Weekend Planner: 20 Things To Do In Los Angeles

Here are 20 of our favorite events happening right here in L.A. this weekend. Think we missed something or you just want other options? Check out LAist’s June Guide, too.

FRIDAY, JUNE 24

DEGREES OF PERFECT (Street art + engineering)
Spaceland, DoLA and Lennox present Degrees of Perfect—an exhibition in which street art meets engineering—for one-night only at The Container Yard in DTLA from 8 pm to 11:45 pm. There are five murals painted by Ashop Crew, Bacon, Dodo Ose, 123Klan, Slick and Zek One, and when heated air is blown on the works, “the thermochromic paint layer becomes colorless, revealing the base coat underneath. When introduced to cool temperature, the color returns.” DJ set by Toro Y Moi, too.

ROARING NIGHTS (Zoo party)
Roaring Nights is the L.A. Zoo’s annual summer music and party series that returns on Friday night with a trip back to the 1900s. From 7-11 pm, guests can listen and dance to covers of the Backstreet Boys, Goo Goo Dolls, Smash Mouth, Weezer, Blink-182, Alanis Morissette and more performed live by the band Saved By The 90’s. Grunge, pop and house tunes will be spun by spun by DJ Johnny Hawkes, and there’s a Hip Hop Lounge for the best 90s beats, too. The night also features food trucks, full bars, a game zone with tabletop games, a jumbo version of Jenga and video games like Street Fighter, Super Mario Brothers and Sonic the Hedgehog, zookeeper talks, animal encounters and more. Roaring Nights tickets are $25 and $22 for GLAZA members. The event is 18+.

MOBY (Memoir + reading)
Musician and activist Moby presents Porcelain: A Memoir on Friday at 8 pm at the Skirball Cultural Center. He’ll be interviewed by KCRW's Jason Bentley and do a book signing after the discussion. Tickets are $28 (+tax) and includes a copy of Moby’s book. Event only tickets are $5.

AMERICAN BLACK FILM FESTIVAL ENCORE (Films)
BET Networks and the American Black Film Festival(ABFF) present the ABFF Encore at BET Experience at L.A. Live this weekend, from Friday through Sunday. The fest-within-a-fest coincides with the BET Awards on Sunday. During the weekend, select films from the 2016 ABFF will be screened and several workshops and master classes on acting, directing and producing will be offered, taught by industry vets like Kenya Barris, Robert Townsend and Tasha Smith. Prices vary for each event.

DEPARTMENT Q TRILOGY (Film)
Arena Cinema Hollywood and the Scandinavian Film Festival LA present the entire Department Q Trilogy (riyl The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) in an exclusive engagement beginning on Friday. Fans the best-selling Danish mystery novels (“Nordic noir”) that feature Inspector Merck and his assistant Assad will be able to screen all three films in the series (back-to-back, if they want). The titles are: The Keeper of Lost Causes; The Absent One; and A Conspiracy of Faith. Admission: $12 each feature. The trilogy begins on Friday at 7:20 pm and runs at various times through June 30.

DWELL ON DESIGN (Design exhibition and conference)
Dwell on Design, the country’s largest design conference and expo, runs from Friday through Sunday at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Expect more than 300 exhibiting brands, 2,000+ modern furnishings and products and dozens of onstage presentations and seminary. The show runs 10 am to 7 pm on Friday; 10 am to 6 pm on Saturday and 10 am to 4 pm on Sunday. General admission tickets start at $30.

SATURDAY, JUNE 25

POLITICON (Politics)
POLITICON—a convention billed as a comic-con style event for political and entertainment junkies—is at the Pasadena Convention Center on Friday and Saturday. This con features panel discussions, debates, TV & movie screenings, live radio, podcasts, comedy, book readings, interviews, art exhibitions and more. Already confirmed to participate this weekend are Sarah Palin in conversation with James Carville, Van Jones vs. Ann Coulter, Gregg Proops, Darrell Hammond, Jay Pharoah, Pres. Vicente Fox in conversation with Al Madrigal and Alejandra Campoverdi, Bill Nye, “Trump vs. Bernie” and many many more. Tickets/passes: $15 - $275.

SHOWA ERA (Vintage manga art)
Q Pop and Q2 Gallery in Little Tokyo celebrates vintage manga of the Showa Era, the period of Japanese history that corresponds with the reign of Emperor Hirohito, from Dec. 25, 1926 to Jan. 7, 1989. Dozens of modern-day artists are participating in the show, paying tribute to the Q Pop’s favorite Showa Era Manga artists, from Osamu Tezuka (Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion, Black Jack and Phoenix) to Takao Saito (Golgo 13) and others. The opening reception is on Saturday night from 7-10 pm. The show runs through July 17.

GUEST CHEF AT SANTA ANITA PARK (Food + horse racing)
The Guest Chef Series at Santa Anita Park, which spotlights LA’s top chefs during big races, takes place on Saturday from noon to 5 pm. It’s Gold Cup Day and the winning horse of California’s Gold Cup race, earns the winning horse a guaranteed spot in the Breeders’ Cup. Catering the day’s menu is Chef Michael Kahikina of Barrel and Ashes, who will serve up Smoked Beef Brisket, Pulled Pork Sliders, Santa Maria-style Tri-Tip, Frito Pie, Mac & Cheese, Banana Pudding and more. There’s live music and racing throughout the day. Tickets are $85, but use the promo code GOLD16 for a $20 discount. The Chandelier Room has a dress code, so read on for the details.

PRETTY NICE LITTLE SATURDAY (Summer party)
Pretty Nice presents the first installment of its summer series, Pretty Nice Little Saturday, at Lock & Key in Koreatown from 1 to 7pm. They’re bringing the good vibes, DJs (headlined by Jamie Prado), a pop-up shop from Guise Archives x Kingsley Rowe (summer eyewear) and art by Julien Rubat and Konfused. Free entry with RSVP.

RIGHT NOW, WRONG THEN (Film)
Korean auteur Hong Sang-soo's films rarely get to be seen in the States, so pounce on every opportunity you can. Thanks to the nomadic programming of Acropolis Cinema, Hong's latest—the superb Right Now, Wrong Then—plays at Cinefamily for a one-off screening in L.A. Winner of the top prize at last year's Locarno Film Festival, Right Now, Wrong Then is the apex of the director's trademark style: awkward and intimate examinations of the follies of love and human interaction, often fueled by copious amounts of soju. Right Now, Wrong Then plays at 4 p.m. and will be followed by with a soju reception on Cinefamily's patio. Tickets $12, free for Cinefamily members.

CATCON (Cats)
If you love cats, then you need to be at The Reef in DTLA this weekend (Saturday and Sunday) for CatCon—the con that celebrates the feline and “celebrates groundbreaking products and ideas in art and design, pop culture, and attitude… for cat people.” There are adoptions, an escape room, a cat hotel, special guest cats and more. Adult tickets: $25 per day, or $40 for the weekend. Other events, including a CatVideoFest at the Ace and celeb meet & greet events cost extra.

BEAUTIFUL BEAST (Art)
Beautiful Beast is a collaborative exhibition of works by actor, skateboarder and painter Danny Minnick and actress, designer and model Samaire Armstrong. The duo has created more than 20 original works that “depict a merging of personal technique and style and an intersection of masculine and feminine energy.” The show opens on Saturday with a reception from 7-10 pm at The Salon (at Automatic Sweat) in Culver City. The works will remain on view through July 23.

GARDEN PARTY (Art + gardens)
The Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena holds its Third Annual Garden Party on Saturday from 5-8 pm. Check out the museum’s Duchamp and Sam Francis exhibitions currently on view, plus enjoy live music out in the sculpture garden. Pick up drawing supplies, learn to blend tea and make a satchel to take with you or sip champagne while watching the sunset. The Garden Party is included with museum admission, and food and beverages are for sale in the Garden Café. Tickets: $12 for adults; $9 for seniors; and free for Museum members, students with I.D., and everyone age 18 and under.

(NON)OBJECTIVE SUMMER HAPPENINGS (Music + art):
The Broad Museum kicks off its monthly, late-night Summer Happenings Series on Saturday night at 8:30 pm. Inspired by the works of artist Cindy Sherman, the night features performances by Perfume Genius and Lotic, choreography by Narcissister, and a pop-up beauty parlor from Mutant Salon. The music takes place at various locations throughout the museum and plaza, and admission to Cindy Sherman is included in the $35 ticket price.

THE ROOTS (Music)
As part of the BET Experience, The Roots and Special Guests play an all-ages show on Saturday at 11 pm at The Novo by Microsoft (formerly Club Nokia). Doors at 10 pm. Tickets: $69.50-$99.50.

SUNDAY, JUNE 26

GOLDEN ROAD BEER RUN (Summer party)
Golden Road presents a 5K fun run followed by a summer pub party on Sunday at 9 am. For the ridiculously low price of $10, participants do a quick 5k (3.1 miles) followed by brews, food truck fare, DJs, cornhole and a photobooth. The party’s being thrown in honor of Golden Road’s Wolf Pup session IPA, offered just in time for summer. Pick up bibs at 8:30 am. The party runs through 1 pm.

SHARK WEEK (Virtual reality exhibition)
The Paley Center in Beverly Hills presents a free, virtual reality exhibition to coincide with the Discovery Channel’s 28th annual Shark Week, running from Sunday through July 3. Visitors can drop by to don headsets that will immerse them in the shark’s deep-blue world. The Paley Center is open from Wednesdays to Sundays from noon to 5 pm. (While there, also check out the great Outlander exhibition on view, too.)

ART DIRECTORS GUILD: WYNN THOMAS (Screening + conversation)
The Art Directors Guild (ADG) Film Society and American Cinematheque present a conversation with Production Designer Wynn Thomas and screen the film that inspired his career: On the Waterfront (1954) on Sunday at 5:30 pm at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica. This is the part of the 2016 ADG Film Series—Production Design: Looking At Nothing, Seeing Everything. Thomas’ credits include several collaborations with Spike Lee, including She’s Gotta Have It (1986), Do the Right Thing (1989), Malcolm X (1992) and Inside Man (2006) as well as A Beautiful Mind (2001), To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything,Julie Newmar (1995) and Mars Attacks! (1996). Tickets: $7-11.

TASTE OF THE WORLD (Food)
On Sunday at The Lombardi House on Bronson Avenue, Los Angeles Travel Magazine hosts a food, wine and culture event that’s inspired by international travel. Guests will enjoy small bites from The Abbey, Yellow Tomato Catering, Blue Ice Vodka and others. Attendees will then vote for the best dishes. Live performances by DJ D-dub. Each admission ticket includes food and adult beverage and wine tasting, music and a raffle ticket for special travel prizes. Tickets: $75. VIP tickets are $95 and include valet parking, reserved seating, swag bag, five raffle tickets and $95.

Want the 411 on additional events and happenings in LA? Follow @LAist or me (@christineziemba) on Twitter.