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What’s a week in Los Angeles look like? Try this on for size.
This August 31 to September 4 in L.A., catch Astronomy on Tap in Pasadena, Cinema Under Pressure at the Wende, free hours at UPAM, a Classical X DTLA ArtNight concert at Cal Plaza, KCRW Summer Nights at The Autry, the Bixby Knolls First Fridays Art Walk, and more.
Things To Do This Week
M = Less than .5 miles from an L.A. Metro Station, FA = Free Admission, TP = Top Pick
Astronomy on Tap Los Angeles: Past, Present, & Future Telescopes – M FA > Astronomy on Tap Los Angeles returns to Dog Haus Biergarten in Old Town Pasadena this Monday for an outdoor evening exploring Past, Present, & Future Telescopes. The event features talks by Caltech postdoctoral fellow Kaitlyn Shin on ground-based sky surveys and Caltech/Carnegie fellow Geoffrey Mo on space telescopes. Guests can participate in astronomically themed pub trivia for prizes, talk with professional astronomers, receive NASA giveaway swag, and join guided stargazing with on-site telescopes. Admission is free for all ages with no reservations required. Runs 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. More info here.
Cinema Under Pressure: The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp – FA > On Monday, the Wende Museum hosts “Cinema Under Pressure,” a free Monday night film series paired with expert panel discussions exploring cinematic censorship. This edition screens the fully restored version of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s satire The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943), which faced export blocks and cuts by Winston Churchill and wartime government reviewers. Following the feature, filmmaker Kevin Macdonald (Pressburger’s grandson and director of The Last King of Scotland) joins curator Aidan Victor for a conversation. Admission is free with an RSVP; seating is first-come, first-served. Program runs 6 to 10 p.m. More info here.
Paul Greengrass Double Feature at the Aero – FA > On Tuesday, the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica hosts a double feature and Q&A celebrating the work of filmmaker Paul Greengrass. The evening opens with an advance screening of The Uprising (2026), starring Andrew Garfield as the leader of a rebellion against King Richard II, followed by a 10th-anniversary screening of Captain Phillips (2013), starring Tom Hanks and Barkhad Abdi. Greengrass will also participate in a post-screening Q&A moderated by Pete Hammond. Admission is free with an advance RSVP; seating is first-come, first-served and not guaranteed. Program starts at 7:30 p.m. More info here.
UPAM Free Admission – FA > USC Pacific Asia Museum is closing its summer exhibition season with special free admission hours for visitors. The museum is offering “Pay What You Wish” admission courtesy of East West Bank this Wednesday to Friday from 4 to 5 p.m.; then this Saturday and Sunday they’ll offer free admission all day, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. This weekend will also be your last chance to see Mythical Creatures: The Stories We Carry before it ends its run at the museum. Get more info here.
Classical X DTLA ArtNight – M FA TP > The first Thursday DTLA ArtNight returns this week, and as part of the programming you can catch a free outdoor concert at California Plaza in partnership with Grand Performances. Hosted by Solomon Reynolds, the musical program explores how Western classical composers absorbed Asian, Middle Eastern, and American traditions. Featured musicians Chi-Jo Lee (piano), Cheng Io Lo (violin), and Max Opferkuch (clarinet) will perform selections by Mozart, Debussy, Bartók, Schumann, Tailleferre, Ravel, Villa-Lobos, and Khachaturian. Program runs 6 to 7:30 p.m. More info here.
Board Game Speed Dating -> Quirk Events are hosting a “Board Game Speed Dating” at Relentless Brewing & Spirits in Eagle Rock this Thursday. Expect a combo rotation-style tabletop gaming paired with singles networking. Designed for men and women ages 25 to 39, the icebreaker event pairs small groups with a gaming concierge who guides players through easy-to-learn classic and modern board games. Attendees track romantic and platonic interests on match cards, with mutual contact details shared by email post-event. Advance ticket purchase required. Runs 7 to 9 p.m. Tickets start at $35. More info here.
Laugh Garden Comedy -> Laugh Garden, a weekly outdoor stand-up comedy show presented by hosts Matt Curry and Jeff Dean, pops up again at the Fountain Community Gardens in Hollywood this Thursday. This week’s lineup features comedians with credits from Netflix, Comedy Central, Hulu, and Amazon, including Chinedu Unaka, Roxxy Haze, Mandy Robbins, Mike Bridenstine, and Janeva Zentz. Seating is limited within the garden space, so advance reservations are encouraged. Tickets are free, but there is a $10 suggested donation per patron. Starts at 7:30 p.m. More info here.
KCRW Summer Nights at The Autry – FA > The penultimate event for KCRW’s 2026 Summer Nights series comes to the Autry Museum of the American West, offering a free, all-ages party this Friday. Expect a guest DJ set from Wooden Wisdom (Elijah Wood and Zach Cowie) alongside sets from KCRW DJs Alejandro Cohen and SiLVA. Guests can also explore museum galleries after hours, including the special exhibit Life, Liberty, and Los Angeles, and there will be food and drinks to purchase on site. Admission is free with an RSVP recommended. Runs 6 to 10 p.m. More info here.
Bixby Knolls First Fridays Art Walk -> Bixby Knolls celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with the return of its monthly First Fridays art walk along Atlantic Avenue. The neighborhood-wide event features live musical performances, local art displays, and community activities, while area restaurants, breweries, and retail shops stay open late with special promotions and pop-up events. Free electric shuttle service is provided along the Atlantic Avenue corridor during the event. Admission is free and open to all ages. Runs 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. this Friday. More info here.
Dining & Drinking
(picks by Christina Champlin)
$15 Hour at OTOTO (Monday–Friday) -> OTOTO just made weekday evenings in Echo Park a lot more interesting. The Fifteen Doru Hour runs Monday through Friday from 5 to 7 p.m., pairing $15 dishes with some of the best sake in the city. The menu hits all the right notes: a rotating otsumami plate with cheese, pickles, and market vegetables, ponzu-dressed Peruvian scallops, crispy lemon pepper tebasaki, Nasu shogayaki, Kurobuta corn dogs, and the legendary Ode to MOS Burger. Add hand-cut fries for $6. Wash it all down with a $10 spicy yuzu-hai or ume-hai, or keep it simple with a $5 Orion lager.
Rooftop Season at Tomat Going Strong -> Tomat in Westchester has quietly built one of the best rooftop programs in the city this summer. The newly refreshed rooftop runs something worth showing up for every night of the week. Game Night lands on Wednesdays from 5 to 8 p.m. with backgammon, chess, Scrabble, and whatever you bring from home. Free Trivia takes over Thursdays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Local college students play live jazz on alternating Sundays, and music curator Jesse Olmos spins curated DJ sets on alternating Saturdays, both from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The rooftop menu is its own thing entirely, separate from the dining room and built for exactly this kind of evening. A half-pound burger with raclette, pickles, and housemade thousand island. Personal pizzas in Lamb Kofta, Spanish Chorizo, and Ratatouille. A rotating sorbet and gelato lineup spanning Chocolate Cold Brew, Mango, and Chamomile. House-marinated olives, a cheese board, and a full beer, wine, and cocktail list to tie it all together. Sunset views included.
NOUN Turns One (August 5- September 5) -> Marina del Rey’s beloved coffee and wine bar NOUN marks its first birthday with a week of celebrations. The party atmosphere runs all week with coffee, wine, food, and pop-ups, punctuated by special events including backgammon night on Monday, Tarot and Wine on Tuesday, and a raw bar on Friday and Saturday. More info here.
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