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Weekend Fun for LA Kids: Garden Concerts, Toy Story Shakespeare, and Surf Fest

International Surf Festival. Photo by Joel Gitelson courtesy of the festival
International Surf Festival. Photo by Joel Gitelson courtesy of the festival
8/1/19 - By Toby B

Can you believe it's August already? The summer's almost over. Last call for school break fun, cause we'll be back in school before you know it!

Oh, hey, look at that: the Actors' Gang free summer Shakespeare for kids is starting up this weekend. The Gang is doing a Toy Story-tinged Tempest, such stuff as dreams are made of. Nothing like your kids quoting Shakespeare when they go back to school, which they will be doing shortly because the summer is practically over...

Oh, hey, look at that: the Ventura County Fair is starting up this weekend. Nothing says summer like funnel cakes, carnival rides, and pig races. And then the summer is over for most intents and purposes, so maybe we should all be buying ski garb and looking into Christmas trees.

Oh, hey, look at that: The Getty Garden Concerts for Kids are starting up this weekend. It isn't summer until the Garden Concerts have started, I'll tell you that. Elena Moon Park and Friends celebrate folk and children's music from all over East Asia. With songs in Korean, Japanese, Mandarin, Tibetan, Taiwanese, Spanish, and English, you can dance or chill on the Getty Center Lawn to this family favorite. And then after that you can turn in your swim fins and sunscreen, because the summer is just about over...

Oh, hey, look at that: there are sharks in the water. I say "summer"; you say "run for your lives"! Where are those swim fins when you need 'em...?

Oh hey, look at that: Midsummer Scream is this weekend, offering spine tingling chills as you prep for the most ghoulish time of year... okay, now that one, it maybe does mean summer is over. But not before we enjoy this most spooky of weekends.

Keep reading for our best picks for what is, spookily enough, another awesome summer weekend.

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

THINGS TO DO ALL WEEKEND

International Surf Festival

Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Redondo Beach
Hang ten in Manhattan Beach this weekend for the International Surf Festival. The three signature events for the festival are the Judge Taplin Lifeguard Medley Relay, the Dwight Crum Pier-to-Pier Swim, and the Charlie Saikley Six-Man Volleyball Tournament.  Other events include a surfing contest, a body surfing contest (great for kids), a beach run, paddleboard races, a dory race, and other youth events. READ MORE

Toy Story Tempest

Culver City
Clean up, clean up, everybody everywhere: It's time to put this year's Actor's Gang production of Toy Story Tempest away.  READ MORE

Getty Garden Concerts for Kids

West LA: Elena Moon Park and Friends
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

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

La Habra Corn Festival

La Habra
The La Habra Corn Festival started as not much more than a grill out, but now it is the largest fundraiser in the city. Ride the attractions, eat some delicious corn, and do some shopping at the 74th La Habra Corn Festival. This event is great for all ages, and it's free to attend!  READ MORE

Skirball Family Amphitheater Performances

West LA
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

Shark Week 2019 (Cabrillo)

San Pedro
Shark Week returns to CMA and features special shark crafts and activities each day. READ MORE

CCPT Children's Theatre in the Park: Gideon and the Blundersnorp

Culver City
Culver City Public Theatre's annual children's production in the park is performed on Saturdays and Sundays from July 13 to August 4. This year's production is Gideon and the Blundersnorp, a unique and inventive family musical which was a hit at the Hollywood Fringe Festival several years ago. READ MORE

My So-Called Life Screenings

Beverly Hills
"People always say you should be yourself, like yourself is this definite thing, like a toaster or something. Like you can know what it is, even."  Be your own toaster at these 25th anniversary screenings of My So-Called Life at the Paley Center. READ MORE

Kiddee Matinees

Hollywood
On Saturdays and Sundays, families can catch a matinee screening of a kid-friendly movie at the New Beverly Cinema.   READ MORE

Circus Vargas: The Greatest of Ease (Torrance)

Torrance
The Circus is in town! Circus Vargas is raising its tent at Torrance Del Amo Mall.  Circus Vargas’ 50th anniversary extravaganza is an homage to the golden era of circus in America. READ MORE

Midsummer Scream

Long Beach
You've heard of Christmas in July, but what about Halloween? Midsummer Scream is a weekend-long festival celebrating the spirit of Halloween and horror, drawing thousands of guests to the Long Beach Convention Center for thrills and chills. READ MORE
Big World Fun. Photo courtesy of Ford Theatres
Big World Fun. Photo courtesy of Ford Theatres

Things To Do Saturday August 3

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

Fishing Frenzy

Thousand Oaks
Hundreds of magnetic fish are swimming in the creek waiting to be caught with magnetic fishing poles. Kids fill their pails with the fish and turn them in for prizes. 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

Hot Wheels Garage

El Segundo
Small car, big fun. The Automobile Driving Museum hosts another Hot Wheels Garage event. READ MORE

Shakespeare by the Sea (Encino)

Encino
Shakespeare by the Sea returns to Encino for a production of Twelfth Night, a romantic comedy of mistaken adventure. READ MORE

Planes of Fame Hangar Talk and Flying Demo

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

Annual Young Artist Project

La Mirada
Selected from hundreds of applicants, a cast of young artists have just 14 days to create an original, riveting, cross-disciplinary performance to put onstage at La Mirada Theater for the Performing Arts. READ MORE

Checkmate! Chess at the Museum

Pasadena
On Saturdays in August,  the Norton Simon invites visitors to drop by and play chess in the Sculpture Garden. Not a chess master just yet? A US chess expert is on hand to teach the rules of the game. READ MORE

Downtown Burbank Car Classic

Burbank
Top celebrity vehicles, classic cars, automotive-related vendors, and deejays spinning music from the decades are in the spotlight at the 2019 Downtown Burbank Car Classic. READ MORE

Marina Del Rey Summer Concert Series 2024

Marina del Rey: Jon Batiste
The Saturday evening concerts at Burton Chace Park feature symphonic sounds and headliners from popular music. The waterfront park makes a lovely setting for a picnic; bring your blanket and low-back chairs and don't forget your jackets (it can get pretty chilly at night!). Performers this year include Houndsmouth, Musiq Soulchild, and Lila Downs. READ MORE

El Segundo Movie in the Park

El Segundo: Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse
El Segundo Rotary Club hosts a Movie in the Park. The 2019 film is Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse. READ MORE

Street Food Cinema 2024

Glendale:ET; Culver City:The Breakfast Club
Street Food Cinema goes on adventure with a screening of Up! at the LA Arboret--  squirrel!   READ MORE

My Valley Pass: Movies on Location

Lake Balboa Complex: Jurassic Park
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: Aquaman
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

Movies in the Park: Pacific Palisades

Pacific Palisades: Back to the Future
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

The Gold Rush (1925)

El Segundo
Old Town Music Hall screens Charlie Chaplin's The Gold Rush. Chaplin mines the gold rush for comedic riches, in this gem that features such iconic scenes as Chaplin making a "delicious" meal out of an old boot, and making dinner rolls dance. READ MORE

Pasadena Pops Summer Concert Series

Arcadia
Pasadena Pops takes audiences on musical tours, from Harlem Nights to California Dreamin', and much more with these open-air summer concerts at the LA Arboretum. READ MORE

Night Sky Festival

Agoura Hills
Families can join night sky enthusiasts and astronomers to view the night sky and discover the vast expanse beyond earth. Telescopes are directed at neighbor planets, shiny nebulae, and distant galaxies.   READ MORE

Pacific Symphony's Symphony in the Cities

Orange
The Pacific Symphony brings "Symphony in the Cities" to the City of Orange for a free concert on the Musco Center's Aitken Arts Plaza.  READ MORE
International Festival of Drums at Bowers Museum. Photo courtesy of the museum
International Festival of Drums at Bowers Museum. Photo courtesy of the museum

Things To Do Sunday August 4

Fowler Families: Giant Kites of Guatemala

Westwood
Fowler guests can explore the practice of making colorful giant kites (barriletes) and their significance during Día de los Muertos in Guatemala during this two-hour hands-on workshop. READ MORE

Sensory Sensitive Sundays at Chuck E. Cheese's - Los Angeles

Multiple Locations
Chuck E. Cheese locations open for two hours on the first Sunday of each month, specifically for children with autism and other special needs. 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

Wiltern Kids' Classic Summer Movie Series

Koreatown: Robin Hood
Steal from the rich, give to the poor, take the kids to the movies.  The animated version of Robin Hood screens at the Wiltern. READ MORE

Taste of Inglewood Experience

Inglewood
Taste of Inglewood Experience is a free, family-friendly street fair and music festival that offers food, music, fun, and unity. 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

Tiny Porch Concert Series

Agoura Hills: Alice Wallace w/ Tanbark
The Tiny Porch Concerts' tradition of sending live music singing through the Santa Monica Mountains continues this summer at the Peter Strauss Ranch. READ MORE

Manhattan Beach Summer Concerts in the Park 2024

Manhattan Beach : Jungle Fire
Manhattan Beach's concerts in Polliwog Park come to a close with the Blue Breeze Band, playing Motown, R&B, Jazz, funk and more. READ MORE

Concerts on the Green 2024

Woodland Hills: Masters of Soul
The summer concert series at Warner Center Park returns for the 2024 season.  Swifties can unite at the penultimate concert, featuring Taylor Swift tribute Blank Space. READ MORE

Agoura Hills Summer Concerts in the Park

Agoura Hills: The Long Run (The Eagles tribute)
The Agoura Hills free summer concerts are held mostly in Chumash Park. Highlights throughout the summer include tribute bands, a concert/jazz band, and a patriotic laser show! READ MORE

Angry Birds 2 Character Visit

Pasadena
The flightless angry birds and the scheming green piggies take their beef to the next level in The Angry Birds Movie 2. Kids can stop by Kidspace to meet and take photos with Red from the upcoming film and participate in giveaways throughout the day (while supplies last).  READ MORE

Free Special Needs Roller Skating Event

Fountain Valley
Kids with special needs can participate in a special skating event at Fountain Valley Skating Center. This is a free event open to special needs kids of all ages. READ MORE

Andell Family Sundays: The Art of Korean Writing

Mid-Wilshire
Calligraphy has long been considered one of the highest art forms in Korea.  LACMA guests can visit the exhibition Beyond Line: The Art of Korean Writing, to learn about calligraphy's fascinating history that includes work by kings, queens, painters, and monks, among others. Guests then make handmade books for writings in artist-led workshops.   READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

Various Beach locations
Orange County Fair & Event Center
Del Amo Fashion Center - Outdoor Promenade
Long Beach Convention Center
Planes of Fame Air Museum
La Mirada theater for the Performing Arts
Rotating locations, including the Autry Museum
Various Locations, including: Los Angeles Police Department Van Nuys Station
Musco Center for the Arts, Chapman University
Chuck E. Cheese's - Participating Locations, including:
Kidspace Children's Museum