It’s a long holiday weekend, so a lot of people will be heading out of town.  But that just leaves more space and less traffic for the rest of us to enjoy our three days off in wonderful mid-town Los Angeles.
Appropriately for a holiday weekend, Saturday looks to be pretty quiet in the morning (sleep in – it’s good!), but things pick up in the afternoon and evening.
From 3-7 p.m., at the Avalon Hollywood, 1735 Vine St., the Hollywood Beer and Music Festival celebrates craft beer and live music for those 21 and over. There will be unlimited samples of more than 60 craft beers, a food truck pavillion, music from Vevo, the Hollywood Roses and DJ Para Dice, and a private after-party at Club Bardot.
For fans of visual art, the Craft and Folk Art Museum will hold an opening reception for two new exhibitions – Gronk’s Theater of Paint…and Windfall by Box Collective, from 6 to 9 p.m. on Saturday.  Gronk’s Theater of Paint explores the legendary Los Angeles artist’s more than 40 years of work in set design through an interactive, site-specific theater set and documentation from his past productions…while Windfall features new furniture and functional objects from members of the Los Angeles-based Box Collective, a group of designer-makers dedicated to creating innovative objects from reclaimed and sustainably sourced wood. The reception is free for CAFAM members and $12 for others.  Both exhibits open to the public on Sunday.
Of course, Memorial Day weekend is widely perceived as the unofficial beginning of summer, which is also prime outdoor movie season.  And several local favorite outdoor movie series are getting started this weekend.  First and closest to home, Cinespia, which screens classic films at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, kicks off with the always sunny Singin in the Rain on Saturday night.  “Doors” (gates?) open at 6:45 p.m., and the movie starts at 8:30.  See the above links for ticket information.
Meanwhile, a bit further south at Exposition Park, Street Food Cinema, which combines outdoor movies with food trucks, hosts a screening of Purple Rain.  Doors open at 5:30 p.m., music with DJ Michele Pesche starts at 6:30, and the film unwinds at 8:30 p.m. See link above for ticket prices.
On Sunday, you can keep the mood going with some real purple rain.  The anonymous art collective behind the event that showered a downtown alley in flower petals earlier this year will serve up a lovely purple Petal Drop (02) – using thousands of seasonal jacaranda blossoms – at an industrial site near downtown (the specific location won’t be announced until dawn on Sunday). Follow @petaldropla on Twitter for the full, evolving scoop.
Then, as long as you’re in the neighborhood, check out the Downtown Modernism Marketplace, which will be open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday at the Modernica factory, 2901 Saco St., 90058.  This year’s event features more than 60 vintage modern dealers from California and beyond, including “new dealers, new attractions, new food, and new faces.”  Tickets are just $5.
If you prefer your classic design on wheels, head over to Miracle Mile’s Petersen Museum from 8 to 10 a.m. on Sunday for its monthly Breakfast Club Cruise-In. Once a month, the museum invites car owners to bring in their classic cars, and car enthusiasts to come view “some of the fastest, rarest and most beloved cars of all time.” Awards will be given for Best-In-Show, People’s Choice and The Petersen Award (most historically accurate). There will also be music and food.  Cars will be located on the third floor of the museum’s parking structure.
Finally on Sunday, another big nostalgic event that’s a bit more in the actual spirit of Memorial Day:  Clifton’s Cafeteria (along with Creating Arts Studios) will present the Clifton’s Canteen, a tribute to 1940s USO shows, from 7 to 10 p.m. at 648 S. Broadway, downtown.  This will be a “full scale U.S.O. star studded bash,” with a live big band, and “songs performed by some of your favorite icons from the era.”  Tickets are only $10, and admission is – of course – free for active military and veterans. For more information contact [email protected].
Enjoy your weekend!
