If you’re already going broke on summer music festival tickets, you’ll be happy to hear there are plenty of free things to do in June. From the kickoff of free concert season to a Downtown design fest, these are the best ways to make the most of your month without breaking into your wallet.
May 31–June 2
Lummis Day Festival; Various locations
Celebrate the arts, history and ethnic diversity of Northeast Los Angeles at this annual music, dance and art festival.
May 31–July 13
“Marco Castillo: The Decorator’s Home“; UTA Artist Space
Scope out geometric sculptures in this first U.S. solo exhibition from Castillo, a collaborator with the Cuban Modernist Los Carpinteros collective.
June 1–Sept 7
KCRW Summer Nights; Various locations
Everyone’s favorite NPR affiliate is back with its summertime concert series, starting with performances in Pasadena and Chinatown.
June 2
Urban Air Market; Hillhurst Ave at Franklin Ave
Stock up on handmade wares at this open-air artisan market in Los Feliz, with more than 100 sustainable and ethical fashion brands.
June 7–9
LA Pride; West Hollywood Park
Party with a few hundred thousand proud Angelenos at this legendary gay pride parade.
June 8
Playhouse Block Party; Pasadena Playhouse
Celebrate the Pasadena Playhouse’s legacy with performances from local bands and ensembles, hands-on art pop-ups and a slew of food trucks.
June 8, 9
EA Play; Hollywood Palladium
Get your hands on some of the biggest upcoming releases in the gaming world as publisher EA hosts this public-facing fan event.
June 11–Oct 13
“Bauhaus Beginnings”; Getty Research Institute
Dive into the founding principles of the influential German art school with over 250 pieces of rare ephemera.
June 15
Los Angeles Bread Festival; Grand Central Market
Slip into a carb coma at this event filled with unabashed bread guzzling, specialty loaves, workshops and demos.
June 15, 16
Pasadena Chalk Festival; Paseo Colorado
Watch where you step as dozens of chalk art masterpieces cover the sidewalks during this Father’s Day tradition.
June 16
Bloomsday; Hammer Museum
Celebrate the date on which James Joyce’s Ulysses is set with Irish food, music and pours of Guinness, along with dramatic readings.
June 20–23
LA Design Festival; ROW DTLA
Scope out slick installations, in-store collabs and an array of talks during this gathering of architecture, interiors, graphics and fashion.
June 21–Aug 2
Silver Lake Picture Show; Sunset Triangle Plaza
Kick off the free Friday night film series with a screening of Selena.
June 21–Aug 30
Dance Downtown; Grand Park
Brush up on your Bollywood steps during the opening night of this free Downtown tradition.
June 22
World Naked Bike Ride Los Angeles; Various locations
Let it all hang out as the "bare as you dare" bike ride comes to town.
June 22
Off the 405; Getty Center
See a set from L’Rain as this free concert series at the Getty contintues.
June 26–Oct 28
“Buried by Vesuvius: Treasures from the Villa dei Papiri”; Getty Villa
Decipher the remains of papyrus scrolls, mosaics and bronze and marble statues buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and recovered from the Villa dei Papiri, after which the Getty Villa is modeled.
June 28–Dec 1
Donna Huanca: Obsidian Ladder; Marciano Art Foundation
Known for using nude bodies as her canvas, Huanca’s site-specific performance piece will fill the Marciano’s theater gallery, a former gathering place for the Freemason’s secret order of men, with painted female models.
June 28, July 12, 26
Summer Nights in the Garden; Natural History Museum
Spend an evening outside the Natural History Museum with live music, garden-inspired cocktails, hands-on science projects, botanical tours and food trucks.
June 29–Aug 17
“Punch”; Jeffrey Deitch
Nina Chanel Abney curates a show of 33 friends and peers who contribute figurative paintings and sculptures that combine visual panache with wokeness.
June 29–Sept 1
Free Shakespeare in Griffith Park; Old Zoo
Bard fanatics, flock to Griffith Park and bring along a blanket for free outdoor performances from the Independent Shakespeare Co.
June 30
CicLAvia: Mid-City Meets Pico Union; Various locations
Pedal your way through Mid-City during the bike-friendly fest.
Ongoing
Free concerts; Various locations
Listen to some tunes without breaking the bank with free shows at the Echo, the Satellite, Grand Park and more.
Ongoing
Free museum days; Various locations
Make the most of free days at LACMA, the Natural History Museum and more, plus always-free museums like the Hammer, Getty and Broad.