41 Awesome Things to do This Weekend in L.A. [3-4-16 to 3-6-16]

Los Angeles provides no limit of things to do, some awesome and some not so awesome. Since time is precious in this fast paced city, we decided to curate a list of things to do in Los Angeles every week end that’ll help you decide how you want to spend your limited supply of attention (not to mention dollars!).

This weekend (March 4 to March 6) includes Gardens & Villa at NHM’s First Friday’s, All Space Considered at the Griffith Observatory, CicLAvia in the valley, a Champagne ‘Runch’ in Long Beach, and Serial podcasters live in person.

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So grab some friends or go at it alone, but most importantly have fun and enjoy yourself!

[RELATED: The Best Way to Find Discount Events in Los Angeles]

first fridays natural history museum
Photo Credit: Natural History Museum

[REMINDER: In some cases We Like L.A. does receive revenue when visitors click on ticket links and make purchases, however we maintain complete editorial control over the events we suggest. Basically, it only makes it on to the website if we think it is cool!]

Friday March 4th, 2016

1. Natural History Museum First First Fridays

Party at The Natural History Museum after-hours, go on guided tours, enjoy scientist led discussions, mingle at the DJ Lounge and rock out to your favorite bands at NHM’s First Fridays. The March 4 installment includes a “Stranger than Fiction!” tour of the museum along with musical performances by Lower Dens and Gardens of Villa.

2. Disney’s Zootopia at El Capitan Theatre

Hollywood’s legendary El Capitan Theatre presents a special engagement of Disney’s Zootopia March 4 – April 10, 2016. Before the movie, guests will be treated to an all-new, interactive Wild Animal Encounter show on the El Capitan stage, featuring Lola the Sloth and her animal friends from the Wildlife Learning Center. Plus, Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, Disney’s new characters from “Zootopia,” will make their live stage debut at the El Capitan. Get more information and discount tickets  via Goldstar.

3. All Space Considered

The Griffith Observatory hosts a monthly forum where some of the most amazing phenomena in the known universe are explained and discussed. It’s called All Space Considered and it takes place on the first Friday of every month. Oh, and it’s free!

3. Free M. Ward Performance

There’s a free M. Ward performance at Amoeba music in Hollywood at 3:00pm this Friday.

4. Drag Extravaganza Le Bal 

Candis Cayne from “I Am Cait” on E! will be hosting the second installment of “Le Bal” at Ace Hotel in DTLA on Friday, March 4 with special performances by RuPaul’s Drag Race superstars Raja, Detox, Delta Work, Trixie Mattel and Miss Coco Peru.

5. Sole Society Warehouse Sale

This Friday (10:00am-4:00pm) Sole Society will slash prices on shoes and bags during their super popular sample sale. Credit/debit cards only and giant purses and strollers are not allowed.

Location: 8511 Steller Dr Culver City, CA 90232

6. Salt & Straw’s Throwback March Flavors Celebrate Fan Favorites

Salt & Straw will be debut their March flavor series this Friday at both Larchmont and Abbot Kinney shops. This month’s theme is “Flavor Flashback,” after polling fans via social media, Head Ice Cream Maker Tyler Malek has revived five favorites from the monthly flavor graveyard (which now tallies over 300 concoctions!), giving one last “hurrah” to delights such as Pots of Gold & Rainbows, Lemon Amaretto Sour Sherbet, and Matcha Matcha Man. For more information on this months special throwback flavors, visit saltandstraw.com/flavors/#la.

7. Art Exhibit Opening: Duchamp to Pop

Marcel Duchamp is being exhibited at The Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena. Titled Duchamp to Pop the museum will show works from the archives of New Painting of Common Objects from 1962 and Marcel Duchamp Retrospective from 1963. In addition roughly 40 works will be on view from Warhol to Ruscha all of which who have been strongly influenced by Duchamps works. Jean-Marie Drot’s 1963 documentary Jeu d’échecs avec Marcel Duchamp will also be on view at 6:00pm this Friday. Perfect timing since it falls on the first Friday of the month where museum hours between 5:00pm – 8:00pm are free!

8. First Fridays at Venice Beach

On the first Friday of the month head down to Abbott Kinney Blvd. in Venice Beach for tons of food trucks, open galleries and late-night shop hours. Get more information via the official event blog.

9. LF Stores Blowout Sale

Now through Saturday, all locations of the trendy womenswear store will be 65-80% off during their end-of-season sale. We spotted jeans for just $24, boots for $48, and dresses for $18.

10. Dine Out Long Beach Restaurant Week 2.0

February 28th through March 5, Long Beach will celebrate their vibrant food scene with a restaurant week. Much like Los Angeles restaurant week, participating restaurants will offer affordable prix-fixe menus for lunch and dinner. View restaurants and menus here.

11. Escape Reality at Magicopolis

Husband-and-wife duo Steve Spill and Bozena Wrobel perform a vaudeville-style magic show that’s fun for the whole family. Expect optical illusions, levitation, mind reading, disappearances and a nail-biting Houdini-type escape called the Table of Terror! Get more information and discount tickets via Goldstar.

12. Music For Train Stations 

Every Friday this March(until March 25) L.A.’s most majestic transit hub, Union Station, will be teaming up with musical curators at dublab to create a month-long sound series called Music For Train Stations.

13. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Customer Appreciation Day in Westchester

From 10:00am – 1:00pm at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s Westchester store (8601 S. Lincoln Blvd.) patrons will take advantage of Customer Appreciation Day and be treated to a sampling of new seasonal beverages, giveaways (gift cards, tumblers, t-shirts, retail coffee & tea), and a special appearance by Mr. Ice Blended.

14. First Fridays at Bixby Knolls

An art walk, dining and shopping experience where participating businesses in the Long Beach neighborhood of Bixby Knolls businesses unite to promote local artists and musicians through extended operating hours. Fun for all-ages… and free! Regularly scheduled at 6:30pm-9:30pm on Fridays.

15. Free Museum Day at The Long Beach Museum Of Art

The Long Beach Museum of Art is free every Friday!

16. Scratch|Bar & Kitchen Now Serving Lunch

Scratch|Bar & Kitchen will now be serving lunch Tuesdays through Fridays (11:00am – 2:00pm). Known for serving locally-sourced and made-from-scratch ingredients, Executive Chef Phillip Frankland Lee has created a selection of sandwiches and salads, all available à la carte. Every item on the menu is house-made, from the bread and cheese to the condiments and pickles. All sandwiches come with a choice of side salad or chips.

17. The Unauthorized Musical Parody of The Devil Wears Prada

A favorite tale of a basic-to-fierce transformation of a fashion magazine assistant is retold in this hilarious musical. There will be plenty of cattiness, back-stabbing and of course makeover magic. All happening at The Rockwell where you can grab a bite and have a cocktail during the show (girls night anyone?) Get more information and discount tickets on Goldstar for this week’s performances.

Saturday March 5th, 2016

18. Quiet Clubbing: All Night Dance Party with Three DJs and Wireless Headphones

Quiet Clubbing is coming back to Los Angeles and this time they are taking over Patrick Malloy’s in Hermosa Beach. The party involves three DJ’s spinning tunes simultaneously, while guests wear wireless headphones to access the music and switch between channels based on their mood. The headphones also glow to the color of the channel that you switch to so connect with new friends listening to the same station!

19. Judd Apatow, Dane Cook, Chris D’Elia & Bryan Callen at The Comedy Store

Writer-director Judd Apatow, long-time MADtv cast member Bryan Callenare along with Dane Cook and Brian Monarch will take the stage at the world-famous Comedy Store for a night of edgey stand-up comedy. Get more information and discount tickets via Goldstar.

20. Griffith Park Tea House Lands in San Pedro

The much beloved Griffith Park Tea House has finally found a (temporary) home at Knoll Hill Park in San Pedro. Come check out the tea house this Saturday at 4:00pm for a public ceremony welcoming the tree, including a sunset musical performance by the California Feetwarmers.

21. Artists & Fleas Venice 

Brooklyn-born craft market Artists & Fleas is heading to Venice Beach this month and will set up at the Westminster Avenue Elementary School at Abbot Kinney and the corner of Westminster Avenue. A&F runs from 11:00am-5:00pm and features locally made art, fashion, vintage wares, vinyl, edibles and beyond. Join them every first and fourth Saturday of each month. Admission is free

22. Serial Podcast Creators Live Talk

Serial podcast creators Sarah Koening and Julie Snyder are hosting an event called Binge-Worthy Journalism at The Valley Performing Arts Center that will take an audience behind-the-scenes of the pod, the story creation process, and ultimately open up the forum for audience members to ask questions.

23. Los Angeles Lantern Festival

The 15th Annual Los Angeles Lantern Festival will mark the close of the Chinese New Year’s festivities with a free event including engaging community booths, museum tours, live entertainment, music, arts & crafts, and food trucks. Takes place starting at noon at El Pueblo Historical Monument.

24. Downtown and Eastside L.A. Breweries Beer Tour

Get access to some of L.A.’s top breweries with SoCal Brew Bus’ downtown and eastside beer tour. The four-hour tour will take guest into a deep exploration of the city’s growing beer scene via a comfortable shuttle bus stocked with local beer! You’ll also be treated to a guided tasting through a flight of house-brewed craft beers at every stop. Tours are all-inclusive with a catered lunch on board from Mendocino Farms. Get more information and discount tickets via Goldstar.

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25. The Grammy Museum Presents Bob Dylan: Photographs by Daniel Kramer

The Grammy Museum’s traveling photo exhibit, Bob Dylan: Photographs by Daniel Kramer, lands in Los Angeles. The exhibit documents Bob Dylan’s metamorphosis from folk musician to rock & roll icon through more than 50 photographs taken by New York-based photographer and film director Daniel Kramer for a year and a day during 1964 and 1965.

26. Decades Insane $150 Shoe Blowout Sale

Decades will once again host its annual $150 shoe sale this Saturday, March 5th. The event is open to the public from 9:00am-6:00pm. If you love Prada, Manolo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin, YSL, and Azzedine Alaia this is a sale you won’t want to miss.

27. Puck & Play Menu At Nest At WP24 + L.A. Kings Home Game

Every day the Kings play a home game fans can dine on the “Puck & Play” menu ($40) a special three-course menu, offered at Nest at WP24 inside The Ritz-Carlton. Selections of dim such as Chili “Dan Dan” Dumplings and Pork Belly Bao Buns, are followed by Crispy General Tso’s Chicken and Thai Curry Noodles. Guests also leave with their choice of sweet treats like carmel corn packaged to go for the game. Check out Goldstar for more information and discount tickets to Kings games Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and for the remainder of the year.

28. Drag Angeles: Historic Group Photo of Drag Artists

Calling all L.A. drag artists of today and yesterday!!! Come down to the West Hollywood Library for a historic group photo, courtesy of photographer Austin Young. LA-based drag performers and drag enthusiasts must arrive in drag, at 7:00pm sharp for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be a part of the biggest, most fabulous photo ever of people in drag in Los Angeles and West Hollywood. The resulting photo, will hang in the West Hollywood Library for the run of the show, A Brief History of Drag in LA (thru June 30). All participants will receive two complimentary tickets to the Taylor Mac Taylor Mac’s 24-Decade History of Popular Music: The 20th Century Abridged on March 12 at Royce Hall, plus a special goodie bag to the first 50 participants onsite. RSVP today to secure your spot in this historic photo.

29. Punch-Drunk Love Screens with Live Score at the Theatre at Ace Hotel

Catch Paul Thomas Anderson’s Punch-Drunk Love on the big screen with a live score performed by 50 members of New York’s Wordless Music Orchestra and Los Angeles’ wild Up ensemble. Special guests include Jon Brion and a “not to be missed female vocalist” hinted on the Ace’s events page.

Sunday March 6th, 2016

30. Le Salon de Musiques Presents Neo-Romantic Composers, Champagne and High Tea at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion

Head down town to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion for an intimate musical experience where some of the finest musicians will play on the fifth floor stage-free and surrounded by guests. After the performance there will be a Q&A with musicians, as well as a Champagne and gourmet high-tea buffet catered by Patina.

31. Champagne Runch

Brunch plus a 5k? Sure why not. The first-ever Champagne Runch event, to be held at The Queen Mary Events Park in Long Beach on March 6, will offer registrants a scenic early morning run around Shoreline Park followed by an epic brunch meal for all to partake in.

32. CicLAvia Returns to The Valley

CicLAvia returns to The San Fernando Valley for the second time for a massive public event that will let both cyclists and pedestrians explore the streets of Pacoima, Arleta, North Hills East, and Panorama City.

33. Heidi Fleiss Feast

Los Angeles Eats Itself is a dinner series where cuisine and LA noire collide through collaborations between L.A. chefs and visual artists bringing to life some of the most infamous stories in Los Angeles history. The next series will take place on March 6 with the Fleiss Feast,  a night highlighting the most powerful Hollywood Madam of the last century. The meal will consist of six courses featuring experimental recipes from aphrodisiac laced edibles.

34. Ranger Ernie Hikes

Ranger Ernie leads a 4-mile moderate hike to Bee Rock in Griffith Park on Sunday morning.

35. All You Can Eat Chicken at A-Frame

Every Sunday, A-Frame in Culver City will host an all-you-can-eat chicken night. $23 gets you your fill of Cracklin Beer Can Chicken, Mochiko Chicken and Korean chicken wings all served with a handful of sides. View the menu here!

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36. Learn the Olympic Sport of Curling: Beginners Welcome!

Who hasn’t watched a curling match during the Winter Olympics and wondered to themselves… “How do you play that, anyway?” Well, now you no longer have to wonder. For around $25 you can get a beginners lesson featuring an excellent introduction to the basics, including sliding stones, sweeping, and game strategy. All equipment provided!

37. Esters Wine Shop & Bar Wine Tastings

Esters Wine Shop & Bar in Santa Monica hosts a wine tasting every Sunday (except for Easter) from 3:00pm – 5:00pm. Simply drop by anytime within the two-hour window and enjoy a flight of wines and a spread of cheeses for $25. Wines from the tasting line-up will be available for purchase with a 10% discount that same day. This Sunday’s wine theme is “Old World vs. New World” – The Esters staff will be popping one Old World and one New World version of three different grape varietals that day. Can an Old World wine be made in a New World style or vice versa? Taste these wines side by side to find out!

38. Nature Connects at The South Coast Botanic Garden

Nature Connects features 27 unique, nature-inspired sculptures constructed with over half a million LEGO brick pieces with subjects ranging from a hummingbird to a goldfinch to a 6-ft tall Bison made from 45,000+ individual bricks. On exhibition at the South Coast Botanic Gardens from February 19 to May 8.

39. Free Day at Pacific Asia Museum

Admission to USC Pacific Asia Museum is free to all visitors on the second Sunday of each month

40. L.A. Zine Fest

At the fifth annual L.A. Zine Fest, you can shop and flip through stories, comics and more by national zine makers and small-press publishers. Guests can participate in workshops to make their own zine and panel discussions on various topics and readings will take place at the Last Bookstore.

41. 13th annual Cassoulet Night at Lucques

The annual Cassoulet Night at Lucques pays tribute to the Southern French casserole through a three-course menu with the Cassoulet de Maison (duck and pork confit, garlic sausage and white beans) as the highlight of the evening. Call the restaurant to reserve your ticket.


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