Things to do in Los Angeles on Friday

The masters of alfresco rooftop movie viewing have returned for another season of screenings to LEVEL in Downtown L.A. Known for excellent film choices and a steady supply of snacks and booze, Rooftop Cinema Club is your snazzy, comfortable and less stressful alternative to other outdoor movie screenings. You don’t even need to bring your own camping chair—Rooftop Cinema Club provides you with your very own comfy lawn chair (with optional blankets for purchase to up the coziness). And instead of listening to the movie over loudspeakers, you’ll get a set of wireless headphones so you never have to miss a word. Find the full schedule on their site, or in our outdoor movie calendar.

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) throughout the summer.

Now one of L.A.’s most treasured summer traditions, Barnsdall Park’s wine tastings regularly attract sell-out crowds. Perched atop Olive Hill on the west lawn of the historic Hollyhock House (which you can tour during the evening for an additional $36), the Barnsdall Friday fund raisers include fine selections of boutique wines provided by Silverlake Wine with a spectacular sunset and 360-degree views of the city. Bring along a blanket and a picnic basket, or just nosh on the variety of food trucks parked up there. Though there used to be lots of kids running around, the event lawn is now 21-and-up—perfect for a date night. Proceeds support the park’s art programs and historic renovations.

Watch a slate of classics from the past couple of decades on one of the prettiest rooftops—now called Oasis—in Hollywood at this outdoor screenings series. All movies are piped in over sets of provided wireless headphones. Before showtime, make sure to hit up the bar or the on-site kitchen.

Don’t go in the water, but do go to the Academy Museum to see the largest exhibition ever dedicated to Steven Spielberg’s quintessential summer blockbuster, Jaws—which is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The museum was already home to the last surviving model shark from filming, but now you can hear behind-the-scenes stories and see some 200 original objects from the film across multiple galleries. You can even have your own Martin Brody dolly-zoom moment in front of re-created beach cabanas from the film and see the lens used to film the famous shot.

The reopened Getty Villa is back with a new season of its Outdoor Classical Theater series, which brings a dramatic work to life each year in the museum’s outdoor, ancient-Greece-style amphitheatre. This time around, the play is a musical mashup of Sophocles’s incestuous tragedy and the songs of Elvis Presley performed by the L.A.-based Troubadour Theater Company, known for its innovative adaptations of classics. Enjoy the ocean breeze while you dine on concessions like Memphis-style baby back ribs or an “Elvis” peanut butter, banana and Nutella sandwich before the show.

Ready or not, spooky season is slowly stalking its way ever closer. The clearest sign? Universal Studios has already announced the haunted houses set to inhabit its Hollywood-adjacent theme park for Halloween Horror Nights—and there are some pretty big ones. Fallout will get its own haunted house at Universal Studios Hollywood this year (as well as the theme park’s Orlando location), which promises to be a blast. Wander through the post-apocalyptic Wasteland—complete with Scavengers, Raiders, the Ghoul and RAD Roaches the size of dogs—inspired by the award-winning video game franchise and Prime Video TV show. You’ll also find a maze celebrating 45 years of Friday the 13th’s iconic villain, Jason Voorhees, in “Jason Universe,” which will re-create the summer camp, cabin and forest as the hockey-mask-wearing killer goes on a vengeance tour. And a Five Nights at Freddy’s haunted house will bring the creepy animatronic characters to life. Over on the studio tour—ahem, Terror Tram—you can expect a “disturbing new turn” this year.  Halloween Horror Nights runs on select evenings from September 4 to November 2. Tickets cost $77 to $107, depending on the night; with Express Pass add-ons, options range from $209 all the way up to $529 (for the R.I.P. Tour option). See more of the best haunted houses in L.A.

This haunted Griffith Park hayride once again returns to the mid-’80s fictitious town of Midnight Falls, which borrows a little bit of the road culture of Sons of Anarchy and the isolation of Twin Peaks. And this year the Mistress of the Dark herself, Elvira, is taking up residence. The Griffith Park tradition, which has been running for 17 years now, centers on a relatively lengthy hayride, which runs on select nights from September 19 to November 2. The premise: A witch has summoned creatures that’ve hidden themselves among Halloween decorations in the town’s foothills. This year’s event promises new Elvira–themed takes on the Scary-Go-Round and Trick or Treat attraction, as well as a cozy lounge where apple cider and doughnuts provide a respite from the scares. The event’s various other attractions will be centered around the jack-o’-lantern–filled Midnight Falls Town Square, with a Janelle Monáe-headlined party manor as well axe throwing, water balloon–based paintball (or “Zombie Splat”) and the Hellbilly Halloween maze. Can I wear a costume? No. Costumes, face paint and props are not allowed. Where do I park for the Haunted Hayride? Prepaid parking is available but limited in the trio of nearby lots (Merry-Go-Round lots 1, 2 and 3). You can also park for free in the much larger L.A. Zoo parking lot and take a shuttle from the lot’s northwest corner to the event. Note: While the hayride used to take place at the Griffith Park Old Zoo, in recent years it’s moved...

This special exhibition at the Broad makes its way to Downtown L.A. from the 2024 Venice Biennale—and Angelenos should consider themselves lucky that such a remarkable display has set up stateside. Jeffrey Gibson became the first Indigenous artist to represent the United States with a solo exhibition at the Italian art event, and this adaptation of that show, “the space in which to place me,” assembles 30-plus pieces of geometrically-patterned paintings and glass bead–adorned sculptures into the first-floor galleries of the Broad. Born in Colorado with tribal roots in the Southeast U.S., Gibson explores Indigenous identity as well as queer history by fusing pop music lyrics and foundational American documents into psychedelic statements on belonging, history and oppression; the Declaration of Independence’s “we hold these truths to be self-evident…” line—but not “all men are created equal”—is spelled out across brilliantly saturated beads that’ve been affixed to a literal punching bag. But this is ultimately a joyous show, an inclusive celebration of survival, resilience and empowerment that pays tribute to histories of resistance and looks optimistically forward. Unlike the rest of the otherwise free museum, you’ll need to buy a $15 ticket to see Gibson’s exhibition. And while it’s absolutely worth the price, you can save by taking advantage of free admission on Thursday evenings after 5pm. Expect an accompanying slate of performances, talks and workshops, as well.

Get ready for Oasis’s Rose Bowl shows by revisiting the Gallagher brothers’ early days of fame, captured through the lens of music photographer Kevin Cummins. Musichead Gallery on Sunset will have the portraits on display through October 28, but on opening night this Thursday, Cummins will be on hand, where he’ll talk about all things Oasis and the music scene in Manchester. He’ll also be signing copies of his new book about the band, which is included in the $55 opening-night ticket price.