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Fun things to do in SoCal this week: May 26 – June 1
Entertainment May 24, 2023
Crowd at 2022 Garden Grove Straberry Festival. | Photo by Dave Smithson / Garden Grove Strawberry Festival
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The unofficial start of summer is here but, amid all the celebrations, remember to pay tribute to fallen soldiers across SoCal and the nation.
May 26
Garden Grove Strawberry Festival
Village Green Park | 12732 Main St., Garden Grove, CA 92840 | May 26-29 | strawberryfestival.org
The FREE four-day festival will feature music and shows, carnival rides and games, food vendors, celebrity meet-and-greets, and more.
‘Mrs. Doubtfire’
LA State Historic Park | 1245 N. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90012 | May 26 | cinespia.org
Robin Williams stars in this family-friendly comedy about a divorced father who goes undercover as a British nanny to spend more time with his children. There will be a concession stand and bar on site as well as a photobooth.
Fourth Friday On Fourth Street
Long Beach | 2025 E. Fourth St., Long Beach, CA 90814 | May 26 | 4thstreetlongbeach.com
Fourth Street opens up for pedestrians to walk around and shop from local businesses and sustainable artists and vendors.
Disney’s ‘The Little Mermaid’ Fan Event
El Capitan Theatre | 6838 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028 | May 26 | elcapitantheatre.com
Prior to the movie, stop by the Sea-Tastic Curtain Show and recreate the iconic boat scene from the movie at a photo op and see costumes from the movie. The fan event screenings on Friday are $60 and shown in Dolby Vision 3D. Attendees at the Friday Fan Event will receive an Ariel collectible figure, collectible tub with popcorn, beverage and an event credential and lanyard with their ticket.
May 27
‘10 Things I Hate About You’
LA State Historic Park | 1245 N. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90012 | May 27 | cinespia.org
Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew” gets a ‘90s twist in this enemy-to-lovers romcom set in an American high school starring Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik and Gabrielle Union. DJ sets before and after the film will have you partying like it’s the millennium all over again. Wear your Skechers and Prada backpacks, grab a drink and popcorn, and get ready for a fun night out.
Downtown Pomona’s Collectors St. Faire
Antique Row | 100 E. 2nd St., Pomona, CA 91766 | May 27 | downtownpomona.org
Hunt for antique treasures over three blocks in downtown Pomona.
Uptown Flea Market
12417 Philadelphia St., Whittier, CA 90601 | May 27 | eventbrite.com
More than 120 vendors will be selling food, drinks, vintage clothing, art, home decor, handmade jewelry, crafts, shoes, and more.
‘Ghost World’
The Autry Museum | 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles, CA 90027 | May 27 | streetfoodcinema.com
PLEASURES clothing and Pabst Blue Ribbon are collaborating to bring this cult classic film back to big screen along with photo ops, food trucks, a themed bar, DJ sets, and audience games.
I Love RnB Festival
The Queen Mary | 1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach, CA 90802 | May 27 | ilovernb.com
Let’s go back in time with this lineup that features Ashanti, Ja Rule, Keyshia Cole, Chingy and more.
Public Star Party
Griffith Observatory | 2800 E. Observatory Road, Los Angeles, CA 90027 | May 27 June 24 | griffithobservatory.org
The free public star party is a chance to see the sun, moon, visible planets, stars and other objects through a variety of telescopes.
909 Open Market
119 W. 2nd St., Pomona, CA 91766 | May 27 | 909openmarket.com
Head to the 909 Open Market for some food, shopping and music.
626 Night Market Mini
Downtown Santa Monica | 1324 E. Fifth St., Santa Monica, CA 90401 | May 27-28 | 626nightmarket.com
Three dozen vendors selling food, merchandise and crafts gather in downtown Santa Monica this spring and admission is free.
May 28
Desert Food Festival
Fullenwider Auditorium | 46350 Arabia St., Indio, CA 92201 | May 28 | datefest.org
Feast on BBQ, local beers and frozen margaritas while enjoying live musical performances from local artists, DJ sets, free bounce houses, and cool air conditioning.
‘Te Amo, Argentina 2’
The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage | 1310 11th St., Santa Monica, CA 90401 | May 28 | broadstage.org
BroadStage is inaugurating a new chamber music series Sunday Morning Music / Santa Monica curated by award-winning cellist Antonio Lysy, musical director of the annual Incontri in Terra di Siena Chamber Music Festival in Tuscany, Italy that he founded in 1989, featuring free flowing coffee and free flowing conversation between the audience and the performers. In “Te Ameo, Argentina 2” audiences will enjoy the rousing and seductive song, dance, and rhythms of Argentina with Jessica Rivera, and Miriam Larici and Leonardo Barrionuevo, tango choreographers of “So You Think You Can Dance.” There will also be tango lessons after!
Street Food Cinema X D23 Present: ‘Mulan’ 25th Anniversary
LA State Historic Park | 1245 N. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90012 | May 28 | streetfoodcinema.com
Relive the adventures of Mulan, Mushu and Cri-Kee as they set off to save the family’s honor and imperial China. Featured food trucks, as of now, will include Birrerria El Patron, Chicken King Food Truckers, The Dim Sum Truck, Gooey Center Bakery, Lupita’s Tacos, Mikachi Hibachi, Moom Maam, Phillyfornia, Rice Balls of Fire, and Under the Bun.
May 29
2023 Memorial Day Flower Drop
Palm Springs Air Museum | 745 N. Gene Autry Trail, Palm Springs, CA 92262 | May 29 | palmspringsairmuseum.org
Honor fallen members of the armed forces at this special event featuring a missing-man formation fly-by, and flower drop of over 3,000 red and white carnations from a vintage warbird. There will be flight exhibitions all day, along with warbird rides, kids activities, a jazz band, and food vendors.
San Dimas Farmers Market
San Dimas | 245 E. Bonita Ave., San Dimas, CA 91773 | May 29 | sandimasfarmersmarket.com
The San Dimas Farmers Market is opening up for the season. Pick up fresh produce or artisanal goods.
Country Line Dancing
The Pour House | 405 S. Myrtle Ave., Monrovia, CA 91016 | May 29 | eventbrite.com
Put on your cowboy boots for line dancing starting at 6 p.m. If you’re not familiar with line dancing, there are lessons starting at 7 p.m. for $8. There are also pool tables, music, drinks and food.
May 30
Candlelight OC: Frank Sinatra And Nat King Cole
The Nixon Library | 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda, CA 92886 | May 30 | feverup.com
PureSoul Los Angeles performs an intimate program featuring songs like “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” and “Unforgettable.”
‘Once More, With Feeling’ Buffy, the Vampire Slayer Musical Episode Live!
The Three Clubs | 1123 Vine St., Los Angeles, CA 90038 | May 30 | eventbrite.com
Buffy, Spike, Willow, Xander, Giles, and the rest of the Scoobies are getting back together to once again save Sunnydale in this “parody of musical theater.”
May 31
Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival
Hollywood | May 31-June 4 | laliff.org
LALIFF kicks off with the West Coast premiere of the highly anticipated “Flamin’ Hot,” the story of the man behind Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, and followed by a gala. The festival will be jam-packed with workshops, masterclasses, panels and screenings.
One Act Festival
Arcadia Performing Arts Center | 188 Campus Drive, Arcadia, CA 91007 | eventbrite.com
Beginning Theatre cast members will perform a series of one act plays.
June 1
El Monte: Pride Night At Farmer’s Market
Main Street, between Lexington and Tyler avenues, El Monte, CA 91731 | June 1 | eventbrite.com
Join the City of El Monte for Pride Night at Farmer’s Market ,with special guests Mariachi Arcoiris, featuring food, merchandise, arts & crafts and LGBTQ+ vendors.
Live Rock En Español + 80s Dance Fiesta
The Mixx | 443 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101 | June 1 | themixxclub.com
DJ Jack Tames plays the best music from Spanish rock and the ‘80s as Delirio plays rock pop live.
Riverside Artswalk
Artist Vendor Lot | Main Street, between 6th and 9th streets, Riverside, CA 92501 | June 1 | riversideartswalk.com
This month’s Artswalk will spotlight Pablo Damas, with a solo show at Division 9 Gallery, in addition to the 20 venues including art galleries, studios, museums and the library. The musical spotlight will be on The Good Days Band.
Sunset Series
South Coast Botanic Garden | 26300 Crenshaw Blvd., Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA 90274 | June 1 | southcoastbotanicgarden.org
Roam the 87 acres of the garden, or grab a cocktail and enjoy some yard games and live music from diverse performers. Kids will have a blast with parachutes, obstacle courses, lawn bowling, bubbles and more.
DTLA Art Night
DTLA Historic Core | June 1 | dtlaartnight.com
DTLA Art Night is launching with more than 25 participating galleries, a block party, participating bars and restaurants and more.
The Backyard By Stater Bros. Community Concert Series
Toyota Arena | 4000 East Ontario Center Parkway, Ontario, CA 91764 | June 1 | toyota-arena.com
Grammy Award-winning band Ozomatli will be joined by rock band Daring Greatly as the opening performance.
Montebello Night Market
Behind parking lot of Wells Fargo Bank | 777 W. Whittier Blvd,, Montebello, CA 90640 | June 1 | montebelloca.gov
Entertainment and vendors selling farmers market items, homemade goods, arts, crafts and food will gather from 6-9 p.m.
Ongoing
‘Whittier Boulevard’
The Los Angeles Theatre Center | 514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90013 | Through May 28 | latinotheaterco.org
Years of fires, torrential rain, anarchy and bloodshed have led to a totalitarian city-state where the elderly disappear, their stories forgotten in 2042 Los Angeles. When authorities make a surprise visit to the home of faded Chicana starlet Veronica Del Rio on the eve of her 75th birthday, she enlists the help of her loudmouth nurse, a kindhearted policeman-fan, and a down-on-his-luck poet. Will Veronica disappear and be forgotten before she finds true love?
‘A Little Night Music’
Pasadena Playhouse | 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena, CA 91101 | Through May 28 | pasadenaplayhouse.org
Based on Ingmar Bergman’s “Smiles of a Summer Night,” and featuring a score primarily in waltz time, the production was one of Stephen Sondheim’s greatest commercial successes. Set in 1900 Sweden, “A Little Night Music” explores the tangled web of affairs centered around actress Desirée Armfeldt, and the men who love her: a lawyer by the name of Fredrik Egerman and the Count Carl-Magnus Malcom. When Desirée performs in Fredrik’s town, the estranged lovers’ passion rekindles. This strikes a flurry of jealousy and suspicion between Desirée; Fredrik; Fredrick’s wife, Anne; Desirée’s current lover, the Count; and the Count’s wife, Charlotte. Both men – as well as their jealous wives – agree to join Desirée and her family for a weekend in the country at Desirée’s mother’s estate. With everyone in one place, infinite possibilities of new romances and second chances bring endless surprises.
‘Evolution Of A Sonero’
The Los Angeles Theatre Center | 514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles CA 90013 | Through May 28 | latinotheaterco.org
Sonero [noun]: an improvising lead singer in salsa music. Hip-hop meets salsa when poet, actor and singer Flaco Navaja, backed by a live, five-piece salsa band, creates a love letter to his native Bronx, imbuing it with the charm, rhythm, soul and improvisational spirit of a true sonero.
LA County Fair
Fairplex |1101 W. McKinley Ave., Pomona, CA 91768 | Through May 29 | lacountyfair.com
The fair is back, this year with a theme all about spring. Get ready for rides, an eclectic music lineup, all kinds of fried foods, cars, baby animals at the farm, and exhibitions ranging from art forestry.
‘Otello’
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion | 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012 | Through June 4 | laopera.org
Hailed as the pinnacle of the Italian operatic repertoire, Verdi’s transformation of the original Shakespeare play is a powerful drama of uncontrolled human emotion at its most extreme. Verdi’s musical portrait of Otello’s descent into a tortured heart of darkness is explicit in every chilling detail as he destroys all in life that he holds dear.
‘On This Side Of The World’
David Henry Hwang Theater | 120 Judge John Aiso St., Los Angeles, CA 90012 | Through June 4 | eastwestplayers.org
A woman flies from the Philippines to America with a one-way ticket and a suitcase full of stories. Each story is collected from immigrants who came before her—tales of overseas workers, young lovers, and gossipy church ladies; snapshots of undocumented immigrants, millennial princesses and first-generation Americans. Suspended above the ocean, she replays these stories in her mind as she searches for the courage to embrace her future. This world premiere musical gives voices to Filipino immigrants navigating old lives and new beginnings, eight-thousand miles from home.
‘The Book Of Will’
A Noise Within | 3352 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91107 | Through June 7 | anoisewithin.org
You don’t have to love Shakespeare to enjoy “The Book of Will,” playwright Lauren Gunderson’s re-imagining of the desperate search to find, preserve and print Shakespeare’s words that otherwise might have disappeared forever. Three years after the Bard’s death, John Heminges and Henry Condell, former friends and colleagues from Shakespeare’s acting troupe, the King’s Men, contend with egotistical actors, bootleg knockoffs and a ticking clock to ensure that the First Folio gets published, and that the works of William Shakespeare don’t end up on the trash heap of history. Backstage comedy meets detective adventure as this group of aging actors race against time to reassemble their repertoire — including “Lear,” “Macbeth” and “Hamlet” — some of which may only exist only in the lines they have memorized.
‘Six’
Pantages Theatre | 6233 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028 | Through June 10 | broadwayinhollywood.com
Divorced. Beheaded. Survived. The six wives of Henry VII were so much more than the wives of a fickle king. The new musical turns their stories into ones of female empowerment.
‘The Bottoming Process’
Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center Renberg Theatre | 1125 N. McCadden Place, Los Angeles, CA 90038 | Through June 12 | iamatheatre.com
Two writers meet at a shared co-working space and fall in love — or something like it. Milo is a fledgling writer who’s mostly funny on Twitter. John is a famed novelist. John is nearing middle age, while Milo is flailing through his twenties. John is white — and Milo is definitely not. As they mate, date and cohabitate, they grapple with issues of race, sex, power and the model minority myth, all to find out who’s really on top.
‘The Hilton Als Series: Njideka Akunyili Crosby’
The Huntington | 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108 | Through June 12 | huntington.org
The exhibit features a selection of works by Nigerian-born, Los Angeles–based artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby in the final exhibition curated by the Pulitzer Prize–winning author and New Yorker magazine critic Hilton Als, in collaboration with the Yale Center for British Art (YCBA) and Akynyili Crosby. The two selected five collage-based paintings from “The Beautyful Ones,” Crosby’s ongoing series of intimate portraits of Nigerian children, including members of her own family.
‘A Soldier’s Play’
Ahmanson Theatre | 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012 | Through June 25 | centertheatregroup.org
In 1944, on a Louisiana Army base, two shots ring out. A Black sergeant is murdered. And a series of interrogations triggers a gripping barrage of questions about sacrifice, service, and identity in America in Charles Fuller’s Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece. Grammy, Tony, and SAG Award nominee Norm Lewis will star as Captain Richard Davenport.
‘A Transparent Musical’
Mark Taper Forum | 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012 | Through June 25 | centertheatregroup.org
Audiences will follow the “Transparent” story through the Pfefferman family’s youngest child Ali Pfefferman, played by Adina Verson, as they navigate the ups and downs of self-discovery. Ali’s Los Angeles Jewish family is filled with secrets, but when their parent, Maura – played by Daya Curley – transitions to the transgender matriarch she always knew she was, the family is forced to confront their own identities and navigate their relationships with each other. Through a revelatory story of acceptance and self-expression, “A Transparent Musical” explores the intersection of Jewish and queer history while celebrating the imperfectly human and startlingly familiar aspects of a universally relatable family.
‘Symbiosis: Living Island’
Japan House | 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Level 2, Los Angeles, CA 90028 | Through July 5 | japanhousela.com
The Inujima “Art House Project” creates a unique symbiosis between art, architecture, community, and ecology that has been transforming the landscape of the Japanese island of Inujima, which now is home to just 25 homes with more than half of the inhabitants over 70 years of age. The exhibition celebrates and transports visitors to this “living art” island through the sights and sounds of everyday island life, captured through an experiential diorama of the island and its art pavilions.
Butterfly Pavilion
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County | 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90007 | Through Aug. 13 | nhm.org
The Natural History Museum’s seasonal Butterfly Pavilion featuring hundreds of butterflies of various species, native plants and natural light is finally opening.
‘Peter Krasnow: Breathing Joy And Light’
Skirball Cultural Center | 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90049 | Through Sept. 3 | skirball.org
The “Peter Krasnow: Breathing Joy and Light” exhibition showcases 20 paintings and drawings from the Skirball’s collection of the artist’s work. The exhibition focuses on works made primarily during the decades after World War II and the Holocaust. To ease the despair brought on by that painful period, Krasnow created vibrant paintings teeming with exuberant, abstract forms, radiating optimism, and evoking a spiritual world of renewal. Krasnow emigrated from Ukraine to the United States at age 20 in 1907 and established himself in the Los Angeles art community in the 1920s, where he was inspired by the hope and possibility of Southern California. His paintings incorporate elements of his Jewish heritage and the organic forms and vivid hues found in the plant life of his Atwater Village home and studio.
‘The Power Of Song: A Songwriters Hall Of Fame Exhibit’
The Grammy Museum | 800 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90015 | Through Sept. 4 | grammymuseum.org
The newly expanded exhibition celebrates iconic American songwriters. Through artifact displays, an original film, and interactive experiences, the exhibit examines the songwriter’s creative process, tells the stories of great songwriters – all of whom are Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees or special award recipients – and digs deep into the celebrated compositional works that make up the American music treasury.
‘Printed In 1085: The Chinese Buddhist Canon From The Song Dynasty’
The Huntington | 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108 | Through Dec. 4 | huntington.org
The Huntington will exhibit for the first time the oldest printed book in its collection, “The Scripture of the Great Flower Ornament of the Buddha.” The exhibit will show the connection between religion and China’s printmaking, which had been practiced centuries before the first use of movable metal type in Europe.
‘Journeys Continued: LA Communities Through The Eyes Of Artists’
Los Angeles Union Station | 800 N. Alameda St., Los Angeles, CA 90012 | Through Dec. 31 | art.metro.net
In “Journeys Continued: LA Communities Through the Eyes of Artists,” 12 featured pieces focus on a specific area, neighborhood or city Metro serves within greater Los Angeles and will be on view in the Passageway Art Gallery, between Union Station East and West.
Shakira, Shakira: The Grammy Museum Experience
The Grammy Museum | 800 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90015 | Through Winter 2024 | grammymuseum.org
If you’ve had “Las mujeres ya no lloran, las mujeres facturan” stuck in your head the last few weeks then you’ll want to stop by this exhibit honoring the multi-Grammy Award-winning and Latin Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, producer, dancer, philanthropist and international icon. The exhibit explores the artist’s musical evolution, from her origins as a Latin rock-loving singer-songwriter in Barranquilla, Colombia, to a global superstar whose catalog spans multiple genres, from bhangra and bachata to rock and reggaetón. The exhibit features interactives, artifacts from Shakira’s personal archive, three original films, handwritten lyrics, costumes, guitars and more.
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