Things to do in L.A. this weekend

Ring in another year of independence in the grand ol’ USA with Earth, Wind & Fire, backed by the LA Phil. The Bowl proudly hosts its annual Fourth of July party, complete with a dazzling fireworks finale. Grab your tickets early; seats in the nosebleed section go for less than the price of parking. Or consider springing for front section tickets—it is America’s birthday, after all.

There’s something about watching fireworks over the ocean. Every year in Marina del Rey, fireworks explode over the marina channel and spectators gather all over to watch on the 4th of July: at Burton Chace Park or Fisherman’s Village, as well as from Marina “Mother’s” Beach, waterfront hotels and restaurants, and on boats. Fireworks start at 9pm and usually last for about 20 minutes. Arrive early to the area’s county parking lots.

Dodger Stadium hosts fireworks (or drones) on Friday nights throughout the season, but they do it up extra on the Fourth of July. Buy tickets to see the team take on the Houston Astros on the Fourth and then stick around for a fireworks show you can see from your seat; line up on the field level near the end of the game and you can even watch from the outfield grass. The game starts at 6:10pm, so expect the fireworks show to start around 9pm, depending on how long the game goes.

The storied movie studio and theme park fires off a 4th of July pyro extravaganza with fireworks synchronized to both Universal-themed music and patriotic standards. Expect other holiday touches along the way, including themed décor and a fife and drum band. You’ll be able to view the 9pm fireworks from two locations—usually the Universal Plaza in the upper lot as well as near the Transformers ride on the lower lot (if you were thinking of getting away with watching for free from CityWalk, though, you should expect limited to no visibility from the shopping district).

Burbank’s hillside amphitheatre the Starlight Bowl is closed this season after sustaining wind damage in January, so instead of its annual concert and fireworks show, the city is switching things up. Down the hill, McCambridge Park will host Starlight on Tour, featuring a performance by Bruno & the Hooligans—yes, that’s a Bruno Mars cover band—and a drone light show at 9pm.

Taking the place of the former Americafest and subsequent soccer matches that have historically taken up residence at the Rose Bowl Stadium on the Fourth of July, this family-friendly food festival will fill the field with over 150 diverse vendors selling everything from deep-fried giant squid to smashburgers to Oreo churros over the holiday weekend. If you go on Friday the 4th, you’ll have a front-row seat to the stadium’s drone show, which has taken the place of fireworks.

The La Lo La Rooftop at DTLA’s AC Hotel is marking the Fourth with “A Celebration of the California Cowboy.” Dine on Southern favorites like smoked baby back ribs, mac and cheese and coleslaw, paired with red, white and blue sangria and followed by gooey butter cake for dessert. Enjoy live music in the evening—that’s about when you can expect to see fireworks popping off in all directions from your perch 34 floors above the city, with views stretching to the Hollywood Hills.

One of L.A.’s best free live-music offerings, Jazz at LACMA has featured legit legends over its three-decade run at the museum. Seating for the program is available in the museum’s plaza on a first-come, first-served basis, though you’re welcome to picnic on the grass, too (you won’t really be able to see the show, but you’ll still hear it). You’ll find the series on Friday evenings in LACMA’s welcome plaza (just behind Urban Light) throughout the summer.

Watch the Long Beach fireworks from aboard the historic Queen Mary ocean liner after a day of live entertainment, family-friendly activities, food, games and dancing, plus a WWII aircraft flyover. At the time-traveling celebration, every area of the ship will re-create a different decade—from carnival games at the 1910s old-time fair on the Sports Deck to a 2000s hip-hop day party at the bow. The night culminates with fireworks over the ocean at 9pm.

Even if you don’t buy a ticket to board the Queen Mary, there are other options for viewing Long Beach’s Fourth of July fireworks display. The pyrotechnics show over Queensway Bay around 9pm is easily viewable from most of the Long Beach waterfront’s attractions, including Lions Lighthouse in Shoreline Aquatic Park, Shoreline Village, Rainbow Harbor and Marina Green. If you’d rather watch from the water, you can also set sail with City Cruises or Harbor Breeze Cruises, which depart from Rainbow Harbor on the Fourth. Earlier on Friday, the Aquarium of the Pacific hosts a 4th of July BBQ at noon ($70). And for some early fireworks action, there’s also “Big Bang on the Bay,” a block party and fireworks show on the eastern edge of the city over Alamitos Bay on July 3 (5pm, fireworks 8:30pm, tickets $85).

What’s more American than spending your Fourth of July listening to the roar of revving engines and loud booms? That’s the idea behind Kaboom, an annual celebration at the Fairplex that features motocross and monster trucks, as well as an ’80s dance party, followed by a fireworks spectactular at 9:15pm. Watch the display as you feast on funnel cakes, nachos and cotton candy for the full fairground experience.

Roller coasters, fireworks and Coca-Cola—talk about a patriotic trio. Six Flags will shoot off fireworks over three straight nights at its Valencia park. As far as the carbonated sponsorship goes, expect to be able to slurp down some festive concoctions while you’re there. Look out for the fireworks over the Full Throttle Plaza, DC Universe and Main Gate Plaza around 9:15pm.

Swing by Redondo Beach’s Fisherman’s Wharf on Thursday and Saturday evenings in the summer for a free series of concerts held on the west end of the pier. You can expect tribute shows on Thursdays (from the Eagles to Oasis cover bands) and local contemporary acts on Saturdays.

The South Bay city shoots off fireworks from the Torrance Civic Center—the best viewing spots are from the LA Galaxy Sports Complex (555 Maple Ave) and the courthouse west parking lot (825 Maple Ave). The local DJ Ozzie will start spinning at 7pm. Show up early for a good spot, order from the on-site food trucks and settle in for the pyrotechnics, which kick off around 8:45pm. 

Even in the wake of the devastating Palisades Fire, the coastal community of Pacific Palisades is still coming together for its 78th annual Independence Day celebration. The festivities will look a bit different this year—the Palisades Will Rogers 5K Run and Kids Fun-Run will still take place in the morning but will move to Venice, and in the evening, the athletic field at Paul Revere Charter Middle School will fill up with music, entertainment, kids’ activities and food trucks before a drone show lights up the sky. Note that this year’s event is only open to Palisadians and their friends and family, and complimentary tickets will be available online later this month.

Make your Fourth of July an all-day blowout by heading down to this legendary, long-running (121 years!) fest at the Huntington Beach Pier, which is billed as “the largest Independence Day celebration west of the Mississippi.” The festivities kick off with the 5K Surf City Run at 8am. Follow the 2.5-mile parade route to the beach, then put on your Uncle Sam hat for the Pier Plaza Festival, where you’ll find live entertainment, family activities and all-American eats all weekend. Scope out a spot or grab a VIP seat for the fireworks display at 9pm, which ends in an epic finale.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water: The Los Angeles Philharmonic tackles the instantly recognizable John Williams score (nerve-racking shark theme included) during a screening of the Steven Spielberg classic at the Hollywood Bowl. David Newman conducts.

This spectacular exhibition from the Icelandic-Danish artist brings a new series of optical installations to MOCA’s Little Tokyo location. Don’t let the reflective, colorful pieces fool you into thinking this is some run-of-the-mill “immersive” exhibition: Olafur Eliasson’s works invite you to admire the everyday miracles of physics that shape how we see the world. 

The annual Anime Expo takes over the Los Angeles Convention Center for four days of panels, special events and plenty of cosplay. Thousands of fans come to celebrate the quirky art and culture of anime as figureheads and stars of the industry visit to speak and sign autographs. Plus, a massive wing of the convention is set aside specifically for gaming—both electronic and card-based.

The late-night snacker’s greatest fantasy is just a car ride away. America’s first large-scale night market takes over Santa Anita Park’s Paddock Gardens during select summer weekends. Come hungry and caffeinated—this lively market, complete with over 250 Asian street food and booze peddlers, live music, artists, games and more, won’t put itself to bed until 11pm. (The event has also expanded its way to Orange County, including a discounted “Night Market Flight” edition, which serves only appetizer-sized items.)

As sunset continues to stick toward the later end of the evening, the Huntington is taking advantage of the extra daylight with this coveted after-hours series. Formerly open just for members, Twilight Garden Strolls is now open to the public, too, and will extend the San Marino garden’s hours until 8pm on select evenings in the summer. The 1919 Cafe will be open until 7:30pm (hot food stations close at 7pm), so you can even have dinner on the patio. Just a heads-up that you’ll need a timed ticket that’s separate from regular morning or afternoon admission.

Walk through a pavilion of fluttering tropical butterflies you can’t normally glimpse in Southern California, and peep a chamber with pupae and caterpillars at South Coast Botanic Garden’s seasonal exhibition. For an extra $6, you can pick up a flower vial filled with nectar to attract and feed the butterflies yourself. Carve out some time to explore the gardens afterward.

Life imitates art, literally: Classic paintings, statues and murals take on a new dimension as real people dress and pose to re-create original masterpieces—a trick popularized by vaudeville artiste Lolita Perine at the first festival in 1932. A professional orchestra, a narrator, intricate sets and theatrical lighting help bring the works to life at the Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach. This year’s theme, “Gold Coast: Treasures of California,” breathes life into the state’s history be re-creating both monuments and masterpieces from museums including the Getty, LACMA and Norton Simon Museum.

Each summer, Bard fanatics watch their favorite works come to life at the historic Old Zoo in Griffith Park. For 15 years running, Independent Shakespeare Co. has put on a series of lively productions each week, inviting audiences to take a seat on the grass (read: bring a picnic blanket) and enjoy performances like this season’s headliner, early Shakespeare comedy Love’s Labour’s Lost, which will be followed by Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus. With construction of a permanent stage currently in process on the main lawn, this summer’s shows will again be held in the dell at the top of the Old Zoo—meaning available space is smaller, and although performances are still free, reservations are required.

The Getty Villa reopens to the public five and a half months after its Palisades Fire closure with this international loan exhibition dedicated to the Greek Mycenaean civilization and the kingdom of Pylos, which Homer immortalized in the Iliad and Odyssey. It’s the first major museum show in North America devoted to the Late Bronze Age Mycenaeans. See treasures excavators unearthed from Messenia, the Palace of Nestor and burial sites including the tomb of the Griffin Warrior (1450 BCE)—think clay tablets, gold cups, ornate weapons and tiny signets and sealstones adorned with awe-inspiring amounts of detail. 

Theater meets thrills as Six Flags Magic Mountain welcomes the heroes (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman) and villains (the Joker, Harley Quinn and Catwoman) of DC Comics during this theme park festival. Billed as a “fully immersive, theatrical takeover of the park,” in reality the action is limited to the center of Six Flags’ DC Universe area and consists mostly of stage shows where the characters sing, dance and duke it out for control of Gotham City—with an emphasis on the dancing. The highlight is the stunt-driven “Superhero Smackdown” at the end of the night—it’s a bit like a live-action episode of Adam West’s Batman. In the meantime, make sure you ride all the roller coasters on your list, as the event runs right up until closing time. The fest takes place Fridays and Saturdays, starting at 5pm, through July 26.

The Getty Center’s new featured exhibition explores the transformative role photography has played in the history of the LGBTQ+ community as a tool for exploring gender, sexuality and self-expression since the mid-1800s. See examples of the homosocial, homoerotic and homosexual imagery that helped shape the world’s awareness of queer life. During your visit, be sure to check out the accompanying exhibition “$3 Bill: Evidence of Queer Lives,” a look at the contributions of LGBTQ+ artists in the last century, in the museum’s Research Institute Galleries. 

Expand your mind on breezy summer nights by listening to the words of the Bard for free. The program, founded in 1998, will put on two plays—As You Like It and Julius Caesar—with the help of talented local actors. “By the Sea” is a bit misleading; though some of the locations are ocean-adjacent, and largely in the South Bay and Long Beach, the troupe takes the plays on tour all across Los Angeles, performing for audiences from Downtown to Beverly Hills to Altadena’s Loma Alta Park, which was recently restored post–Eaton Fire.

For more than 50 years, this venue has drawn theatre aficionados to its storied, open-air stage for engaging productions in a magical setting. The 299-seat amphitheater in Topanga Canyon hosts audiences of all ages for plays from a wide range of genres, from Shakespearean classics to folk tales. This season, whose theme is “A Season of Resilience,” catch highlights such as William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as well as a Malibu-themed retelling of Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull and Strife by Nobel Prize-winning writer and activist John Galsworthy.

Melrose Rooftop Theatre is on hiatus until the fall, but in the meantime the event deck on the E.P. & L.P. rooftop is hosting this open-air roller rink. The rooftop rink is a 21+ affair, serving up cocktails, appetizers and some of the best views in the city. Tickets are available in one-hour time slots and include skate rentals and a drink—a VIP option with a plate of nachos is also available, as is a pricier date night package, which comes with a three-course meal from E.P & L.P.

After popping up at D23 and Long Beach shopping center 2nd & PCH, themed mini-golf experience Pixar Putt has landed at its most logical home: the Pixar Place Hotel, close to California Adventure and its Pixar Pier. Putt your way through 18 themed holes and step into the stories of Pixar favorites including Toy Story, The Incredibles, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, Coco, A Bug’s Life, Wall-E and Inside Out.

The Broad’s upcoming special exhibition makes its way to Downtown L.A. from the 2024 Venice Biennale, where Jeffrey Gibson became the first Indigenous artist to represent the United States with a solo exhibition. Known for his signature use of geometric patterns, patterned text, vibrant color, glass beads and found objects, the Colorado-born artist explores his Indigenous identity and pays tribute to histories of resistance in thought-provoking and optimistic ways. The first-floor galleries will be transformed into a kaleidoscopic environment with 10 paintings, seven sculptures, eight flags, three murals and one video installation by Gibson. Expect an accompanying slate of performances, talks and workshops.

The Skirball’s latest pop culture exhibition takes a deep dive into the six-decade career of legendary comic book artist Jack Kirby. You might know him as the co-creator of Captain America, Black Panther, the Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men and some of the Marvel universe’s most cosmic characters. But did you know he was also a first-generation Jewish American born to immigrant parents, World War II veteran and family man who split his time between New York and Los Angeles? Learn about his life and see Kirby’s original comic illustrations, as well as other works—many on view for the first time.

The California Science Center is inviting kids to get in the game with a new 17,000-square-foot exhibition about the power of play and the human body in motion. Besides teaching about the science behind sports, it also offers interactive challenges and video coaching from a team of Los Angeles-based mentor athletes including dancer Debbie Allen, the Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman, Olympic medalist softball player Rachel Garcia and more. For the first time ever, the center has commissioned public art—all by local artists—to complement the exhibition, including a Dodgers mural by Gustavo Zermeño Jr. The free exhibition kicks off May 15 and will remain at the Science Center at least through the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Right on the heels of the release of his new film, Mickey 17, director Bong Joon Ho steps into the spotlight at the Academy Museum’s new exhibition. The first-ever museum show dedicated to the Oscar-winning South Korean filmmaker will trace Ho’s career, creative process and cinematic influences. See over 100 storyboards, posters, concept art, creature models, props and on-set photos from the director’s archive and personal collection. On Sundays, the museum’s on-site restaurant, Fanny’s, is offering an accompanying Korean Sunday Supper series with dishes like bibimbap and galbi jjim. You can reserve a spot here.

Nature lovers, rejoice! Spend a day at the Natural History Museum’s Butterfly Pavilion, which will be open through August 24 and be home to up to 30 butterfly and moth species, as well as an assortment of California plants. The seasonal outdoor exhibit allows for adults and children alike to witness nature up close—we’re talking walking amid hundreds of butterflies and having them land on your arms or shoulders. Tip: The prime time for these unique butterfly flight experiences is typically between 10am and 11am each morning.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock House—centerpiece of Barnsdall Art Park and Los Angeles’ only UNESCO World Heritage Site—just might be the most stunning backdrop for an art exhibition. And, in this case, the home is the subject itself, too. L.A.-based photographer Ireland captured the intricate details of the Hollyhock House in 21 photographs on display throughout the onetime residence.

See over 50 garments from Diane von Furstenberg, best known for her iconic wrap dress, during this career-spanning exhibition at the Skirball. Alongside artwork and fabric swatches, the show will also focus on her philanthropic work as well as how her life was shaped as the daughter of a Holocaust survivor.

On the 50th anniversary of the Norton Simon Museum, look back to when Simon took over management of the Pasadena Art Museum in 1975, then ahead to the museum’s exciting future at this retrospective exhibition. See rare photos from the museum’s archives, and learn about the history of its major acquisitions, exhibitions, building and gardens—which are currently undergoing a transformation.

“Color in Motion” features close to 150 objects—pieces of technology, costumes, props and film posters—from the 1890s to today. Broken up into six themes, the exhibition looks at the connection between color, music and movement, like in early dance and animated shorts; decades of color technologies, from Technicolor processes and Disney’s women-led Ink & Paint Department to contemporary digital tools; monochrome silent films; the narrative role of color; and experimental works. The final gallery in the show is dubbed the Color Arcade, an interactive, neon-hued space that includes a corridor inspired by the trippy stargate from 2001: A Space Odyssey.

The Natural History Museum’s taxidermy dioramas turn a century old this year, and to celebrate the museum is reviving an entire hall of displays that’ve been dark for decades. Expect some fresh approaches to these assembled snapshots of the wilderness, including alebrijes made of recycled materials, a crystalline depiction of pollution and a tech-driven display of the L.A. River.

Study the technical and cultural background of colorful clay vessels, textiles, bark-paper pages and sculptures in the Indigenous Americas—and how their significance has been downplayed among colonialist histories—at this LACMA exhibition. 

More than 50 works on display at the Autry showcase how Indigenous artists have crafted visions of alternative futures in the face of enduring colonial trauma, with surreal spacescapes from Wendy Red Star, pop culture commentaries by Andy Everson and a site-specific space odyssey created by Virgil Ortiz.