July 2023 events calendar for Los Angeles

If you’re on the hunt for a cheap, lively way to celebrate Uncle Sam, shake it over to Grand Park, and watch Downtown L.A. light up for free—though this time around, the park has swapped out fireworks for drones. This Fourth of July, Grand Park hosts a unique block party, featuring scrumptious food truck fare and two stages of live music. Look out for the 12-minute-long drone show—a flurry of some 500 iluminated drones above the Music Center—around 9pm.

Celebrate the bloom of Echo Park Lake’s beloved floating flowers with the annual Lotus Festival. Expect plenty of food, music, dragon boat races, lantern launches and—fingers crossed—the lotus flower beds in full bloom. The historic event celebrates the contributions of Asian-Americans to L.A., and this year, the 42nd, will honor the Indonesian community.

Nobody’s film credits can compare to John Williams: Star Wars, E.T., Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter and literally a hundred others. Gustavo Dudamel and Williams himself both conduct the LA Phil as they tackle some of the composer’s iconic film scores set to a selection of movie clips.

It isn’t summer in L.A. until the first cemetery screening brings hoards of movie-lovers to Hollywood Forever, toting folding chairs, picnic blankets, snack spreads and lots of booze. Each year, Cinespia brings classic cult favorites to the hallowed resting place of Old Hollywood greats—and a couple of off-site screenings, too.

Keith Haring’s colorful, energetic designs—like his barking dogs or crawling stick figure-like radiant baby—have moved well beyond the world of street art over the past four decades and ingrained themselves as instantly recognizable pieces of pop art. Now, the Broad will examine that body of work in a museum setting with this display of over 120 artworks and archival materials.

Ring in another year of independence in the grand ol’ USA with the Beach Boys (which these days is Mike Love and Bruce Johnston but not Brian Wilson and Al Jardine) backed by the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. The Bowl proudly hosts its annual Fourth of July party, complete with a dazzling fireworks finale. Grab your tickets early; seats in the nosebleed section go for less than the price of parking. Or consider springing for front section tickets—it is America’s birthday, after all.

The annual Anime Expo takes over the Los Angeles Convention Center for four days of panels, special events and plenty of cosplay. Thousands of fans come to celebrate the quirky art and culture of anime as figureheads and stars of the industry visit to speak and sign autographs. Plus, a massive wing of the convention is set aside specifically for gaming—both electronic and card-based.

Celebrate the legacy of Pasadena’s 110-year-old arch bridge as Pasadena Heritage throws a party in its honor. Though many of the kid-friendly activities—music, crafts, rare cars—will typically take place just east of the Bridge near Orange Grove Boulevard, you can expect the party to spill over onto the iconic structure itself.

The wheel-based sports of the X Games feel intrinsically linked with Southern California, and the famous skateboarding and BMX competition even called L.A. its home for much of the aughts. Now, after a decade away (ignoring an audience-free edition during the pandemic), the X Games return to SoCal with events in San Diego, L.A. and a finals weekend in Ventura.

The masters of alfresco rooftop movie viewing have returned for another season of screenings in Downtown L.A., the Arts District and El Segundo. You don’t even need to bring your own camping chair—Rooftop Cinema Club provides you with your very own comfy lawn chair. And instead of listening to the movie over loudspeakers, you’ll get a set of wireless headphones so you never have to miss a word.