Posted by 
Got plans for the weekend? You do now.
On tap for this August 7-9 in Los Angeles you’ll find a free star party at Mount Wilson Observatory, First Fridays in Frogtown, TAPE LA at Barnsdall Art Park, Tongva Twilight in Santa Monica, Head in the Clouds fest in Pasadena, Cats, Coffee, & Crafts at Ivy Station, Picture This! at Lyric Hyperion, Self-Care Yoga and a Sound Bath at CAAM, Garden Parties for kids at the Getty, and more.
Things To Do This Weekend
M = Less than .5 miles from an L.A. Metro Station, FA = Free Admission, TP = Top Pick
LAAS Party at Mount Wilson Observatory – FA > This Friday at Mount Wilson Observatory, catch a free public star party hosted in partnership with the Los Angeles Astronomical Society. Attendees can view the night sky in the San Gabriel Mountains through member-provided telescopes set up in the upper parking lot. Red flashlights are recommended. Admission is free, with optional gate donations supporting outreach programs. Runs 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. More info here.
First Fridays in Frogtown – FA > Frogtown First Fridays is back this weekend! The neighborhood art walk features a dozen stops along the river corridor in Elysian Valley, highlighted by local art, live music, handmade ceramics, florals, embroidery, photo prints, apparel, and a craft marketplace, alongside food pop-ups, shaved ice, and a even a motorbike test drive experience at ONYX LA. Free to attend. Runs 5 to 10 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 week 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.
TAPE LA at Barnsdall Art Park – FA > 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.
Tongva Twilight: Sounds & Cinema Series – M FA TP > The City of Santa Monica is hosting free outdoor programming at Tongva Park every Saturday from August 8 through September 12. To kicks off Tongva Twilight: Sounds & Cinema, they’ll host a performance by all-star ska jazz ensemble Western Standard Time. Guests are encouraged to pack a picnic for the family-friendly oceanside evening. Admission is free. Starts at 7 p.m. More info here.
Head in the Clouds Music and Arts Festival -> Head in the Clouds Music and Arts Festival returns to Brookside at the Rose Bowl this Saturday. The one-day celebration of Asian music, art, and food features headliner KATSEYE alongside performances by XG, Dabin.kr, UMI, LNGSHOT, and KiiiKiii, plus intimate sets at the Toyota Music Den. The event spotlights local Asian-centric food vendors, including Bang Bang Noodles, Chimmelier, Kogi, Bone Kettle, and Burger She Wrote, along with a Sephora K-Beauty Marketplace. GA tickets start at $199. More info here.
Hello World Creative Market – FA > The York Manor hosts the 2026 Hello World Studio Creative Market on Saturday. This one-day pop-up showcases work from emerging designers and illustrators in Mt. San Antonio College’s Graphic Design & Illustration program. The cashless market features student-made paper goods, art prints, stickers, keychains, and trinkets. Admission is free. Runs noon to 5 p.m. More info here.
Marina del Rey Summer Concert Series – FA > On Saturday, Burton Chace Park hosts Colombian music group Monsieur Periné as part of the Marina del Rey Summer Concert Series. The free waterfront performance features festival-style lawn seating on a first-come, first-served basis. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets or low-back beach chairs. Admission is free. Concert starts at 7 p.m. More info here.
Pickwick Vintage -> Discover a curated collection of designer fashion at the Pickwick Vintage Show, returning to its monthly residency at ROW DTLA this Saturday. This outdoor market features over 40 local vendors showcasing a wide assortment of vintage clothing, jewelry, and accessories from all eras. Whether you are a dedicated collector or simply looking for unique design inspiration, the show offers a specialized shopping experience in the heart of the Arts District. Ticket are $10. Runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. More info here.
Cats, Coffee, & Crafts – M FA > This Saturday, Ivy Station celebrates International Cat Day with Cats, Coffee, & Crafts, featuring adoptable kittens from Kitty of Angels at Camp Kitty and the Hideaway. The event includes a curated artisan craft market, discounted specialty drinks from Go Get Em Tiger, and a free activity station with cat-themed temporary tattoos, cat ears, and coloring masks. Admission is free, with 2-hour parking validation provided. Runs 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. More info here.
Picture This! at Lyric Hyperion-> Picture This! brings one of LA’s most inventive comedy formats back to the Lyric Hyperion this Saturday. Stand-ups perform their sets while Hollywood’s top animators draw them live on screen, with neither the comics nor the artists knowing what the other is about to do. The result is a hilarious, unpredictable marriage of sight and sound that’s different every time. The August installment features Chris Fairbanks and Joel Kim Booster, with live drawings by Mike Hollingsworth, Maddie Brewer, and more. Tickets are $17.85 in advance and $20 at the door. Show starts at 7 p.m. More info here.
Garden Concerts for Kids at the Getty – FA > The Getty continues their August Garden Concerts for Kids series with a performance by Grammy and Latin Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Flor Bromley in the Central Garden, this Saturday and Sunday. The Peruvian-born artist delivers an 80-minute performance featuring joyful bilingual songs, storytelling, theater, and puppetry that blend global rhythms with Latin culture. Guests are welcome to bring picnic blankets and food. Admission is free, though timed-entry reservations and paid parking are required. Starts at 4 p.m. both days. More info here.
Self-Care Yoga and Sound Bath at CAAM – M FA > On Sunday, California African American Museum hosts Self Care: Yoga and Soundbath, an indoor wellness session open to all practice levels. The session features a 60-minute yoga flow guided by instructor Constance Hartwell, followed by a 60-minute sound bath led by Sol & Sound. Attendees must bring their own yoga mat. Admission is free. Runs noon to 2 p.m. More info here.
Family Flicks: Turning Red – FA > The Hammer Museum’s Family Flicks series hosts a matinee screening of Pixar’s Turning Red this Sunday. Directed by Domee Shi, the animated feature follows a 13-year-old girl navigating adolescence in 2000s Toronto while dealing with a family curse that turns her into a giant red panda when excited. The event is non-ticketed, and admission is free. Starts at 11 a.m. More info here.
Dining & Drinking
(picks by Christina Champlin)
New Arrival Supper Club (August 9) -> Miry’s List and nonprofit counseling center Scribble invite the Los Angeles community to break bread at the New Arrival Supper Club, an authentic Syrian dinner prepared by Chefs Maysaa and Addul Kanjo. The evening is a chance to connect with people who have experienced resettlement as refugees, share a meal across cultural and language differences, and support families building new lives in Southern California. Tickets are $55, with proceeds benefiting Miry’s List’s mission to welcome and empower newly arrived refugee families. Dinner takes place at Scribble in Highland Park.
A $40 Bar Meal at firstborn -> Chef Anthony Wang’s Chinatown spot firstborn launches a $40 bar set that punches well above its price. The meal opens with a choice of cold starter, either a savory Weiser Farm melon dish, Tomato Plum Tartare or a decadent Wagyu Beef Tongue Carpaccio, before moving to firstborn’s signature fried chicken, and closing with a seasonal dessert. More info here.
A Spam Musubi Cookie at Lei’d (Starting August 8) -> Lei’d Cookies and Romer House Waikīkī hotel team up for a limited-edition two-cookie collaboration launching this Saturday in honor of National Spam Musubi Day. The ROMER DUO reimagines two distinctly Hawaiian flavors in cookie form: a Spam Musubi Cookie, a black sesame base topped with sticky rice and a torched slice of Spam, and the POG Cookie, a tropical passion fruit, orange, and guava cookie stuffed with guava li hing mui mochi.
Want to get the best things to do in L.A. sent straight to your inbox? Join over 60,000 Angelenos who subscribe to our twice weekly email newsletter!
