The best things to do in Los Angeles this week

The midnight snacker’s greatest fantasy is just a car ride away. One of America’s largest Asian food markets spans the course of Santa Anita Park’s front Paddock Gardens during the summer. Come hungry and come caffeinated—this lively market, complete with over 250 Asian street food and booze peddlers, live music, artists, games, and beyond, won’t put itself to bed until midnight.

The event has also expanded its way to Orange County, as well as to Santa Monica (1324 5th St, near the Third Street Promenade) for a mini edition with two dozen vendors.

Order up! This new Netflix dining pop-up inside Short Stories Hotel’s on-site restaurant will serve a collaborative tasting menu dreamt up by food TV superstars from shows like Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend, Chef's Table: BBQ and Nadiya Bakes. A separate cocktail menu comes from the brains behind Drink Masters. Open nightly for dinner (with reservations recommended), the pop-up will also serve a weekend brunch menu 10am–2pm. 

Dance, stroll and unwind at Descanso Gardens toward the end of the day during this series of summertime events. Tonalism (July 1 8pm–1am) will turn the garden into a backdrop for late-night ambient music.

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 Music Center offers a free, joyous mash-up of music and dancing all summer long, with different themes (samba, Bollywood and reggaetón, among them) and free dance lessons plus live DJ sets. Head to the Music Center plaza and join in the fun—no dance experience required.

Scope out the galleries at the Hammer (until 7:30pm) and then catch a screening of hip-hop-inspired films and documentaries during this free series on select weeknights in the summer.

While there’s always been a theatrical flair to Fall Out Boy’s music, the band’s latest records take those overwrought inclinations to their logical conclusion. See Patrick Stump and company to dig into their catalog, in front of a crowd of older fans that should know all the words to “Dead on Arrival,” during this show at BMO Stadium.

Ahamed Weinberg and Mekki Leeper host this monthly stand-up show at the Elysian. For the July 1 show, a benefit for the Downtown Women’s Center, the lineup includes Margaret Cho, Eddie Pepitone, Caitlin Reilly and Steph Tolev.

The L.A. editions of this California craft fair finds artsy folks in waterfront neighborhoods browsing diverse, local and handmade goods from dozens of vendors while dining on offerings from a curated selection of food trucks. Get your craft on at DIY stations, strike a pose in the photo booths and take in live music. The festival is both kid and pet-friendly and quirky perks include a bike valet for two-wheeled travelers.

Make your Fourth of July an all-day blowout by heading down to this legendary, long-running fest at the Huntington Beach Pier. The festivities kick off with a 5K run and fitness expo. Walk the parade route to the beach and then put on your Uncle Sam hat for the four-day Pier Plaza Festival, where you’ll find live entertainment, family activities and all-American eats. Scope out a spot or grab a VIP seat for the fireworks display at 9pm, which ends in an epic finale.

Theme parks, fireworks and Coca-Cola—talk about a patriotic trio. Six Flags will shoot off fireworks over four straight nights at its Valencia park. As far as the carbonated sponsorship goes, expect to be able to slurp down some festive concoctions while you’re there. Look out for the fireworks over the Full Throttle Plaza and Main Gate Plaza around 9pm.

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.

Step inside of recreations of classic Friends sets and pose in front of familiar costumes at this photo-friendly pop-up in Lakewood. Yes, it’s one of those: an expensive opportunity to snap photos in front of recognizable backdrops. But for Friends fans, there are enough reproductions of recognizable sets to make it a fun walkthrough.

Listen to a run of summertime, family-friendly concerts on the Music Center’s Jerry Moss Plaza during this returning outdoor series.

You know it’s summer in L.A. when the live outdoor music starts swelling all over the city, including at MacArthur Park’s Levitt Pavilion. The Westlake concert series returns this summer with free shows every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Expect a genre-spanning mix of local acts that range from cumbia to ska to EDM.

Summer’s just heating up, but thanks to a returning nightlife partnership it’s set to be scorching: Santa Monica mainstay the Bungalow teamed up with beloved radio station KCRW to throw a night market every Thursday just a block from the beach.

This epic (and free) outdoor concert series features live performances by artists from around the world at the totally overhauled California Plaza stage in DTLA, where the shallow water separating the stage from the audience has been replaced by a proper event lawn. Don’t miss a diverse and highly intriguing mix of bands, DJ sets and dance parties.

The Original Farmers Market is host to a plethora of fun, family-friendly outdoor events, and its summer music series are some of its best. Take a load off near the end of the work week and stop by the West Patio on Thursday nights from 6 to 8pm to hear a genre-spanning mix of live music.

One of L.A.’s most wonderful oddities, the Velaslavasay Panorama, is teaming up with Glendale’s Forest Lawn Museum for a show of grand paintings at the latter. You’ll find immersive, large-scale panoramas divided into three categories: the early history of panoramas, crucifixion panoramas and panoramas in Hollywood and Los Angeles.

L.A.’s star-studded lecture series returns—both virtually and in person—with a lineup of writers, artists, performers, scientists and business leaders who will graciously blow your mind. For both online and IRL events, you’ll often have the option of purchasing a signed copy of the speaker’s book, as well.