May Gray, begone: summer is almost here and we're ready to kick it off with a three-day weekend. If you're not taking a day trip this Memorial Day weekend, make the most of the weather and the extra day off with these 15 thrilling things to do.
Lounge by the pool, music in ear and cocktail in hand, as A Club Called Rhonda takes over SkyBar with "big heat, thick beats and the softest sheets."
Or take a plunge in a public pool
They'll probably be just as crowded as the beach, but if you'd like to welcome in the summer with a few laps check out these public pools.
Feed your non-stop cravings for ice cream with a lick of these frozen treats, the best the city has to offer.
Escape to a hippie fest in Topanga
Bohemian locals and curious onlookers converge to celebrate music, food, arts and Mother Earth at Topanga Days Country Fair, a weekend-long fest with a parade on Monday morning.
Watch a movie in the great outdoors
Outdoor movie screenings combine two of our favorite things: film and being outside. Catch screenings this weekend of Singin' in the Rain, The Big Lebowski, Hook, Space Jam and more.
Dance and chill at a reggae fest
Spend Monday at UCLA's impressive student-run JazzReggae Festival as it returns to its Memorial Day roots.
Stuff your face with the city's best BBQ
There's BBQ and then there's BBQ—you know, the kind that leaves you licking your sauce-drenched fingers. From Compton to South Pasadena, here are our picks for LA's best BBQ.
Peruse a midcentury flea market
Take a Sunday morning stroll (more like a jog) through five acres of 20th-century furniture and housewares at the biannual Downtown Modernism.
Start a (legal) beachside bonfire
There isn't a much more quintessential Southern California experience than having a bonfire on the beach at sunset, which you can do at these five beaches.
Eat around Santa Monica with Monopoly money
Main Street in Santa Monica will transform into an interactive Monopoly board game during Sunday's MAINopoly, allotting attendees special "MAINopoly dollars," to be exchanged for food tastings across the street's finest establishments.
What is it that they say about smog? Oh yeah, beautiful sunsets. Make LA's haze work for you with an elevated vantage point at these cocktail bars and beachside spots.
Strip down to your skivvies and roam the 400-plus stalls at this waterfront street fair.
Part day trip, part wilderness trek, these mountainous oases offer a cool dip in a scenic locale, oftentimes at the end of a waterfall hike.
See some wholesome American boobs
Tapas and topless are the first orders of business at Sultry Sweet Burlesque, the spirited dinner theater show at El Cid, and in celebration of MDW, the girls are gearing up for "Red White & Boobs: A Memorial Day Tribute to the Troops."
No, seriously. Don't go, it's going to be mobbed and when you factor in all of the Expo Line riders flocking to Santa Monica and the traffic on—ah, who are we kidding, we're probably going to end up on the beach at some point with the rest of the city.
Looking for more things to do for Memorial Day weekend?