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Celebrate spring at the LA Zoo. Photo by Jamie Pham/GLAZA
Celebrate spring at the LA Zoo. Photo by Jamie Pham/GLAZA
4/4/19 - By Toby B

Is that a spring in your step or just the imminent approach of Spring Break? For some lucky Angelenos, Spring Break is as early as next week. For others, the Bunny has a few more days to work his magic.

Either way, there is plenty of springtime revelry to be had. There are trucks for touching, adventures for having, root beer for plundering, science for stemming, words for whomping, and ships to be assembled brick by brick.

Big tickets this weekend: a free, sensory friendly concert from Mommy Poppins faves the Lucky Band, a visit with everyone's favorite Steam Engine, and the most pleasurable faire this side of the Renaissance.

Saturday also represents your chance to get tickets for June's hottest event, Ticket to Explore JPL . Tickets are free but in short supply, so the usual rules apply: wait til I've secured my tickets before trying for yours. Not quite as hard to get your hands on, but worth the effort just the same, tickets for the panel sessions at the LA Times Festival of Books become available starting Sunday.

So what are you waiting for...spring to it!

 

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

Catch Disney’s live-action reimagining of “Dumbo.” Photo courtesy of Disney Enterprises
Catch Disney’s live-action reimagining of “Dumbo.” Photo courtesy of Disney Enterprises

ALL WEEKEND

Renaissance Pleasure Faire

Irwindale
M'Lords. M'Ladies. The Renaissance has returned to the Southland! Medieval costumes and mugs of mead are the stuff that Renaissance Pleasure Faire is made of. The day promises continuous entertainment in 12 performance areas, with live jousting tournaments, comedy shows, magic, music, swashbuckling, and occasional sightings of Queen Elizabeth I in her Royal Parade as the Faire celebrates its Diamond Jubilee year. READ MORE

Day Out with Thomas Dream Big Tour (So. Cal. Railway Museum)

Perris
Thomas fans can enjoy a ride on a full-size Thomas the Tank Engine, with Sir Topham Hatt on hand to meet passengers.  READ MORE

The Root Beer Bandits

Burbank
The Root Beer Bandits is an old-fashioned slapstick musical comedy, plum full of original songs and colorful dances, set against the shimmering wild west, back when folks were pannin’ for gold! READ MORE

LA Zoo Spring Fling

Griffith Park
The LA Zoo springs into fun with this jubilant celebration of nature’s renewal. Spring Fling includes egg-citing activities, fascinating education stations, pollinator spotlights, live story readings, special animal feedings, and photos with Big Bunny. READ MORE

Dumbo (PG)

Hollywood
I've seen about everything when I've seen a live-action elephant fly into the El Capitan. READ MORE

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Pantages)

Hollywood
Roald Dahl's timeless tale is presented as a live musical, featuring songs from the original film, including "Pure Imagination," "The Candy Man," and "I've Got a Golden Ticket," alongside a new score from the songwriters of Hairspray. READ MORE

The Little Mermaid - Inland Pacific Ballet

Riverside
Inland Pacific Ballet brings to life Hans Christian Anderson’s story The Little Mermaid, as puppetry and dance combine to create a magical ocean world. READ MORE
Photo courtesy of Toyota Symphonies for Youth
Photo courtesy of Toyota Symphonies for Youth

SATURDAY, APRIL 6

Ticket Distribution: Ticket to Explore JPL

online
JPL's annual Open House event has returned after a four-year hiatus, and attendance is only possible with a (FREE!) reservation for this incredibly popular ticketed event. READ MORE

Migration Celebration

Playa Vista
Migration Celebration is a neighborhood block party, with live birds and guided bird tours. Attendees can learn more about the Ballona Wetlands past, present, and future. Family activities include the Bob Baker Marionettes, Tongva music with Robert Dorame, and a chance to meet a Red-Tailed Hawk and other live birds,  plus crafts, scavenger hunts, games, and native plant sales. READ MORE

Lucky Band Concert at the GRAMMY Museum

Downtown
Latin GRAMMY winners Lucky Diaz, Alisha Gaddis, and their family band perform hits like "Blue Bear" and songs from their new album "Buenos Diaz" at this free Sensory Friendly Saturday show at the GRAMMY Museum. READ MORE

SFY: Symphonies for Youth

Downtown
The LA Philharmonic is back with another season of its Symphonies for Youth series, designed for kids ages five to 11. The first concert of the season offers a kid-friendly take on one of Shakespeare’s most popular stories and one of Mendelssohn’s most famous musical works: A Midsummer Night’s Dream: . READ MORE

Home Depot Kids Workshops

Multiple Locations
Home Depot offers a free monthly workshop for kids ages 5 - 12. The workshops teach basic DIY skills and tool safety. Kids go home with their craft and a free Kids Workshop apron, commemorative pin, and certificate of achievement.    Kits are available first come first serve.  READ MORE

Heritage Farmstead Easter Eggstravaganza

Santa Ana
The Heritage Museum of Orange County brings back its annual Easter Egg Hunt, which promises egg hunts, crafts, vendors, bunny photo ops, and other family fun. READ MORE

Touch-A-Truck (Sherman Oaks)

Sherman Oaks
Touch-A-Truck is a family-friendly event designed to allow children to explore, climb, and touch vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Guests can meet the people who build, protect, and serve Los Angeles County, or get creative at the arts and crafts table. READ MORE

Springfest Family Festival & Car Show

West Hills
The Eggstravaganza at Shadow Hills Park offers both family activities and a car show. READ MORE

Adventure Day 2019

San Juan Capistrano
Caspers Park Adventure Day offers a full schedule of guided hikes, arts and crafts, wildlife exhibits, games, and food. READ MORE

Planes of Fame Hangar Talk and Flying Demo

Chino
The featured plane in January is the Curtiss P-40N Warhawk. READ MORE

City of STEM Festival & LA Maker Faire

Downey
City of Stem and LA Maker Faire combine forces to create an interactive event designed to inspire Los Angeles’ next generation of scientific leaders, makers, and creative thinkers! READ MORE

Bunny Blast Eggstravaganza

Lake Forest
The Bunny blasts into El Toro Park for an eggs-cellent eggstravaganza, including carnival games and egg stations*  READ MORE

First Pres Prep's 2019 Charity Car Show

Porter Ranch
Families and car lovers are invited to First Pres Prep's Charity Car Show. This festive family event includes food vendors, prize drawings, silent and live auctions, car awards to car entrants, and—of course—modern, classic, and movie cars! READ MORE

CREATE at ESMoA

El Segundo
ESMoA visitors make, look, and talk about art at CREATE!  READ MORE

LEGO Shipbuilding Contest

San Pedro
LEGO enthusiasts are invited to the Los Angeles Maritime Museum for its annual LEGO Shipbuilding Contest. Participants use their imaginations to build ships out of LEGO blocks supplied by the museum. The event is free, and builders of all ages and abilities are welcome. READ MORE

NightGarden

La Cañada Flintridge
This spring Descanso opens the garden gates at night for NightGarden, a new monthly series featuring special evenings of science, music, libations, and surprises. May's event blinds us with science, from what's in the backyard to what’s happening in outer space.  READ MORE

Teddy Bear Concert - Meet the String Family

Eagle Rock
At these concerts, kids are welcome... and so are favorite teddy bears! July's concert introduces the String Family. READ MORE

Shakespeare Day

San Marino
The Huntington celebrates William Shakespeare’s birth month with a day of music, drama, comedy, and romance. READ MORE

Mayumana : Currents

Costa Mesa
The battle between Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla: you could almost say it's... electric. READ MORE

Women’s History Month Poetry Slam 7

West LA
Who are the women that inspire you? Poetry Slam 7 celebrates Women’s History Month. READ MORE
Photo courtesy of California African American Museum
Photo courtesy of California African American Museum

SUNDAY, APRIL 7

Children's Earth Day at the STAR Eco Station

Culver City
Star ECOStation offers a wild day of earth education and celebration in honor of Earth Day. The day features a wide range of exotic wildlife, student performances, eco-friendly games and rides, face painting, food, celebrity guests, and more. READ MORE

Caring Bunny (Del Amo)

Torrance
Caring Bunny visits Del Amo Fashion Center to provide a subdued and welcoming environment for children with special needs and their families. Parents must register their children in advance.  READ MORE

Free Family Festival at the Bowers

Santa Ana
Welcome Spring! The Bowers celebrates Japanese culture and the coming season with free mochi, art projects, origami, and taiko. READ MORE

Family Flicks at the Hammer

Westwood
UCLA's Hammer Museum presents a free family screening each month.  October's film Microcosmos takes a closeup look at the hidden world of insects and other tiny creatures.  READ MORE

Easter Bunny and Brunch

Fairfax
American Girl fans and their parents can celebrate Easter with brunch at the American Girl store. Kids can meet special guest the Easter Bunny and pose for a photo in the Cafe. READ MORE

11th Annual Special Needs Resource Fair

Burbank
Parents and professionals can learn about the resources that Los Angeles has to offer the special needs community. READ MORE

Summer Fun & Camp Fair (Burbank)

Burbank
The Summer Fun & Camp Fair is an opportunity to talk to camp and summer program representatives, with over 50 camps represented. READ MORE

Sundays in the Park with Camp Alonim and AJU

Brandeis
Sundays in the Park returns to the Brandeis-Bardin Campus, a 2,700-acre playground in Simi Valley. The fun-filled day includes a wide range of activities including riding horses, feeding the goats, climbing the Alpine Tower, exploring STEAM (Science, Teva, Earth, Animals, Mensches), arts and crafts, and playing on the swings. READ MORE

Healthy Pets & People Wellness Event

Sawtelle
Wags & Walks holds a Health and Wellness event at its adoption center. The event includes sound healing, brush-outs & nail clippings, acupuncture & cryotherapy, shopping, health & wellness vendors for pups & people, samplings & giveaways, a puppy therapy lounge, and veterinarian supervised non-anesthetic dental cleanings.  READ MORE

Fowler Families: Yoga for Little Travelers

Westwood
Little yogis and their families are invited to pack their bags and go on a whimsical journey to Guatemala during this year’s final yoga session.  READ MORE

Andell Family Sunday - Wearable Pattern & Color

Mid-Wilshire
LACMA visitors can check out the vivid colors and patterns in the exhibition Power of Pattern. Participants learn about this textile tradition on a family-friendly tour, then make their own wearable creations, or handmade books of colorful patterns, in artist-led workshops. READ MORE

Fabric Power!

Exposition Park
Multimedia artist Christopher Meyers's nine-foot-tall textile Nation of Protest skillfully makes use of fabric for a powerful impact. Participants in this free workshop make their own statement in fabric—on a smaller scale of course! READ MORE

Studio Ghibli Fest 2024

Multiple Locations
Studio Ghibli animated classics return to theaters in this annual series. Screenings may either be subtitled or dubbed.  August's first film is Ponyo, a fish out of water tale. READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

Heritage Museum of Orange County
Ronald W. Caspers Wilderness Park
Planes of Fame Air Museum
First Presbyterian Preparatory School
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
American Girl Store at the Grove
The International School of Los Angeles
The California African American Museum
Participating Theaters, such as Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE