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Sometimes we forget that Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for those we’ve lost. Three day weekends and pool parties not withstanding, the act of mourning sacrifice should never be taken lightly, and it hits extra hard in the wake of the tragic mass shooting in Uvalde. We know you come to us for “things to do” but just know that the events of the past few days are very much on our minds.
That said, here’s what’s on deck for the four days ahead: L.A. Fleet Week, Fiesta Hermosa, Poolside Cinema, Topanga Days, the MAINopoly food fest, Eat See Hear at The Autry, Angel City Brewery’s 10-year anniversary, National Burger Day, and a special AAPI dinner pop-up in Chinatown. Whatever ever you decide for the weekend, just try to be good to each other out there. It’s a collective spirit we need now more than ever.
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Things To Do
L.A. Fleet Week -> This year’s L.A. Fleet Week celebrates our nation’s sea services with a week of special performances and forums, culminating in a four-day (Friday to Monday) expo on the waterfront in San Pedro that includes live entertainment, ship tours, aerial demos, a veteran’s village, and more. Get the full schedule of events here.
Dress Codes at The Autry -> What do a pair of jeans say about culture? How about a fringed jacket or an Aloha shirt? The Autry’s latest exhibition, Dress Codes, puts a focus on iconic western style to weave together how these iconic clothing items came to shape social identity in the American west. The exhibition showcases more than 150 objects from The Autry’s archive of clothing and textiles. Exhibition included with regular museum admission ($14 for adults). Open Tuesday through Sunday. More info here.
Abuelita’s Kitchen: Mexican Food Stories -> LA Plaza Cocina is the nation’s first museum and teaching kitchen dedicated to Mexican food, and they have a brand new multimedia exhibition now open to the public. Abuelita’s Kitchen: Mexican Food Stories examines the importance of the abuela, or grandmother, in Mexican cuisine by showcasing the personal journeys of ten Indigenous, mestiza, Mexican-American, and Afro-Mexican women through a selection photographs, texts, recipes, and a documentary film. The exhibition runs Wednesday to Sunday through Sep. 4. Entry is free. More info here.
A Forest for the Trees -> A brand new experience by artist Glen Kaino (artistic producer of In & Of Itself on Broadway) is now open at Ace Mission Studios near DTLA. A Forest for the Trees pushes visitors to rethink their relationship to the natural world by immersing them in a surreal forest environment built within 28,000 square-feet of warehouse space. Check out animatronic head pieces, illusions of fire, and a dazzling light performance built upon the re-creation of a 144 year-old fig tree that once stood on Olvera Street. Adult tickets (non-peak hours) start at $20 per person during non-peak hours, and go for $30 during peak hours. Runs Wednesday to Sunday through the end of the summer. Get more info here.
New at The Broad -> Two new exhibitions are now open at The Broad, headlined by Takashi Murakami: Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow. The specially ticketed exhibition is Murakami’s first solo show at the museum, and includes 18 of his works along with new immersive environments created by the artist and his studio, Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. Also debuting on May 21 is This Is Not America’s Flag, an examination of the cultural identity through the works of twenty individual artists and their treatment (and often subversion) of the iconography of the flag. Tickets to access both new exhibitions are $18, and include same-day access to The Broad’s third floor galleries. The Broad is open Wednesday to Sunday.
L.A. County Fair -> The centennial edition of the L.A. County Fair wraps at Fairplex in Pomona this weekend. Advanced purchase adult tickets start at $15. Open Thursday to Sunday through the end of the month. More info here.
AAPI Heritage Month Movie Night -> To celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the Million Dollar Theater is hosting a pair of Asian produced, directed, and performed films to screen on the final two Fridays of May. This Friday features a screening of Parasite starting at 7 p.m. Tickets are $5. More info here.
Jazz at LACMA -> This Friday at 6 p.m., the Los Angeles County Museum of Art welcomes jazz vocalist Denise Donatelli to the Smidt Welcome Plaza as part of the ongoing Jazz at LACMA series, which continues every Friday evening through June 24. Admission is free, however seating is limited and first come, first served. More info here.
Fiesta Hermosa -> Memorial Day weekend in Hermosa Beach means one thing: Fiesta Hermosa! This May’s three-day festival (Saturday to Monday) features a marketplace with over 250 vendors, and three areas for live music including the main stage right on the beach. Admission is free. More info here.
Africon -> This four-day conference celebrating the African Diaspora through a series of panels, speeches, chats sessions, and social gatherings, culminates this Saturday with an Afro Music Festival headlined by Jidenna at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Mall. Get more info on the full schedule of events and locations here.
Poolside Cinema -> The Fairmont Miramar brings back their Poolside Cinema Series this Saturday. Screening classic and cult-favorite movies from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, films include CoCo, Goonies, A League of Their Own and more. The series is family-friendly and will be held poolside with complimentary popcorn for each guest. A $25 food and beverage spend is required per person during each screening.
Topanga Days -> The annual fundraiser festival for the Topanga Community Center returns over Memorial Day weekend for two days (Saturday and Sunday) of games, food and live music, capped by a Memorial Day parade on Monday, May 30. Adult single day tickets start at $50 per person. More info here.
Angel City 10-Year Anniversary -> Angel City Brewery celebrates ten years at their Arts District Location with a free festival this Saturday featuring live performances, a mini makers market curated by The Makeshift Muse, and plenty of special brews on tap. Free to attend. Runs 1 to 7 p.m. More info here.
The Sleeping Beauty -> Los Angeles Ballet (LAB) begins its final production of the 2021/2022 season with this weekend. The Sleeping Beauty opens this Saturday, May 28 at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, and continues with shows at various L.A. locations through June 11. Tickets start at $34 per person. More info here.
Street Food Cinema -> SFC has a pair of screenings scheduled for this Saturday. Ten Things I Hate About You pops up at Will Rogers Park, while Jurassic Park will screen at The Autry. Tickets start at $19. More info here.
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MAINoploy -> Board game meets food fest at the 7th annual MAINopoly, taking place this Sunday on Main Street in Santa Monica. Advance GA tickets start at $30 per person, which get you an allotment of credits (MAINopoloy dollars) you use to pick up bites at restaurants up and down the block. Each spot you visit helps fill up your game board which offers a shot at prizes. Runs noon to 5 p.m. More info here.
LA Opera’s Aida -> A new production of Aida is now in performance at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, featuring a full chorus, orchestra, ballet, and new designs from iconic Los Angeles-based artist RETNA. LA Opera’s Aida runs on select dates through June 12, including this Sunday. Tickets start as low as $29. More info here.
Eat See Hear -> The Eat See Hear outdoor movie series kicks off their 2022 summer slate with a screening of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings at The Autry this Sunday. The event includes live tunes from Polartropica, plus a lineup of AAPI-influenced food trucks. Tickets start at $20, and all ticket holders get free admission to The Autry beginning at 6 p.m. More info here.
Corgi Nationals -> The Corgi Nationals return to Santa Anita Park this Sunday. Hosted by the folks behind So Cal Corgi Beach Day, join some of the most adorable and athletic corgis on the field as they race for the top prize.
Dining
Saturday is National Burger Day. Below are our current favorite spots to get a standout burger in Los Angeles:
- HauteMess -> There are a number of delicious European-inspired sandwiches at HauteMess but did you know they also have a gem of a burger too? The Mess Burger features a thick blended beef patty smothered in caramelized onions, topped with cheddar, tomato, lettuce, and bacon aioli.
- HiHo Cheese Burger -> HiHo Cheeseburger patties are made with grass fed and grass finished wagyu. Keep things simple with the Classic or get the HiHo topped with cheese, ketchup, onion jam, lettuce, pickles and mustard.
- Apple Pan -> Opened in 1947, the owners of the Apple Pan have kept their burger and pie joint pretty much the same for the past 75 years, and that includes the Hickory Burger. This baby comes smothered in house-made barbecue sauce and topped with pickles, mayo and lettuce. For the complete Apple Pan experience, make sure you can add a slice of pie for dessert (just make sure you come hungry!).
- Ella Beverly Hills -> The Ella Burger features a beef patty topped with black garlic aioli, caramelized onions and dressed arugula sandwiched between two milk buns. Stop in during brunch and your burger gets a morning makeover with the addition of a fried egg and pickled Fresno chilis.
- The WinDow -> The team behind The Tasting Kitchen, American Beauty and Superba have a winning formula with The WinDow’s affordable burgers, hand-spun milkshakes and dipped cones. Walk up to the window and order a smashburger ($3.95) flat top grilled with onions and served with American cheese, pickles and a house sauce.
Free Biscuits at Maple Block Meat Co. -> To celebrate National Biscuit Day this Sunday, Culver City’s Maple Block Meat Co. will offer complimentary house-made biscuits to each guest who orders an entree. The offer is available for dine-in only and applies to one freebie per person. The offer is good all day from brunch through dinner.
AAPI Dinner Pop-Up in Chinatown -> As AAPI month comes to a close, SteepLA, dōmi and hanchic.la will come together for a collaboration dinner this Saturday at Steep LA in Chinatown. The evening organized by AAPI LA with the help of A-Sha Foods will highlight a variety of Asian flavors from savory dishes to desserts and even tea infused cocktails. Offered à la carte, the menu will include a number of traditional dishes reimagined by a new generation of Asian chefs. Cold Noodles with Taiwanese Beef Soup Sauce, Galbijjim Ssam and Silky Almond Panna Cotta with puffed rice and honeycomb toffee are just a snippet of what to expect this weekend. The pop-up will operate on a walk in basis only. In the past Steep LA’s pop-ups have been known to draw big lines. so plan accordingly.
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Vita Coco Hangover Kit -> Coconut water brand Vita Coco has launched a Hangover Shop in Los Angeles where Angelonos can browse and shop for items ranging from pizzas, to headache relief, stone face rollers, Vita Coco, snacks and more. The Hangover Shop is available on all major food delivery apps including UberEats, Postmates, DoorDash and Grubhub. Maybe you’ll need it if you go a little too hard this weekend.
Memorial Day Food Deals
- Smoke City Char Bar -> Smoke City Char Bar’s lead mixologist Cole Keigh created two cocktails in honor of the holiday. Both are discounted for veterans and active military, as well as first responders. The restaurant will also offer its reverse happy hour all weekend long (Thursday through Monday from 9 p.m. to close.)
- Madre -> Oaxacan restaurant Madre will offer $11 margaritas and $5 domestic draft beers at all three locations on Memorial Day.
- Gracias Madre -> In honor of Memorial Day Gracias Madre West Hollywood will extend their weekend brunch to Monday, May 30. All veterans will also receive 10% off their bill that day.
Any notes or corrections? Want to suggest an event we should add to an upcoming list? Hit us up at [email protected].
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