Best things to do in LA and SoCal: Aug. 12-18

I have family in town this week, and since they’ve been to L.A. many times over the years, I was trying to think of some new places for us to check out this trip.

Our first stop was sister dreamer, Lauren Halsey’s “architectural ode to tha surge n splurge of south central los angeles” — and I can’t recommend it enough. The perfect detour on your way to or from picking up or dropping off someone at LAX (truly SoCal’s highest form of saying you love someone), the installation creates an oasis in the heart of South Central. Halsey’s portrait of the neighborhood is a feat of carving work that is part Getty, part street mural and part ancient Egypt, honoring both her neighborhood and artistic ancestors. Head to the corner of Western Avenue and 76th Street to check it out; the site is hosting regular events like jazz jams, yoga sessions and more. Plus, Halsey will join Erykah Badu at the Bowl for a show this September.

Elsewhere on LAist, you can meet the local scientists creating a "Noah’s Ark" of tide pools or share your thoughts on whether dogs belong in restaurants.

Music

Colbie Caillat plays the Pacific Amphitheatre on Saturday.

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Jason Koerner

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Getty Images

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Licorice Pizza’s music picks for the week include:

Wednesday 

• Ani DiFranco and Valerie June at the Ford

Thursday 

• Dwight Yoakam brings the Bakersfield sound to Orange County’s Pacific Amphitheatre
• The three-night Post Present Medium 25th Anniversary Celebration, with a whole bunch of cool indie bands, kicks off at the Smell

Friday

• Art-pop star Melanie Martinez plays the Forum
• Buzz band of the summer, Goose, is at the Greek
• Egyptian Lover brings the funk to Riverside’s Farm House Collective

Saturday 

• Lukas Nelson at the Observatory
• Colbie Caillat gets bubbly at the Pacific Amphitheatre
• Tomahawk with Melvins play their first of two nights at the Belasco

Sunday 

• A big reggae party at the Pacific Amphitheatre with Steel Pulse, Long Beach Dub Allstars, Eli-Mac and Common Sense 
• All weekend long, there’s the massive KCON 2026 fest with K-pop stars like Tomorrow x Together, NCT127 and many more taking over the Crypto.com Arena

Monday 

• Shake your money-maker with the Black Crowes and special guests the Tedeschi Trucks Band at the Hollywood Bowl
• Get your mind blown by Angine de Poitrine, the mysterious polka-dotted math-rock duo who broke the internet this year, at Teragram Ballroom

Tuesday

• NEEDTOBREATHE plays the Greek
• The Sword rocks the Fonda

Events

Graffiti Towers Walking Tour

Sunday, Aug, 16, 5 p.m. 
1101 Flower St., Downtown L.A. 
COST: SOLD OUT BUT MORE DATES TBD; MORE INFO

The so-called Graffiti Towers in 2024.

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Mario Tama

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Getty Images

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When graffiti artists took over the abandoned luxury building project Oceanwide Plaza in 2024, the subversive move became an instant skyline icon for anyone driving east on the 10. The group Rent Brigade has started offering tours of the site, looking at the design of nearby L.A. Live, and the “history of speculation, displacement, and resistance in DTLA.” A debrief over drinks follows. This week is sold out, but check back as they are adding more dates.

CHIMAC-FEST 2026

Friday, Aug. 14 through Sunday, Aug. 16
Great Park Live
8000 Great Park Blvd., Irvine
COST: FROM $17; MORE INFO

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Courtesy Great Park Live

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You had me at fried chicken and beer. CHIMAC-FEST takes the popular Korean pairing and raises it to the next level, while showcasing a wide range of Korean food, culture, live entertainment and more at Great Park Live in Irvine.

SkyFest Big Bear

Friday, August 14 through Sunday, Aug. 16, 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. 
Various locations in Big Bear
COST: FROM $15; MORE INFO 

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Courtesy Big Bear

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Allow me a little leeway to share something beyond our usual L.A. and Orange County limits this week and encourage you to take a ride to Big Bear. The mountain town hosts SkyFest, a three-day celebration of science and discovery, featuring NASA and Caltech astrophysicists and DarkSky experts. You’ll learn about black holes, NASA’s next space telescope and the search for life in the universe. The festival features shows at the immersive AstroDome, rides to stargaze from the mountain summit, guided night hikes, a mountaintop forest sound bath and special events for kids.

Dine LA Restaurant Week

Friday, Aug. 14 through Friday, Aug. 28
COST: VARIES; MORE INFO

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Courtesy Redbird

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Dine LA Restaurant Week is here again, so make your reservations now, because hot tables go fast. Ranging from $35 to $65, deals include tasting menus and specials at some of the most popular new spots and old favorites. A few that caught food editor Gab Chabrán’s eye:

Broken Spanish Comedor (Culver City)
Dinner ($55): Three courses
MENU | PHOTOS

Jyan Isaac Bread (Santa Monica)
Lunch ($25): Pastry, sandwich and bread
MENU | PHOTOS

Redbird (DTLA)
Brunch ($45): Two courses
Dinner ($65): Three courses
MENU | PHOTOS

Citrin (Santa Monica)
Dinner ($99): Amuse and four courses
MENU

Spring Arts Tower Takeover

Saturday, Aug. 15, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
The Last Bookstore
453 S. Spring St., Ground Floor, Downtown L.A. 
COST: $5; MORE INFO

The Last Bookstore in DTLA is just one of the many places to purchase and get lost a book that can be found throughout the city.

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Jonathan Hoffman

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LAist

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There’s never a bad time to make a pilgrimage to The Last Bookstore, but this weekend you can see much more than books as the whole Spring Arts Tower is getting in on the action. There will be a pop-up market featuring hundreds of vendors across all 12 floors of the historic downtown building.

Route 66 Film Series: The Grapes of Wrath (1940)

Saturday, August 15, 4:30 p.m.
Norton Simon Museum 
411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena
COST: FREE WITH MUSEUM ADMISSION; MORE INFO

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Courtesy 20th Century Fox

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The Norton Simon is celebrating historic Route 66 with a themed film series. Saturday’s pick: The 1940 classic The Grapes of Wrath. Based on the John Steinbeck novel, the Oscar-winning John Ford film stars Henry Fonda as Tom Joad, who heads west from the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression.

Fool in the Pool 

Monday, Aug 17, 8 p.m.
El Cóndor
3701 Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake
COST: GA $25, VIP $40; MORE INFO

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Kay DeMuco

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Eventbrite

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Fool in the Pool is an immersive karaoke play at El Cóndor. There's a live band, the audience sings as part of the narrative, and VIP ticket-holders perform on stage with the band. The story follows a washed-up child star turned karaoke host across one unraveling night — it opens as comedy and turns darker. No two performances are the same, and the night ends with open karaoke for everyone.

Soul Jazz Sessions 

Thursdays, 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. 
State Social House
8782 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood 
COST: FREE; MORE INFO 

Soul Jazz Sessions is a new weekly live-music event on Thursdays. While the Sunset Strip may be better known for loud rock acts, check out this new — and decidedly more chill — jazz jam session at State Social House on Sunset Boulevard. There’s no cover (rare for a jazz set in this town!).

Netflix's BEEF wellness-themed giveaways

Through Friday, Aug. 14
Various locations
COST: FREE; MORE INFO 

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Courtesy Netflix

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We’re deep into FYC season, and that means only one thing for us normies: free stuff. Netflix’s series BEEF is taking the show’s calm-down lesson to the masses by offering free wellness treats and experiences. From a limited-edition “Yogi” smoothie at SunLife Organics to a sound bath in partnership with the Den at the London in West Hollywood, get in line early for your free dose of chill.

Elizabeth Mitchell performances

Garden Concerts for Kids: Elizabeth Mitchell
Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 15 and 16, 4 p.m.
The Getty Center
1200 Getty Center Drive, Brentwood
COST: FREE with reservation; MORE INFO 

Ida at Lodge Room
Monday, August 17, 8 p.m.
Lodge Room
104 N. Ave. 56, 2nd floor, Highland Park
COST: $32.50; MORE INFO 

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Courtesy Lodge Room

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This week brings three opportunities to catch Elizabeth Mitchell’s varied talent. Bring the kids to the Getty this Saturday and Sunday afternoon for family concerts celebrating the 20th anniversary of her Smithsonian Folkways children’s music album, You Are My Little Bird. Joined by her husband Daniel Littleton and daughter Storey, Mitchell will put on performances that are true family gatherings, covering traditional songs and favorites ranging from Woody Guthrie to Bob Marley.

On Monday, you can see Elizabeth and Daniel perform at the Lodge Room with Ida, the thoughtful and spare indie group they formed in 1991. Fun fact: While at Brown University, Elizabeth Mitchell played in a duo with Lisa Loeb, and she and Daniel later sang backup vocals on her hit “Stay (I Missed You).” — Roy Lenn