September is finally here but August isn’t leaving quietly. Check out the festivals, musical performances and camping events happening around LA this week. For more geeky events, check out our summer geek guide.

Aug. 26

The Music Center’s Dance DTLA

Jerry Moss Plaza | 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012 | Aug. 26 | musiccenter.org

Learn a new dance under the stars at this very popular, free event. Instructor Leslie Ferreira will teach you to dance bachata.

Ramon Ayala Y Sus Bravos del Norte

Starlight Bowl |1249 Lockheed View Drive, Burbank, CA 91501 | Aug. 26-27 | starlightbowl.com

With over six decades of music, Ramon Ayala his band will perform authentic norteño music under the stars. Pack food and drinks, and make it a family event. 

Overnight Family Camping

Six LA County Parks | Aug. 26 | reservations.lacounty.gov

Camp under the stars this summer at Bonelli, Castaic, Hahn, Santa Fe Dam and Whittier Narrows. Registration is $10 per person and free for kids 11 and under.

Garry Marshall Theatre Outdoor Summer Concert Series: Ty Taylor

Garry Marshall Theatre | 4252 W. Riverside Drive, Burbank, CA 91505 | Aug. 26 | garrymarshalltheatre.org

The incomparable Ty Taylor showcases his nouveau mid-century romance songbook. Taylor was hand picked by Baz Luhrmann to sing in the recently released “Elvis.”

909 Open Market

Downtown Pomona | 119 W. Second St., Pomona, CA 91766 | Aug. 26 | 909openmarket.com 

Every 4th Saturday of the month, explore a world of handmade goods, fashion and enjoy some food and beer.

Centennial Square Boxing Show

Pasadena City Hall | 100 N. Garfield Ave., Pasadena, CA 91101 | Aug. 26 | cityofpasadena.net

This free, family-friendly event features 12 bouts of action-packed, Olympic-style boxing, with both male and female competitors ages 8 and older. The evening kicks off with the national anthem and a color guard presentation from Pasadena’s 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment. Attendees will also enjoy DJ music, classic cars on display, and food for purchase.

LeáLA Feria del Libro en Español y Festival Literario

LA Plaza del Cultura y Artes | 501 N. Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90012 | Aug. 26-28 | lea-la.com

This book and literary festival paying homage to the Mayan culture will feature authors, academics, and specialists on literature in Spanish. 

“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” & Exclusive Look at “Andor”

El Capitan Theatre | 1755 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood, CA 90028 | Aug. 26-Sept. 5 | elcapitantheatre.com

Watch Lucasfilm’s “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” at the El Capitan Theatre with an exclusive look at the new Disney+ Series “Andor.” Tickets are $12 for all ages and include a “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” mini poster while supplies last.

Pinners Conference

Fairplex Expo Hall 4 | 1101 W. McKinley Ave., Pomona, CA 91768 | Aug. 26-27 | ca.pinnersconference.com 

Pinterest-obsessed DIYers can find more than 100 classes in arts and crafts, cooking, DIY home decor, party planning, painting, beauty and fashion and travel. There will also be 200 merchants from the world of DIY, crafts, cooking, self-improvement, photography, party planning, scrapbooking, holiday, beauty and fashion and all sorts of other hobbies.

626 Night Market

Santa Anita Park | 285 W. Huntington Drive, Arcadia, CA 91007 | Aug. 26-28 | 626nightmarket.com

The 626 Night Market is back in the 626 for another summer of delectable treats and new finds. Featuring vendors selling dim sum, tacos, BBQ ribs, desserts, boba, aguas frescas, churros and ice cream, and various styles of apparel, jewelry, home goods and collectibles, you’ll want to arrive early enough to see and taste everything.  

Witch!

Heritage Square Museum | 3800 Homer St., Los Angeles, CA 90031 | Aug. 26-28 | eventbrite.com

Witch! Witch! You’re a witch! In this immersive experience inspired by the Pendle Witch Trials of 1612, you might get separated from the people you arrived with as you meet witches and inquisitors around the haunted mansions and abandoned chapel. Goody Putnam might even accuse you of witchcraft. 

Aug. 27

Leimert Park Jazz Festival

Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Mall | 3650 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90008 | Aug. 27 | leimertparkjazzfestival.com 

General admission is free for this festival celebrating jazz, community and culture! With over 8 hours of music, the festival’s lineup includes performances from Pete Escovedo & Family; The Jazz Classics featuring Patrice Rushen, Ernie Watts, Marvin “Smitty” Smith and Edwin Livingston; John Beasley’s MONK’estra, Munyungo’s Jungle Jazz, and many others. There will also be art and music activities for kids, Leimert Park Village merchants selling goods, a visual arts pavilion and food, wine and beer. 

An Evening with Christopher Jackson & Wayne Brady 

The Ford | 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Los Angeles, CA 90068 | Aug. 27 | theford.com

In a night dedicated to live performance and storytelling, co-produced by 4C LAB, Christopher Jackson and Wayne Brady will share their professional journeys, answer questions from fans, and perform original songs and covers. The night will support 4C LAB, a 501(c)3 arts organization that provides arts immersion programming led by professional teaching artists and is centered around the four C’s: Create, communicate, collaborate, and community.

Michael Cavanaugh Sings Billy Joel & Elton John

LA County Arboretum | 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia, CA 91007 | Aug. 27 | pasadenasymphony-pops.org

Sing along with Grammy and Tony-nominated Michael Cavanaugh as he performs hits from Billy Joel and Elton John like “Piano Man” and “Crocodile Rock.”

Getty 25 Celebrates Watts

Watts Community Labor Action Committee | 10950 S. Central Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90059 | Aug. 27–28 | getty.edu

Celebrate Watts with artists, performers, artisans, and chefs, traditional foods, and Watts Towers–inspired mosaics and assemblage art. There will be music ranging from Afro-Cuban rhythms, hip-hop, salsa, drum circles, spoken word/poetry, jazz, and reggaeton, to soul. Participate in hands-on art workshops and explore an immersive digital experience of Getty collections.

1st Annual Venice Classic Car Show

Venice Beach | 1800 Ocean Front Walk, Los Angeles, CA 90291 |  Aug. 27 | instagram.com/p/ChfL697MZUd/ 

Celebrate Southern California’s car culture on the Venice Boardwalk. In addition to the lowriders and street rods, there will be merchant and food vendors, a beer garden, music, and giveaways.  

Garry Marshall Theatre Outdoor Summer Concert Series: Alisan Porter

Garry Marshall Theatre | 4252 W. Riverside Drive, Burbank, CA 91505 | Aug. 27 | garrymarshalltheatre.org

Winner of season 10 of “The Voice,” Alisan Porter delivers signature powerhouse vocals.

Duarte Under the Stars: Overnight Family Camp Out

Encanto Park | 751 Encanto Parkway, Duarte, CA 91010 | Aug. 27-28 | accessduarte.com

Registration includes a 15-by-15-foot grass space, dinner, dessert, family games, movie, snacks, and a continental breakfast in the morning. The event is open to non-Duarte residents as well. 

Pico Pride Fest 2022

Pico Rivera Sports Arena | 11003 Rooks Road, Whittier, CA 90601
| Aug. 27 | rlivetickets.com

The first annual Pico Pride Fest will feature bandas, norteños and DJs. 

DTLA Proud Festival 

Grand Park | 200 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012 | Aug. 27-28 | dtlaproud.org

Originally planned for earlier in the summer,  DTLA Proud Festival will feature local stage shows, a queer mercado, lawn games, music, dance lessons, Drag Queen story time, an adults-only party and community booths. 

Monrovia Movies in the Park: “Luca”

Recreation Park | 620 S. Shamrock Ave., Monrovia, CA 91016 | Aug. 27 | cityofmonrovia.org

Get on your Vespa, or car if you don’t own one of the greatest things ever made by humans, and watch these underdogs become friends and learn about acceptance as they try to win the Portorosso Cup. 

Now We’re Here

The Broad | 221 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012 |  Aug. 27 | thebroad.org

In reflection of the exhibition “This is not America’s Flag,” the lineup includes “contemporary blues from three-time Grammy-winning artist Fantastic Negrito, spoken word from Kelly Cabellero of the Tongva Nation, rap and hip hop from Jessa Calderon of the Chumash and Tongva Nations, experimental electronic music traversing architectures of ancestral, transcestral, and personal memory from Lu Coy, Afrofuturist hip hop and electronic music from Hprizm/High Priest of Antipop Consortium, a performance including recorded voices describing, singing, and remembering pasts and histories that call forth the specificity of place by Renée Petropoulos, Yvonne Rainer’s Trio A with Flags dance piece performed by Mike Tyus and Luca Renzi, and a vocal and electronic exploration of art as a mode for personal and communal healing from Davia Spain.”

This Ain’t No Picnic

Brookside at The Rose Bowl | 1133 Rosemont Ave., Pasadena, CA 91103 | Aug. 27–28 | thisaintnopicnic.com

With a lineup of indie and punk artists like LCD Soundsystem, The Strokes, Phoebe Bridgers, Le Tigre, Jungle, Idles and many others, This Ain’t No Picnic will pack a whole lot of music into two days. 

“Raiders of the Lost Ark”

Hollywood Forever | 6000 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 9003 | Aug. 27 | hollywoodforever.com

Adventure alongside Indiana Jones as he races to get the treasured Ark of the Covenant and stop some Nazis. Show up before the movie to listen to some DJ sets, pick up some beer and wine, get some food and take some photos at the photobooth. 

The Havana Night Market & Classic Car Show

Essex Skyline at MacArthur Place Apartments | 15 MacArthur Place, Santa Ana, CA 92707 | Aug. 27 | eventbrite.com

This nighttime market atop the Essex Skyline pool deck will feature local small businesses, gourmet street foods and Cuban bites, a craft cocktail bar, spirit tastings, classic car show, DJ, cigar roller and salsa dancers. 

Aug. 28

“Animal Farm”

A Noise Within | 3352 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91107 | Aug. 28-Oct. 2 | anoisewithin.org

George Orwell’s savage satire, “Animal Farm,” gets a musical makeover. Just in time for midterm season, “Animal Farm” charts the fall of idealism and the rise of tyranny after the animals of Manor Farm rise up against their oppressive human owner in a struggle for rights and equality. 

Garry Marshall Theatre Outdoor Summer Concert Series: Don Most

Garry Marshall Theatre | 4252 W. Riverside Drive, Burbank, CA 91505 | Aug. 28 | garrymarshalltheatre.org

“Happy Days” star Don Most (Ralph) will take the audience on a trip through his American songbook.

Day Trip LA

The Patio at Academy LA | 6021 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028 | Aug. 28 | daytrip.la 

Dance into the new week with electronic/dance music from Cloonee. 

Aug. 29

Gareth Reynolds

The Glandale Room | 127 N. Artsakh Ave., Glendale, CA 91206 | Aug. 29-30 | eventbrite.com 

Co-host of the podcast “The Dollop,” Gareth Reynolds performs his stand-up routine for two nights only. 

Don’t Say Gay: Eat the Rich

The Yard Theater | 4319 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90029 | Aug. 29 | eventbrite.com 

Featuring Adario Mercadante, Super Space Nation and Bridget Murray, this variety show will have comedy, music, drag and a dash of anxiety.

Aug. 30

The Drawing Club

Nucleus | 210 E. Main St., Alhambra, CA 91801 | Aug. 30 | eventbrite.com

This drawing workshop features a themed model and guest artists doing a short demo. This week’s theme is Princess Mononoke. 

Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival

LA Live Regal Cinemas | 1000 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90015 | Aug. 30-Sept. 7 | hollywoodreelindependentfilmfestival.com 

Support independent cinema in Los Angeles by catching some screenings of feature films, documentaries, and shorts from outside the traditional studio system that can get a little stale. 

Rick Springfield

YouTube Theater | 1011 S. Stadium Drive, Inglewood, CA 90301 | Aug. 30 | rickspringfield.com

You might immediately think of “Jessie’s Girl,” but Grammy-winning Rick Springfield has had 17 top-40 hits. Springfield will be joined by Men at Work and John Waite. 

Aug. 31

Lola Boutée Presents TRiPTease Burlesque

TRIP Santa Monica | 2101 Lincoln Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405 l Aug. 17 l eventbrite.com

Lower your inhibitions and see what’s hot at LA’s longest running weekly burlesque and variety show. Every Wednesday features a fresh new lineup of talent hosted by the original dame herself, Lola Boutée.

The Lesbian Agenda

Dynasty Typewriter at The Hayworth | 2511 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90057 | Aug. 31 | eventbrite.com

Host Sophie Santos is joined by lez, bi and queer comedians to benefir the West Alabama Women’s Center. The lineup so far will feature Robby Hoffman and Demi Adejuyigbe. 

‘90s Rewind Swim Night

The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel | 7000 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028 | Aug. 31 | eventbrite.com 

Cowabunga, dude! Swim laps around The Tropicana pool as DJ Jena Red spins your favorite ‘90s tunes. Check out the special ‘90s cocktail menu for some added fun. 

George Lopez Signs “ChupaCarter”

Barnes & Noble The Grove | 189 The Grove Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90036 | Aug. 31 | eventbrite.com

Comedian George Lopez will be signing copies of “ChupaCarter,” a new middle school series inspired by his childhood and Latinx folklore. 

Sept. 1

Downtown Street Market

Baldwin Park | Main Avenue, between Ramona Boulevard and Clark Street, Baldwin Park, CA 91706 | Sept. 1 | baldwinpark.com

Enjoy your summer nights with family and friends at Baldwin Park’s Downtown Street Market, featuring over 100 weekly vendors offering local cuisine, artisans, and two stages with scheduled performances. On Sept. 1, catch Los Cadetes de Memo Cavada playing norteñas on the South Stage and Fortunate Son performing a tribute to Creedence Clearwater Revival on the North Stage. A special set of beer gardens provided by Via Mar Restaurant and La Cosecha Mexican Bistro, will also be available for adults 21 and over.

Franz Ferdinand

The Novo | 800 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90015 | Sept. 1 | lalive.com

Indie rock band Franz Ferdinand will be joined by Matthew Dear on their “Hits to the Head” tour. 

Ongoing

“Wibit” 

Alamitos Beach | south of Ocean Boulevard and east of Shoreline Drive, between Fifth and Sixth places | Through end of summer season | longbeach.gov

The “Wibit” is an inflatable water park, free and open to the public, configured in a figure-eight shape to connect multiple floating play structures. Features will include a springboard, bouncer, monkey bars and other elements to encourage water play, such as swimming, balancing, climbing, jumping, sliding and swimming. 

Valley Fright Nights

Pierce College | 6201 Winnetka Ave., Woodland Hills, CA 91367 | Through Aug. 28 | valleyfrightnights.com 

Halloween has come a little early to LA with this new horror event featuring three haunted houses, scare zones, food and other ghoulish surprises. 

Sawdust Summer Festival

Sawdust Art Festival | 935 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, CA 92651 | Through Aug. 28 | sawdustartfestival.org

There are only a few days left in the summer festival featuring 162 Laguna Beach artists, three stages of live music, complimentary art classes, glassblowing, art demonstrations and a variety of outdoor dining and saloon offerings.

Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival

Griffith Park | 4801 Griffith Park Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027 | Through Sept. 4 | iscla.org

The Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival returns for the summer with two shows. Up first, “Knight of the Burning Pestle,” a comedy written by a friend of Shakespeare, is an ode to inventive theater and will be on stage from July 2-31. Closing the season, “Macbeth” will transport audiences to its eerie world from Aug. 6-Sept. 4.

100 Great British Drawings

The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens | 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108 | Through Sept. 5 | huntington.org

“100 Great British Drawings” will trace the practice of drawing in Britain from the 17th through the mid-20th century. The exhibition will feature rarely seen treasures, including works by William Blake, John Constable, Thomas Gainsborough, and J. M. W. Turner, as well as examples by artists associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and early 20th-century modernism.

“House of the Dragon: The Targaryen Dynasty”

Natural History Museum of LA County | 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90007 | Through Sept. 7 | nhm.org

Just in time for the release of “House of the Dragon” on HBO Max, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and HBO Max have partnered to present “House of the Dragon: The Targaryen Dynasty,” a 2,500-square foot exhibit exploring the mythical world of Westeros, the Targaryen dynasty, and the dragons that ruled beside them. The exhibit features tutorials on the Valyrian language, original costumes from the show, and series memorabilia, including dragon eggs. In addition, a replica of a new Iron Throne will be on display and available for visitors to sit on and take pictures. 

“The Prom”

Ahmanson Theatre | 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012 | Through Sept. 11 | centertheatregroup.org

This musical comedy, about Broadway stars traveling to a conservative town in Indiana to help a lesbian student who has been banned from bringing her girlfirend to her highschool prom, is full of heart and spunk. 

This Is Not America’s Flag

The Broad | 221 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012 | Through Sept. 25 | thebroad.org

Over 20 artists explore the complex, and often contradictory, meanings engendered by the flag of the United States of America. Conceptualized in 2020 during Black Lives Matter protests nationwide, the exhibit conceptualizes both the nation’s ideals and shortcomings.

Lee Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse

LACMA | 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036 | Through Oct. 9 | lacma.org

Highlighting fashion designer Lee Alexander McQueen’s tailoring and dressmaking skills, the exhibition examines the different disciplines, imagination, innovation and artistic process that defined McQueen’s career. The exhibition will display McQueen garments from the Collection of Regina J. Drucker alongside artworks from LACMA’s permanent collection.

“(Re)Inventing the Americas: Repeat. Erase, Construct”

The Getty | 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90049 | Through Jan. 8 | getty.edu 

Challenging European interpretations and often racist versions of history, “(Re)Inventing the Americas: Repeat. Erase, Construct” analyzes the creation of the mythologies that arose during the conquest and exploration of the Americas and reveals the influence that those myths and visions have had on defining the two continents. The exhibition will feature a collaboration with Denilson Baniwa, a contemporary artist from the Brazilian Amazon region who will generate different artistic interventions throughout the show.

“Regeneration: Black Cinema, 1898–1971”

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures | 6067 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036 | Through April 9 | regenerationblackcinema.org

The exhibition explores the achievements and challenges of Black filmmakers in the US in both independent production and the studio system—in front of the camera and behind it—from cinema’s infancy in the 1890s to the early 1970s. A survey of the films and filmmakers explored in the exhibition will be shown until Sept. 29 and will feature more than 20 screenings. The Regeneration Summit, Feb. 3–5, 2023, will be a two-day celebration of Black cinema featuring artists, scholars, and filmmakers participating in conversations, workshops, and activations throughout the museum.

New Babies Exhibit

Aquarium of the Pacific | 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA 90802 | Through April 2023 | aquariumofpacific.org

Who doesn’t like baby animals? Meet baby sea otter pups, miniature sea jellies, baby cuttlefish and more baby animals to make you awww. You’ll also learn how they are cared for and about their ocean habitats. 

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