Things to do in Los Angeles this Sunday
End the weekend on a high note, whether on the beach or back at the brunch table, with the best things to do this Sunday
Weekend, where have you gone? Before it’s time to head back to work, take a day to relax on the beach or picnic in a park… and maybe sneak in one more boozy brunch. Make the most of your Sunday with these great things to do in L.A.
Time Out loves
The New Wave
Watch film screenings and listen to keynotes and panels from cultural-change–inspiring filmmakers during Film Independent’s free cinema celebration held at both MOCA locations.
Smorgasburg LA
Indulge your inner foodie and shopaholic at this weekly food-focused market. The Brooklyn export has landed in the Arts District and become a hotbed of fantastic food and retail vendors, with some that are testing out their dishes before launching a full-blown brick-and-mortar in the city. Bonus: there is plentiful (and free, for two hours!) parking in the nearby parking garage.
Lizzo
The Minneapolis singer-MC hit stardom this year with her debut major label LP, Cuz I Love You. On it, she refines an already-robust diva persona that comes through with equal intensity whether she’s belting out uplifting soul anthems or wry, clubworthy rap bangers.
Tig Notaro
A master of dry humor and observational comedy, Tig Notaro’s years as a comedy writer helped her transition to the stand-up circuit. Whether it’s dragging a stool across the stage or a drawn out tale about run-ins with an obsolete pop singer, Notaro is sure to draw laughs.
Big Bear Lake Oktoberfest
Head to the mountains for the annual Oktoberfest at Big Bear Lake, where you'll be able to clink steins every weekend from now until November 2. Beer will be flowing, knockwursts will be cooked up and dirndls will be worn. The schedule includes numerous bands—four flown straight from Germany—and other performances, and some lucky damsel will be named the Oktoberfest Queen when she wins the stein carrying contest.
Asssscat
Every Saturday and Sunday, the UCB franchise’s longest-running, most beloved showcase starts when a base cast of the theater’s current top-brass—including founding UCB members Matt Walsh, Matt Besser and Ian Roberts—takes the stage. Then they introduce the surprise celebrity alumnae and friends who will be joining them (think Horatio Sanz, Ben Schwartz, Adam Pally). And finally, another special guest takes the stage, a non-improviser (think Flea, Cat Power, Rebel Wilson, Lena Dunham) who opens the show with a personal story, that’s deftly mined for laughs by the players. But you have to go to find out who’s there—that’s part of the fun. Looking for a cheap night out? Sunday shows are free, but seating is first-come, first-served, so be sure to arrive early.
I Like Scary Movies
Forget the Museum of Ice Cream and 29 Rooms—the latest selfie-bait experience to hit L.A. trades cutesy for creepy, hurling you into some of the most beloved and recognizable horror films of all time. I Like Scary Movies, a wonderland of terror-fueled photo ops, is a walkthrough experience that flips the script on the social-media "museum" craze and allows you to pose and interact with scenes and settings from IT, Beetlejuice, The Lost Boys, The Shining and Nightmare on Elm Street. Find it in the Arts District at the HD Buttercup Building (2117 E Violet St).
Second Home Serpentine Pavilion by SelgasCano
Each summer, a different world-renowned architect constructs a short-lived immersive pavilion in London’s Kensington Gardens. Now, for the first time, one of those fleeting structures is headed stateside: SelgasCano’s crisscross of airy rainbow tunnels will welcome visitors who are looking for colorful photo ops and free performances, hosted by coworking space Second Home and the Natural History Museum. Second Home Serpentine Pavilion by SelgasCano This iridescent rainbow pavilion has landed at the La Brea Tar Pits—and you can visit for free. http://bit.ly/2LnXCT6 Posted by Time Out Los Angeles on Thursday, June 27, 2019 We’re sure the pavilion’s Insta-worthiness will be the biggest attraction for most visitors, but take a moment to admire some of the whimsical architectural details: the colorful latticework of shadows on the floor, the calm canopy of streamers overhead, the iridescent shimmer of the plastic walls, the winding hallway that hugs the pavilion’s exterior. It should provide a stunning backdrop, too, for the pavilion’s planned live talks, which already include the likes of Universal Music, Netflix, World Wildlife Fund, David Lynch, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Frieze LA, LACMA and the mayor’s office. You can swing by daily from 11am to 7pm (and until 9pm on Fridays), though timed express entry tickets will also be released. While you definitely want to visit when there’s ample sunlight to make the irridescent exterior and its colorful shadows more vibrant, do
“Natural History of Horror”
It’s alive. It’s alive! The Natural History Museum is taking a look at the science and history that inspired some of film’s most iconic, hideous creatures. “Natural History of Horror” showcases scientific breakthroughs, like early experiments in animal electricity, (mis)understanding the spread of diseases, the discovery of the first living coelacanth and the excavation of King Tut’s tomb, to explore how they influenced old-school monster movies, including Frankenstein, Dracula, Creature From the Black Lagoon and The Mummy. Back in the 1930s, Universal Studios donated around 50 props to museum’s still-growing moving images collection. You’ll find some of these, like actor Boris Karloff’s wrappings from The Mummy and a pair of shackles from Frankenstein, alongside their real-life inspirations: millennia-old mummified Egyptian figurines and preserved frog specimens, to name a couple. At the center of the small gallery, clips from the four highlighted films play out. Sure, they all seem stylistically silly by today’s standards—look no further than the featureless face of a wood-and-cloth bat that’s pinned right next to an actual vampire bat specimen. But the monster designs, like the silicone reconstruction of the Creature from the Black Lagoon suit, are timeless and tap into our imaginations’ ability to take a stranger-than-fiction truth and stretch it into something fantastical (see: vampires, missing link sea monsters and walking, talking mummies). Unlike most of the muse
“The Allure of Matter: Material Art from China”
Exhibition organizer Wu Hung, of the University of Chicago’s Smart Museum, has categorized the creators at the center of “The Allure of Matter” as “material artists,” and, well, that’s a pretty to-the-point description: The 21 featured artists all employ unconventional materials to create their works (each installation includes photo documentation of the piece’s construction), like Zhang Huan’s use of temple incense ash to form a landscape of field workers or Wang Jin’s imperial robes made from PVC. But the use of materials goes beyond aesthetics and instead engages with China’s extreme economic changes, history of artmaking and government censorship. The unconventional material choices lead to some sublime surprises: Gu Wenda’s rainbow, tent-like United Nations: American Code is no Insta backdrop, but rather a symbol of international tolerance made entirely of strands and braids of human and synthetic hair. Most memorably, Xu Bing’s floor-covering 1st Class looks just like a massive tiger rug, but is in fact made of half a million loosely positioned cigarettes (the smell of tobacco is unmistakable). Make sure to peek at that one from both sides: The orange-and-white design changes to brown and white depending on where you stand.
Popular
Lizzo
The Minneapolis singer-MC hit stardom this year with her debut major label LP, Cuz I Love You. On it, she refines an already-robust diva persona that comes through with equal intensity whether she’s belting out uplifting soul anthems or wry, clubworthy rap bangers.
Tig Notaro
A master of dry humor and observational comedy, Tig Notaro’s years as a comedy writer helped her transition to the stand-up circuit. Whether it’s dragging a stool across the stage or a drawn out tale about run-ins with an obsolete pop singer, Notaro is sure to draw laughs.
Big Bear Lake Oktoberfest
Head to the mountains for the annual Oktoberfest at Big Bear Lake, where you'll be able to clink steins every weekend from now until November 2. Beer will be flowing, knockwursts will be cooked up and dirndls will be worn. The schedule includes numerous bands—four flown straight from Germany—and other performances, and some lucky damsel will be named the Oktoberfest Queen when she wins the stein carrying contest.
All My Friends Music Festival
ROW DTLA isn’t just for Smorgasburg and trendy boutiques. Come this October, it’ll also host the return of All My Friends, the newest EDM-focused music festival from HARD founder Gary Richards. The second annual fest will arrive at ROW DTLA on October 19 and 20, with Justice, Idris Elba and Destructo (that’s Richards’s DJ moniker) atop Saturday’s lineup and Black Coffee, DJ Harvey and a special guest on Sunday. Tickets for the 18-and-over fest are on sale now. A two-day pass costs $119, while a VIP ticket runs for $179.
Hello Kitty Friends Around the World Tour
Is mid-2019 a little late to be getting into the Insta-room game? It sure is. But will we make an exception for Hello Kitty? Mostly. The supercute Sanrio mascot is celebrating her 45th anniversary with what’s being billed as an “immersive, multisensory, walkthrough experience.” Translation: A pop-up of Instagrammable Hello Kitty-themed rooms. You’ll navigate through five different spaces on this tour around the world: Hello Kitty’s house in London, a Parisian bakery serving cookues from the Hello Kitty Cafe, New York, Honolulu and Tokyo, all with an assortment of Sanrio characters and photo ops sprinkled throughout. And, of course, the trip wraps up at “baggage claim”—a souvenir shop that includes collaborations with Girl Skateboards, Herschel Supply Co. and Levi’s. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Time Out Los Angeles (@timeoutla) on Sep 19, 2019 at 4:22pm PDT So is it worth a visit? We’d say that mostly depends on how big of a Hello Kitty fan you are. The murals are super cute and the nail art stations are neat, plus there’s plenty of merch available. But the offerings feel a little thin for the price, with limited interactive elements—depending on how crowded it is inside, we can’t imagine spending any more than a half hour there. You’ll find light snacks like popcorn and cotton candy for sale in the cafe, but only some free cookies inside the installations. We’d say this one is more for the Hello Kitty diehards (which, he
Free
The New Wave
Watch film screenings and listen to keynotes and panels from cultural-change–inspiring filmmakers during Film Independent’s free cinema celebration held at both MOCA locations.
Smorgasburg LA
Indulge your inner foodie and shopaholic at this weekly food-focused market. The Brooklyn export has landed in the Arts District and become a hotbed of fantastic food and retail vendors, with some that are testing out their dishes before launching a full-blown brick-and-mortar in the city. Bonus: there is plentiful (and free, for two hours!) parking in the nearby parking garage.
Los Angeles Guinea Pig Rescue Fall Festival
There’s a guinea pig rescue in Chatsworth—who knew?—and they’re hosting a fall festival with guinea pig adoptions, contests and races, plus tours of the ranch and vegan food and drinks for sale. You can even bring your own guinea pig for free health checks and nail clips. You’ll find the Los Angeles Guinea Pig Rescue and the event at 10856 Farralone Avenue, just around the corner from Topanga Canyon Boulevard and the 118.
Pumpkin Festival
Explore a petting zoo, pony rides, bounce castles, carnival games and seasonal crafts at this Pasadena pumpkin patch and costume parade. All proceeds benefit the Kidspace Children’s Museum’s Kidspace For All programs, which works to provide free and discounted admission for those in undeserved communities.
Asssscat
Every Saturday and Sunday, the UCB franchise’s longest-running, most beloved showcase starts when a base cast of the theater’s current top-brass—including founding UCB members Matt Walsh, Matt Besser and Ian Roberts—takes the stage. Then they introduce the surprise celebrity alumnae and friends who will be joining them (think Horatio Sanz, Ben Schwartz, Adam Pally). And finally, another special guest takes the stage, a non-improviser (think Flea, Cat Power, Rebel Wilson, Lena Dunham) who opens the show with a personal story, that’s deftly mined for laughs by the players. But you have to go to find out who’s there—that’s part of the fun. Looking for a cheap night out? Sunday shows are free, but seating is first-come, first-served, so be sure to arrive early.
Movies
Cinema Phantasmagoria
Street Food Cinema is supplementing its slate of outdoor movies with a Halloween-themed residency at Downtown’s Million Dollar Theatre. The century-old movie palace will host screenings of flicks like Halloween, Hocus Pocus, Shaun of the Dead, Beetlejuice and more. Guests are welcome to bring food from the neighboring Grand Central Market into the theater, as well as to embark on a backstage ghost tour ($12). You’ll find an early and late screening each evening, and your single ticket gets you into both of them.
Rooftop Cinema Club
The masters of alfresco rooftop movie viewing have returned for another season of screenings in Hollywood and 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 blanket or camping chair—Rooftop Cinema Club provides you with your very own comfy lawn chair, as well as blankets on request for the ultimate cozy experience. 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.
Joker
It's the laugh that gets you: Joaquin Phoenix’s half cackle, half rasp has all the soothing music of a vulture in a blender. It’ll be ratting around in your head long after the old-school “The End” card flashes up on this unrelenting, grimly funny and brilliantly visceral reinvention of the DC supervillain. Joker is a truly nightmarish vision of late-era capitalism—arguably the best “social horror” film since Get Out—and Phoenix is magnetic in it. He runs Heath Ledger cigarette paper-close as the finest screen Joker. Like everything in this drum-tight movie, the title’s lack of a definite article is no accident: It’s not the fully formed Joker being introduced here, but Arthur Fleck, a man whose ambition to tell jokes professionally is at odds with the living he scraps as a clown for hire on Gotham’s grimy streets. Judging by posters of the movies playing—Excalibur and Blow Out—it’s 1981, but it feels more like the ’70s of Death Wish. He lives with his frail mom (Frances Conroy) in a broken-down tenement, eking out a little joy watching a TV chat show hosted with oily relish by Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro). Arthur’s on seven types of medication and has a neurological condition that causes him to laugh—okay, cackle—uncontrollably. In these domestic early scenes, Phoenix establishes Arthur as a man who sees himself less as an underdog than a mutt waiting to be put down. “I just don’t want to feel so bad anymore,” he says. And no wonder: It’s a seriously bleak world he inh
Parasite
Rarely does a movie combine cinematic fireworks and social commentary as mischievously as Korean director Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite does. It’s a slick home-invasion drama that mirrors the masks worn by its characters: The film is polite until it drops all pretense. The director of The Host and Snowpiercer is no stranger to genre gymnastics, and in this story about a poor Seoul family that infiltrates a super-rich one, he allows moments of pure terror, quiet observation and baroque comedy to sit happily alongside each other. Impressively, the film never jars you as it glides from one state of being to the next. Parasite plays upon primal, age-old themes that never lose appeal: inequality, class, manners and how we behave to protect what’s ours (or to gain that which we believe should be ours). We meet a hard-up family living in a semi-basement that has a view of an alleyway where drunks like to take a piss. The husband Ki-taek (Song Kang-ho), wife Chung-sook (Chang Hyae-jin) and their twentysomething kids, son Ki-woo (Choi Woo-sik) and daughter Ki-jung (Park So-dam), are all scraping together a living doing odd jobs like assembling pizza boxes. The film’s spark is lit when Ki-woo fakes his résumé and starts tutoring the daughter of Mr. Park (Lee Sun-kyun), a rich young businessman, and his equally alluring wife, Yeon-kyo (Jo Yeo-jeong). One by one, the rest of the family play the same game and ease their way into the Park household—as a maid, a chauffeur—and the black humor of
The Lighthouse
You can almost taste the salt on your lips in the new psychological horror film from The Witch’s Robert Eggers, one that will leave even the sturdiest of sea legs shaking. It’s a two-handed chamber piece about a pair of lighthouse keepers living on a remote island off the New England coast at the turn of the 20th century and it’s lit up by mesmerizing performances by Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe. Dafoe is Tom Wake, an old sea dog with a clay pipe jutting from his thick beard and the chief “wickie” of the lighthouse. He’s an amalgam of clichés (which the script wittily acknowledges, including his peg-leg), and he loves gin, sea shanties and cooking lobster. Pattinson plays ex-logger Ephraim Winslow, recently arrived from Canada. He’s the strong and silent type who seems to have a skeleton or two in his closet. Both are men’s men—the quarrelsome, petty, tobacco-chomping variety. Dafoe and Pattinson deliver the script (by Eggers and his brother Max) with incredible pathos, sounding like characters who have slipped from the pages of Melville’s Moby-Dick. The dialogue is packed with the sort of withering insults worthy of In the Loop's Malcolm Tucker, and they lash like a hailstorm. Dafoe has a long-established reputation but, for many, Pattinson remains that guy from Twilight, despite sterling work with the likes of David Cronenberg, James Gray and Claire Denis. Those films showcased his talents, but Eggers draws something new from the actor. Pattinson’s performance will
More things to do on Sunday
The best brunch restaurants in Los Angeles
If breakfast is the most important meal of the day, isn’t that reason enough to get serious about weekend brunch?
Best hikes in L.A.
Whether you’re more cityscape gawker or ocean gazer, we’ve got the trek for you.
The best beaches in Los Angeles
From Venice and Santa Monica to Manhattan Beach and Playa Vista, here are the top spots to sunbathe, surf and play.