Free things to do in Los Angeles this month

A veritable L.A. institution, Bob Baker Marionette Theater is stopping by the Academy Museum on two Saturdays during Pride Month to perform a musical puppet show that celebrates love, self-acceptance and community. The characters will serenade guests with medleys from LGBTQ+ icons and queer history—and did we mention it’s free? Performances will take place in the Sidney Poitier Grand Lobby; it’s up to you if you want to buy a ticket and visit the museum as well. 

Celebrate Black history during this free festival in Long Beach. Now in its fifth year, the massive daylong event is filled with family-friendly activities, local vendors, food and drink from Black-owned restaurants, live music from Grammy-winning performers and dancing.

Rodeo Drive fills with rare cars and motorcycles both new and old during this free Father’s Day tradition. For its 30th edition, the “Luxury in Motion”-themed event will feature supercars and hypercars from McLaren, Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce, Pagani and Bentley, as well as the North American public debut of Lamborghini’s latest models and a skills demonstration from the Beverly Hills Police Department Motor Unit, all set amid the luxury shopping of its 90210 setting.

The Los Angeles LGBT Center hosts this annual celebration of the TGNBI+ community—the longest-running of its kind. First up is a free festival where you’ll find live entertainment, family-friendly activities, workshops, local queer vendors, resource tables and even some free food. Afterward, keep the party going with Trans Pride After Dark, complete with trans go-go-dancers, music, tattoo artists and tacos.

Hilltop sunset views and rising bands combine to make this Getty tradition a worthy destination for Angelenos on both sides of the 405. This year’s lineup of free Saturday-night shows includes SML (May 31), Mabe Fratti (June 14), Madi Diaz (July 12), Empress Of (July 26) and Emile Mosseri (Aug 23). Tip: Avoid the traffic and the crowds and arrive early, preferably after 3pm when the parking price drops to $15 (though it’s actually free if you wait until the show starts, after 6pm). You’ll get to visit the exhibits, which stay open until 8pm on Saturdays, and beat the dinner rush.

Every Father’s Day weekend, more than 500 artists create temporary masterpieces in chalk on the sidewalks of Pasadena, prompting thousands of onlookers to watch where they walk. Also on offer are a live DJ, food, beer garden and silent auction. Eventually awards are presented in a number of different categories, and then it’s all washed away for good. This year, the event is back at its Paseo Colorado home after a brief move to the Pasadena Convention Center’s plaza.

Everyone’s favorite NPR member station has a hand in a slew of summer concert slates at public plazas and beloved museums, and this summer’s schedule is reliably packed.

Familiar KCRW DJs and local buzz bands will be providing free, open-air tunes on select nights from June through September at Union Station, CAAM, Descanso Gardens, Bowers Museum, Wende Museum, the Autry, Benny Boy Brewing, Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, California Plaza and—our favorite—the party-till-midnight bashes at Chinatown Central Plaza.

The details slightly differ at each spot, but you can typically expect a bunch of food trucks, beer gardens and after-hours museum admission. This year, there’s even a kid-oriented installment at the Kidspace Children’s Museum, where DJ Lance Rock of Yo Gabba Gabba is the special guest. Regardless of the location, you really can’t go wrong with any evening spent at Summer Nights. (Note: The kickoff June 7 event at Benny Boy Brewing and Aug. 29’s Descanso Gardens event are only for KCRW members).

Each summer, Bard fanatics watch their favorite works come to life at the historic Old Zoo in Griffith Park. For 15 years running, Independent Shakespeare Co. has put on a series of lively productions each week, inviting audiences to take a seat on the grass (read: bring a picnic blanket) and enjoy performances like this season’s headliner, early Shakespeare comedy Love’s Labour’s Lost, which will be followed by Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus. With construction of a permanent stage currently in process on the main lawn, this summer’s shows will again be held in the dell at the top of the Old Zoo—meaning available space is smaller, and although performances are still free, reservations are required.

This epic (and free) outdoor concert series features live performances by artists from around the world at the totally overhauled California Plaza stage in DTLA, where the shallow water separating the stage from the audience has been replaced by a proper event lawn. Don’t miss a diverse and highly intriguing mix of bands, DJ sets and dance parties. Saturday nights from June 14 through August 23 you’ll find free concerts (though you should RSVP ahead of time to reserve a spot)—highlights this year include a 30-year anniversary show by Grand Performances mainstay Ozomatli and tributes to John Coltrane and Dr. Dre. And on Friday nights, you’ll find a mix of poetry, film and classical music during Fridays in the Amphitheater. 

The Music Center offers a free, joyous mash-up of music and dancing all summer long, with different themes (salsa, Bollywood, cumbia and disco among them) and free dance lessons, plus live DJ sets so you can show off your new moves. Head to the Music Center’s Jerry Moss Plaza and join in the fun—no dance experience required.

Walk, run, skate, bike and explore car-free stretches of South Pasadena, Alhambra and San Gabriel during the latest edition of this open streets event series (formerly known as 626 Golden Streets). The Metro-presented Active Streets clears cars off the road in different parts of the San Gabriel Valley for one day only. On Sunday, June 22, you’ll be able to set foot on five miles of streets sans cars, from Mission Street in South Pasadena, down Marengo Avenue and along Alhambra Road, Main Street and Las Tunas Drive toward Mission Drive in San Gabriel (hence the “Mission at Twilight” name of this particular event).

Santa Monica illuminates the Third Street Promenade with a canopy of rainbow lights as part of this citywide LGBTQ+ celebration. Look out for a party along the expanse of the Promenade on June 21 with music, games, drinks and giveaways (2–7pm). Nearby, you’ll find drag bingo at Main Street Beer Garden (3–6pm). Over at the Santa Monica Pier, the day begins with a family-friendly morning of drag storytelling and face painting presented by the Crow comedy club at 10am. And from 11am to 5pm, you can try practice your sporting skills with open-format beach volleyball, as well as mini kickball, dodgeball, soccer, football, tennis and cornhole tournaments. 

Shop local at this celebration of small businesses, held not in Venice but in downtown Mar Vista, along Venice Boulevard. The arts and music festival brings together over 300 local brands and artists three times a year, attracting some 100,000 shoppers. The summer edition will kick off with a free morning yoga class. You’ll also find live music, art installations and food trucks on Venice between Centinela Avenue and Inglewood Boulevard. The fest is free and pet-friendly. Meanwhile, a ticketed beer garden features an open bar, games, lounges and cabanas, and part of the proceeds go to nonprofit Nourish LA.

Expand your mind on breezy summer nights by listening to the words of the Bard for free. The program, founded in 1998, will put on two plays—As You Like It and Julius Caesar—with the help of talented local actors. “By the Sea” is a bit misleading; though some of the locations are ocean-adjacent, and largely in the South Bay and Long Beach, the troupe takes the plays on tour all across Los Angeles, performing for audiences from Downtown to Beverly Hills to Altadena’s Loma Alta Park, which was recently restored post–Eaton Fire.

Support Pasadena’s resilient restaurant scene and enjoy some delicious food at this new culinary festival, which will transform Union Street between Raymond and Fair Oaks Avenues into a big, pedestrian-friendly alfresco dining room. In fact, the fair is also a celebration of the street’s newly expanded outdoor dining spaces. Groove to live music from local bands as you order fare from Pez Coastal Kitchen, Union, Bone Kettle, Chado Tea Room, the Blind Donkey, Pie ’N Burger and more. You can also expect DJs, a beer garden, and games like tic-tac-toe basketball, cornhole and French fry Jenga (which I didn’t know was a thing but now need to try).

Who says no to free outdoor concerts? We don’t, and neither should you. This 22nd annual all-ages celebration of live music and art will hit Pan Pacific Park (not the La Brea Tar Pits anymore) on June 14. Listen to live music and DJ sets from the likes of CHROMEQUEEN and Garth Trinidad, browse handcrafted goods at the curated artisan marketplace, and grab a bite at one of the many gourmet food trucks. The annual fest will also partner with the Korean Cultural Center, Academy Museum, La Brea Tar Pits Museum, Petersen Automotive Museum and Gloria Molina Grand Park to offer kid-friendly art-making and cultural activities, as well as dance workshops from hip-hop collective JUiCE. In addition to free entry, parking at Pan Pacific Park is also free. 

Before the dog days of summer start to scorch the Southland, celebrate this dog day: a pup-friendly party and “yappy hour” at the Los Angeles Central Library’s Maguire Gardens with dog-friendly vendors selling everything from gourmet dog food to CBD pet products to handcrafted bandannas. You and your four-legged friend will also find pet portraits, treats, activities, community dog walks, photo ops and live music. Drinks from on-site Italian restaurant Settecento will be available for purchase, with a portion of sales benefiting the Vanderpump Dog Foundation.

You know it’s summer in L.A. when the live outdoor music starts swelling all over the city, including at MacArthur Park’s Levitt Pavilion. The Westlake concert series returns this summer with free shows almost every Saturday. The lineup hasn’t been announced yet, but you can expect a genre-spanning mix of local acts that range from cumbia to ska to EDM.

Whether your design sensibilities are professional or Pinterest-honed, celebrate L.A.’s outstanding aesthetic heritage at this annual design fest, which is dubbing itself “Design Futurism” this year and focusing on forward-thinking design. Artist studio tours, exhibitions, installations, panels and parties will be staged primarily around Long Beach, with the exception of concurrent Friday-night block parties at Row DTLA and the Helms Bakery District as well as LB. Head to the fest’s website for all of the details and the full schedule.

Take a seat under the arch at the former Hollywood & Highland for this free series of movie screenings, typically held on the last Friday of the month. Stop by the Ovation Hollywood booth for free popcorn and discounted treats from the TCL Chinese Theatre concessions stand.

The best things in life really are free—love, happiness and an evening spent watching movies on a giant inflatable screen at the beach. On select dates from June until August, pack up your folding chairs, grab your kids and head to Long Beach for this unique outdoor screening. Thanks to Alfredo’s Beach Club, you can give your babysitter the night off while you and the fam enjoy a host of kid-friendly flicks. Bring your own picnic, or munch on eats from the nearby snack stand. You’ll find the event on Granada Beach.

Summer’s just heating up, but thanks to a returning summer event series it’s set to be scorching: Beginning May 29, Santa Monica mainstay the Bungalow will host its night market every Thursday just a block from the beach. Over the summer, expect food from the likes of Tacos 1986, House of Empanadas, Lei’d Cookies and All About the Cinnamon. As in previous years, families can enjoy a kids’ play area with complimentary face painting. The event will  will also feature a variety of brand activations, celebrity guest appearances, and DJ and musical performances with more info to be announced as the summer kicks off. The fun runs every Thursday night through Labor Day, from 5 to 11pm. 

Angelenos, let it all hang out. The World Naked Bike Ride hits L.A. each year with its bare-as-you-dare dress code to fight “indecent exposure to cars” and promote both a healthy planet and body acceptance. The 2025 ride will expose itself Saturday, June 28. (Route details are still TBA.)

See our photos of some previous World Naked Bike Ride events.

Culver City’s staircase-dominated plaza screens free, family-friendly flicks on Fridays in June. Complimentary popcorn will be provided while supplies last. Each screening starts at sunset.

One of L.A.’s best free live-music offerings, Jazz at LACMA has featured legit legends over its three-decade run at the museum. Seating for the program is available in the museum’s plaza on a first-come, first-served basis, though you’re welcome to picnic on the grass, too (you won’t really be able to see the show, but you’ll still hear it). You’ll find the series on Friday evenings in LACMA’s welcome plaza (just behind Urban Light) throughout the summer.

The Getty Center’s new featured exhibition explores the transformative role photography has played in the history of the LGBTQ+ community as a tool for exploring gender, sexuality and self-expression since the mid-1800s. See examples of the homosocial, homoerotic and homosexual imagery that helped shape the world’s awareness of queer life. During your visit, be sure to check out the accompanying exhibition “$3 Bill: Evidence of Queer Lives,” a look at the contributions of LGBTQ+ artists in the last century, in the museum’s Research Institute Galleries. 

The Broad’s upcoming special exhibition makes its way to Downtown L.A. from the 2024 Venice Biennale, where Jeffrey Gibson became the first Indigenous artist to represent the United States with a solo exhibition. Known for his signature use of geometric patterns, patterned text, vibrant color, glass beads and found objects, the Colorado-born artist explores his Indigenous identity and pays tribute to histories of resistance in thought-provoking and optimistic ways. The first-floor galleries will be transformed into a kaleidoscopic environment with 10 paintings, seven sculptures, eight flags, three murals and one video installation by Gibson. Expect an accompanying slate of performances, talks and workshops.

Sure, you’ve seen the archival television clips of the Beatles’ famous appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, but what about firsthand, long-lost photographs from that same time shot by one of the band members? This spring, Beverly Hills gallery Gagosian displays 36 recently rediscovered photographs of the Beatles, all captured by Paul McCartney. A mix of black-and-white and color prints, the McCartney photos were shot during peak of Beatlemania, from December 1963 to February 1964. Expect to see a mix of self-portraits of Paul and candid shots of John, George and Ringo—as well as hysterical fans waiting outside the windows of the band’s car.

The California Science Center is inviting kids to get in the game with a new 17,000-square-foot exhibition about the power of play and the human body in motion. Besides teaching about the science behind sports, it also offers interactive challenges and video coaching from a team of Los Angeles-based mentor athletes including dancer Debbie Allen, the Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman, Olympic medalist softball player Rachel Garcia and more. For the first time ever, the center has commissioned public art—all by local artists—to complement the exhibition, including a Dodgers mural by Gustavo Zermeño Jr. The free exhibition kicks off May 15 and will remain at the Science Center at least through the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Skirball’s latest pop culture exhibition takes a deep dive into the six-decade career of legendary comic book artist Jack Kirby. You might know him as the co-creator of Captain America, Black Panther, the Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men and some of the Marvel universe’s most cosmic characters. But did you know he was also a first-generation Jewish American born to immigrant parents, World War II veteran and family man who split his time between New York and Los Angeles? Learn about his life and see Kirby’s original comic illustrations, as well as other works—many on view for the first time. Tickets to the Skirball will cost you $18—except on Thursdays, when entry is free with a reservation.

This spectacular exhibition from the Icelandic–Danish artist brings a new series of optical installations to MOCA’s Little Tokyo location. You’ll need a timed ticket, which costs $18, to visit it on most days, but look for reservations on the first Friday of the month (5–8pm) for free admission.