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Our Picks
- Events
- Viewing Pick
- Outdoor Pick
Welcome to the weekend! Summer festivals are gearing up and we’ve got tons of great music, art, and neighborhood events to check out. We kick things off with the last weekend of the Renaissance Faire in Irwindale and the bluegrass stylings taking over at the Topanga Banjo and Fiddle Fest and wrap up with tasty Greek delights at the Greek Festival in Anaheim.
There’s also a special art and breathwork event in Long Beach, a comedy night that’s not to be missed at Dynasty Typewriter, an evening of Elton John orchestral covers, and a selection of documentaries about the Black experience at AFI.
Visit LAist.com for more to explore, including a visit to the best spot to see migratory birds this time of year in SoCal. And if you’re wanting to amp up your social life, How To LA has a new guide to getting into pickleball, dance, and other fun group activities.
Events
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Friday, May 17, 2024 at 8:00 PM
'Rocket Man': A Live Orchestral Experience
- St. Monica Catholic Church
725 California Ave., Santa Monica
Cost: $21 - $45 ; More Info
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michaelsobie.com
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Elton John may have played his final Dodger Stadium show, but you can catch pianist Michael Sobie playing all of Elton’s greatest hits right in Santa Monica with a full 34-piece symphony orchestra in a church with great acoustics. Singalongs are sure to be lively as Sobie performs hits like “Bennie and the Jets," “Crocodile Rock," and more. Plus, get $10 off with the code MONALISAS.
- St. Monica Catholic Church
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Saturday, May 18, 2024 at 7:30 PM
'Don't Stop I'm About To Jazz'
- Dynasty Typewriter
2511 Wilshire Blvd., Westlake
Cost: $20 ; More Info
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Courtesy of Dynasty Typrewriter
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Just reading the title of this event makes us laugh, so if it made you giggle too, there’s a good chance the event will be up your alley. Following the Netflix Is a Joke festival, a host of local standup comedians will perform their sets alongside live piano accompaniment. Hilarity is sure to ensue.
- Dynasty Typewriter
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May 18, 2024 through May 19, 2024
Renaissance Pleasure Faire
- Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area
15501 E. Arrow Hwy., Irwindale
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Don your best puff sleeve and corset, make a flower crown, grab your armor, and head out to Irwindale for the last weekend of the Renaissance Pleasure Faire. Come hungry for a big turkey leg and work it off in a joust to the death or a dance around the maypole. You can even rent a period costume on site!
- Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area
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Saturday, May 18, 2024 at 6:30 PM
Illuminating Art + Wellness: A Night Of Live Artistry And Intoxicating Breathwork
- Compound Long Beach
1395 Coronado Ave., Long Beach
Cost: $25 ; More Info
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Courtesy of Compound
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Artist Shantell Martin brings her iconic line drawings to a special event with breathwork expert Biet Simkin at the Compound space in Long Beach. Part of a monthly series on the intersection of art and wellness, this event will feature Martin live drawing alongside a breathwork experience from Simkin. There will also be a curated food and wine menu.
- Compound Long Beach
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Saturday, May 18, 2024 from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM
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The central library is hosting events all day long for the whole family, celebrating AAPI communities, history, and traditions. Performances include a hula recital, a Japanese taiko drumming showcase, a reading from YA author Paula Yoo, and much more.
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April 20, 2024 through July 7, 2024
'Before, After: Reflections on the Armenian Genocide'
Cost: Free ; More Info
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Courtesy of Reflect Space
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The Glendale Library is hosting a moving exhibit on the Armenian Genocide that takes a unique look at the history and legacy of loss and survival in the Armenian community. Before, After: Reflections on the Armenian Genocide “examines the connections passed down through blood, migration and history; from genocide to diaspora to belonging.” The show explores the patterns of grief, healing, and reflection through works by nine artists: John Avakian, Anush Babajanyan, Silvina Der-Meguerditchian, Diana Markosian, Jacqueline Kazarian, Talin Megherian, Marsha Nouritza Odabashian, Jessica Sperandio, and Scout Tufankjian.
**Please note that the exhibition will be closed from May 24 to June 19, 2024. It will reopen on June 20, 2024.
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Sunday, May 19, 2024 at 9:00 AM
Topanga Banjo and Fiddle Fest
- King Gillette Ranch
26800 Mulholland Highway, Calabasas
Cost: $50 and up ; More Info
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topangabanjofiddle.org
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One of the oldest music festivals in the country, the Topanga Banjo and Fiddle Fest was first held in 1961. It brings together both professional performers and amateur musicians at the pastoral King Gillette Ranch. You can sign up to compete with your instrument of choice in the morning or just come dance and enjoy the stylings of famed bluegrass bands like headliners A.J. Lee and Blue Summit and the Way Down Wanderers in the afternoon.
- King Gillette Ranch
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May 16, 2024 through May 20, 2024
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Robert Thiemann
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Unsplash
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Art fairs are the place to see and be seen lately and this weekend is the first outing of Design.Miami in Los Angeles. What better excuse to check out incredible art in a private Holmby Hills estate? Admission is free, but you must submit an inquiry on their website to receive the address and attend; the event features galleries including Jeffrey Deitsch and Wexler and artists like Alexandra Grant and Jonathan Prince.
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Saturday, May 18, 2024 from 2:30 PM to 5:00 PM
'Broken Bone Bathtub' Documentary: World Premiere Screening
- Thymele Arts
5481 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood
Cost: $30 ; More Info
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@BrokenBoneBathtub
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Instagram
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Performance artist Siobhan O’Loughlin has spent the last several years taking baths – in other people’s bathtubs, in front of small audiences. In this documentary that follows her tour of houses, tubs, and towns, she reflects on the community connections and in-person experiences we all crave. The screening will be followed by a talk with O’Loughlin and No Proscenium, The Guide to Everything Immersive founder Noah Nelson.
- Thymele Arts
Viewing Pick
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Saturday, May 18, 2024 from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM
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Noom Peerapong
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Explore a wide range of stories about the Black experience, hosted by film critic Tim Cogshell, at AFI. For $25, you can make a day of it and check out all three feature-length documentaries as well as shorts. The films include A Woman on the Outside, about one family’s experience navigating the prison system and Over the Wall, which tells the story of the first Black woman on a NASCAR pit crew.
Outdoor Pick
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Saturday, May 18, 2024 at 10:00 AM
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Tom Hermans
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Unsplash
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Maybe it’s that we’re all a little too tied to our phones or maybe it’s that the traditional book club so often becomes wine time, but whatever the reason, Silent Book Club is becoming a bit of a thing. It’s exactly what it sounds like – getting together with others to sit and read in peace and quiet. This month, the L.A. group is spending time in the sunshine with their tomes in Pan Pacific Park. Join and make some progress on your next great read.
Dine & Drink Deals
Enjoy these dining and drink options this weekend.
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Saturday, May 18, 2024 from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM
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Yobo Kish
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LINE Hotel
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Top Chef host Kristin Kish’s soju co*cktails and bites from her Austin flagship restaurant Arlo Grey feature at the LINE hotel in Koreatown for an aperitif happy hour.
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May 17, 2024 through May 19, 2024
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Picasa
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OC Greek Fest
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Opa! Enjoy a wide range of Greek delights from moussaka to spanikopita to baklava at the Orange County Greek Festival. There’s also traditional music and dancing, and a Greek marketplace all weekend long.
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Sunday, May 19, 2024 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Brunch With Phil Rosenthal
- Caldo Verde
Downtown LA Proper Hotel - 1100 S. Broadway, downtown L.A.
Cost: $55 Adults, $25 Kids ; More Info
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Phil Rosenthal
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Simon & Schuster
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Netflix’s Somebody Feed Phil star Phil Rosenthal joins James Beard Award-winning chef Suzanne Goin and restaurateur Caroline Styne at the Downtown L.A. Proper Hotel for a family-friendly brunch. The event celebrates Rosenthal's latest book, Just Try It!: A Phil and Lil Book, co-authored with his daughter, Lily.
- Caldo Verde
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