Labor Day events in Los Angeles

Everyone’s favorite NPR member station has a hand in a slew of summer concert slates at public plazas and beloved museums, including a Labor Day weekend event at Descanso Gardens.

Each summer, Bard fanatics watch their favorite works come to life at the historic Old Zoo in Griffith Park. Independent Shakespeare Co. invites audiences to take a seat on the grass (read: bring a picnic blanket) and enjoy performances—this weekend marks the last few for the season—of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Film buffs, unite. This lesser-known cinephile festival is celebrating over five decades of showing classic film fare. Enjoy a five-day program of rare and unusual old silent films and shorts shown at the Old Town Music Hall in El Segundo.

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) starting in April.

The midnight snacker’s greatest fantasy is just a car ride away. One of America’s largest Asian food markets spans the course of Santa Anita Park’s front Paddock Gardens during the summer. Come hungry and come caffeinated—this lively market, complete with over 250 Asian street food and booze peddlers, live music, artists, games, and beyond, won’t put itself to bed until midnight.

Every Sunday you can find dozens of food vendors at this market at ROW DTLA, with a mix of much-loved pop-ups and future foodie stars. Labor Day weekend marks the last opportunity to take advantage of Ice Cream Alley, a seasonal assembly of sweets vendors.

The masters of alfresco rooftop movie viewing have returned for another season of screenings in Downtown L.A., the Arts District and El Segundo. Labor Day weekend screenings include a “Summerween” series (Practical Magic, Coraline, Hocus Pocus) in El Segundo and at ROW DTLA.