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Best things to do in LA and SoCal: Aug. 26-Sept. 1
Oysterpalooza goes down this weekend in Huntington Beach.
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Tommy Pierucki
/
World Surf League
)
Maestro Gustavo Dudamel’s farewell shows at the Hollywood Bowl after his 17-year run as conductor of the LA Phil were truly a special moment in this city, from the visible lovefest between him and Foo Fighters lead singer Dave Grohl on Saturday to the moving fundraiser for Venezuela with YOLA and stars from Chris Martin to Beck to Carlos Vives on Sunday. A fitting send off for someone who changed the shape of music in Los Angeles. The Dude will be missed! If you didn’t catch the Concert for Venezuela, you can stream it on YouTube.
Elsewhere on LAist, you can learn about December’s Annenberg Wildlife Crossing opening event, visit a stand-up club in Bellflower and get ready for JANM’s January reopening.
Music
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
- The Roots with Nas & De La Soul at Long Beach’s F&M Bank Amphitheater
- Comedy rock trio Wolves of Glendale perform their new album, Go to the Woods, at Licorice Pizza
Saturday
- Courtney Barnett and Built to Spill at the Palladium
- Meyer Hawthorne is spinning at the free Tongva Twilight: Sounds and Cinema concert in Santa Monica
Sunday
- Hollywood Forever’s all-star Ramones’ 50th anniversary celebration with Billie Joe Armstrong and Travis Barker
- Inaugural CAMP: THE NEXT GEN MUSIC FEST at the Underground Museum, with Kim Theory, Yoyoka, LED and more
Monday
Tuesday
Events
Daisy Chain Fields Festival
Saturday, Aug. 29
Great Park Live
8000 Great Park Drive, Irvine
COST: FROM $255; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Daisy Chain Fields
)
If you’re lucky enough to score a ticket (it’s currently waitlist-only), this new celebration of women in rock is being hailed as the second coming of the Lilith Fair and hopefully the start of something big. Hosted by Olivia Rodrigo, it features an amazing bill that includes Chappell Roan, Die Spitz, Doechii, Garbage, Katseye, Mitski, Karen O, Sarah McLachlan, Bikini Kill and even Stevie Nicks. It’s all going down at Great Park Live in Irvine.
Mahjong Social
Monday, Aug. 31, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
15225 Palisades Village Lane, Pacific Palisades
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
A mahjong social is coming to Palisades Village.
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Fiona Ng
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LAist
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Celebrate the reopening of Palisades Village by meeting new friends for a game of American mahjong at the weekly mahjong social. There’s no formal instruction, so just sign up and show up alone or with a group of up to four players.
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Donate a rock to ICA
Through Friday, Sept. 18
Institute of Contemporary Art LA
1717 E. 7th Street, Arts District
COST: FREE (well, a rock, I guess); MORE INFO
The South Korean tradition of building wishing rock towers called 돌탑, or DOL-TOP, is believed to protect the community. ICA LA artists-in-residence Saewon Oh and C. Ryu of Hwa Records are collaborating with ICA’s 2026 Agency of Assets Youth Fellows and the lands of Tongva/Los Angeles on a new installation, and they need your help. Donate a rock at the reception desk to be part of the new installation opening this fall.
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10th Annual Festival Chapín Los Angeles
Saturday and Sunday, August 29 and 30
Lafayette Park
625 S. La Fayette Park Place, Westlake
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Festival Chapin
)
The 10th edition of the annual Festival Chapín celebrates Puerto Barrios, Izabal, Guatemala’s gateway to the Caribbean and the Atlantic. A replica of the iconic “Tierra de Dios” arch, created by artist David Olivares, will welcome visitors at Lafayette Park to the free two-day event, which spans seven blocks and showcases the best of the Garifuna people and Guatemala through music, food and arts and crafts.
East Hollywood Block Party
Saturday, Aug. 29, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Heliotrope Drive, East Hollywood
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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East Hollywood is quickly becoming a major art hub, so head to Heliotrope Drive for an afternoon of art and food, with events at Track 16 Gallery, Art Bug, David Zwirner, Wilding Cran, Ondo Coffee, Cateye Spectacles, GoGo Juice Bar and Red Vintage Co. There’s art, music, raffles, shopping and more.
The Novelizers Live: 35th anniversary of Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Thursday, August 27, 7 p.m.
Dynasty Typewriter
2511 Wilshire Blvd., Koreatown
COST: $22.99; MORE INFO
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Courtesy The Novelizers
)
This isn’t a screening; it’s more of a comedic reinterpretation-slash-mockumentary look at the classic Arnold Schwarzenegger blockbuster, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, honoring the film’s 35th anniversary (is that really possible? 35?!). Comedians like Andy Daly, Paul Scheer and Colton Dunn will perform alongside co-host of the Novelizers podcast, Stephen Levinson.
UNO SOCIAL CLUB
Thursday, August 27, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
No Vacancy
1727 N. Hudson Ave., Hollywood
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
An UNO Social Club is coming to L.A.
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MARTIN BERTRAND/Hans Lucas
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AFP via Getty Images
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First Mattel tackled movies with Barbie and He-Man; now they're branching into live events, hosting UNO socials all over the country. The L.A. event at No Vacancy is free to RSVP — just bring your lungs and get ready for a heated game of UNO.
Hungry Ghost Festival
Saturday, Aug. 29, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Alpine Recreation Center
817 Yale Street, Chinatown
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Hungry Ghost Festival
)
Honor the Hungry Ghosts of the ancestors at the annual Hungry Ghost Festival in Chinatown. Don your costume and dance alongside the East Wind Lion Dance Troupe, enjoy food from local vendors, performances, art activities for kids and much more; the annual event is free for all.
Oysterpalooza
Saturday, Aug. 29, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sunset Beach Community Center and Greenbelt
16861 12th Street, Huntington Beach
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
(
Tommy Pierucki
/
World Surf League
)
Oysters aren’t just for eating! Orange County's inaugural oyster festival kicks off with a beach cleanup at 9 a.m. and continues through the day with art activities using recycled oyster shells, talks on sustainability, indigenous storytelling with the Gabrielino-Shoshone Nation, and of course, oyster (and ale!) tastings.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
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