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First full week of the month. Let’s get you off and running.
This August 3-7 in Los Angeles, you’l find the Synth Club at Common Space, Benson Movie Interruption, the The Cultural Roots of Tarot, JazzPOP at the Hammer, Sizzling Summer Nights at The Autry, TAPE LA at Barnsdall Art Park, and more.
Things To Do This Week
M = Less than .5 miles from an L.A. Metro Station, FA = Free Admission, TP = Top Pick
Synth Club at Common Space – FA > Every first Monday of the month, LA Synth Club hosts their monthly meet-up and jam session at Common Space Brewery in Hawthorne. Musicians are invited to bring their favorite synthesizers, drum machines, or any other electronic instruments to experiment / jam with. Runs 6 p.m. to close. More info here.
Benson Movie Interruption – M > This Tuesday at Dynasty Typewriter, catch the latest installment of The Benson Movie Interruption, an interactive comedy screening presented by Doug Benson. Guests are invited to bring a DVD or Blu-ray for an audience vote to select the featured movie, which Benson and special guests Nick Rutherford, Beth Stelling, Vanessa Gonzalez, and Kyle Mooney roast live on mic. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 on the day of the show. Show starts at 7 p.m. .More info here.
Moonlight Movies on the Beach – FA > Long Beach’s signature beachside summer cinema series continues with two screenings in August at Granada Beach. This Tuesday, catch a showing of A League of Their Own. Movies starts around sunset (8 to 8:30 p.m.). Free to attend, and parking is free after 6 p.m., though spots are limited. More info here.
The Cultural Roots of Tarot with Sanyu Estelle -> This Wednesday at the the Philosophical Research Society, claircognizant soothsayer Sanyu Estelle stops by for a presentation on the physical and migratory history of the Tarot deck. Drawing from her debut book, The Cultural Roots of Tarot, Estelle breaks down the material origins of the cards and details how various global regions contributed to the deck’s physical evolution. Tickets are $12 for both in-person and online attendance. Starts at 7 p.m. More info here.
Shakespeare in the Park – FA > The second half of the Independent Shakespeare Co.’s 2026 summer theater festival in Griffith Park kicks off this Wednesday, as the ISC brings performances of A Comedy of Errors to the stage. Shows will run Wednesday to Saturday through September 6, with all performances beginning at 7 p.m. Make sure to arrive early to grab a spot. Picnics encouraged. More info here.
JazzPOP 2026 at the Hammer – FA TP > This August, The Hammer Museum presents the 19th season of JazzPOP, a three-part concert series curated by bassist Lisa Mezzacappa showcasing West Coast creative jazz. The series opens with a performance by the Kasey Knudsen Sextet on Thursday. Parking is available in the underground garage. Admission is free. All concerts start at 8 p.m. More info here.
Pitch-A-Friend at Caravan Cantina – FA > Pitch-A-Friend pops up at the Caravan Cantina in West LA this Thursday. Friends of available singles will offer light-hearted presentation, then there will be a singles mixer to follow for meet and greets. Attendees can sign up in advance to present a short pitch introducing an eligible friend or simply drop in to socialize. Admission is free, with advance RSVP recommended for attendees and required for pitchers. It all starts at 6:30 p.m. More info here.
Sunset Concerts at the Skirball – FA >The Skirball Cultural Center’s annual Sunset Concert series comes to a close this Thursday with performances by Annie and the Caldwells and The Campbell Brothers. Free walk-up tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Parking is available for $20. Doors open at 6 p.m. More info here.
Sizzling Summer Nights at The Autry -> Every Thursday in August, The Autry museum hosts some of L.A.’s best salsa and Latin fusion bands with free salsa lessons, access to the museum galleries and a separate children’s dance floor. Admission cost $23 per person. More info here.
TAPE LA at Barnsdall Art Park – FA TP > All throughout August, TAPE LA takes over Barnsdall for Friday Art Nights. The free activations on Pine Grove and at the LAMAG gallery go full video with a tape swap, an interactive TV wall, Home Video Night, an Analog Petting Zoo, and more to be announced. Free to attend. More info here.
SMPL at the Beach – FA > This Friday, the Annenberg Community Beach House hosts SMPL at the Beach, a beachside pop-up library presented by Santa Monica Public Library. The all-ages event features a checkout-free beach reads collection, nautical crafts, games, and a surfside lounge. Programming includes a Seaside Storytime and an interactive musical performance by Sweet Potato Music. Admission is free. Programming runs from 10 to 3 p.m. More info here.
Beach Movie Nights: The Princess and the Frog – FA > Dockweiler Youth Center in Playa del Rey hosts the next installment of Beach Movie Nights this Friday, featuring a family-friendly outdoor screening of Pixar’s animated comedy The Princess and the Frog on the sand. Attendees should bring blankets. First-come, first-served seating. Admission is free. Starts at 8 p.m. More info here
The Music Center’s Dance DTLA – M FA -> Free evening dance parties continue at The Music Center’s Jerry Moss Plaza every Friday through August 8. At Dance DTLA, instructors will be on hand to teach guests easy-to-follow steps, allowing everyone to get into the groove right from the jump. This week features an evening of Afrobeats led by instructor Kara KJ Wade and musisc byTOMI TRIBE. The event is always free to attend, and always all-ages. Start at 7 p.m. More info here.
Dining & Drinking
(picks by Christina Champlin)
Half Price Charbroiled Oysters at The Evangeline Swamp Room (Every Wednesday in August) -> Every Wednesday in August from 5 to 9 p.m., The Evangeline Swamp Room in Chinatown (sister bar of The Little Jewel) serves their signature Charbroiled Oysters at half price, a full dozen for $25. The oysters arrive charbroiled in a beer and butter sauce, topped with white cheese, breadcrumbs, Cajun spices, onion, and bacon bits, served with lemon. Pair with an Abita or one of the Swamp Room’s classic New Orleans cocktails.
Free Lipstick with Ice Cream at AWAN (August 7–9) -> LA’s popular vegan ice cream shop AWAN teams up with Tilt Beauty for a three-day collaboration that comes with a very good freebie. The limited-edition Heart to Heart scoop blends Morello cherries with AWAN’s signature Balinese vanilla base, inspired by Tilt’s cult-favorite Gripstick Lip Treatment in Heart to Heart red. Order it at any of the three AWAN locations in West Hollywood, Larchmont, or Venice and walk away with a complimentary full-size Gripstick and a pair of cherry hair clips, while supplies last.
Long Beach Food Scene Week (Through August 9) -> Long Beach Food Scene Week brings 10 days of culinary creativity to the city, with restaurants serving dishes never offered before, prix-fixe menus, R&D specials, and fresh twists on classics. Highlights include a Polenta Fried Chicken Sandwich at Colossus Bread ($22), a Paris-Brest filled with sesame mousseline and roasted peaches topped with peach caramel at ($12), a marinated baby octopus karaage at Tokyo Noir ($15), and a rotating $15 menu at Panxa spanning birria tacos to stuffed squash blossoms. More info here.
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