Friday
Make your way to the water-surrounded stage at California Plaza on Friday night for the kickoff of Grand Performances. The free music and performance series begins with a string-backed set from local producer and Low End Theory fixture the Gaslamp Killer.
Just up Grand Avenue, the Music Center hosts its free mashup of live music and dance lessons at Dance Downtown. You'll want to wrangle your finest pair of overalls and cowboy hat for tonight's lesson: line dancing and two-stepping.
Mosey your newfound dancing skills on over to the Autry for the latest installation of Odd Nights. The American West-focused museum hosts this monthly night market packed with everything imaginable—beer gardens, live music, bounce castles, over 200 artisan vendors—and then some (i.e. horse parking; yes, horse parking).
Saturday
Food trucks, live music and 75-plus breweries—is there a better way to start LA Beer Week? Head to Exposition Park on Saturday for a kickoff festival where you can refill your glass with more than 200 different types of beer, cider and home brewed soda. Keep the beer flowing freely at more Beer Week events. We picked one great one for each day of the week.
Pastry chefs can do more than just make really, really delicious sugary confections. The proof is in the (savory) pudding at Bakers Make Everything, a dinner series in which pastry chefs take over the entire dinner menu. Christine Moore, of Little Flower and Lincoln, leads this last dinner in the series; reservations are just about full but you might have some luck on the waitlist.
Polish your music improv skills or comedy writing chops tonight at Second City Hollywood's Open House. The tiny comedy theater and school is opening its doors for a day full of free improv workshops, shows, food and prizes for all ages and experience levels.
If, somehow, that's not enough improv, head to UCB Sunset for the Del Close Marathon Preview Show. Each year in New York City, the UCB puts on a three-day, non-stop improv festival to celebrate improv guru Del Close. You can catch some of the late-night insanity at this LA preview, with performances dedicated to Tennessee Williams, Soul Cycle and the worse-than-you-remember-it '90s film Blank Check.
Sunday
It's Father's Day today—of course you didn't forget—so treat your dad to a fun day out. Dads love cars, right? Because then you'll want to hang out with him on Rodeo Drive for the Concours d’Elegance, a free show of supercars and motorcycles. Alternatively, head to the Paseo Colorado for a classic car show that runs alongside the Pasadena Chalk Festival.
What could be more dad-like than a grilling competition? Eagle Rock Brewery has invited the Oinkster and Grill 'Em All to throw down the gauntlet and battle during the Clash of the Burger Titans. Cast your vote for the best burger; the loser will have to feature the winner's creation on their menu for a month. Eagle Rock Brewery is releasing a special beer just for the occasion, so we're all winners, really.
Wrap up the day with a short ride down the 2 for the iam8bit 10th Anniversary Art Show. The Echo Park art gallery is celebrating its first ten years with works from 100 international artists that tackle retro video games—possibly even retro enough that your dad will get the references.
Find more things to do this weekend by clicking each day or by heading over to our weekend calendar.