Best Things To Do This Weekend in Los Angeles And SoCal: Aug. 26 - 28

Celebrate a Kikínceañera at The Ford. Attend the Leimert Park Jazz Festival. Watch rugby matches. Catch The Strokes and LCD Soundsystem at This Ain’t No Picnic Festival. View 8x8 art works at Giant Robot gallery.

Friday, Aug. 26 - Sunday, Aug. 28

Monster Jam
Crypto.com Arena
1111 S. Figueroa St., downtown L.A.
Bring the kids and the earplugs as the big trucks like Gravedigger, Megalodon and Soldier Fortune take over the arena. There are five shows throughout the weekend. All fans ages 2 and older are required to have a ticket.
COST: Tickets start at $25; MORE INFO

Friday, Aug. 26; 8:30 p.m.

Cinespia: Friday the 13th
Greek Theatre
2700 N. Vermont Ave., Griffith Park 
Watch the 1980 horror classic, directed by Sean S. Cunningham, in which camp counselors are hunted down by a vengeful madman. Enjoy lawn style seating, DJs, concessions and photo ops. The film is rated R so no one under 17 will be allowed without a parent or guardian.
COST: $22 (+ $20 for parking) - $7; MORE INFO

Friday, Aug. 26; 8 p.m.

Kikínceañera: Noche De Orgullo
The Ford 
2580 Cahuenga Blvd. E., Hollywood Hills
Join in the fun at this event that’s a kiki and quinceañera combined—celebrating LA’s queer Latinx music and drag communities. Created by artist and musician Neyva, the party includes performances by Mariachi Arcoiris de Los Ángeles, Doris Anahí and drag artists headlined by Valentina.
COST: $25 -$35; MORE INFO

Saturday, Aug. 27 - Wednesday, Sept. 7

8x8 Exhibition
GR 2 Gallery 
2062 Sawtelle Blvd., Sawtelle
Giant Robot’s group show features the (8-by-8 inch) works of more than three dozen artists. Get a sneak peek on Instagram at noon on Saturday, or visit the gallery from 1 to 4 p.m. for browsing and buying. The artists’ reception also takes place on Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m.
COST: FREE admission; MORE INFO

Saturday, Aug. 27; 10 p.m.

Bad Bunny Night (Reggaeton and Latin Dance Party)
The Regent Theater
448 S. Main St., downtown L.A.  
Get your dancing shoes on for this 18+ Bad Bunny music party.
COST: Free - $10; MORE INFO

Saturday, Aug. 27; 12:20 - 8:45 p.m.

2022 Leimert Park Jazz Festival
Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Mall
3650 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Baldwin Hills/Crenshaw
The festival has grown organically since its beginning in 2015 as a block party known as the Sutro Avenue Summer Soirée. Now a celebration of music artists, visual artists, small businesses and nonprofits in South L.A., this year’s headliners include The Jazz Classics featuring Patrice Rushen, Ernie Watts, Marvin “Smitty” Smith and Edwin Livingston and Pete Escovedo & Family. In addition to music, check out activations like the Fender Play Foundation’s pop-up music classes and art activities from the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO

Saturday, Aug. 27; 8 p.m.

Fantastic Negrito
The Broad
221 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A.
The museum continues its Summer Happenings: Now We’re Here series with the Grammy-winning artist Fantastic Negrito headlining. Other artists in the lineup are music producer HPRIZM/HIGH PRIEST, spoken word from Kelly Caballero, rap and hip hop from Jessa Calderon, experimental electronic music from Lu Coy, a performance by Renée Petropoulos, Yvonne Rainer’s Trio A with Flags dance piece and a vocal and electronic performance from Davia Spain. Tickets include late-night access to the museum, including This Is Not America’s Flag and Takashi Murakami: Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow. This event is all ages, but you must be 21+ to access the cash bar.
COST: $25; MORE INFO

Saturday, Aug. 27; 6 p.m.

The Alice Coltrane: An Expansive Spirit
California Plaza 
350 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A.
Grand Performances teams with dublab and The John & Alice Coltrain Home to celebrate the late Alice Coltrane’s music, jazz legacy, and birthday. The tribute concert includes performances by Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, who conducts and arranges The Universal Consciousness Orchestra, a string and harp ensemble that performs her “cosmic classics,” and Surya Botofasina, who leads an ensemble playing bhajans and sounds inspired by Turiyasangitananda’s devotional music with vocalist Michelle Coltrane.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

Saturday, Aug. 27- Sunday, Aug. 28; 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Getty 25 Celebrates Watts
Watts Community Labor Action Committee (WLCAC)
10950 S. Central Ave., Watts
Take part in the last community arts festival presented by The Getty this summer to celebrate its 25th anniversary. Discover Watts Towers-inspired mosaics and assemblage art; listen to the sounds of Afro-Cuban rhythms, hip-hop, salsa, drum circles, spoken word/poetry, jazz, reggaeton and soul; and enjoy hands-on art workshops.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

**Other events this weekend at the Getty Center include the last Off the 405 events for the summer with music by Standing on the Corner on Saturday, and a screening of the documentary The Thief Collector about a stolen de Kooning painting and its recovery on Sunday.

Saturday, Aug. 27- Sunday, Aug. 28

This Ain’t No Picnic Festival
Brookside at the Rose Bowl
1133 Rosemont Ave., Pasadena
The Strokes and LCD Soundsystem headline the two-day festival, but the undercard acts aren’t anything to sneeze at either. Le Tigre, Phoebe Bridgers, Wet Leg, Beach House, Jorja Smith, Kaytranada, IDLES, Four Tet + Floating Points, Honey Dijon, Genesis Owusu, Spelling, Courtney Barnett, Descendents, Yves Tumor, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Caroline Polachek and Turnstile. The Despacio disco sound system, designed in collaboration with LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy, will be available throughout the weekend.
COST: Single-day GA tickets start at $159; MORE INFO

Saturday, Aug. 27- Sunday, Aug. 28; 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Festival Chapín Los Ángeles 2022
Lafayette Park
625 S. Lafayette Park Pl., Westlake
The sixth annual event celebrates Guatemalan culture and community through folklore, music, arts & crafts vendors and Chapín foods for sale including garnachas (similar to a Mexican sope), shucos (Guatemalan-style hot dogs), chicken pepian, enchiladas and hilachas (stewed meat).
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

Saturday, Aug. 27 - Sunday, Aug. 28

Rugby Sevens
Dignity Health Sports Park
18400 Avalon Blvd., Carson
Watch the finals of the U.S. leg of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series that features 16 of the best men’s teams playing 40 matches over the weekend. Each game of the round-robin-style tournament is less than 20 minutes — so you know the action will be fast and intense. Rugby fans can also participate in a festival throughout the weekend, providing international music, food, culture and entertainment.
COST: General admission starts at $50; MORE INFO

Saturday, Aug. 27; 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Prosperity Market
Barack and Michelle Obama Sports Complex (formerly Rancho Cienega Recreation Center)
5001 Obama Blvd., Baldwin Hills/Crenshaw  
As the culmination of August's Black Business Month and its month-long scavenger hunt, the market holds a pop-up with more than 30 Black-owned businesses and farms. Participating vendors include Farmer Ken, Compton Community Garden, Bridgetown Roti, My Daddy’s Recipes, All Chill Ice Cream, California Coffee Company, and The Got Damn Sauce.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

Sunday, Aug. 28; 12 p.m.

Happy Sundays
Zaferia Neighborhood
Various locations around Anaheim St. and Redondo Ave., Long Beach
The music festival takes over various stages in the LBC. Check out more than 40 artists/bands at 11 venues including Alex’s Bar, Tennessee Jack’s, Bamboo Club, Alltime Plants, DiPiazza’s, Compound and Supply & Demand. There’s also a noon screening of Queercore: How to Punk a Revolution at the Long Beach Playhouse. Hop on a free bus to venues throughout the day.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

Sunday, Aug. 28; 2 - 6 p.m.

Teqball USA Tour Finals
Long Beach Arena
300 East Ocean Blvd., Long Beach
Watch the finals of a new sport that combines soccer and table tennis, played with singles or doubles on opposite sides of a curved table.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

Sunday, Aug. 28; 7:30 p.m.

Elvis Costello and The Imposters
Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza 
2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks
The veteran rocker performs with Nick Lowe + Los Straightjackets opening. If you can’t make the show in Thousand Oaks, Costello and Lowe and their respective bands also perform on Tuesday at the City National Grove of Anaheim. Costello and The Imposters also play (without Lowe) on Sept. 3 at Yaamava’ Resort and Casino in Highland.
COST: $49.50 - $179.50; MORE INFO

Outdoor Pick

Glow Ride 2022
On Saturday, Aug. 27 from 5 to 9 p.m., participate in the Glow Ride 2022, a family-friendly bike ride that raises funds for cystic fibrosis patients and their families. The 3.6-mile ride starts at the Hermosa Beach pier and travels to the Manhattan Beach pier and back. Riders trick out their bikes with whimsical decor and lights to raise awareness about the disease.
COST: $45; MORE INFO

Viewing Pick

Welcome to Wrexham
The first two episodes of the docuseries dropped on Hulu earlier this week, featuring actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds who buy and run the third oldest professional football (soccer) club in the world. The show follows the new, inexperienced owners and the people of Wrexham, Wales, as they work to get The Dragons out of the fifth-tier National League. Two episodes drop weekly on Wednesdays on Hulu.

Dine and Drink Deals

Check out the 411 on restaurant, bar, and food happenings in SoCal this week:

• On Sunday, Aug. 28, Smorgasburg LA’s 6th annual BBQ Day returns with more than a half dozen local SoCal BBQ specialists —  from OG Smorgasburg vendors Moo’s Craft Barbecue, Zef BBQ and Domestic BBQ to A’s BBQ, River St. BBQ and Rubie LA.  
• The Heritage Barbecue holds a pop-up at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel on Friday, Aug. 26 from 6 to 9 p.m. Chef Daniel Castillo offers a preview of what's to come as part of the resort's returning Culinary Cookout series. Tickets are $150 on Tock.
• In conjunction with her appearance at this weekend’s This Ain’t No Picnic festival, Phoebe Bridgers has teamed up with all HomeState locations to create her own limited-edition taco. Named after Phoebe’s precious dog, The Maxine is a vegan taco made with black beans, shiitake mushrooms, avocado, caramelized onions, and crispy corn strips, served on a Kernel of Truth Corn Tortilla. $1.25 from every taco ordered will go directly to CASA of Los Angeles (Court Appointed Special Advocate). The Maxine is available through Nov. 22. 
• There’s a Summer Beach Cleanup and After Party at Dreamland in Malibu on Sunday, Aug. 27 from 6 to 9 p.m. hosted by Happy Hour Tequila Seltzer and Surfrider Foundation Los Angeles Chapter. (From 3 to 6 p.m., take part in the Surfrider Foundation Los Angeles Chapter for a beach cleanup on Topanga Beach.) The party includes a live DJ, small bites, and one free can of Happy Hour for each participant. Both events are open to the public and you can RSVP HERE. UPDATE: The party has been postponed and will be rescheduled for a future date.
• For those attending Rooftop Cinema at ROW DTLA, Rappahannock Oyster Bar is offering cinema guests 15% off their order and Pikunico is offering a complimentary dessert with the purchase of an entree.
• The fourth annual Champagne on the Coast event hosted by Paséa Hotel & Spa returns this weekend (Aug. 26-28). Join Veuve Clicquot and other bubbly brands as they take over Paséa with a lineup of events, including a garden kick-off party, pool party and brunch and more. Events are priced separately and tickets start at $50. 
• Guerrilla Cafecito in downtown L.A. launched a "Snacky Hour," offering a free pastry with drink purchase every day between 1 to 3 p.m. while supplies last.