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Arts & Entertainment

Best Things To Do This Weekend in Los Angeles and Southern California: April 26 - 28

Laura Hertzfeld
Laura Hertzfeld
Published Apr 25, 2024 5:00 AM
Paula Cole, a fair-skinned woman with long gray hair, sits at a piano with a microphone in front of her, wearing studio headphones. She's smiling at the camera.
Paula Cole visits SiriusXM in New York City in 2024.
(
Arturo Holmes
/
Getty Images
)

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Welcome to the weekend! It is finally spring and whether you’re into singing, photography, crafts or tamales, there is a festival for you. Plus, Paula Cole performs at the Luckman, the annual grunion run takes over the Venice Beach breakwater late Friday night, and Saturday is Indie Bookstore Day!

For more to explore, check out LAist.com where you can learn about where to see the bioluminescent waves popping up this time of year around the area. There’s also a guide to local aquariums, and an explainer on matzah.

Events

  • The image is a group of people at a bookstore paying attention to the two speakers. The image is shot behind the speakers so all you see is the crowd and the bookstore surroundings,
    Sat, Apr 27

    Indie Bookstore Day

    • Skylight Books
      1818 N Vermont Ave., Los Feliz
    • Octavia’s Bookshelf
      1365 N Hill Ave. , Pasadena
    • Vroman's Bookstore
      695 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena

    Bookstores around the area are getting ready for Indie Bookstore Day, celebrating independent sellers around the country.
  • The promo image features a black ground and on the right side of the image is text/info for the show. On the left side of the image is intense drawing of man shown only shoulders up but he is shown as skinless and has his bones expose expect for his head which is turn up facing someone like he's kneeling down and a random hand touches and that on his metal dad
    Sat, Apr 27

    Gabba Gabba Reopening + EMEK Retrospective

    • Gabba Gallery
      235 S. Broadway , Downtown L.A.

    See 30 years of art for bands like The Grateful Dead, Queens of the Stone Age, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters, and more.
  • The image is a promo for El Gran Festival. The image is a white background with a woman in the center left of the image smiling and looking over to the center right which features a drawing of a lightbulb and other school materials.
    Sat, Apr 27

    El Gran Festival

    • East LA Civic Center
      4801 E. 3rd St., East Los Angeles

    Over 100 vendors will come together at the East L.A. Civic Center to highlight local entrepreneurs from Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights, Monterey Park, Montebello, Lake View Terrace, San Gabriel, and Downtown L.A.
  • Image is Paula Cole performing on stage. The image solely focuses on her, she's holding a guitar while speaking into a microphone with a purple/black lit background.
    Fri, Apr 26

    Paula Cole

    • Luckman Fine Arts Complex
      5151 State University Dr., Cal State L.A.

    I don’t wanna wait … to see Paula Cole at the Luckman. And fortunately, we don’t have to!

  • The image is a promo drawing for Central Park Pasadena. It features a bunny in the bottom left corner with antlers. The right side of the image is another bunny with antlers turned around looking at a bright huge moon. The rest of the image takes place at night time, some objects in the image are palm tress, a street light, a building to the left and a playground to the right.
    Sun, Apr 28

    Jackalope Craft Fair

    • Central Park
      275 S Raymond Ave., Pasadena

    More than 200 artisans will be showing and selling their wares – from food to pottery to fashion – at the Jackalope Craft Fair.

  • Black and white image of J. Keith van Straaten and Helen Hong, in a close shot. Both are smiling in front of microphones with a spotlight on them while on stage.
    Sun, Apr 28

    'Go Fact Yourself' Podcast Recording

    • Center for Inquiry
      2535 W Temple St, Downtown Los Angeles

    Comedian Blaire Socci and film critic Alonso Duralde will go deep on the next Go Fact Yourself podcast – and you can listen in for free at the taping.
  • A chorus of people in blue shirts with "C'mon Sing!" on the front perform on-stage together. There's a mix of races, genders, and ages. In the middle of the stage, a man with locks is wearing a tank top version of the event shirt is dancing.
    Sun, Apr 28

    C’mon, Sing! Festival

    • Historic Downtown Farmers Market
      209 W 5th St., Downtown L.A.
    • El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument
      125 Paseo de la Plz., Downtown L.A.
    • Japanese Village Plaza
      335 E 2nd St., Downtown L.A.

    The power of song brings together housed and unhoused Angelenos downtown.

  • A yoga instructor sits on the ground, stretching her loegs out and reaching to touch her toes. She's smiling down at a white and brown cat that's sitting between her legs.
    Sun, Apr 28

    PAWS Yoga

    • Cat Cafe Lounge
      1736 S Sepulveda Blvd., West L.A.

    Get into cat pose with the experts! The furry kind and the human kind.

Viewing Pick

  • A black and white image of two men standing on a small stage in a parking lot, facing a crowd seated in white folding chairs. Food trucks line the edge of the event. L.A. buildings are visible in the background.
    Sat, Apr 27

    Projecting L.A. Festival

    • Projecting L.A. Event Lot
      713 N. Hill St., Chinatown

    Projecting L.A. highlights street and news photographers by projecting their images onto a building in Chinatown.

Outdoor Pick

  • Two surfers stand on the shoreline at Venice Beach.
    Fri, Apr 26

    gRUNion Party

    • Venice Breakwater Rocks
      Ocean Front Walk and Windward Ave., Venice

    The annual grunion run is a uniquely Venice experience worth the nighttime adventure.

Dine & Drink Deals

Indulge in these tasty dining and drink deals this month.

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  • A blue and white digital poster for Festivus: A Passover Pop-Up. In the center is an image of a smoked brisket sandwich using two latkes as the bread.
    Sun, Apr 28

    Festivus BBQ

    • Gingergrass Silverlake
      2396 Glendale Blvd. , Silver Lake

    Texas-meets-Passover in this brisket-centric, kosher-for-Passover two-night pop-up.

  • Sun, Apr 28

    Pizza City Fest

    • L.A. Live
      800 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles

    Get unlimited beverages and pizza from the top slice joints in the city, including Prime Pizza, Hail Mary and more.
  • Nine homemade corn and chicken tamales stacked on top of each other.
    Sat, Apr 27

    Tamale Festival

    • Catalina Museum for Art & History
      217 Metropole Ave., Avalon

    Hop the ferry to Catalina to gorge on tamales and then cast a vote for your favorite!

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