Gregorio Escalante opens a solo show from Jeff Gillette this weekend. (Image: Gillette, ‘Mickey Wasteland’)
Here are 20 awesome events happening in L.A. this Memorial Day Weekend. Happy summer!
FRIDAY, MAY 26
SHERLOCKED (Convention)
For the first time ever, UK-based Massive Events brings Sherlocked The Official Sherlock Convention to the U.S. this weekend (May 26-28) at the LAX Marriott. Fans of the TV show Sherlock, which airs on PBS Masterpiece, can check out the video presentations, trivia contests, live auctions, collectibles and props. There’s also cosplay and celeb appearances throughout the weekend. Adult tickets start at $125; tickets for children 5-12 years old are available at $75 and children under the age of 4 are free. Hours are Friday from 5-8 pm; Saturday and Sunday from 9 am to 6 pm.
KEVIN MCDONALD (Comedy + podcast)
Kids in the Hall alum Kevin McDonald hosts a live taping of his podcast Kevin McDonald’s Kevin McDonald Show at NerdMelt on Friday night at 7 pm. McDonald presents an old-school variety show with sketches, musical acts and an interview. Special guest: Rob Corddry. Tickets: $10.
PICTURE THIS! (Comedy + animation)
Picture This!—a “live animated comedy show” with standup comedians performing while they’re drawn live by some of the best animators, cartoonists and other artists—is at the Virgil on Friday night at 8 pm. There’s comedy by Josh Fadem, Mo Welch, Casey Ley, Bucky Sinister, Kara R. Klenk and Brodie Reed; with animation by Mike Hollingsworth, Mike L. Mayfield, Joel Trussell, Ashlyn Anstee, Jenny Fine, Colin Heck and Ashley Becerra. Free.
ERMF LOCALS NIGHT (Music)
The producers of the Eagle Rock Music Festival (ERMF) presents the May edition of ERMF Locals Night at the Center for the Arts Eagle Rock on Friday at 8 pm. The all ages show features local bands High Cameras, Dahli Mamas and Idylls. Art and libations, too. Tickets: $8-$10.
BIKE NIGHT AT UNION STATION (Bike party)
Metro closes out Bike Month with a special celebration at Union Station on Friday night from 5:30-8:30 pm. The family-friendly event celebrates biking through music, food and fun. Kids are welcome to practice their skills at a bike rodeo hosted by Walk ‘n Rollers, and at crafting stations hosted by Side Street Projects. Adults have their own crafting stations and games, too. KCRW’s DJ Garth Trinidad provides the tunes. Bike Night is free.
GET HIGH WATCH WRESTLING WITH RON FUNCHES AND X-PAC (Fun)
On Friday at 10:30 pm, Cinefamily presents the special event, Get High Watch Wrestling with Ron Funches & X-Pac. Comedian Funches and pro wrestling icon X-Pac get high, watch and then make fun of classic and modern wrestling matches with a group of famous friends. Tickets: $20, $40 for VIP, which includes priority seating and a meet and greet with Funches at 10 pm.
SATURDAY, MAY 27
EAT DRINK VEGAN (Food + drink)
Eat Drink Vegan, the vegan beer and food festival, is at the Rose Bowl and Brookside Golf Course in Pasadena on Saturday. The festival features unlimited pours of more than 250+ beverages, more than 75 restaurants, a vegan marketplace and more amenities. Gates open at 12 pm for VIP ticket holders ($105), 2 pm for general admission ($55). Last pour is at 8 pm and the festival ends at 9 pm. Food is not included with passes.
TOTAL DISMAY (Art)
Banksy’s Dismaland, a play on the happiest place on earth, captured the attention of the world in 2015. The exhibition/installation featured paintings by a number of artists including Jeff Gillette, who was widely hailed as the inspiration for the viral “bemusement park.” Now Gillette has an upcoming solo show, Total Dismay, at Gregorio Escalante Gallery in Chinatown. He’s turned the space into an “art landfill,” where attendees will have navigate signed and numbered limited-edition prints of Gillette’s work to view dozens of new large-scale paintings, sculptures, shadow-boxes and more. Total Dismay is on view at Gregorio Escalante Gallery from May 27-July 2 with a public opening reception Saturday from 7-10 pm.
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ONE WORD WEIRD-A-THON (Film)
The American Cinematheque presents an all-night movie marathon at the Aero Theatre beginning at 7:30 pm on Saturday night. All the films included in the ‘weird cinema program have one-word titles, and include Roar (1981), Nukie (1987), R.O.T.O.R (1987), Congo (1995), Things (1989), House / Hausu (1997) and Mathilda (1978). Contests, free pizza and snacks are held throughout the night. Tickets: $25, $20 for members (no vouchers).
MAISON FUTURO’S CHAPTER ONE (Art)
B&O Play presents the art collective Maison Futuro and its Chapter One—a night of conceptual audio and visual art on Saturday night at the Theatre at Ace Hotel. 8 pm. There will be K-Pop producers spinning tunes, an immersive light art photo booth, installations and more. Free with RSVP.
OUTDOOR SCREENINGS (Films)
Memorial Day Weekend marks the unofficial start of summer in L.A., and what other way to celebrate than with films under the stars? On Saturday, Street Food Cinema welcomes Lea Thompson from Back to the Future to Verdugo Park in Glendale for the screening/movie event; and in Pasadena, they’ll screen Clueless at Victory Park in Pasadena. Adult tickets: $13-$21. Over at Hollywood Forever, Cinespia screens North by Northwest on Saturday night and Clueless on Sunday.
SUNDAY, MAY 28
L.A. ZINE FEST (Exhibition)
L.A. Zine Fest 2017 brings together more than 200 exhibitors and hands-on zine-centric workshops to the California Market Center on Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm. The day also features Playdate, an indie pop-up arcade for attendees to enjoy; F.L.O.W (The Feminist Library On Wheels); and live DJ sets from Chulita Vinyl Club, DJ Crasslos, KCHUNG and KXLU. The event is free and open to the public.
Smorgasburg celebrates the burger on Sunday. (Image: Courtesy of Smorgasburg)
SMORGASBURG (Food)
Smorgasburg LA celebrates the hamburger this Sunday in honor of Memorial Day and National Hamburger Day with three burger pop-ups at the market. Chinatown’s Burgerlords serve up their vegan burgers; BaBoys from Carson brings its lumpia burger; and NYC’s Ramen Burger returns. Smorgasburg’s regular vendors will also offer burger specials, including a Cheezus patty melt. The market runs from 10 am to 4 pm.
MAINOPOLY (Food)
MAINopoly: Taste of Main Street returns to Santa Monica for the third year on Sunday from 3-8 pm. Buy tickets and then use the corresponding MAINopoly dollars for tastings or drink specials at participating eateries, juice stores and coffee shops along Main Street, including Bareburger, Areal, Enterprise Fish Co., Espresso Cielo and others. Proceeds benefit Summer SOULstice and Heal the Bay. Activities include the Go to Jail VIP Lounge sponsored by Shock Top with hosted beer, food from local restaurants, snacks, DJ and games, a Kids Zone, beer gardens and more. If you hit all the locations on the agenda, you can win a Taste of Main Street prize package. Tickets: $25 in advance and $30 the day of; $40 in advance and $50 day of for VIP.
NAT TOWSEN’S DOWNTOWN VARIETY HOUR (Talk show + variety)
Nat Towsen brings his New York-style talk show to L.A. on Sunday at 9 pm at UCB Sunset. His Downtown Variety Hour includes interviews with local L.A. comedians, musicians and historians. Guests include comic Dave Ross, rapper MC Chris and others. In the “LA Trivia” segment, he’s joined by Los Angeles native Ani Raya-Flores to challenge audience for prizes. Tickets: $7.
THE CLIFTON’S CANTEEN (Party)
The Clifton’s Canteen, held at Clifton’s Downtown on Sunday and Monday from 7-10 pm, is a tribute to the 1940s USO shows. Wear your ‘40s era fashions and listen to the big band jazz and standards of the times. General admission: $15, $45 for reserved seating.
NEIL HAMBURGER (Comedy)
Neil Hamburger: Live is at the Satellite on Sunday night at 8:30 pm. In addition to comedy by Hamburger, the lineup also features Brent Weinbach, Anna Seregina, Chris Crofton, Scott Thompson and others. Door at 8 pm. Tickets: $8 in advance, $10 at the door. 21+.
CAFAM opens a solo show by Betye Saar this weekend. (Image: Courtesy of the artist and Roberts & Tilton Gallery)
BETYE SAAR: KEEPIN’ IT CLEAN (Art)
On Sunday, the exhibition Betye Saar: Keepin’ It Clean opens at the Craft & Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles (CAFAM). The solo show features the artist’s washboard assemblage sculptures. The prolific artist, born in 1926, is an icon of the Black Arts Movement of the 1970s and her work remains ever so relevant today.
MONDAY, MAY 29
TARGET FREE MONDAY (Art exhibitions)
Admission to LACMA is free on Memorial Day, as part of Target Free Holiday Mondays program. Live music by LA’s Ethio Cali, an Ethiopian jazz ensemble led by trumpeter, arranger and composer Todd Simon, plays at 12:30 pm and 2:45 pm. Museum hours are 11 am to 5 pm.
PASS THE MIC (Rap comedy)
Pass The Mic is a new rap and improvisational comedy at Santa Monica’s Westside Theater, featuring rap improv group Open Season. This month’s show takes place at 8 pm on Monday. Special guests: Chris Alvarado, Matt Garard as well as special music guest EpicLLOYD. Tickets are $5.
Want the 411 on additional events and happenings in LA? Follow @LAist or me (@christineziemba) on Twitter.
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