August 2020 events calendar for Los Angeles

Disneyland may still be closed, but Sherman Oaks’ Van Eaton Galleries is bringing a little bit of the magic to us with its latest auction of artifacts from the Happiest Place on Earth. “Disneyland: The First 65 Years” marks the theme park’s birthday with 1,100 props, signs, costumes, souvenirs and ride posters from the Anaheim theme park and its siblings around the world, all of which will go up for auction on August 15 and 16. But before then—pending updates to public health guidelines—you can book an appointment to stop by the Ventura Boulevard gallery to seem them for yourself (if last year’s similar exhibition is any indication, expect every bit of wall space to be covered). From July 25 through August 14 (assuming public health guidelines ease up and allow indoor galleries to reopen again), you can scope out items like an original Space Mountain ride vehicle, a tombstone from the Haunted Mansion, an original Eyvind Earle concept painting for the Sleeping Beauty Castle walkthrough, an It’s a Small World animatronic doll and many more. And if you’re interested in finding a home for any of these relics in your living room—and have thousands of dollars to spare—you can participate in the streaming auction in August. The free exhibition will be tentatively open from July 25 through August 14, with reservations available Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 6pm and Sunday from noon to 4pm.

Outdoor movie season isn’t canceled—it’s just headed to the drive-in. Seasonal fave Street Food Cinema is making some social-distancing–friendly tweaks to its schedule this summer and parking itself at a few locations for drive-in movie screenings. The series—which includes flicks like 500 Days of Summer, The Sandlot and The Princess Bride—will host free screenings at Ontario International Airport’s Lot 5, as well as paid ones ($20 per car plus $8 per person) at the Brandeis-Bardin Campus in Simi Valley, Oak Canyon Park in Orange County and King Gillette Ranch in Malibu (they’re also overseeing Level 8 Drive-In atop the Americana). And yes, the usual rotation of food trucks will thankfully still be showing up to screenings. There are some important rules you’ll need to follow: Guests must remain in their vehicles (except for when going to the restrooms or food trucks) and wear masks when interacting with staff. Cars must park one space apart from each other. And though outside food and beverages are permitted, dogs are not.

Even before the resurgence of drive-ins, this summertime tradition has been bringing screenings from the comfort of your car to the Valley for the past few years. Typically held at Lake Balboa, this year’s iteration—with includes The Sandlot, Grease, Jurassic Park and La Bamba—is making the jump to Sherman Oaks’ Westfield Fashion Square Mall. As a result, you’ll be able to order takeout options from the mall’s food court to eat in your car as you watch each flick on a 60-foot screen. My Valley Pass, the area visitors’ guide that runs the event, will also be donating funds to a pair of totally retro-inspired spots: the Valley Relics Museum and Neon Retro Arcade, both of which have been temporarily closed for months now. And if you’re really planning ahead, look out for a series of double features for Halloween, including Edward Scissorhands, Labyrinth, Casper, Scream and more.

Michael B. Jordan’s production company Outlier Society is teaming up with Amazon for a series of free drive-in movie screenings around the country. Here in L.A., it’ll land at the Vineland Drive-In in the City of Industry this July and August with a slate of double features that celebrates diverse voices. Films—which are grouped into themes like movies to make you laugh, proud, open your eyes, fall in love and inspire your inner child—include Do the Right Thing, Girls Trip, Coming to America, Crazy Rich Asians and a Jordan-starring double-feature of Creed and Black Panther. In addition to free admission, each screening comes with free snacks from Black- and Brown-owned businesses, including Path Water, Pipcorn Popcorn and Partake Cookies. Oh, and just a heads up: If you see Glendale on the ticketing site, that’s the one in Arizona, not here in Southern California.

Roll up to Hotel Figueroa’s sprawling parking lot for this drive-in screening series of films created by women, BIPOC and LGBTQ+ voices. Like the Downtown hotel it’s hosted at (which the YWCA opened in 1926 as a safe haven for solo female travelers), the Drive-In puts a focus on community—in this case, all ticket proceeds will be donated to a couple of nonprofit partners. The series kicks off on August 8 with a showing of 2019’s Queen and Slim, featuring an intro by writer Lena Waithe, an appearance by composer Dev Hynes and a virtual performance by soundtrack artist Tiana Major9. Then on August 15, you can catch a live DJ set by Mia Moretti paired with 1973’s Love and Anarchy, which was directed by Lina Wertmuller, the first woman to be nominated for an Oscar for best director. Tickets for the series, which is hosted by YOLA Mezcal and local cinema community Women Under the Influence, cost $40 per car.

The sprawling parking lot at the Ventura County Fairgrounds has been converted into a drive-in for concerts and movie screenings alike. The theater-in-the-round setup fits 700 cars, all pointed toward four massive video screens. Just tune in via your car’s FM radio to listen.

Take your binge-watching habits off of the couch and onto the most scenic parking garage in the city (seriously) with a weekend of pop-up drive-in screenings of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Amazon Prime Video has tapped Street Food Cinema to screen the third season of the Emmy-nominated comedy series from atop the parking garage at the Grove. And even better? It’s totally free to attend. Spread over four nights, from Thursday, August 20 to Sunday, August 23, the event will tackle the entire eight-episode season, from the grand USO-style opener to Midge’s beachy midseason Miami trip to—well, we won’t spoil everything. You can expect two episodes per night, which makes each evening akin to watching a two-hour movie. Advance tickets are required and go up for grabs on Wednesday, August 12 at noon. Each one is good for two guests per car and includes a medianoche sandwich dinner (with vegetarian and vegan options available) from Bar Verde; Sprinkles cupcakes; concessions like popcorn, candy and water; and a Maisel-branded tote, candy, blanket and—because it’s 2020—face mask and hand sanitizer. It’s not the first time Mrs. Maisel has done something marvelously on-the-cheap for Angelenos: In 2018 the show partnered with Canter’s to give away 50-cent sandwiches and last year’s Maisel Day included treats all over L.A. for under a dollar, including—infamously—30-cent gas.

The parking garage at the Americana has some surprisingly spectacular views from its top level, which makes it the perfect spot for this pop-up drive-in movie theater—which makes its return this summer after year’s residency atop the Grove’s parking garage. For a couple of evenings in July, the Glendale shopping center is hosting screenings of flicks like Raiders of the Lost Ark, Black Panther and Crazy Rich Asians, in partnership with Street Food Cinema. In addition to complimentary popcorn, water and boxed candy, you can opt to pre-order a meal from restaurants like Bourbon Steak Los Angeles, Katsuya and Shake Shack. Reservations are already all booked for the many of the screenings, so be sure to step on it for the others.

It’s been months since we’ve seen a live music performance in the flesh. And while seeing a show at a drive-in might not be quite the same as being in the pit, it’s a much-appreciated socially-distanced substitute. Concerts in Your Car is doing, well, just that this summer at the Ventura County Fairgrounds. The sprawling parking lot there has been converted into a theater-in-the-round that fits 700 cars, all pointed toward a stage with a band performing live (plus four massive video screens in case your view isn’t the best). Just tune in via your car’s FM radio and you’ll be able to catch sets through September from the likes of Ozomatli, Third Eye Blind, Fitz and the Tantrums and more.

Supporting Black-owned restaurants is getting even easier—and hyper affordable—thanks to the return of Black Restaurant Week. For 10 days straight, this celebration of African-American, African and Caribbean cuisines highlights participating restaurants across the city who'll all be offering prix-fixe plate specials—some for as little as $10.  There's also a BINGO card to keep score of your visits and enter you to win gift cards, plus a virtual cocktail contest and a database of local, independent Black-owned restaurants to use year round. Find the list of participating L.A. spots here.