This Weekend's Best IRL And Online Events: June 26 - 28

Coronavirus is wreaking havoc on schools, stores, businesses and events. With in-person concerts, talks, comedy shows, food festivals and other gatherings cancelled, we have turned our events column into a "nonevents" column. It will remain this way as long as social distancing and stay-at-home orders are in effect.

During this difficult time, please consider contributing to your local arts organizations or to individual artists and performers.

Watch Indian indie films. Soak up all the music at Questlove's annual Roots Picnic, now online. Pick up a banjo and strum along to some queer bluegrass. Sip a martini in old school style at Musso & Frank. Learn about the history of chocolate and vanilla. Check out Photo L.A.'s galleries and talks without leaving your home.

Original Takoyaki from Takoyaki Tanota in Little Tokyo. (Maggie Gallagher/Go Little Tokyo)

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Every weekend from Friday, June 26 - Sunday, July 26

Delicious Little Tokyo
This year's Go Little Tokyo celebration moves online. The virtual food festival includes interactive workshops, live chats, giveaways and video content via Instagram and Facebook. If you head to Little Tokyo to support local businesses, use the hashtag #LoveLT for a chance to win prizes.
COST: Varies; MORE INFO

Through Sunday, July 5

The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA)
The previously announced lineup for this year's IFFLA has been moved to 2021 so audiences can experience the movies in person. This year, the festival presents a virtual program, IFFLA Over the Years. It's an overview of past films such as Manish Acharya's Loins of Punjab and Anurag Kashyap's Gangs of Wasseypur. More than 120 narrative features, documentaries and short films by IFFLA alumni will be available online via the festival website.
COST: Varies (many titles are free to watch); MORE INFO

Friday, June 26; 4 p.m.

Film School Friday: Creating for an Authentic Future
The Motion Picture Association and Netflix co-host a virtual Pride edition of Film School Friday, featuring Laverne Cox, Sam Feder and Amy Scholder, creators of the Netflix documentary, Disclosure. The doc examines transgender depictions in film and television, and the panel discusses the project as well as trans representation, inclusion, and depiction in media. Watch on FilmSchoolFriday.com.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

Friday, June 26; 5 p.m.

First Fridays Connected
NHM's signature event returns online for the last time this season (rescheduled from earlier this month). Stream timely discussions about the future of food then rock out a DJ set from KCRW's Novena Carmel. The program includes: A Secrets from the Vault discussion with podcast host Alie Ward and Kayce Bell, assistant curator of Terrestrial Mammals (5 p.m., members only) followed by the discussion about the future of our food supply (6 p.m.) and a Dino 101 seminar (7 p.m.). The music starts at 8 p.m.
COST: FREE, with RSVP; MORE INFO

Street Food Cinema screens movies this weekend in Simi Valley, with food trucks onsite to feed moviegoers. (Street Food Cinema)

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Friday, June 26 - Sunday, June 28

Street Food Cinema
American Jewish University's Brandeis Bardin Campus
1101 Pepper Tree Lane, Brandeis (Simi Valley)
Head to the drive-in movie where Street Food Cinema screens Edward Scissorhands (Friday), The Princess Bride (Saturday) and Moulin Rouge (Sunday). Tickets will not be sold at the gate; they must be purchased in advance. Food trucks will be onsite with treats available for purchase.
COST: $20 per car, $8 per person, but free for those 3 and younger; MORE INFO

Friday, June 26 - Sunday, June 28

Social Distance Comedy
KO Comedy hosts three live stand-up shows on Zoom this weekend (Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 6 p.m). Each show is hosted by Sammy Obeid and features seven comedians plus a DJ spinning tunes. While the shows are free, attendees are encouraged to tip their fav performers via Venmo.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO

Stevie Nicks (of the group Fleetwood Mac) performs in the early 1990s. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

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Friday, June 26; 4 p.m. PDT

Fleetmac Wood Fridays - A Remix Party for your Iso-Disco
The Fleetwood Mac dance party celebrates eight years of ingenious mixes and remixes with a livestream DJ set and footage from previous parties. Watch on Twitch. If you want to be a Zoom dancer and be on the guest list for the digital afterparty, join Fleetmac Wood's Patreon.
COST: FREE, but tips accepted through Venmo and Paypal; MORE INFO

Learn about the history of chocolate and vanilla at an ArtBites workshop and demo. (Suzy S Photography via Creative Commons/Flickr)

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Friday, June 26; 5 - 6:30 p.m. PDT

Cooking with ArtBites: The Story of Chocolate and Vanilla
Learn about the history of chocolate and vanilla from ArtBites founder Maite Gomez-Rejon. Attendees will bake together (fudge brownies with macerated berries), prepare a cocktail (vanilla old-fashioned) and trace the origins of two beloved flavors and ingredients. Once registered, attendees receive the recipe and equipment list; the Zoom link will be sent three hours before class begins.
COST: $25; MORE INFO

Saturday, June 27 at 2 p.m.

Out at Home
This online Pride celebration features performances by drag entertainers, DJs, dancers, artists and advocacy organizations from around California. The event will be broadcast live, hosted by San Francisco drag performer Cash Monet. The event streams live on the Center for Cultural Power's Twitch channel.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

Drag Queen Story Hour hosts a worldwide party for Pride 2020 this weekend. (Courtesy of DQSH)

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Saturday, June 27; 10 a.m. PDT

Drag Queen Story Hour Pride 2020
Coinciding with Pride celebrations around the world, drag queen and drag king storytellers read children's books, lip sync, sing songs and perform kid-friendly drag numbers. Emceed by Harmonica Sunbeam, from the DQSH New York City and New Jersey chapters, the event also features Lil Miss Hot Mess from L.A among the readers. Stories will primarily be read in English.
COST: $15 - $50; MORE INFO

Meet the seals: The Marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro holds a virtual seal day on Saturday. (Karen Schuenemann)

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Saturday, June 27; 12 - 1:30 p.m.

Seal Day
The Marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro, a rescue and rehab organization, hosts its annual seal event online this year. Attendees can celebrate and learn about seals from MMCC President Amber Becerra while meeting the new rescues virtually. There will be an opportunity to donate live and feed a seal-a-meal in real time.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

Sheryl Lee Ralph speaks during the 2019 Outfest Legacy Awards Gala on October 27, 2019. (Araya Diaz/Getty Images for Outfest)

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Saturday, June 27; 7 - 9 p.m. PDT

Lead with Love: Project Angel Food Emergency Telethon
Hosted by Eric McCormack, Sheryl Lee Ralph and KTLA 5 anchor Jessica Holmes, this fundraiser aims to raise $500,000 to support Project Angel Food's COVID-19 Emergency Fund. Watch a ton of live and pre-taped appearances from Sir Elton John, Sharon Stone, Kelly Clarkson, CeeLo Green, Kristin Chenoweth, John Goodman, Danny Trejo, Matt Bomer and Chrissy Metz, among others. The show airs on KTLA 5 and streams on the KTLA 5 and Project Angel Food websites and respective Facebook pages. Donate directly to www.AngelFood.org or call into the live phone bank and a celebrity might answer the phone.
COST: FREE, but donations suggested; MORE INFO

Saturday, June 27 - Tuesday, June 30; 8 a.m. - sunset [park hours]

Ebb & Flow: Chinatown Festival
Los Angeles State Historic Park
1245 N. Spring St., downtown L.A.
Heidi Duckler Dance presents its fourth Ebb & Flow Festival. Instead of live performances and workshops, this year's iteration involves augmented reality with self-guided, site-specific, physically distant experiences. The experiences raise awareness about climate change. Attendees are asked to follow health protocols, including maintaining a six-foot physical distance and wearing a mask.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO

(Matheus Ferrero/Unsplash)

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Saturday, June 27 - Sunday, June 28;

A Bluegrass Pride Queer-antine Festival
On what would have been Pride weekend in San Francisco, Porch Pride presents a streaming festival of 10 hours of live music. The event lifts up the voices of LGBTQ+ roots musicians and fans. Scheduled performers include Allison de Groot & Patrick M'Gonigle, Front Country, Molly Tuttle, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer, Kimber Ludiker & Avril Smith, and Amythyst Kiah. Watch on the Bluegrass Pride website as well as Facebook or YouTube.
COST: $10 suggested donation; MORE INFO

Questlove, seen here DJing the 'High Fidelity' New York premiere, hosts the 13th Annual Roots Picnic this year with Black Thought and Michelle Obama. (Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Hulu)

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Saturday, June 27; 5 p.m. PDT

13th Annual Roots Picnic
The Roots move their annual event online this year, teaming with Michelle Obama's national, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, When We All Vote, with a goal of engaging 500,000 eligible voters during the picnic. Hosted by Questlove, Black Thought and Michelle Obama, the night features music by The Roots, H.E.R., Roddy Ricch, Lil Baby, SZA, Kirk Franklin, Snoh Aalegra, Earthgang, G Herbo, Polo G, D Nice and Musiq Soulchild (backed by The Roots) and appearances by Michelle Obama, Lin Manuel Miranda, Chris Paul, Tom Hanks, Liza Koshy, Kerry Washington, Tracee Ellis Ross, Janelle Monáe, and Elaine Welteroth. Watch it all on The Roots' YouTube channel.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO

Maria Bamford speaks at The New Yorker Festival on October 8, 2016 in New York City. (Thos Robinson/Getty Images for The New Yorker)

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Saturday, June 27; 7 p.m. PDT

Vindicated: The Depressed and Anxious Proven Correct That Things Have Always Been Scary and Shitty
Since comedian Maria Bamford can't hit the road with her new material, she brings it straight to our laptops. She debuts a new hour of stand-up at a livestreamed show and after-party. Jackie Kashian opens. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Black Lives Matter Global Network.
COST: $15; MORE INFO

Actors dressed as fairytale storytellers perform in Chatsworth House, the residence of Britian's Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, on November 8, 2018. (OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)

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Saturday, June 27 - Saturday, Aug. 15

Fairyland Foibles
GRoW @ The Wallis releases an eight-part episodic show that's part radio play and part soap opera with an interactive audience element. Written by Alexander Sheldon and Tiana Randall Quant, and directed by Madeleine Dahm, the show is a satirical, surreal examination of mythology, legends and fairy tales. After each episode, the audience is invited to vote via social media to change the plot, dialogue or characters. The first episode streams on Saturday at 7 p.m., with additional episodes available weekly on Saturdays. The content is suggested for those ages 14+. Fairyland Foibles will be streamed on Facebook and on Instagram.COST: FREE;MORE INFO

Photo L.A.'s first edition of Virtual Collect + Connect takes place this weekend, June 27 and 28. (Valda Bailey's 'Blue Moon Rising,' courtesy of the artist and MMX Gallery )

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Saturday, June 27 - Sunday, June 28

Virtual Collect + Connect
Photo L.A., the West Coast's longest-running photography fair, moves online. The virtual fair hosts more than 40 exhibitors through interactive booths and live-streamed programming, including lectures, panels discussions and docent tours. In order to access the full experience, attendees must download the Whova app on their smartphones or computers.
COST: $20; MORE INFO

Saturday, June 27; 12 - 1 p.m. PDT

Giant Robot Presents: Underwater
Giant Robot Store opens this group exhibition, curated by Cassia Lupo, with a tour on Instagram Live. More than two dozen artists are featured including Aaron Brown, Allison Bamcat, Brian Luong, Nellie Le, Nikki Lukas Longfish, Sean Chao, Eva Devon: Sweaty Taxidermy, Theo Ellsworth and Thinh Nguyen. The works remain on view at the store through July 24.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

Actress Tati Gabrielle in the premiere of "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" on October 19, 2019 in Hollywood. (VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images)

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Sunday, June 28; 1 p.m. PDT

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Q&A
On Sunday, fans of the supernatural Netflix show about a half-human, half-witch teenager can attend a live, free Q&A with cast members Tati Gabrielle and Gavin Leatherwood. They can also upgrade their tickets to get autographs, live video chats and recorded video messages.
COST: FREE - $75; MORE INFO

1945: The cover of a folder containing souvenir photographs from the Florentine Gardens restaurant. (Security Pacific National Bank Collection/Los Angeles Public Library Collection)

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Sunday, June 28; 2 p.m. PDT

Hollywood Noir
Author and historian Angela Aleiss leads this talk that explains how theater impresario Mark Hansen became involved in one of the city's most notorious crimes, the Black Dahlia murder. After, join Aleiss for a "tour" just outside of Hollywood Boulevard's historic district to meet the man and explore his legacy. A Q&A follows. Ticket buyers will receive a Zoom link after purchase.
COST: $15, $7.50 for members; MORE INFO

Sunday, June 28; 4 - 7 p.m. PDT

ABTG 'Jewel's Catch One' Netflix Party
The ninth annual Art Beyond the Glass event was originally scheduled for Sunday at Catch One, opened in 1973 by Jewel Thais-Williams. Known then as Jewel's Catch One, the Black-owned disco became the place to see and be seen for LGBTQ, Black and AIDS-affected communities and allies. In lieu of the live event, ABTG holds a Netflix Party featuring the 2016 documentary Jewel's Catch One, directed by C. Fitz. Viewers must download the Google Chrome extension, "Netflix Party," to watch simultaneously and join the group chat. The link will be posted the day of the event.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

The Musso & Frank Grill in Hollywood reopens for business this weekend with new health and safety protocols in place. (JonPaul Douglass)

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Dine & Drink Deals

Who doesn't miss going out to eat or stopping by a bar for a drink? Here are a few options from restaurants and bars as we work our way back toward normal.

• Raise your martini glass. The venerated Musso and Frank Grill reopens on Friday, June 26. Hollywood's oldest restaurant will reopen with new safety measures while operating at 60% capacity. No groups larger than six people will be seated or served and all guests are asked to wear facemasks when not at their table. Reservations must be made in advance.
• Grant Smillie & David Combes, owners of E.P. & L.P. and Botanical Hospitality Group, have opened an Australian-inspired, indoor-outdoor cafe called Strings of Life on Melrose Avenue. S.O.L. (yes, really) will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Chef Ray Garcia's Broken Spanish recently reopened for dine-in service, taking reservations via Tock, with a waitlist available by contacting info@brokenspanish.com. The restaurant has reconfigured floor plans and expanded outdoor patio seating. For those who don't want to venture out, there are takeout and delivery options through the Broken Spanish Market, and several BS items will be available at other locations through collaborations with Lady & Larder (West L.A.), Stanley's Wet Goods (Culver City) and Valerie Confections (Echo Park).
• Michael Cimarusti's restaurants, Providence and Connie and Ted's, returned for in-person dining last week with new health and safety protocols. Expect 60% seating capacity and no bar seating as well as tables capped at six people.