment, Maxwell DeMille’s Cicada Club is unlike any night on the town you have ever experienced. Vintage or evening attire encouraged. A dinner reservation will guarantee your table for the entire evening. To see who’s playing each week and for more info check out their web site.
Upcoming:
Aug 10 – Taking place at the Helms Design District, the Vintage Summer Bargain Boutique is the shopping event of the year for fans of classic and designer vintage clothing and accessories. With a variety of designers from all over LA the event features amazing vintage items all priced under $50! Half priced tickets at $2.50 are still available here.
Aug 17 – The fourth-annual Chinatown Summer Nights returns to Los Angeles Chinatown for three evenings of immersive music, art, performances, food and more from 5 p.m.-midnight. Attendees will get a chance to taste the many culinary offerings of Chinatown through “Iron Chef”-style cooking competitions, authentic local restaurants, curated local microbrews at the outdoor craft beer garden and L.A.’s best food trucks. Guests can enjoy KCRW DJs, outdoor dancing and hands-on cultural workshops for all ages. This event is free; bike racks and plenty of street and lot parking will be available.
Aug 22-25 – The third annual Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival takes place August 22-25 and is set in the heart of the country’s premier cultural destination of Downtown Los Angeles, amid the majestic Walt Disney Concert Hall. Boasting views of distinguished marquee landmarks including the Music Center and City Hall, the culinary world’s most storied luminaries will come together for festivities that will take over the heart of the city for a three-night, four-day epicurean extravaganza. A full listing of events and pricing can be found on their web site.
Aug 24-25 – LA’s best music festival hits the Los Angeles State Historic Park in the form of FYF Fest. 2 days of solid musical performances from the likes of My Bloody Valentine, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV on the Radio, MGMT, and more. Some 2 day passes are still available. Get em here.
Aug 30-Sept 1 – LA Times The Taste is an annual celebration of the Southern California culinary scene. Esteemed chefs Michael Cimarusti, Sang Yoon, Nancy Silverton and cocktail chef Matthew Biancaniello will each join a member of The Times renowned Food staff to present one of the five distinctive events that comprise THE TASTE’s Labor Day weekend festivities, held again at Paramount Pictures Studios. There are multiple events throughout the long weekend. Tickets start at $65.
Sept 1-30 – Temecula Valley celebrates California Wine Month with September Sip and CRUSH. Temecula Valley’s 35 wineries invite fans to explore the Southland’s premier wine country in style! Those with a taste for adventure can take advantage of the Sip Passport, which includes a full tasting flight at any four wineries for just $35; or, to experience the best of Temecula’s wine, food and entertainment in one spectacular evening (September 14), guests can participate in CRUSH, the Valley’s annual gastronomic gala, to be held for a second year on Callaway Winery’s hilltop patio. All-inclusive tickets are $75 per person; early bird tickets are $65 now through August 16; VIP Tickets are $100 and include admittance to the pre-event Winemakers Roundtable seated panel discussion and exclusive winemaker tasting.
Sept 7 – It’s all about the craft beer movement and celebrating great beer at the California Beer Festival in San Dimas. Masses of beer aficionados and enthusiasts will flock to Frank G. BonelliPark on September 7th, 12:30pm-5:00pm, to savor the aroma and taste of a multitude of craft beers and brews from award winning brewing companies such as Karl Strauss and Lagunitas Brewery. With delicious food options and over 70 craft beers on tap, bellies and palates are sure to be satisfied. The festival will also feature live entertainment including popular local bands and themed activities like Bikini Bocce Ball. Participating sponsors include: Celebrity Cruises; Duke’s Smoked Meats; BevMo!; Earl’s Gone Wild; The Pleasure Pantry; and Swisher Xtreme. Tickets start at $45.
Sept 13-15 – Grab a Maine lobster meal for just $19 at the Port of Los Angeles Lobster Festival. There will be live music, cooking demos, “real” pirates, rides, games, and more. A perfect event for the fam, adults at just $10 and kids under 12 are free! Lobster meals are $20, tickets available at the festival gates. More info here.
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