California Brewmasters Book Signing Party
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm, July 9
Beach City Brewery, Huntington Beach
http://www.facebook.com/events/666873693400359/
Join brewers from local breweries at Beach City Brewery this Wednesday evening as they congregate for a signing of the book California Brewmasters. Guests may park and attend for free. Books and beer come at cost. Guests of all ages may purchase a book as well as receive autographs, but minors cannot have any beer.
Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk (Second Thursdays)
6:00 pm – 10:00 pm, July 10
Downtown Los Angeles
http://downtownartwalk.org/
This free monthly event takes place over many blocks in Downtown Los Angeles. Many galleries will open late, and some parking lots will contain more art, vendors, food trucks, entertainment, and more. Unless you know business owners, free parking barely exists in Downtown LA, although some meters only operate until 8pm. First-time visitors should attend with someone who has gone here prior.
Deschutes – Tap Takeover
6:00 pm – 11:00 pm, July 10
The Rookery, Pomona
http://www.facebook.com/events/476444565819032/
Oregon’s own Deschutes Brewery will take over the taps at The Rookery in Downtown Pomona this Thursday night. Come on down and enjoy a nice cold one.
2014 Orange County Fair Opening Day
12:00 pm, July 11
OC Fair & Event Center, Costa Mesa
http://ocfair.com/
The OC Fair this year runs Wednesday through Sunday each week starting July 11 with the final day on August 10. The fairgrounds open 12pm until 12am on weekdays, and 10am to 12 am on weekends. For opening day, all guests receive FREE parking and enter the fair for FREE. Click this link for special ticket promotions. Click this link for info on the Super Pass. Every year, a new fried food gets introduced, such as deep-fried Kool Aid or deep-fried butter. In previous years, they allowed guests to bring their own foods to get fried, and they will continue that tradition this year.
The Aquabats @ House of Blues Anaheim
6:00 pm – 12:00 am, July 11
House of Blues, Anaheim
http://www.houseofblues.com/anaheim/events/eventdetail/?viewNav=/event-detail&eventId=09004C8F2DE8ED6E&oid=0
Have a ball with The Aquabats and The Interrupters at this all-ages show this Friday night. Tickets cost $22 presale.
1st Annual Orange County Brew Hee Haw
Four 4-hour sessions, July 11-13
OC Fair & Event Center, Costa Mesa
http://www.ocbrewheehaw.com/
The OC Brew Ha Ha team has struck again with this weekend-long beer festival taking place at the Orange County Fairgrounds. Covering four 4-hour sessions throughout the weekend, this beer festival takes the concept of the locally famous Brew Ha Ha and steps it up by adding beer from breweries outside of the Southern California circuit, so expect to see some unfamiliar beers here. Tickets per session cost $50 presale or $55 at the gate, and all ticket-holders receive 15 beer tasters plus a complimentary pass to the OC Fair for that day. A session will take place 6-10pm on Friday, 12-4pm and 5-9pm on Saturday, and 12-4pm on Sunday. The two afternoon sessions occurring at 12pm also include a free concert ticket to a performance at the Pacific Amphitheatre later that night. No one under 21 may enter the Brew Hee Haw area, and can only stay out in the fairgrounds. However, guests may freely leave and enter between the Brew Hee Haw area and the fairgrounds. Parking at the OC Fair costs $10 cash per vehicle. On weekends, guests may park for free at select parking lots and ride a shuttle to the fairgrounds – consult the OC Fair website for details, linked above.
Read up on the last event put on by the OC Brew Ha Ha team.
Twisted At The Pike
6:00 pm – 11:00 pm, July 11
Rainbow Harbor, Long Beach
http://summerandmusic.com/event/twisted-at-the-pike/
Immerse yourself into the world of weird this Friday night in Long Beach. Free to attend for all ages, this twisted carnival has live music, dance, magic performers, a beer garden hosted by Auld Dubliner, local food vendors, and more.
The Offspring & The Adolescents @ The Pacific Amphitheatre
7:00 pm – 11:00 pm, July 11
Pacific Amphitheatre, Costa Mesa
http://www.pacamp.com/pa/schedules/2014/The_Offspring.asp
Orange County natives The Offspring and The Adolescents will headline the opening night of the 2014 OC Fair this Friday night. Tickets to this all-ages show start at $40 and includes admission to the fair.
Agent Orange & Guttermouth @ Borderline Bar & Grill
8:00 pm – 1:00 am, July 11
Borderline Bar & Grill, Thousand Oaks
http://borderlinebarandgrill.ticketfly.com/event/609945-agent-orange-guttermouth-thousand-oaks/
Punk rock heavyweights Agent Orange and Guttermouth will headline this local show this Friday night in Thousand Oaks. Tickets to this show cost $12. No one under 18 may attend.
Punk Rock Night @ The Redwood Bar
9:00 pm – 12:00 am, July 11
The Redwood Bar, Downtown Los Angeles
http://www.facebook.com/events/443428575794238/
Check out a great lineup of local bands this Friday night in Downtown LA. The page does not specify a cover charge, so have cash available for that. No one under 21 may attend this show.
Weird Band Night
9:00 pm – 1:00 am, July 11
California Institute of Abnormalarts, North Hollywood
http://www.facebook.com/events/1409594345995678/
For just $10, guests of all ages can check out this show featuring some of the weirdest bands in the industry.
2014 Rental Car Rally – Los Angeles
9:00 pm – 3:00 pm, July 11
Location TBA, Los Angeles
http://www.rentalcarrally.com/
What do you get when you mix Halloween with Mario Kart? You get the Rental Car Rally! This race abandons all conventional means by pitting themed teams against each other as they drive from point A to point B overnight. Instead of which team arrives first, winners reach the destination with the fewest miles traveled while hitting every single checkpoint along the way. Along the way, teams may attempt to interfere with other teams, using methods such as water balloons, water guns, powdered balloons, and other wacky ways that you would normally see in a video game. Words cannot accurately describe the mayhem behind a Rental Car Rally. To understand this, one must commit to competing in this wacky ride.
6th Annual San Diego Doggie Street Festival
9:00 am – 4:00 pm, July 12
NTC Park, Liberty Station, San Diego
http://doggiestreetfestival.org/
This event focuses on dog & cat adoptions, providing people an opportunity to add a pet to their lives. Free to attend for all ages, this event comes with food vendors, live music from local bands, speakers, pet merchandise & accessories, pet services, and more.
1st Annual Horton’s Hayride
12:00 pm – 10:00 pm, July 12
Shannon’s On Pine, Downtown Long Beach
http://www.eventbrite.com/e/hortons-hayride-tickets-11378069111
The streets of Downtown Long Beach at Pine & Broadway will shut down to traffic for this all-day all-ages rockabilly festival. Enjoy live music from the great sets of the Reverend Horton Heat, Jello Biafra, and more, and check out the great food, classic cars, and pinup models. Tickets to this event costs only $10.
Grindcore Fest 2014
4:00 pm – 1:00 am, July 12
333 Live, Los Angeles
http://www.facebook.com/events/509243209165428/
Can you handle this many hours of hardcore music? Test your stamina at this lengthy grindcore show this Saturday night in Los Angeles. The event page has released limited information about the event, so have cash ready on you, or prepare to not even enter if the event has an age minimum.
Chinatown Summer Nights
5:00 pm – 12:00 am, July 12
Chinatown, Downtown Los Angeles
http://www.chinatownla.com/calendar.php?eventId=281
Have a fun time this summer at Chinatownin Downtown Los Angeles. Free to attend for all ages, this nighttime festival brings together food, music, art, and beer in a multicultural setting. Expect to see food trucks, merchandise, arts & crafts, live music, live DJ’s, a dance floor, a beer garden hosted by Eagle Rock Brewery, and more. Guests can find free street parking on Spring St and the side streets connected to Spring, including College St.
Colorado Street Bridge Party
6:00 pm – 11:30 pm, July 12
Historic Colorado Street Bridge, Pasadena
http://www.pasadenaheritage.org/bridge
Celebrate the history of a really old bridge by partying on it this Saturday night. Catch a night of music, dancing, classic cars, arts & crafts, food, drinks, and more all on the bridge. Tickets to this event cost $16 presale or $18 at the gate.
Neon Dash – San Diego
6:00 pm – 12:00 am, July 12
Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego
http://www.neondash.com/locations/sandiego/
Run, jog, or walk your way through a brightly lit course at night with the Neon Dash 5k. This all-ages fun run combines the spectrum of a color run with the brilliance of a glow run with specially formulated glow-in-the-dark glow. Throughout the 5k course, live music will pump up the runners while course staff and volunteers will spray participants with the magical glow to give them that special something that lights them up in the night. Following the run, all participants can stay for the after party that goes on all night. Registration costs $30 online and $40 on the day of the event. As a color run, all participants should wear white during the race to absorb the most color possible, and have spare clothes to change into when going home. Parking will range from $5 to $10, but since spectators can enter for free, feel free to bring friends & family to watch the run. Note that the race will start at 8pm, and with thousands of participants, I highly suggest arriving at least an hour early to circumvent traffic.
Smut Peddlers – Album Release Show
7:00 pm – 1:00 am, July 12
The Observatory, Santa Ana
http://www.observatoryoc.com/events/smut-peddlers-album-release
Legendary punk band Smut Peddlers have a new album coming out, and they will celebrate with this album release show this Saturday night at The Observatory in Santa Ana. Tickets to this all-ages show cost just $10. Arrive early and park in the venue’s parking lot for free. Arrive too late, and end up parking in a parking lot down the street for $10 per vehicle.
Jerm & Merrie’s Birthday Bash
7:00 pm – 1:00 am, July 12
The Screamin’ Chicken, San Bernardino
http://www.facebook.com/events/316714931837786/
Enjoy some of Southern California’s hardest rocking punk rock bands this Saturday night all the way out in San Bernardino. The cover for this show costs only $8. No one under 21 may attend.
Los Creepers @ 13th Frame Lounge
8:00 pm – 1:00 am, July 12
13th Frame Lounge, La Habra
http://www.facebook.com/events/542896765819227/
Rock out to some hardcore street punk in La Habra this Saturday night. The cover for this all-ages show costs $10.
Beach Babe Bicycling Classic
7:00 am – 2:00 pm, July 13
Shoreline Aquatic Park, Long Beach
http://californiagirlseries.com/
Join hundreds of women cyclists tour the SoCal coastline from Long Beach to Huntington Beach in this beautiful annual bike ride this Sunday morning. Go on a bike ride for 15 miles or 36 miles along beach trails and bike lanes with a handful of catered rest stops along the path. Following the ride, attendees can enjoy a mini women’s expo at the finish line complete with merchandise and accessories. Registration costs $95 for a solo rider. Have cash available for parking, as the nearest free parking location lies in the neighborhood east of Alamitos Avenue. The website does not specify if men can participate, but photos from previous years show absolutely no men.
101st Kit Collectors Expo
9:00 am – 3:00 pm, July 13
UFCW Local 324, Buena Park
http://www.kitcollectorshow.com/
Hundreds of vendors will gather here to showcase their model kits of cars, ships, planes, miniatures, armor, sci-fi/fantasy, space, and more. Admission to this all-ages expo costs just $5.
Los Angeles Cuban Festival
10:00 am – 8:00 pm, July 13
Rainbow Lagoon Park, Long Beach
http://www.fiestalegre.net/
Bring out your family to this Cuban festival this Sunday in Long Beach. Tickets cost $30 presale or $35 at the gate, and allows full access to all the Cuban food, drinks, music, dancing, arts & crafts, and more.
Ballast Point 18th Anniversary Celebration
1:00 pm – 5:00 pm, July 13
Maritime Museum, San Diego
http://www.ballastpoint.com/events/ballast-point-18th-anniversary-beer-festival/
Ballast Point Brewing turns 18 soon, and would like to invite you to come celebrate with them! At the San Diego Maritime Museum this Sunday afternoon, guests can find all things Ballast Point, as they enjoy their drinks aboard historic ships and submarines. Ballast Point will provide over 40 different beers, which will include rare beers and some unreleased beers. Live music will play on multiple stages throughout the venue. Local food vendors will also set up for guests that get hungry, although food comes at its own price. Admission to this one of a kind beer fest costs $40, which includes full admission to the museum, fifteen 3oz beer tasters, and a souvenir glass. No one under 21 may attend.
German Heritage Day
2:00 pm – 6:00 pm, July 13
Old World Village, Huntington Beach
http://www.oldworld.ws/
Do you love Oktoberfest? Show off your German pride at this FREE and all-ages celebration this Sunday afternoon at Old World Village in Huntington Beach. Enjoy German food, music, arts & crafts, and more. The first 500 guests receive a FREE meal, so act quick!
Punk Rock N’ Fiesta
2:00 pm – 10:00 pm, July 13
The World Famous Doll Hut, Anaheim
http://www.facebook.com/events/1438254613098011/
Relax with this daytime punk rock show this Sunday afternoon, with catering available. The cover for this show costs $5. No one under 21 may attend.
The English Beat @ The OC Fair
8:00 pm – 11:00 pm, July 13
OC Fair & Event Center, Costa Mesa
http://ocfair.com/2014/shows/TheEnglishBeat.asp
Old school ska band The English Beat will headline a show inside the OC Fair’s Hangar this Sunday night. Tickets to this all-ages show cost $15 and includes admission to the fair.