Things to do in Los Angeles today

Each summer, Bard fanatics watch their favorite works come to life at the historic Old Zoo in Griffith Park. For 16 years running, Independent Shakespeare Co. has put on a series of lively productions each week, inviting audiences to take a seat on the grass (bring a picnic blanket) and enjoy performances like this season’s headliner, Shakespeare political thriller Coriolanus, which will be followed by the self-explanatory The Comedy of Errors. With construction of a permanent stage still in process on the main lawn, this summer’s shows will again be held in the dell at the top of the Old Zoo—meaning available space is smaller, and although performances are still free, reservations are required.

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.

Timed to 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, this new multimedia exhibition in South L.A. reimagines the story of America through Black, Brown, Indigenous, immigrant and LGBTQ+ perspectives—in other words, the voices that have historically been left out in the telling of our country’s story. The result is a combination of immersive storytelling, artwork from 35 artists and community-generated narratives, amplifying not only struggle but also futurism, joy and resilience. Presenters Community Coalition and Sankofa.org have also planned accompanying programming, including an open mic night, panels, a resource fair, creative workshops and even a performance by Aloe Blacc (July 12, 5pm).

This Sunday, July 19, bike, bus, train or walk your way to a free and fun means of exploring the beautiful city of Santa Monica at the return of COAST Open Streets. The breezy local event transforms the city into a pedestrian-friendly, family-friendly festival for the day. COAST will span the heart of the city, from Third Street Promenade and the Metro E Line station across to Ocean, Colorado and Arizona Avenues, all the way to the iconic Santa Monica Pier. Along the way, you’ll find live art installations, music, immersive performances, family-friendly activities, food trucks and beer gardens. And this time around, it coincides with the final World Cup match, serving as a grand finale for the coastal city’s lively soccer celebrations.

The term CicLAvia stems from a similar Spanish word for “bike way,” and in L.A. it’s become a shorthand for the temporary, festival-like closing of L.A.’s streets. The event (inspired by the first Ciclovías in Bogotá, Colombia) welcomes bikes, tricycles, skateboards, strollers and basically anything else without an engine to ride a rotating cast of car-free routes. You’ll inevitably always find a route each year around Downtown, but past events have taken it anywhere from the harbor to the San Gabriel Valley. Expect music, street performances and food trucks, as well as general whimsy and shenanigans along the way. Shop owners and restaurants along the CicLAvia route also tend to host specials. It goes without saying that you should bike or take the Metro to your desired spot along the route.

You might have seen ads on Instagram over the past couple of months for Hospital of Emotions—a colorful, cartoony flyer that heralds a site-specific art pop-up located in a real hospital with the tagline “a place to heal your heART.” The conceit intrigued me off the bat: 70 artists (both local and international) given hospital rooms as a canvas to transform as they wished. Hospital of Emotions ads are also referring to it as “the experience of the year.” We’re only in May so that’s still TBD, but I do think the exhibition—which is inhabiting the former St. Vincent Medical Center in Westlake and is officially open to the public as of May 27—is well worth your time. While the entire experience is hospital-themed—you walk through a waiting room and are given an intake form and hospital wristband, employees are in doctors’ coats—it’s not the cheesy type of immersive exhibition (read: selfie factory) that you might expect. Instead you’ll find 80 rooms filled with thought-provoking, visually dazzling and, yes, eminently photogenic installations. But there’s both style and substance here. And though the tickets are definitely on the pricey side, there’s so much to see—I spent nearly two hours there during my visit—that it (almost) makes up for it. The rooms are organized by theme; you start at the top of the building in the “Resilience Department” and make your way through clusters of rooms inspired by feelings like joy, sadness, anger, grief, fear and hope. The emphasis on...

Every Sunday, you can find dozens of food vendors at this market at ROW DTLA, a Brooklyn import that boasts a mix of much-loved pop-ups and future foodie stars. Thirteen new vendors are joining the lineup this year: Feast on burgers and orange chicken sandwiches from Terrible Burger, Viennese street food from Franzl’s Franks, Neapolitan-meets-Persian pies from Mamani Pizza, plant-based corn dogs from Stick Talk and more. Wash it all down at the family-friendly beer garden. You’ll also find shopping stalls selling everything from framed vintage ads to jewelry made locally with ethically sourced gemstones. Entry and the first two hours of parking are free.

It’s official: Los Angeles has soccer (football?) fever. The city is hosting eight FIFA World Cup matches at SoFi Stadium between June 12 and July 10. Don’t have the cash to score tickets? You’re in luck. While it won’t be quite the same as having a seat right on the pitch, there will be a rotating slate of fan zones across L.A. County, with official watch parties held from Venice to Downtown L.A. to Burbank to Pomona. Some of these events are free, while others are charging a nominal fee. In any case, you’ll get to enjoy live match viewing and immersive fan experiences closer to home and still be part of the global moment. 

The World Cup has turned Los Angeles into one giant watch party, and for the final match, Street Food Cinema will once again host a big, free, community screening at the Autry Museum. Co-presented by Councilmember Nithya Raman and the L.A. Parks Foundation, Fútbol for the People pairs the action—shown on a large screen in the lawn—with food trucks, photo ops, a vendor marketplace and the kind of communal sports energy Angelenos can’t get enough of lately. 

Mix fried food, carnival attractions and the occasional rodeo or demolition derby, and you’ve got the OC Fair. What started as a quaint fair in 1889 has since grown into a monthlong fest in the middle of summer. It also boasts a lineup of alfresco live music that’s more impressive than most fairs’—this year you can catch Willie Nelson, Cypress Hill, Patti LaBelle, the Head and the Heart, Diana Ross, Alison Krauss, Steve Aoki, Boy George and even comedian Trevor Noah, among others. See the full lineup here.