The Best Events This Weekend in Los Angeles | June 9-12

It may only be almost summer in Los Angeles, but the city is already buzzing with excitement as some of its best summer events are set to kick off this weekend. From music festivals to cultural celebrations, the vibrant city has something for everyone to enjoy. Take a stroll along the iconic Venice Beach Boardwalk, explore the glamorous Hollywood Walk of Fame, indulge in the delectable food scene of downtown LA, and take a look at this great curated list of amazing things to do this weekend in the city of stars.

Alonzo King LINES Ballet: Deep River
Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
Friday, June 9 – Saturday, June 10
Created in celebration of LINES Ballet’s 40th anniversary season, Deep River features a live performance by Grammy Award-winning vocalist Lisa Fischer set to a score by jazz pianist, composer, and MacArthur Fellow Jason Moran.

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L.A. Pride Festival and Parade
LA State Historic Park
Friday, June 9 – Sunday, June 11
The two-day Pride music festival at the park is headlined by Megan Thee Stallion on Friday night and Mariah Carey on Saturday night. Undercard acts include Fletcher, King Princess, Symone, Gigi Goode, Dorian Electra, G Flip, The Scarlet Opera, Violet Chachki, Gottmik and Sasha Colby. The parade on Sunday starts at 11 a.m. at Sunset and Highland and heads north toward Hollywood Boulevard. The LA Pride Village — a free, community street festival — will be located adjacent to the parade route on Hollywood between Vine and Gower.

Roman Holiday
The Skirball Cultural Center
Friday, June 9, 8:30 p.m.
The Skirball’s summer outdoor movie screenings kick off with the classic film Roman Holiday, directed by William Wyler and starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. The script was ghostwritten by Hollywood Ten member Dalton Trumbo. Get there early to learn more about Trumbo and other blacklisted artists in the current exhibition Blacklist: The Hollywood Red Scare. 

Water Lantern Festival
Whittier Narrows Recreation Area
Friday, June 9 – Sunday, June 11
The festival brings people together for a celebration of light and community. Pack a picnic or grab a bite from a food truck while listening to music early in the evening. Then decorate lanterns before launching around sunset. Festival organizers are dedicated to environmental sustainability and will pick up trash, rice paper and wood lanterns after the event.

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Cultivate: The Five Senses 
Descanso Gardens
Friday, June 9; 4:30 p.m.
See what happens in the garden during summer nights and extended hours. On Friday, the Cultivate program features a flower installation by florist Whit Hazen, sound baths by Marna Currie, an herbal tea bag-making station, and Flashdance DJ in the Rose Garden. Drinks are available for purchase in the Rose Garden bar.

Renée Elise Goldsberry
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall
Friday, June 9 – Saturday, June 10
Goldsberry is the Tony- and Grammy Award-winning performer who’s best known for originating the role of Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton on Broadway. Hear her sing and perform with the Pacific Symphony, conducted by Enrico Lopez-Yañez.

Janet Jackson: Together Again
Hollywood Bowl
Saturday, June 10; 8 p.m.
Yes, these tickets are just as hard to score as Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that Miss Jackson officially opens the Hollywood Bowl’s 2023 summer season. Ludacris kicks off the sold-out night.

Tarfest
Pan Pacific Park
Saturday, June 10; 2 – 7 p.m.
The all-ages art and music festival celebrates its 20th anniversary with performances by The Steens and Marinero alongside headliner NIIA. The K-pop music project Lalary will also be presented by the Korean Cultural Center. View art installations, take part in workshops and those 21+ can enjoy beverages in the CLARK Construction Biergarten & Cocktail Lounge. Overflow parking is available at The Grove.

Prince Skate Night
Moonlight Rollerway, Inc.
Saturday, June 10; 8 – 11 p.m.
Time to roll bounce all night long to Prince’s music. All guests need to purchase admission to enter the rink (which doesn’t include skate rental). No spectators allowed.

Planet of the Apes and The Philadelphia Story
Los Angeles Theatre
Saturday, June 10; 2 and 8 p.m.
The Los Angeles Conservancy’s Last Remaining Seats series continues this weekend with a matinee screening of the 1968 sci-fi classic Planet of the Apes. The rom-com The Philadelphia Story with Katherine Hepburn, James Stewart and Cary Grant. Special guests introduce the films and a Q&A session about the historic theater follows the screening.

American Indian Arts Marketplace
The Autry Museum of the American West
Saturday, June 10 – Sunday, June 11; 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
The marketplace returns to celebrate the artistry, food and culture from dozens of nations. It’s the largest Native American arts fair in Southern California, with children’s activities, artist demos, a short play festival from the museum’s award-winning resident theater company, Native Voices, plus an exclusive screening from the Sundance Film Festival. Museum entry is included with marketplace admission.

Botas vs. Sombreros Boogaloo Assassins
Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles at MacArthur Park
Saturday, June 10 and Sunday, June 11
Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles (Levitt LA) presents its 16th season of summer performances with 32 concerts crossing a variety of genres through Sept. 3. The season opens this weekend on Saturday from 7 to 10 p.m. with Nortec / Ranchero tunes from Nortec Bostich + Fussible, Nunca Jamas and La Banda Elástica DJs. On Sunday from 5 to 8 p.m., listen to the salsa, funk and soul of the Boogaloo Assassins with DJ Clifton Weaver aka DJ Soft Touch. Concerts will be live-streamed and available after the season on YouTube.

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June Jubilee: A Celebration of Black Excellence
Central Library
Saturday, June 10; 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
This inaugural event celebrates L.A.’s Black culture with speakers and storytellers, quilting workshops, live entertainment and fun interactive activities for the family, including discussions on health and wellness, business and financial literacy, genealogy and technology.

EELS
The Fonda Theatre
Saturday, June 10; 8 p.m.
On the heels of the limited-edition remastered vinyl reissue of their acclaimed 2005 album, Blinking Lights and Other Revelations, EELS (led by principal songwriter and band leader Mark Oliver Everett) play the Fonda as part of the much-postponed and long-awaited Lockdown Hurricane tour. Get to the show early to hear tunes and rhymes from notable up-and-comer Austin Antoine.

The Cartoons of Max Fleischer and Fleischer Studios
The Art Theatre of Long Beach
Saturday and Sunday, June 10 and 11 at 11 a.m
On ., The Art Theatre of Long Beach screens films that celebrate the art and inventions of pioneer animator Max Fleischer. Watch cartoons featuring Betty Boop, Koko the Clown, Popeye The Sailor Man and others in new high-definition transfers. Stay for a Q&A after the programs with Fleischer’s granddaughter Jane Fleischer Reid and Fleischer Studios historian Ray Pointer.

Finish the Ride & Run
Griffith Park
Saturday, June 10 & Sunday, June 11; 7:30am
Streets Are For Everyone (SAFE) was started by cyclist Damian Kevitt as a movement for safer streets after he was hit by a car and nearly killed while riding his bicycle in Griffith Park in 2013. This weekend, take part in the 10th-anniversary events of Finish the Run (Saturday) and Finish the Ride (Sunday). Choose from several distances to run, walk or bike through Griffith Park’s roads and trails, with an expo and raffles at the end of both days’ events. Registration ($10 – $100) is available online and day-of the event.

Enjoy the (hopefully) sunny weekend!

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