Best things to do this weekend in Los Angeles and Southern California: April 17-19

Calling all readers: It’s the annual L.A. Times Festival of Books this weekend, so bring your favorite tote down to USC, buy all your favorite books and hear from your favorite authors, publishing houses, chefs and more. We’ll be there, too. Come say hi.

Licorice Pizza has your music picks, from Coachella weekend and beyond. There’s a lot of skull-crushing rock, punk and industrial this weekend, starting Friday, with Avatar, Fleshgod Apocalypse and Frozen Soul at the Novo, and Blood for Blood at the Belasco. On Saturday, Gwar, with Soulfly as support, will spill their guts, literally, at the Belasco; My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult are at the Teragram … or, for something completely different, there is a literally hair-raising show by furry saxophonist Saxsquatch, with opener Olivver the Kid, at the Roxy.

Elsewhere on LAist, you can find out how the LAX people mover is coming along (spoiler alert: slowly), learn how to protect yourself from a stingray sting as warmer waters have increased attacks and read up on the history of Sunset Strip’s famous Marlboro Man billboard.

Events

Artist talk with Ruben Ochoa

Saturday, April 18, 2 p.m. 
Breakdown/Breakthrough: Art and Infrastructure
UC Irvine Langston Orange County Museum of Art 
18881 Von Karman Ave., Irvine
COST: FREE; MORE INFO 

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Allison V Smith

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UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art

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The exhibit Breakdown/Breakthrough: Art and Infrastructure is on in Irvine through May 16, but this weekend you can catch an artist talk with Ruben Ochoa and a special pop-up activation at the Irvine Barclay Theatre Plaza (4242 Campus Drive, Irvine). Ochoa’s work, which spans photography, large-scale installations, AR and more, examines “how Southern California’s built environment shapes daily life … from our movement and visibility to our sense of belonging.” On Saturday, Ochoa will discuss his practice with curator Dr. Michaëla Mohrmann.

Elysian Park and the Stone Quarry Hills film screening

Saturday, April 18, 11:30 a.m.
Edendale Library 
2011 Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake
COST: FREE; MORE INFO 

Friends of Elysian Park hosts this screening of the Ed Ruscha short film, Elysian Park and the Stone Quarry Hills, which local favorite Ruscha made in 2023 with narration by none other than actor Benicio del Toro. The film takes a view of the history of the urban park, which includes its indigenous origins and later iterations as a quarry, a brick-making factory, a hospital and, of course, a baseball stadium.

Great Altadena Poppy Festival

Saturday, April 18, 10 a.m.
2270 Lake Ave., Altadena
COST: FREE; MORE INFO 

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Courtesy Pasadena Jaycees

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Check out the blooming poppies while supporting local Altadena businesses at the Great Altadena Poppy Festival. The Pasadena Jaycees will be handing out passports so you can keep track of where you’ve been, take photos at the flower wall and drive through the scenic poppies. There’s also a fun run at 8 a.m. if you really want to get moving early! 

The films of Gordon Matta-Clark 

Sunday, April 19, 1 p.m.
LA Film Forum at 2220 Arts 
2220 Arts
2220 Beverly Blvd., Historic Filipinotown
COST: $15; MORE INFO

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Gordon Matta-Clark

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Electronic Arts Intermix

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Six films from groundbreaking artist Gordon Matta-Clark have been stitched together for this screening, giving a broad sense of his “building cuts,” which “expose the thinness of the boundaries that divide people, mediums, spaces and ideas.” Curators Jessamyn Fiore, who's the director of the Gordon Matta-Clark estate, and Dylan Adamson, a critic and programmer, will be in attendance.

Save the Pier play

Through Sunday, April 19, 8 p.m. nightly 
403 Santa Monica Pier (West end of the pier), Santa Monica
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

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Santa Monica Pier Corporation

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Eventbrite

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Did you know that the Santa Monica Pier almost didn’t make it? In the 1970s, plans were in place to demolish the iconic end of Route 66 until a noble group of local citizens fought to keep it alive. And now we can play Skee-Ball any time — thank you, elders! The story is immortalized in a new play being performed — where else — on the pier, for free, through Sunday.

Beverly Hills

Through Saturday, April 18 
Kirk Douglas Theatre
9820 Washington Blvd., Culver City
COST: FROM $34; MORE INFO

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Courtesy Center Theatre Group

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Long before he was an entertainment writer for the likes of EW and his own site, TV Line, Michael Ausiello wrote a soap opera called Beverly Hills. He was 13. His long-held dream comes to life on stage at the Kirk Douglas with a rotating cast of bold-faced names, including Nathan Fillion, Michael Urie, Edi Patterson and more.

Edd Kimber

Friday, April 17, 6:30 p.m.  
Fat & Flour 
11739 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City
COST: $15; MORE INFO

Ummmm, can you say yum? Fat & Flour’s Nicole Rucker will chat with Edd Kimber about his new book, Chocolate Baking: The Ultimate Guide to Cakes, Cookies, Desserts, and Pastries. Of course, there will be treats to go with a book signing.

Public Fruit Tree Adoption 

Saturday, April 18, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 
L.A. State Historic Park 
1245 N Spring St., Downtown L.A. 
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

Part art collective, part food waste activist group, part community farm, the Fallen Fruit folks are always up to something cool. In the spirit of Earth Month, head to the L.A. State Historic Park to adopt a fruit tree and help grow the city’s Endless Orchard — a project to plant and map publicly accessible fruit trees all over the city. You'll also have the chance to be painted into the Community Portrait celebrating the Power of Pollinators.