Welcome to the weekend. Drink beer at the LA Zoo while you watch the monkeys, enjoy beer and indie music at Angel City, sip wine in Barnsdall Park, take a beer crawl through DTLA, party it up like the Gatsby’s, celebrate your inner (and outer) cowboy, catch an outdoor flick, shop for some vintage clothes, celebrate the Ecuadorian people, or imbibe on wine, cheese and chocolate. Bamski, your weekend just got filled in.
Friday, Aug 9
Brew at the L.A. Zoo
Griffith Park (6-10pm)
Spend an evening sampling beer from local craft and microbreweries in the beautiful Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens. Get 4.5 ounce beer samples, music by DJ MORNINGSTAR and live local bands, pub-style grub for purchase, and more. Animal highlights include elephants, koalas, and apes. Plus, visit the new LAIR (Living Amphibians, Invertebrates, and Reptiles), featuring crocodiles, rattlesnakes, vipers, giant salamander, horned lizards, and dozens of other scaly and slimy species from around the globe! Tickets are $45 now, or $50 at the door. Get them here.
Koffeehouse music series
Downtown Los Angeles (7pm)
As part of the Indie Entertainment Summit, Angel City Brewery be hosting the Koffeehouse music series at the Public House on Friday and Saturday night. On Friday night they’ll have music by: Sam Stone, Emily Rath, Jeffrey George Moline, Noah Needleman and Twin Spin. Saturday night we’ll have music by Missy Modell and Erik DiNardo. Swing down, grab a beer, and listen to some talented, up-and-coming musicians. Check it out on their Facebook page.
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.
Saturday, Aug 10
LA Craft Beer Crawl
Downtown Los Angeles (SAT & SUN)
The fourth annual LA Craft Beer Crawl takes place on Saturday August 10th and Sunday August 11th benefiting the “Heal the Bay” charity. Attendees will have over 100 craft beers to sample across seven different bars and restaurants all within close proximity in Downtown Los Angeles. The event is a collaboration between 213 and Hallie Beaune and Christina Perozzi also known as “The Beer Chicks.” The beer selection will be curated by The Beer Chicks. The event will feature some of the top Craft and Artisanal Brewers in the Country. Tickets start at $49, get them here.
Great Gatsby Party
Downtown Los Angeles (9pm-2am)
The Great Gatsby Party takes you back to the Roaring 20′s and recreates the feeling of days gone by. Taking place at the historic Park Plaza Hotel, the event will feature beautiful Art Deco, music, dancing, and a few surprises. Feel free to dress in theme for this event as costumes are encouraged, but not required. Browse over the mansion’s windows to get more information about the event’s entertainment. Admission is $30 for general admission, and $65 for VIP. The event is a cash bar, with VIP attendees receiving access to the open bar at the “Speakeasy Lounge” with 15 spirit brands pouring both neat and cocktails. Tickets and more info here.
Smoke & Saddles
Agoura Hills (6-11pm)
At Smoke & Saddles experience an evening of beer, wine, spirits and fun along with the best restaurants in the area. Join them for a great night of music and bring your cowboy boots if you’ve got them! Your admission includes a tasting cup to sample unlimited drinks from the participating vendors. Food is available for purchase from their property restaurants, you can walk into each restaurant and enjoy a snack or sit down for a full meal.
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: Kingpin
Brentwood (5:30pm)
Eat|See|Hear is headed to Brentwood. 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 Back to the Future, 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 free!
Vintage Summer Bargain Boutique
Culver City
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.
Sunday, Aug 11
Ecuadorian Festival & Parade
Downtown Los Angeles (11am)
The 15th Annual Parade starts at Broadway & 7th St. going north on Broadway until Temple St. then Main St. ending at La Placita Olvera. The parade will have Car clubs, Dance Groups, Drill Teams, convertibles, Motorcycles, 24 Beauty Queens and various Businesses. Then the fun really gets going at the Festival in La Placita Olvera. With more than 10,000 Ecuadorians, 2,500 Latinos from other countries and 2,500 people from other nationalities enjoying a full menu of Ecuadorian Cuisine, Ecuadorian Arts & Crafts, Ecuadorian Musical groups, Ecuadorian Folklore customs, Commercial Products, lots of free gifts, Carnival Games, free health screenings and a variety of products, services and information provided by all type of exhibitors.
Wine, Cheese, & Chocolate
Santa Monica (3-5:15)
Ian Blackburn and Learn About Wine present Wine, Cheese, & Chocolate. When three delicious worlds collide! This special class brings together three divine creations… wine, cheese and chocolate. You will explore the sensual contrasts and delights that each element brings to the experience — the crisp acidity, mouth-filling robustness or smooth viscosity of great wine; the sharp, subtly sweet or complexity of fine cheese; and the rich luxuriousness of superior chocolate ranging from creamy milk to intensely dark. Taste 5 cheeses, 5 chocolates and 10 wines. Tickets are $79 per person, or $140 for two.
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 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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