THINGS TO DO
May 5, 6
Lucha VaVOOM; Mayan
Add some sexo y violencia to your Cinco de Mayo at this wrestling-meets-burlesque show.
May 6
First Fridays at the Natural History Museum; Natural History Museum
Dance among the dinosaurs at this monthly party and lecture series—with a special appearance by Neil Young.
May 7
Grand Park Downtown Bookfest; Grand Park
Travel to this bookworm's Shangri-La for an all-day literary festival featuring poetry, a local pop-up bookshop, food, tunes and more.
May 7, 8
RuPaul's DragCon; LA Convention Center
Meet drag queens and pop culture personalities at this gender-swapping gathering.
May 15
CicLAvia: Southeast Cities; Various locations
Pedal your way through Huntington Park, Walnut Park, South Gate, Florence-Firestone, Lynwood and Watts at the bike-friendly fest.
May 21
The Color Run; Dodger Stadium
Show your true colors at this beloved, messy 5K run and walk that turns attendees into Jackson Pollock paintings.
May 28-30
Topanga Days Country Fair; Topanga Community Club
Escape to this bohemian weekend festival tucked away in picturesque Topanga Canyon.
May 28-30
Fiesta Hermosa; Downtown Hermosa Beach
Strip down to your skivvies and roam the 400 vendor stalls at this Memorial Day weekend block party.
Find more things to do in our May 2016 events calendar.
FOOD & DRINK
May 1
LA Bacon Fest; LA Center Studios
Give in to your bacon cravings at this annual festival for bacon lovers, complete with inventive dishes and unlimited beer.
May 1
Taste of the Eastside; Los Angeles River Center and Gardens
Sample food and drink from more than two dozen restaurants and bars operating in Silver Lake, Atwater Village, Echo Park and beyond.
May 5
Cinco de Mayo Fiesta at El Chavo; El Chavo
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo at the recently revamped El Chavo, where mezcal-infused cocktails, cervezas, street corn and tacos will be flowing as live music plays on into the night.
May 7
Disco Dining Club: Gospel Edition; Location T.B.A.
Dive into a debaucherous night at an undisclosed location with a four-course feast and after party by Disco Dining Club. Their only motto: Consume everything.
May 13-15
La Nuit en Rose; SkyBar
Clink pink glasses of rosé during this three-day festival honoring the bubbly beverage, where a four-course dinner, sunset soiree and pool party all center around 50 different types of rosé.
May 15
Pickle Party; Grand Central Market
Peruse a pop-up pickle market and learn all you need to know about fermenting at home.
May 21, 22
California Strawberry Festival; Oxnard
Celebrate all things related to the red, heart-shaped fruit at this popular Ventura County festival.
Until May 29
Hollywood Farmers' Market 25th Anniversary; Hollywood Farmers' Market
Celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Hollywood Farmers' Market with speakers, special events and cooking demos every Sunday throughout May.
May 29
MAINopoly: A Taste of Main Street; Santa Monica
Eat and drink your way around Main Street in Santa Monica during this Monopoly-themed neighborhood crawl.
ARTS & CULTURE
Apr 30-May 6
Gabba Gabba Hey; Morrison Hotel Gallery
Celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Ramones' debut album with this exhibition of classic photos taken by the likes of Bob Gruen and Mick Rock.
May 3
David Sedaris; Royce Hall
Hear the esteemed essayist dish on the oddities of daily life.
May 4
Radiotopia Live; The Theatre at Ace Hotel
Listen to live broadcasts of nearly a dozen podcasts, including 99% Invisible and Song Exploder.
May 4
The Imaginary Radio Program; Bob Baker Marionette Theater
Watch as comedian Drennon Davis—with help from Rachel Bloom, Ron Lynch and others—strings together a series of uproariously innovative radio parodies.
May 7-Sep 4
Cave Temples of Dunhuang: Buddhist Art on China's Silk Road; Getty Center
Take a tour of three hand-painted, full-scale replica caves and a virtual immersive experience of a desert cave dig site in this Buddhist art exhibition.
May 17
The Un-Private Collection: Robert Longo and Henry Rollins; Orpheum Theatre
Catch a conversation between the contemporary painter and the outspoken punk icon and radio host.
May 24
Nerd Poker Live; Largo
Join comedian Brian Posehn as he tackles a round of Dungeons & Dragons with Chris Hardwick, Brendon Small and other comedians.
FILM
May 7
Dirty Dancing screening; Santa Monica High School
Have the time of your life at the first screening of Eat|See|Hear's summer season.
May 13
Friday the 13th screening; Old Zoo
Venture into the woods as the Great Horror Movie Night presents the horror classic and some ghoulish surprises.
May 14
Fast Times at Ridgemont High screening; Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Bring along a blanket and a bottle of wine for a screening of the '80s classic, Cinespia's first of the season.
MUSIC
May 5, 6
Explosions in the Sky; The Theatre at Ace Hotel
See the powerful Texan post rockers bring their slow-building, soaring, quasi-classical instrumentals in support of their first new album in five years.
May 6
Hatsune Miku; Microsoft Theater
Catch the singing computer simulation come to life alongside chiptune band Anamanaguchi.
May 7
Kaskade; Los Angeles Convention Center
Witness the club anthem wunderkind stage the first dance music event in the convention center's history.
May 12-14
Los Angeles Old Time Social; Various locations
Sing, dance and play old-time music at the 11th annual Social, complete with music and singing workshops, lots of live music and a grand finale line dance.
May 14
Beyoncé; Rose Bowl
Join the rest of the Beyhive in trying to identify "Becky with the good hair" as the pop star brings her "Formation" tour to Pasadena.
May 14
KROQ Weenie Roast; Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre
Catch the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Weezer, Empire of the Sun, Panic! At The Disco, the Lumineers and more at this pre-summer kickoff.
May 14, 15
Andrew Bird; The Theatre at Ace Hotel
See the violin virtuoso strum, pluck and whistle his way through these two theater shows.
May 25
Lightning in a Bottle; Bradley
Trek up to the Central Coast for this fest dedicated to equal parts food, art, yoga, wellness and music—featuring Chet Faker, Jamie xx and Grimes.
May 30
JazzReggae Festival; UCLA
Chill out with an afternoon of jam bands and reggae acts at this Memorial Day music festival.
May 31
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis; Shrine Auditorium
Hear the heart-on-sleeve, husky-voiced Seattle MC rap about everything from "flannel zebra jammies" to support for gay marriage.
Find more shows in our May 2016 concert calendar.
THEATER
April 26-May 22
Endgame; Kirk Douglas Theatre
See comedy at its blackest in this grim but unforgettable joke at humanity’s expense.
April 28-May 15
Father Comes Home From The Wars Parts 1, 2 and 3; Mark Taper Forum
Travel back in time in this Civil War-set tale of a man faced with an impossible decision.
April 30-June 26
My Manana Comes; The Fountain Theatre
Check out the LA premiere of this humorous and haunting tale about sacrifice and survival in pursuit of the American Dream.
May 14-June 12
La Boheme; Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Catch Gustavo Dudamel's LA Opera premiere in a couple performances of this heart warming opera.
SHOPPING & STYLE
May 6-8
James Perse sample sale; James Perse
Snag 75 percent off this high-quality, classy label at their Marina Del Rey location while enjoying complimentary bites and drinks.
May 7
Create & Cultivate; Hudson Loft
Network, attend panels and workshops and find your new mentor at this one-day intensive event for female entrepreneurs in the digital space.
May 7, 8
Echo Park Craft Fair; Mack Sennett Studios
Shop one of the most well-curated markets in the city, complete with food and drink offerings, tarot card readings, a tintype photo booth and cocktails by the Spare Room.
May 29
Downtown Modernism; Modernica Factory
Take a Sunday morning stroll through five acres of 20th century furniture and housewares.