Want to do something awesome this weekend? But you don’t want to take out a second mortgage to do it? We’ve put together a list of what we think are the top 10 things to do for you around Los Angeles (and some are even free!):
Friday, July 22
Lobster Festival (food): Do you LOVE lobster? If so, you’ll want to check out the first day of the weekend-long Lobster Festival in San Pedro. We’re talking lobster rolls, lobster mac and cheese, lobster quesadillas. All the lobster dishes are made with lobsters caught from Maine and are sold at a discounted price. There will be live music, street performers and shopping for arts and crafts. It’ll be a great family weekend event. Doors open at 5 p.m. Purchase tickets online for $12, children under 12 enter for free. Located at the end of the Harbor (110) Freeway in San Pedro at the Cruise Ship Terminal. Look for the signs along the freeway as you get close to San Pedro.
Pterosaurs: Flight in the Age of Dinosaurs (museum): Experience the interactive exhibit of the Pterosaurs species. Walk underneath life size models of these massive creatures, play in the virtual lab and ‘fly’ over prehistoric landscape and get up close with some rare fossils. The exhibit is open at 9:30 a.m. and tickets are $22 for adults adults and $10 for kids. Located at the Natural History Museum, 900 Exposition Blvd. in Exposition Park south of downtown Los Angeles near USC.
Dapper Day & Jazz at LACMA (music): Dress up in your dapper attire and check out the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s latest exhibit, “Reigning Men: Fashion in Menswear, 1715-2015.” Once you’ve learned everything about fashion for men over the past 300 years, sit on the lawn and enjoy a picnic while listening to some local jazz. General Admission is free and the event starts at LACMA at noon. The museum is in the mid-Wilshire area of Los Angeles at 5905 Wilshire Blvd.
Saturday, July 23
The Britney Ball 2.0 (dance): Calling all Britney Spears fans! The second annual Britney Ball is going on Saturday night and if you love the pop princess, this is something you won’t want to miss. Dress up and dance to a massive dosage of Britney all night mixed in with some 90s music. Get to the door before 10 p.m. and only pay $7. Tickets are available online at Ticketfly.com. The Regent, 448 S. Main St. in downtown Los Angeles.
Amazebowls Grand Opening (food): With temperatures in the mid-90s this weekend, you may want to cool off with a smoothie at the grand opening of a new location of Amazebowls. Amazebowls is known for making smoothies and bowls packed with antioxidants, fiber and amino acids to help give your body a detox. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. there will be free bowls. Check it out at 300 S. Santa Fe Ave.
Street Food Cinema: Clueless (movie): It was never clear if the cute, snobby teen female star was “clueless” about life or if the title referred really to her long-suffering father. Whatever your take on the meaning of a fun teen flick that may have had no meaning, an outdoor screening of the movie “Clueless” will be shown at the King Gillette Ranch in the hills past the San Fernando Valley. Grab some friends, bring a blanket and relax underneath the stars for what promises to be a warm night during this weekend’s heat wave. There will be food trucks and live music from emerging artists before the start of the movie. “Doors” to the outside event will open at 5:30 p.m. and the movie will begin at 8:30. Order tickets online for a discount or purchase at the door. 26800 Mulholland Hwy, Calabasas.
Reggae on the Mountain (music): Nothing like a hot time in the sometimes hippie enclave of Topanga Canyon during the weekend heat wave. The Wailers may not be there, but the two-day festival will kick off with international and local reggae talent on two stages. There will be plenty of music, food and drinks. The show on the first day Saturday starts at 10 a.m. and tickets can be purchased in advanced starting at $45. 1440 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd.
Sunday July 24
Summer Champagne Social (art/beverage): If you’re looking for a sophisticated quasi-upper crust experience right out of a Woody Allen black-and-white flick, how about this: Discover new contemporary artwork and chat with artists from around the globe over a glass of champagne. Hosted by the 18th Street Art Center, local and international artists will be there discussing their art procedures and research. Only thing is, it’s not in Woody’s beloved New York. But it is Santa Monica. The event is from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. and that New York sophistication won’t cost anything – it’s free. Register online. 1639 18th St., Santa Monica.
KayaKing with Friends (exercise): Looking for some outdoor adventure this weekend? Get a great arm workout aboard a kayak around the Long Beach canal. Kayak coordinators will be there to lead you, your friends or just everyone who shows up. Rentals are $13 and include a life jacket and everything you need to know about the canal. It’ll be hot this weekend with the current heat wave hitting Southern California, and you may end up with some water dripping on your lap as you paddle, so a bathing suit or shorts is a great way to dress. Meet at 8:30 a.m. at 5437 East Ocean Blvd.
Union Station 360 (art): Come see some Los Angeles imagery on a ‘floating sky screen.’ It may all be a bit mysterious, but maybe a bit hip. The “immersive sphere” will project a video installation 30-feet above your head. The event will start at 8 p.m. and is free, 800 N. Alameda St. in downtown Los Angeles.
—City News Service