What’s up, party people?! Can you believe it’s time to celebrate our nation’s independence day again? Well, believe it, and try to enjoy some or even one of these events below. As you can imagine, there is a flurry of activity going on around town, including happenings that have nothing to do with the holiday, so there’s still a good variety of things to do. The Wilshire Country Club’s annual fireworks display has sadly been canceled, due to a permit situation for the vendor, but there are still plenty of alternatives close by. Whatever you decide, just have fun and be safe!
Fireworks and the Fourth of July
Start a new tradition this year by bringing the fam to the Hollywood Bowl July 4th Fireworks Spectacular! This 3-night showcase will feature none other than two of my personal all-time favorite entertainers on the planet, Steve Martin and Martin Short. Starting Saturday, July 2 – Monday, July 4, you’ll have the chance to see fireworks three nights in a row on the stage and in the sky, when Thomas Wilkins and the Los Angeles Philharmonic perform a program of favorites, along with those two treasures. Tickets range from $30-$305; limits apply. Half off for kids 12 and under. Show starts at 7:30 p.m.; doors at 5:30 p.m.
Cinespia + Hollywood Forever Cemetery ‘s weekend celebration will be full of Movies and Fireworks every night this weekend. Opening the holiday marathon on Saturday, July 2 will be a screening of Fast and the Furious. Enjoy DJ sets before and after the film, a ’90s-inspired photobooth, a burger and hot dog grill, and a beer and wine bar. You can also bring your own picnic of choice. Next up, on Sunday, July 3, Purple Rain will be the featured film, and closing out the long weekend on Monday the Fourth is another classic from my childhood, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Same times apply all weekend: Gates at 7:15 p.m. / Movie at 9 p.m. Tickets range from $20-$45.
If your definition of “freedom” includes freedom to move in public spaces without being hindered or endangered by vehicle traffic, then Streets for All will help you celebrate tomorrow, Saturday, July 2, starting at 8 a.m. near Travel Town, where a portion of Griffith Park Drive will be shut down to cars. According to the advocacy group, “Following the death of a cyclist earlier this year, the city has made an effort to make Griffith Park safer from drivers. But it’s only a pilot program — if we want to keep this stretch of Griffith Park Drive open to cyclists, pedestrians, hikers, and other folks who don’t travel in cars we need to show the city that we want this. Come out with us to celebrate this new change and demand more: we want people to go to not through Griffith Park.” Definitely a great holiday gift!
The Dodgers play the Rockies at home on Monday, the 4th of July, with a special postgame Independence Day spectacular. Dodger Stadium does a fireworks display after every Friday home game, but this time the show will be set to the tune of patriotic anthems and classic songs. And if you’re just looking to see the ‘works, you can always drive up into Elysian Park to see the show for free. The display will begin around 10 p.m. Tickets range from $37-$1,250.
DTLA’s Grand Park’s 4th of July Block Party will also return this year, with a celebration chock full o’ fun for the whole family. This year’s party will feature a series of interactive multi-media artworks in honor of those who have “contributed to the spirit of the Grand Park experience as the Park for Everyone, and will showcase a dynamic retrospective of the last 10 years.” The evening will include food, music, DJs and live musical performances, dancing, and other surprises, and bedazzling fireworks over The Music Center. Public parking will be available at The Music Center and Walt Disney Concert Hall at a flat rate of $9 per vehicle…though taking public transportation is highly recommended. Grand Park is located at the Civic Center/Grand Park station along the Red Line and Purple Line.
And if you don’t mind “going the distance,” these next two could be worth the drive. The Rose Bowl will be throwing its 96th Annual AmericaFest Celebration, this day of America’s birth, Monday, July 4. Bonus: the stadium itself is celebrating its centennial birthday, so the venue is going all out with a musical performance by Drake Milligan and a TNT Freestyle Motocross show.
Orrr, you could head to Marina del Rey’s Burton Chace Park or Fisherman’s Village to watch a fireworks and synchronized music show on Monday, July 4 starting at 9 p.m. You can also take one of the city’s Dinner Cruises, charter a private yacht, or make a dinner reservation at any of the waterfront restaurants in the Marina. Get there early, though — street closures and heavy traffic are expected.
Arts, Culture, and Entertainment
Other stuff going on this week will start on Saturday, July 2 at LACMA from 5-7 p.m. Latin Sounds: Echo Park Project with Special Guest Ric Salinas will fill the night with world-renowned artists performing everything from Indigenous to modern music from Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Mexico, Peru, and Los Angeles. Opening the show and the season will be actor/comedian Ric Salinas, co-founder of the comedy group Culture Clash. Seating is limited and first come, first served, but guests are welcome to bring their own chairs and blankets. Latin Sounds will take place on Saturday evenings from July 2 – September 3. The Echo Park Project was founded in 2006 by Carlo Lopez, who wanted to recreate the legendary salsa style of New York City in Southern California. Masks are still required in all indoor spaces.
Local favorite Chevalier’s Books will play host to a few more book talks this week starting Wednesday, July 6 with freelance travel journalist Mimi Slawoff, who will be in-store discussing and signing her newest book Oldest Los Angeles. Blending history and some local travel, this book takes readers on a journey through the past to the oldest buildings, businesses, and neighborhoods in LA (RSVP here). Then on Thursday, July 7, Brooklyn-based Wesley Straton will be in town talking about her debut novel, The Bartender’s Cure (RSVP here). Please note that proof of vaccination and masks are required.
I’m delighted to share this next one with you as it was such a cool find! The LA Zoo Sustainable Wine+Dinner Series will commence on Thursday, July 7, with Tribute Winery (California) providing the liquid portion of the meal. Come out to the Zoo for another after hours event involving one of my favorite duos of all time, food and wine. For these intimate dinners featuring “conservation conversations” with zoo leaders, wines from local, eco-friendly wineries serve as the inspiration for custom farm-to-table dinner menus created by the Zoo’s own executive chef, Eileen Aguilera. The next Wine+Dinner will be on Thursday, August 4 with Ancient Peaks Winery. The cost is $175 per person and $165 for members. Tickets are available online only. The magic happens from 6-9 p.m.
End the week on a jazzy note with LACMA’s weekly music series, Jazz at LACMA: Nick Mancini Quartet on Friday, July 8 from 6-8 p.m. Vibraphonist and bandleader Nick Mancini has recorded with such renowned artists as Arturo Sandoval, Poncho Sanchez, and Jennifer Holliday and has appeared at the Apollo Theater, the Aspen Music Festival, Birdland, and Joe’s Pub in New York City. RSVP for a reminder email. Seating is limited and first come, first served. Please note that face masks are required in all indoor spaces.
Aaaah, ye-ah, LA Zoo Friday Nights have returned! Come explore the Zoo in the twilight hours on Friday, July 8 and see what your favorite animals do nocturnally. Enjoy musical performances, a family dance party, games, and interactive education stations at no additional charge, plus paid add-ons like carousel rides and snacks. Make it a fun family thing or go with friends, a full bar will also be available! Special Musical Guests that night will be DJ Johnny Hawkes. The cost is $25 for adults, $20 for kids (2–17) and $15 for members. Zoo Nights are open from 6-9 p.m.; the carousel closes at 8:30 p.m.
Local Government
Your local NC, the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council has just one meeting on the schedule this week for the Resilience Committee on Tuesday, July 6 at 7 p.m. Click here to view the calendar for details.
And the Mid City West Neighborhood Council will wrap up our events list with just two gatherings on the books this week, starting with the HRRRTs Committee (Homelessness, Refugees, and Renters’ Rights) on Tuesday, July 5, followed by weekly, in-person Wednesday Walks on Wednesday, July 6. Click here to check Mid City’s calendar for details.
