Will Power of Australia, the driver of the #12 Team Penske Dallara Chevrolet, leads a pack of cars at the IndyCar Series Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach in 2014. The Grand Prix returns this weekend.
(Jonathan Moore/Getty Images
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Getty Images North America)
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Even if you’re not heading out to the desert, there’s plenty to do in SoCal this weekend. Get revved up for the Grand Prix of Long Beach. Spend an easy morning at Grand Park. Hit the open streets at CicLAvia. Test your endurance at a 16mm sci-fi marathon.
Events
Friday, April 14 - Sunday, April 16
Grand Prix of Long Beach The Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center 300 East Ocean Blvd., Long Beach The annual street racing event features six races throughout the weekend, a lifestyle expo, a family fun zone, and an exotic car paddock. Music concerts add to the festivities, with Boombox Cartel headlining the Fiesta Friday Concert and Kings of Chaos with special guests performing on Saturday night. The concerts are free to race ticket holders. COST: Adult general admission starts at $38; MORE INFO
Carly and the Universe perform at OCMA's Big Night Out on Friday, April 14.
(Courtesy of OCMA)
Friday, April 14; 8 - 10:30 p.m.
Big Night Out: Power Moves Orange County Museum of Art 3333 Avenue of the Arts, Costa Mesa The museum holds an after-hours event with live music by Carly and the Universe, cocktails and surprises inspired by the artists in the museum’s exhibition13 Women: Variation II. Show off those power moves on the dance floor and check out the art as the galleries are open until 10:30 p.m. COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO
Friday, April 14 - Sunday, April 16
Rooftop Movies at The Montalbán The Montalbán Theatre 1615 Vine St., Hollywood The Montalbán launches its summer season this weekend with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Friday), Boyz In The Hood (Saturday) and Rear Window (Sunday). Doors open at 6 p.m. so guests can enjoy the rooftop (renamed Anita’s Oasis last year), which features a bar, a concession stand, and a kitchen. COST: Single tickets start at $28; MORE INFO
All Consuming: Art and the Essence of Food Norton Simon Museum 411 W Colorado Blvd., Pasadena The exhibition explores how artists responded to and shaped food cultures in Europe from 1500 to 1900. See how food, drinks, feasts, fruits and vegetables were depicted in European art in 60 paintings, prints, photographs and sculptures from Norton Simon’s collections. The works are organized thematically into sections titled “Hunger,” “Excess” and “Sustenance.” On Saturday, April 15, the museum holds A Night in Focus: Art and the Essence of Food with art-making, live music and other activities for all ages. COST: $12 - $15; MORE INFO
Coachella Empire Polo Club 81800 51st Ave., Indio Many Southern Californians are heading east this weekend and next for the return of Coachella and its related activities and parties throughout the Coachella Valley. Bad Bunny, Blackpink and Frank Ocean headline with stellar undercard acts, including Rosalía, Blondie!, Kali Uchis and Björk. Put your name on the official waitlist and exchange to try to score tickets for this weekend. Last we checked, passes were still available for next weekend. COST: 3-day GA passes start at $649; MORE INFO
Grand Park’s Easy Mornings Grand Park (from Grand Avenue to Hill Street) 200 N. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. Ease into the weekend with relaxing and family friendly activities happening in the park, including puppetry, storytelling, drum circles, dancing, arts and crafts, and a DJ to spin the tunes. Each week also features a mini makers market with L.A.-based small businesses and nonprofits. Picnicking is encouraged, while food trucks and vendors will be on site for purchases. COST: FREE; MORE INFO
CYBERJUNK: a 16mm Sci-Fi Marathon w/ Secret Sixteen Brain Dead Studios 611 N. Fairfax Ave., Beverly Grove The repertory theater teams with the cult screening series to present a six-feature marathon of lo-fi sci-fi titles. Join Secret Sixteen founder Mike Williamson, Josh Miller of Friday Night Frights and Bret Berg of the Museum of Home Video for 12 hours of dystopian futures and time travelers. The movies aren’t announced until they unspool on the big screen. COST: $30; MORE INFO
Saturday, April 14 - Sunday, April 15; 12 - 5 p.m.
Art Combini 6: Sawtelle Art Market Pop-Up Giant Robot 2 2062 Sawtelle Blvd., Sawtelle Giant Robot presents a pop-up market with prints, ceramics, art, stickers, and other collectibles. The weekend features work by over a dozen artists, including Erick Martinez, Cassia Lupo, Nikki Longfish and others. COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Koury Angelo: Soundwaves Run Out Groove Records 3607 W. Magnolia Blvd., Unit N, Burbank The eclectic Burbank record store holds its first gallery show that features Angelo’s rock photography, focusing on his work at Coachella and other music festivals. The opening night party features live music. If you can’t make it this weekend, the photos will be displayed through May. COST: FREE; MORE INFO
The Great LA Musical Instrument Donation Drive features a matinee and evening show to benefit Education Through Music - Los Angeles.
(Courtesy of Bob Lee)
Saturday, April 15; 3 and 8 p.m.
The Great LA Musical Instrument Donation Drive The Redwood Bar & Grill 316 W. 2nd St., downtown L.A. Bring new and gently used instruments for students at under-resourced public schools during two benefit shows for Education Through Music - L.A. on Saturday. The all-ages matinee show features the reunion of Popdefect, plus sets by 3-D Picnic and Quazar & The Bamboozled. The evening show is 21+ and features headliner GEZA X, backed by Bronson Caves (Dez Cadena, Paul Roessler, Jonathan Hall, Health Seifert and organizer Bob Lee). The bill also includes Gitane Demone, Kira and Carnage Asada. Both shows feature merchandise, a marketplace and silent auction items to benefit the nonprofit. COST: $15; MORE INFO
Saturday, April 15; 8 p.m.
Mortified’s Best Of Torrance Cultural Arts Foundation 3330 Civic Center Dr., Torrance Witness adults reliving their childhoods by sharing their embarrassing diaries, letters, poems and artwork in front of total strangers. After two decades of storytelling, Mortified’s Best Of show highlights some of the most hilarious, heartbreaking and awkward tales from its past. COST: $25 - $30; MORE INFO
The 1958 Porsche 356 Carrera GT Speedster raced by Bruce Jennings is part of the 'We Are Porsche' exhibition that will be Petersen Automotive Museum.
(Courtesy of the Petersen Automotive Museum)
Sunday, April 16 - April 2024
We Are Porsche Petersen Automotive Museum 6060 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire The iconic car brand celebrates its 75th anniversary with a distinct collection of vehicles at the museum. The exhibit highlights people who worked to make Porsche what it is today and features more than 40 vehicles on the first and second floor, including the 1953 550 Spyder raced by Betty Shutes and Ken Miles; Porsche's first and only Formula 1 racer, Dan Gurney’s 1962 Porsche 804, which claimed Porsche's only two Formula 1 victories, and Steve McQueen’s 1976 911 Turbo. COST: Adult admission $19.95; MORE INFO
Glop Meets Glog The Groundlings Theatre 7307 Melrose Ave., Fairfax The Glorious Ladies of Groundlings (GLOG) and the Glorious Ladies of Puppetry (GLOP) team up for a comedy improv show — with puppets. The show, suitable for ages 7 and older, is directed by Colleen Smith with a cast that includes Stephanie Courtney, Sam DeSurra, Sandi McCree and Roxana Ortega along with puppeteers Sarah Oh, Peggy Etra and Donna Kimball. COST: $10 - $15; MORE INFO
On Sunday, April 16, CicLAvia returrns, connecting Mid City and Pico Union with four miles of open streets for people to experience in a car-free way.
(Courtesy of CicLAvia)
Sunday, April 16; 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
CicLAvia: Mid-City Meets Pico Union Various locations The 44th edition of the open streets event returns, connecting Mid-City and Pico Union through 4 miles of car-free experiences along parts of Washington and Venice boulevards and 7th Avenue. Join in at any point along the route and jog, ride, bike, skate, run, walk, skateboard, or shop and people watch. Stop by the designated hubs as CicLAvia has partnered with Accelerate Resilience L.A. and local organizations dedicated to climate change resilience in Los Angeles. COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Volunteers participate in Friends of the Los Angeles River cleanup clearing built-up trash and debris from the Los Angeles river near Burbank. The 2023 cleanup takes place on April 15 and 22.
(Scott L from Los Angeles, United States of America is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.)
Outdoor Pick
33rd Annual Great LA River Cleanup Friends of the LA River (FoLAR) hosts its annual cleanup on April 15 and 22 with additional opportunities — habitat restoration, nature walks and educational activities — that celebrate the L.A. River’s 51 winding miles. Choose from seven site opportunities with locations on the Upper, Middle and Lower River on each date. Shifts begin at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., and this Saturday, FoLAR holds river cleanups near the Sepulveda Basin Sports Complex and Willow Street Estuary in Long Beach, plus nature walks and educational activities at Sunnynook River Park in Griffith Park. Registration required for clean up activities.
Viewing Pick
The Last Thing He Told Me Jennifer Garner leads this limited-series adaptation of Laura Dave’s bestselling novel. The mystery-thriller follows Hannah (Garner) who forges a relationship with her 16-year-old stepdaughter (Angourie Rice) while searching for her husband (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) who has mysteriously disappeared. The Apple Original series is executive produced by Reese Witherspoon, Lauren Neustadter and Garner, and co-created by Josh Singer and Dave. The first two episodes of The Last Thing He Told Me drop on Friday, April 14, followed by new episodes every Friday through May 19.
Dine and Drink Deals
The Colibri Pop-Up West Hollywood, from chefs Ricardo Zarate and Michael Fiorelli, opened earlier this week serving up Italo-Peruvian dishes.
(Courtesy of Onak Studio)
Here are a few dine and drink options to indulge in this week.
On Saturday, April 15 from 1 to 4 p.m., the Pink Boots Society Los Angeles Chapter partners with 20 SoCal breweries to present its first beer festival — the CollaBrew Festival. The festival highlights Pink Boots Collaboration Brew Day beers brewed by women and non-binary individuals in the industry and also features educational panels, DJs, and curated women-owned local food vendors such as Sad Girl Creamery, Hangaburs - smash burgers and Vchos Food Truck. The festival takes place next door to Frogtown Brewery in NELA. Tickets: $20 - $65.
WhistlePig Whiskey's mobile Maple Sugar Shack stops in Long Beach this weekend to pour tastes of their signature Maple Old Fashioneds and Maple Bourbon Sours to Grand Prix attendees and WhistlePig fans. Find the experience Trackside at the Promenade, right by the Yellow Ticket Entry point on Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The Colibri Pop-Up West Hollywood opened earlier this week, featuring Italo-Peruvian cuisine from chefs Ricardo Zarate and Michael Fiorelli. A sampling of items includes kanpachi crudo, grilled sea bream, lamb rigatoni and chocolate olive oil budino.
Mother Plucker is a new, plant-based chicken shop that features a completely vegan menu that offers tenders, wings and sandwiches. On Saturday, April 15 from 11:11 a.m. to 4:20 p.m., the eatery (345 N. La Brea Ave.) celebrates its grand opening by giving away free TiNDLE tender meals – along with fries and shakes.
Firestone Walker’s Venice Propagator celebrates its 7th anniversary on Saturday, April 15 with live music, a cornhole tournament, BBQ, “mystery flights” to test beer sensory skills, and a taste of their all-new “Gen-7” anniversary beer (8.7% ABV Double Cold IPA). The Propagator will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., with the competitive cornhole tournament beginning at 11:30 a.m.
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Every two years, Desert X presents site-specific outdoor installations throughout the Coachella Valley. Two Los Angeles artists have new work on display.
