Best things to do this weekend in Los Angeles and Southern California: June 21 - 23

Kick off your weekend on Paris time with a celebration of music from Pulsations L.A.! It’s part of the Paris 2024 Cultural Olympiad and will be streamed as part of a “rhythmic relay” happening in collaboration with musicians around the world ahead of the Paris Olympics later this summer. The concert – presented in partnership with the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, L.A. Commons, and Make Music L.A. – will feature performances from Kinnara Taiko, Fernando Pullum Community Arts Center Jazz Ensemble featuring vocalist Dwight Trible, tap dance by the Nicholas Dance Studio, poetry by artivist S. Pearl Sharp, and a family-friendly drum workshop by Project Knucklehead.

Summer is in full swing at the Norton Simon Museum. Enjoy jazz, art-making activities, and a special food and wine menu from the cafe at their annual garden party. Bring a blanket to sit on the grass, maybe practice your promenading Bridgerton-style, and experience the world-class sculpture garden in all its late afternoon glory.

Pride Month celebrations continue in Santa Monica, with a block party on the Third Street Promenade all afternoon and musical performances by Jessica Wild of RuPaul’s Drag Race and RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars. There’s something for everyone, from interactive art to Pride-themed photo ops to chess games with @coachqchess.

Nothing says summer like watermelon. With 100,000 pounds of the all-you-can-eat fruit, the annual Watermelon Fest sure lives up to its name. The fest also includes live music from 80s cover band Past Action Heroes, arts & crafts, rides, games, a costume contest, and more fun for all ages. Don’t miss (or maybe do?) some of the weird watermelon dishes on offer like deep-fried watermelon and watermelon tamales. Pro tip: Don’t wear anything white.

A new interactive exhibit in Huntington Beach celebrates the Surf City art community with 70 works selected by artist and former Huntington Beach Mayor Lyn Semeta and Mark Zambrano, author of Surfing in Huntington Beach. Orange County’s Poet Laureate Gustavo Hernandez also completed an original poem for presentation in the exhibition. The show runs through Aug. 17, with a variety of related talks and events throughout the summer.

Food trucks, live music, a beer garden, yoga classes, dog adoptions, giveaways, you name it! The vibrant stretch of Venice Blvd. in the heart of Mar Vista comes alive with Venice Summer Fest, featuring local vendors and artists to celebrate summer in the neighborhood. Light On Lotus will host a free yoga class from 12-12:50 p.m. on the main stage, so maybe stretch and then get beer, in that order!

We got a laugh out of the title of this show, so if that says anything about the performances, it will be a good time. The show features musical guests father/daughter duo Sage and Ray Mac alongside several acclaimed storytellers, including 14-time Moth Story Slam winner Carlos Kotkin, Victoria Male, Juanita E. Mantz and Jonathan Tipton Meyers. This collection of real-life stories in performance is for a great cause, benefitting the Family Service Agency in Burbank, a non-profit focused on providing services for mental health care, homelessness, violence prevention, and veterans.

If exploring hidden L.A. was on your summer bucket list, don’t miss L.A. Design Weekend. Billed as a “roving block party,” the event is centered around the design community in neighborhoods on the Eastside of L.A. You can check out open studios, artist collaborations, gallery openings and more all weekend long, from group shows in the Arts District to installations in Atwater. Visitors are encouraged to leave their car at home and hop on a scooter, bike, e-bike, or Metro between events.

CicLAvia’s next summer open streets event is in South L.A., where hubs at Exposition, Florence, Western, and Century will each feature family-friendly activities, water refill stations, bike repair and more. All people-powered modes of transport are welcome and you can find local gems to check out along the route using this map.

In Nora Ephron’s Heartburn, you find so many pearls that she used in other movies and books going forward; it’s like reading the history of all your favorite rom-com films inside a romantic comedy/drama. The film version, directed by Mike Nichols and starring Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson came out in 1986 – and who better to host the movie than Broad City star Abbi Jacobson, who will appear with her wife, actress Jodi Balfour (For All Mankind), at the Vidiots screening.

Japanese delicacies from ramen to yakitori and everything in between will be offered from more than 50 different food vendors at Anaheim’s annual Taste of Japan. There’s also Japanese pop culture, anime, cosplay, and more to explore.

More than 185 vendors with a wide range of cuisines come to the Rose Bowl this weekend, plus games, music, and live entertainment. Inspired by Asia’s night markets, the event runs each night of the weekend and you can taste everything from ube desserts to Maine lobster and even sushi pizza.

Taste wines from over 40 micro-production wineries in California at the 9th annual Garagiste Wine Festival. Meet the winemakers and enjoy cheese and charcuterie bites alongside all the great wines from around the region.