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Fun & Free Events for LA Kids This Weekend: Brave, Bayou, and Hollywood Bowl, June 22-24

6/20/12 - By Toby B

Welcome summer!  It’s finally here!  At last, no more school, adios, homework, we get to play at the beach all day and go to the park and ride our bikes and… oh. Wait a minute. We’re the parents. We still have to go to work. Totally. Bogus. So while our kids are playing at totally awesome water playgrounds, we’re bringing home the bacon. While they’re cooling off at a free kids movie, we’re frying it up in a pan. (At least we have something to munch on while they’re out playing).

Though there are some downsides to the longer days (“Yes, I know the sun is still awake but you need to go to sleep!”) overall the summer provides boatloads of fun that even poor overworked, underappreciated parents can enjoy. Behold: the launch of summer concert season. This weekend alone, you can lay out your blanket or unfold your chair (or where relevant buy a ticket and get an actual seat) at the Hollywood Bowl, the Skirball’s Family Amphitheatre performances, Manhattan Beach’s Concerts in the Park, and the Farmer’s Market’s Family Fun Series, (and those are the mere tip of a very large entertainment iceberg!)  From now until Labor Day, your kids are legally barred from stating they are bored, because there is just that much to do.

Keep reading for some of our favorite picks for this weekend...

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

ALL WEEKEND

Disney Pixar's Brave (PG) - Hollywood
El Capitan Theatre is the place to take in the latest Disney-Pixar offering. Kids can enjoy an all-new stage show before each screening (featuring Brave’s heroine, Merida).

Long Beach Bayou Festival - Long Beach
Rainbow Lagoon Park presents the finest in New Orleans cuisine and culture. The kids' stage features all-day children’s entertainment, including puppets, magic, live animals, and games, plus face painting and balloon twisting.

Family Amphitheater Performances - West Los Angeles
The summer family entertainment series at the Skirball Cultural Center gets off to a great start with two fun shows. On Saturday, kids can meet animals from around the world with Wildlife on Wheels. Sunday brings a visit from the Story Pirates, who bring children’s stories to life onstage.

Ice Age Encounters at Page - Mid-Wilshire
A very realistic Saber-Toothed Cat (puppet) and her two-month-old kitten (marionette) are ready to meet your kids at the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits.

FRIDAY JUNE 22

Opening Night at the Bowl - Hollywood
Hollywood Bowl launches its 2012 season with a star-studded spectacular featuring Reba McEntire and Chaka Khan.

Friday Night Sing-Alongs - Downtown
Everyone loves to sing, but it’s more fun when you recognize the songs. The sing-a-long at the Music Center Plaza features Disney Favorites this month, so chances are your kids will know at least a few.

SATURDAY JUNE 23

Dream Carver - Downtown
Swazzle brings its delightful puppet show to the Central Library downtown. Based on the children’s book by Diana Cohn, the show tells the tale of a young boy who dreams of the colorful, exotic animals he will one day carve in wood.

LA Sanitation Harbor Yard Open House - San Pedro
Harbor District Yard is the latest refuse yard to open up for some fun discovery about recycling and sanitation.

Douglas Park Adults' Clothing Swap - Santa Monica
The kids’ swaps were so successful they added one for the adults. Moms can trade clothing and accessories and come home with a refreshed wardrobe.

Bug Fair at Kidspace - Pasadena
Kids can learn all about the creepy crawly creatures and even take a few home at Kidspace’s Bug Fair.

SUNDAY JUNE 24

PBS SoCal Presents Sid the Science Kid - Irvine
PBS-Kids’s Sid the Science Kid heads over to Pretend City for exploration and discovery.

Rhythm Child - Topanga
The 20th year of Peter Alsop's Kids Koncerts at Theatricum Botanicum gets off to a rousing start with the spirited sounds of Rhythm Child.

Summer Family Fun Series - Fairfax Farmer’s Market
The Radio Disney Road Crew helps get the party started for the Farmers Market’s biweekly family fun festival.

Manhattan Beach Summer Concerts in the Park - Manhattan Beach
The Manhattan Beach Summer Concert Series in Polliwog Park kicks off its 2012 season with the Dixieland sounds of the Hyperion Outfall Serenaders.

As always, there are many more activities listed on our daily events calendar. Whatever you choose to do this weekend, we hope you have a spectacular time. Now let's get this summer started!