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Weekend Fun for LA Kids: Elephant Day, DOGust, and Natsumatsuri

Moved to move at Playa Vista's concert in the park. Photo courtesy of Playa Vista
Moved to move at Playa Vista's concert in the park. Photo courtesy of Playa Vista
8/8/19 - By Toby B

Let's talk about the elephant in the room. No, not the start of the school year: I mean the weekend festivities in Griffith Park. The LA Zoo is celebrating the pachyderm, and shedding light on the majestic beast's situation in the wild. It's the once-a-year chance to go behind the scenes and see how the "Ele" half lives.

They say an elephant never forgets. But you know who does forget? A kid who's been out of school too long. Luckily, the 2019/2020 academic year is fast approaching, with some kids returning to school as early as next week. Time to get a move on if you have any unrealized summer plans, like perhaps attending a county fair. (Both the OC and Ventura County fairs end this weekend, as do several of the summer concert series.)

You might be seeing double; it's really quite incredibles, this sorta summer, sorta schooltime, way out, out of this world. There's so much going on my brain is exploding. Or maybe that's just the fireworks.

Keep reading for our most elephantine list of picks for this pre-school weekend.

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

Meet the elephants at the LA Zoo. Photo by Jamie Pham
Meet the elephants at the LA Zoo. Photo by Jamie Pham

Things To Do All Weekend

World Elephant Day Celebration

Griffith Park
In honor of World Elephant Day,  the Los Angeles Zoo kicks off a weekend opportunities to explore and learn about elephants, especially the challenges they face in the wild. READ MORE

Getty Garden Concerts for Kids

West LA: The Okee Dokee Brothers
The Getty Center's Garden Concerts for Kids returns this August with three weekends of shows. The free outdoor music series for kids and their families features some of the best children's musical artists from across the nation. Kids have a blast rolling in the grass and running through the garden, as well as dancing and singing along with the music. READ MORE

Reptile Super Show (Pomona)

Pomona
All the cool(-blooded) creatures are in Pomona this weekend. READ MORE

Ventura County Fair

Ventura
Ride 'em, Cowboy!  Ventura County Fair rides off into the sunset with the PRCA Rodeo all weekend.The "country fair with ocean air" is back for 11 days of magic for summer 2024. Kids can ride the many carnival rides and play games on the midway, watch the Alaskan pig races, meet some animal friends at the petting zoo, tour the livestock areas, and more.  READ MORE

Orange County Fair

Costa Mesa
The Orange County Fair is back, and this year's theme is "Always a Good Time!" Highlights of the fair include animals, tons of food, carnival rides, art exhibits, and more. Carnival ride tickets are $1 each, and unlimited-ride wristbands are available for $44 for Wednesdays or Thursdays at the fair.  READ MORE

Skirball Family Amphitheater Performances

West LA: Saturday, California Feetwarmers; Sunday: Aaron Nigel Smith
A summer favorite at the Skirball returns, offering family-friendly entertainment in the amphitheater. This year’s series features artists who use the power of performance to enliven our city and the people who call LA home.  READ MORE

LevittLA Summer Concert Series in MacArthur Park

Downtown: Saturday: Flor de Toloache; Sunday, 2nd Annual Mundo Maya Celebration
They're back! LevittLA once again brings a series of free summer concerts to MacArthur Park. All of this summer's concerts are on Saturday nights. Performers come from a range of genres including cumbia, rock, ska, alternative and indie rock, soul and funk, and reggae. READ MORE

Kiddee Matinees

Hollywood: Sammy, The Way Out Seal
On Saturdays and Sundays, families can catch a matinee screening of a kid-friendly movie at the New Beverly Cinema.  Guests ages 12 and under get a free bag of popcorn. READ MORE

40 Days of Fun!

Pasadena
Bubble, bubble, toil and ... more bubbles!  Kidspace's 40th birthday celebration nears its close, with tons of bubble fun, including a foam pit to play in!  READ MORE

Nisei Week Japanese Festival

Downtown
Celebrating its 79th anniversary, the Nisei Week Japanese Festival offers two weekends of free, family-friendly cultural events, interactive and unique activations, delicious tastes, music, and more in the historic neighborhood of Little Tokyo. READ MORE
Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association
Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association

Things To Do Saturday, August 10

Tchaikovsky Spectacular with Fireworks

Hollywood
The music of Tchaikovsky blends dramatically with fireworks at the Hollywood Bowl. Conductor Otto Tausk leads the LA Phil for some of Tchaikovsky's most compelling pieces, including the Polonaise from Eugene Onegin and the illustrious Sleeping Beauty Suite, culminating in the thrilling 1812 Overture, complete with pyrotechnics. READ MORE

Natsumatsuri Family Festival 2024

Downtown
The Japanese American National Museum's annual summer celebration features a fun day of performances, crafts, and activities. Highlights include summer themed crafts and origami, interactive storytimes, souvenir photos, and a scavenger hunt through the museum. READ MORE

Summer Block Party

Malibu
The Malibu Country Mart invites the community for a fun, sun-soaked afternoon with complimentary food and entertainment, free festival booths, nostalgic treats, and live music. Activities for kids include a petting zoo, face painting, and more.  READ MORE

DOGust Birthday Celebration

Playa Vista
Wallis Annenberg PetSpace celebrates DOGust, the universal birthday of shelter dogs. Family and pups are invited to a birthday bash, where every dog is the guest of honor! The afternoon features fun activities, games, and photo ops. READ MORE

BHCP Kids Club

Baldwin Hills
  The BHCP Kids Club is held on the second Saturday of the month, offering a variety of free activities for children aged 3 - 13 and their families.   READ MORE

2nd Saturday @ the Adobe

Agoura Hills
Reyes Adobe Historical Site hosts hands-on activities and art projects on the second Saturday of each month. READ MORE

Cartoon Club

Hollywood
Cartoon Club celebrates the art and history of animation with Saturday morning screenings of rare cartoon gems.  February's event celebrates Valentine's Day with cartoons about love. READ MORE

Free Games on National Bowling Day (LA)

Multiple Venues
Try it: you'll strike it! Bowlero, AMF, Bowlmor and Brunswick Zone Lanes across the country offer two free games on National Bowling Day. READ MORE

Big World Fun

Hollywood
Leela Dance Collective perform kathak, classical dance from North India, to tell the story of India – her history, struggles, spiritual discoveries, and evolution. READ MORE

Back to School Health Fair

Boyle Heights
The Back to School Health & Family Festival is a free and fun event for the whole family. Kids 4 and up can get a free backpack as well as other free supplies and activities. READ MORE

AMC Theatres Sensory Friendly Films

Multiple Locations: Dora and the Lost City of Gold
Select AMC Theatres show current releases in a special monthly screening for families affected by autism. The program provides a special opportunity for families to enjoy their favorite films in a safe and accepting environment. READ MORE

Dive-in Movies (Simi Valley)

Simi Valley: The Incredibles 2
Care for a movie and/or a swim?  Families can enjoy a movie while swimming, or bring a blanket and watch from the grass.  READ MORE

My Valley Pass: Movies on Location

Lake Balboa: Grease
San Fernando's My Valley Pass features movies filmed in the Valley. Films are shown at the very locations where they were filmed! (Or in some cases at settings that are thematically linked.) READ MORE

Warner Center's Movies on the Green

Woodland Hills: The Incredibles 2
Dive in!  Warner Center's last movie of the summer is Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom. Films are presented on a 30-foot theatrical screen with digital projection, surround sound, and high-resolution digital picture.  Other selections this year include Wish, Elemental, and Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom READ MORE

Marina Del Rey Free Movie Nights

Marina Del Rey: Black Panther
Free outdoor movie nights return to Marina Del Rey's Burton Chace Park. The waterfront park makes a lovely setting for a picnic to watch films under the stars. Fire up the DeLorian for the opening night film, Back to the Future 2. READ MORE

Public Star Party

Griffith Park
The sky... it's full of stars! The lawn... it's full of telescopes!   ​The Observatory's free public star party offers a chance for the whole family to look at the sun, moon, planets, and other objects with the assistance of the Los Angeles Astronomical Society, the Los Angeles Sidewalk Astronomers, and the Planetary Society. READ MORE

Huntington Beach Free Movie Series

Huntington Beach: Coco
Never name a street dog. They’ll follow you forever. Like to the free screening of Coco at Murdy Park. READ MORE

Free Family Outdoor Movie Night: The Wizard of Oz

Thousand Oaks: The Wizard of Oz
If I only had a brain I'd go to the free outdoor screening of the Wizard of Oz in the Grant R. Brimhall Library Parking Lot.  (And if I were really smart, I'd bring lawn chairs or blankets and snacks.) READ MORE

Movies in the Park: Pacific Palisades

Pacific Palisades: The Wizard of Oz
I have seen gods fly. I have seen men build weapons that I couldn't even imagine. I have seen aliens drop from the sky. But I have never seen anything like this: Black Panther screening at Palisades Rec Center.  READ MORE

City of Inglewood‎ Movies in the Park

Inglewood: Secret Life of Pets
The City of Inglewood hosts free family-friendly movies in a variety of outdoor locations. The evenings include pre-show activities including a magic show, a karate demonstration and other games and activities. Guests should bring blankets and lawn chairs. Food trucks offer food for purchase. READ MORE

Chinatown Summer Nights

Chinatown
Part food event, part summer party, Chinatown Summer Nights presents an exciting hot spot for Angelenos this summer. READ MORE

Rose Bowl Movie Night

Pasadena
19 years after its star-studded premiere there, Remember the Titans returns to the Rose Bowl. The sports classic is shown on a one of a kind "big screen", the Rose Bowl jumbotron.  READ MORE
Craftlab. Photo courtesy of Craft and Folk Art Museum
Craftlab. Photo courtesy of Craft and Folk Art Museum

Things To Do Sunday, August 11

Family Flicks at the Hammer

Westwood: The Secret of NIMH
UCLA's Hammer Museum presents a free family screening each month.  In January guests can celebrate the Lunar New Year with Over the Moon. In this 2020 animated film , a young girl, Fei Fei, is determined to prove the existence of a legendary moon goddess, Chang’e. Fei Fei builds a rocket ship and takes viewers on a musical expedition beyond the stars.   READ MORE

Kids Run the Bases - Dodgers Home Game

Echo Park
Kids ages 5-14 get to run the bases after most daytime Dodger home games on Sundays.    READ MORE

CraftLab Workshops

Mid-Wilshire
The whole family can participate in monthly craft workshops at Craft Contemporary. In September, participants join artist Rosalyn Myles to create mixed media paper dolls inspired by personal history and culture READ MORE

Fowler Families: Sculpting Monkeys and Tigers and Deer, Oh, My!

Westwood
Animal characters take center stage in many Guatemalan masquerades, with masks representing bulls, deer, dogs, jaguars, monkeys, tigers, and more. Fowler visitors can explore these creatures in the exhibition Guatemalan Masks, then useclay to sculpt their own animal inspired by the artworks on view. READ MORE

Free 2nd Sunday at PAM: Silk Road

Pasadena
Pasadena's museum honoring all things Asian opens its doors for free on the second Sunday of every month. November's event marks its fourth annual celebration of the Silk Road. This year's event highlights the importance of food and spice trade along the ancient route. READ MORE

Ferdinand the Bull

Topanga
Ferdinand does not wish to fight. But he does want to see a play under the oaks! READ MORE

Wire & Wood

Thousand Oaks
Everyday we put countless items in trash and recycling bins. How often do we take things out and reuse them? READ MORE

Sunday Studio at MOCA: Devon Tsuno and MOCA Teens

Downtown
Visitors can work with artist Devon Tsuno and MOCA Teens to create a new large-scale, collaborative artwork. Participants learn how teens helped preserve Japanese American cultural arts and crafts while incarcerated during World War II at the Topaz detention center in Utah.  READ MORE

Sierra Madre Concerts in the Park

Sierra Madre: Skinny Ties (Rock from the 80s)
The Sierra Madre Concerts in the Park series is held at the Memorial Park Bandshell on  Sunday evenings. Food is available on most concert dates.   READ MORE

Concerts in the Park (Monterey Park)

Monterey Park: Adelaide (Latin and Top 40).
Families can enjoy the sweet sounds of summer at Monterey Park's monthly free concerts in Barnes Park—which include fireworks on the 4th of July! READ MORE

Playa Vista Concert in the Park

Playa Vista: Woodstock Tribute Band
  Playa Vista hosts its free summer concerts in the bandshell, featuring cover bands of different genres. Gourmet food trucks are on site. READ MORE

Dana Point Summer of Music Concerts in the Park

Dana Point Kalimba (The Spirit of Earth, Wind & Fire) and Hot August Night (A Tribute to Neil Diamond)
Dana Point's free summertime series is held in Sea Terrace Park. Each concert features two acts.  This weekend features tributes to ABBA and Earth, Wind and Fire. READ MORE

Sizzlin' Summer Concert Series

Irvine: Tijuana Dogs (Dance Party Rock)
The summer sizzles at Irvine's free family-friendly concert series in Mike Ward Community Park. Admission is free and no tickets nor pre-registration is required for first-come, first-served seating READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

Los Angeles County Fairgrounds/ Pomona Fairplex
Orange County Fair & Event Center
Kidspace Children's Museum
Japanese American Cultural & Community Center
Participating Bowling Lanes, including: Bowlero Mar Vista
AMC Theatres - Participating Locations
Rancho Simi Community Park Pool
Various Locations, including: Los Angeles Police Department Van Nuys Station
Various locations in Inglewood, including North Park
Mike Ward Community Park - Woodbridge