50 Totally Fun Things To Do in L.A. This Week You Need to Know About [9-3-18 to 9-7-18]

Every week in Los Angeles there are tons of great things to do (even before the weekend gets started) that we think you ought to have on your radar. With that in mind, we put together a list every Monday through Friday morning to keep you in the know about what’s happening in the city you love (or maybe just like).

This week, from Monday, September 3 to Friday, September 7, features Fiesta Hermosa, a Twilight on the Pier concert in Santa Monica, PaleyFest, Chinatown After Dark, Westfield Topanga Restaurant Week, The Original Long Beach Lobster Festival, Alpine Village Oktoberfest and MUCH more.

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Remember you can always go to our L.A. events calendar page to get an updated rundown of what’s happening around the city.

Hope you find the rundown useful and, as always, enjoy your week!

Santa Monica Twilight Concert Series
Santa Monica Pier Twilight Concert Series from 2013. Credit: T. Tseng via flickr

Keep in mind that while we retain complete editorial control of our content, for some of the ticketing options provided we utilize affiliate links and receive a commission if you purchase through our links.

Monday September 3rd, 2018

1. Head to downtown Hermosa Beach for for the final day of Fiesta Hermosa, one of the largest arts and crafts fairs in Southern California. Hosting over 300 artists, expect live music, a beer & wine garden and a kiddie carnival to entertain all day long. FREE

2. The LA County Fair is open this Labor Day! Head to the Pomona Fairplex for an enormous assortment of activities, musical performances, carnival style food and more. Check for discount tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)

3. Head over to Leimert Park on Monday for Refuge Block Party, a celebration of the endurance of people who live on the streets. Organized by The California African American Museum, the event will feature music, live performances, and food trucks. Care packets will also be given out to people in need.

4. 68th Annual Long Beach Greek Festival is back this Labor Day weekend (Sep 1-3) with authentic Greek food, music and lots of dancing. FREE

5. Cinecon Classic Film Festival at Hollywood’s Egyptian Theatre (August 30 to September 3) is 5-days of classic film screenings, celebrity appearances, panels, a memorabilia show, and more.

6. Rooftop Cinema Club returns to the rooftops of LEVEL in DTLA and NeueHouse in Hollywood with multiple screenings this week that include Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Dirty Dancing and more.

7. The Queen Mary will celebrate Labor Day with free admission to all active and retired first responders (military, police and firemen) now through September 3.

8. Melody located in Virgil Village will celebrate Labor Day with an all-afternoon patio BBQ. Guests can enjoy burgers, sandwiches, oysters, and red, white & pink wines. Cornhole and an all-vinyl country western deejay will round out the patio shindig.

9. Join L.A. Conservancy on National Skyscraper Day as they host a special Modern Skyline walking tour. Get to know the skyscrapers that helped shape DTLA’s epic skyline and hear fascinating stories about Bunker Hill while exploring some of L.A.’s newest landmarks.

10. Prank Bar is having an All-American BBQ for Labor Day with Chef Ricardo grilling racks of ribs and half chickens paired with mac n’ cheese, coleslaw and fries. Drink specials include beer, boilermakers and something called “All-American Truffle Shuffle” a PBR Tall Boy and Dickel Rye Whisky shot.

11. L.A. Fleet Week is back from August 31-September 3. Hosted at Los Angeles Cruise Terminal in San Pedro the event will feature various military ships, guided tours, military demonstrations, live entertainment, aerial demonstrations and more. Plenty of venues will also be participating including Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, CRAFTED at the Port of Los Angeles, and 22nd Street Park. FREE

12. Spend Labor Day with family during the inaugural family-friendly music, arts, and kids activity festival: Littlepalooza happening in Long Beach.

13. Esters hosts happy hour all-night on Mondays and that includes this Labor Day! From 3 p.m. to close, guests can take advantage of $9 glasses of house wine, burrata crostini for $7, half a dozen oysters for $18, and more.

14. E.P. & L.P. in West Hollywood continues their stylish cinema series Melrose Rooftop Theatre with a screening of Black Panter, Kill Bill Vol. 2 and more this week.

15. Shakespeare’s most magical play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream comes to a close at the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum in Topanga Canyon this Monday.

16. Wei Mountain Temple in Rosemead will host The 10,000 Buddha Relics Collection Exhibit from September 1-3. The exhibit will feature the sacred bones of Shakyamuni Buddha as well as tens of thousands of brightly colored crystals known as shariras.

Tuesday September 4th, 2018

17. The annual Future is Female concert returns for a 2018 show featuring music from female composers such as Germaine Franco (TAG) and Tamar-kali (Mudbound).

18. Modern Southwestern eatery Panxa Cocina in Long Beach just rolled out an impressive Hatch Chile Menu for the month of September. Highlights include a Wild Prawn and Hatch Relleno and Wagyu Chicken Fried Steak smothered in hatch chile gravy.

19Broadway Sings Disney is a powerhouse concert developed from the Walt Disney catalog’s 80-plus years of magical music. From Steamboat Willie, to Frozen’s “Let It Go,” happening at the Rockwell Table & Stage. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)

20. G&B coffee located inside Grand Central Market will host a free coffee cupping demonstration at 2 p.m. led by an experienced barista. FREE 

21. Movie Nights at Tropicana Bar located at The Hollywood Roosevelt hotel will throw Angelenos a movie night series every Tuesday night from 8 to 11 p.m. from June through September by the David Hockney painted Tropicana Pool. ​Screening this week is Shampoo.

22. A Yeti Village has been constructed on Hollywood and Vine in anticipation for the movie SMALLFOOT. Designed to look like winter, visitors of all ages can dance in a blizzard, swing on a cloud, ride a 20-foot slide, play in a snowball pit, sing karaoke, do arts and crafts and more. The family-friendly experience is free to attend and runs through September 14, 2018. FREE

23 Free museum days: Natural History MuseumPage Museum at La Brea Tarpits and Kidspace Children’s Museum (from 4 to 8 p.m.)

Wednesday September 5th, 2018

24. Head over to Santa Monica for Twilight on the Pier. This fall a wide range of musical groups and artists will performance across different stages, transforming the pier into a festival, complete with art, a beer and spirits garden, games, and interactive activations. The September 5 kick off night is themed Latin Wave with artist Jarina De Marco, Ouitapenas and more for set to perform. FREE

25. See comedians recreate Back To The Future 2 live onstage while drunk at Black Rabbit Rose in Hollywood.

26. Liquid Intelligence will take over The Mixing Room from 6-7 p.m. for one hour of a complimentary cocktail. This time guests will taste Golden Road Brewing’s Mango Wheat Ale. FREE

27. The 10th Annual Burbank International Film Festival September 5-9 will feature 200 films by up-and-coming filmmakers.

28. Head to the Frogtown Brewery this Wednesday for Trivia Night presented by Geeks Who Drink.

29. There’s two new hyper-realistic VR experience at The VOID in Glendale a Ghostbusters themed experience and a scarier Nicodemus: Demon of Evanishment experience. Experiences run on different days, be sure to check their schedule.

30. Boss Jr. will come to an end after five years of providing laughs in Los Feliz. The free comedy show will feature some of the best improvisers and veteran performers in our city on last time at The Clubhouse. Added bonus, they also give out free baked goods and drinks and free parking. FREE

31. Wednesday, September 5 is National Cheese Pizza Day. To celebrate, D’Amore’s Pizza will be offering $2 cheese slices and half-off cheese pizzas. D’Amore’s Pizza includes locations in Malibu, Westwood, Canoga Park, Tarzana, Thousand Oaks and West Los Angeles.

32. Idiots Comedy Show is back at The Clubhouse featuring free beer and comedy (donation based) from Ever Mainard, Scott Thompson and more.

Thursday September 6th, 2018

33. PaleyFest kicks off this Thursday at the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills. Check out panels and screenings of the most hotly anticipated new fall TV shows from September 6-16. The fest will feature talents like Nathan Fillion (The Rookie), Aaron Paul and Alison Brie (BoJack Horseman), Jennifer Jason Leigh (Atypical) and plenty more.

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34. Chinatown After Dark going down at Far East Plaza happens every first Thursday of the month and is a testing ground for chefs in our city as well as a place to enjoy local music.

35. Broad Street Oyster Co. takes over the We Have Noodles Silver Lake spot for a four-day pop-up ( September 6-9). Dine on fresh oysters, Santa Barbara uni, Maine lobster rolls as well as a seated prix fixe menu. Wine and beer will be provided by Tabula Rasa’s Zack Negin, as well as Stephanie Mutz of Sea Stephanie Fish.

36. Enjoy free family-friendly outdoor movies in Malibu thanks to Screen on the Green at Trancas Country Market every Thursday through September 13. This week Life of Pi will be screened. FREE

37. L.A. Dragon Studios located in the valley is a all you can play gaming center with VR, Escape Rooms, and an Arcade all for a flat fee of $10. Open seven days a week.

38. It’s Cosmic Karaoke night at Scum and Villainy Cantina. Singing starts at 9 p.m.

39. The night market at hilltop Asian restaurant Yamashiro back for 2018 every Thursday, from 5 to 9 p.m., through September 27. Angelenos can enjoy a farmers market, freshly prepared foods and Yamashiro’s unbeatable views of Hollywood.

40. Free museum days: Japanese American National Museum (from 5 to 8 p.m.), MOCA Grand & MOCA Geffen (from 5 to 8 p.m.),  Skirball Cultural Center (noon to 5 p.m.), Long Beach Museum of Art (3 to 8 p.m.)and USC Pacific Asian Museum (5 to 8 p.m.)

Friday September 7th, 2018

41. Westfield Topanga Restaurant Week kicks off on September 7 for a 10-day dining event across the Westfield Topanga properties, highlighting a diverse selection of choices and flavors, from fine dining steakhouses to good old Southern BBQ. The best part? Guests can expect savings of up to 20% off on uniquely crafted prix-fixe menus.

42. The Original Long Beach Lobster Festival returns for the 22nd year in a row (September 7-9) with live entertainment, activities, and boat loads of fresh Maine lobster. Check for discount tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar)

43. See Annenberg Space for Photography’s current exhibit, Not an Ostrich, after hours, along with live music, and a special documentary screening. FREE

44. LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes’s 4th annual Summer of Salsa concert comes to a close this Friday with Conjunto Costazul, led by salsa scene veterans Freddie and Johnny Crespo, bringing the sounds of swing and salsa with booming horns and percussion. FREE

45. Alpine Village Oktoberfest celebrates 50 years! The fun kicks off this Friday with traditional Bavarian fun like Oom Pah Pah party bands, German fare, and delicious cold German beers. Oktoberfest runs Fridays and Saturdays September 7 through October 27

46. The Roadium in Torrance presents Classic Drive-in Movies. The family-friendly event features classic films projected on the screen tower. Closing out the series is a screening of On Any Sunday.

47. The Music Center’s annual Dance DTLA series is back for 2018 with a series of Friday-night events at Grand Park. The last installment is a 90’s theme dance night. FREE

48. 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. FREE

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49. Are you a Chase bank customer? Got a freebie you might want to know about. Coolhaus is teaming with the Forum and Chase to hand out free ice cream sandwiches to Chase customers on Fridays all summer long. Locations will change every Friday, and the offer is ice cream sandwich per cardholder. Get more info here.

50. Since its the first Friday of the month check out all the cool events happening around town including block parties and art walks for First Fridays.

Food Pick for the Week

https://www.instagram.com/p/BU7VJnNl29h/?taken-by=caloprovisions

This week’s pick by Christina Champlin, Co-Founder of We Like L.A.

This week get a taste of Mexico City’s vibrant street food right here in Los Angeles. Chef and travel expert Aida Mollenkamp, along with Chef Ted Montoya of Caló Provisions, will team up for a Feastly pop-up dinner this Thursday. Diners will enjoy a meal inspired by Mexico City’s beloved street food with a twist. The menu includes a Mexican cheese board, enmoladas to al pastor and churros, plus a selection of Mexican craft beers, mezcal and organic wines.

The dinner will take place in the Feastly spaces located in Downtown Los Angeles on September 6 from 7 to 9 p.m.

Tickets cost $85 per person and can be reserved on the Feastly website.


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