US Open of Surfing
July 25 – August 3
Huntington Beach, south of the pier
http://www.usopenofsurfing.com/
This week-long competition takes place on the shore south of Huntington Beach Pier. Come see professional and amateur surfers compete to take a spot for the ASP World Tour. Visitors will also find skateboarding demos and live music all week. Completely free to attend, this weekend will see thousands of spectators on the beach for the US Open. Expect heavy traffic all week. Try to find parking in the neighborhoods, but prepare to walk a long distance if choosing to park in neighborhoods, since the neighborhoods closer to the beach will remain full all week.
Mocha Machine Release
5:00 pm – 10:00 pm, July 29
Beachwood Brewing, Long Beach
http://www.facebook.com/events/301957456641933/
Dark-beer fans rejoice – Beachwood Brewing will release Mocha Machine this Tuesday. Enjoy this coffee porter on draft at Beachwood Brewing, or buy bottles to take elsewhere to enjoy.
8Kalacas @ House of Blues Sunset – Free Show
7:30 pm – 12:30 am, July 29
House of Blues, West Hollywood
http://www.facebook.com/events/584327058347467/
Catch a FREE ska show this Tuesday night in West Hollywood. Click the link above for more information on how to obtain free tickets. No one under 18 may attend the show.
2014 International Surf Festival
9:00 am – 12:00 pm, July 30
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm, July 31
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm, August 1
6:45 am – 10:00 pm, August 2
7:30 am – 3:00 pm, August 3
Various beaches, Hermosa/Manhattan/Redondo Beach
http://www.surffestival.org/
Celebrate beach life with the 2014 International Surf Festival that spans five days starting Wednesday morning. The festival comes chock-full of events and activities – see the website for a complete schedule. Actual surfing competitions start Saturday morning, while visitors can catch other activities on all the other times, such as beach volleyball, lifeguard demos, beach runs, and more.
Ska Revival Tour
7:00 pm – 1:00 am, July 30
Dipiazzas, Long Beach
http://www.facebook.com/events/534823763289848/
This collective group of ska bands from across the country will stop by Long Beach on their tour this Wednesday night. Tickets to this all-ages show cost $10.
GOGO13 @ Irvine Regional Park
6:00 pm – 10:00 pm, July 31
Irvine Regional Park, Orange
http://ocparks.com/
Various parks around Orange County will host FREE and all-ages concerts this summer. This Thursday night, see local ska band GOGO13 perform an unforgettable set. Food trucks will arrive to keep guests fed too.
61st Annual Kids Fishing Rodeo
8:00 am – 12:00 pm, August 1
Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier, Long Beach
http://www.alfredosbeachclub.com/seafest-fishing.html
This FREE kids’ fishing contest will provide a safe environment for kids to learn how to fish, about fishing equipment, and about the environment. All participants must supply their own rod and reel – the event will provide bait and tackle.
First Fridays
5:00 pm – 10:00 pm, August 1
Various locations
Long Beach: http://firstfridayslongbeach.com/
Venice: http://www.abbotkinney1stfridays.com/
This monthly artwalk occurs on the first Friday of every month. Each location offers different activities, but most will contain food & drink specials, art exhibits & displays, street performers, and more. Venice and Long Beach have the two largest gatherings of all First Fridays. Other locations include Westchester, Fullerton, and City of Industry. Most First Fridays locations cost nothing to attend, while the local businesses uphold their standard rules (e.g. bars 21+ only).
The Rusty Monk: 1st Anniversary Art Show
5:00 pm – 10:00 pm, August 1
The Rusty Monk, Uptown Whittier
http://therustymonk.com/specials/
Celebrate The Rusty Monk’s 1st anniversary this Friday night with an art show, special dinner menu, special beer tappings, glass giveaways, and more.
66th Annual La Habra Corn Festival
5:30 pm – 11:00 pm, August 1
11:00 am – 11:00 pm, August 2
12:00 pm – 9:00 pm, August 3
El Centro Park, La Habra
http://lahabracornfestival.com/
This city fair celebrates corn with food, rides, games, drinks, vendors, merchandise, raffles, entertainment, and more. This fair will have a parade on Saturday afternoon too. Free to attend for all ages, visitors can also participate in a corn-eating contest, cutest baby contest, dog costume contest, apple pie contest, and more.
Whitekaps @ Little Louie’s Hemet
7:00 pm – 11:00 pm, August 1
Little Louie’s, Hemet
http://www.facebook.com/events/1576292429263101/
Local punk bands will play a show this Friday night in Hemet. The cover for this all-ages show costs $10.
Wet Hot Skamerican Summer
7:00 pm – 1:00 am, August 1
House of Blues, Anaheim
http://www.facebook.com/events/767171716692671/
A bunch of great local ska bands will play an all-ages show this Friday night at the House of Blues in Downtown Disney in Anaheim. You can obtain free tickets by directly contacting any of the bands via their Facebook page. Guests can park for free for up to five hours with the wristband from this show, so plan your arrival accordingly.
Punk Night @ The World Famous Doll Hut
8:00 pm – 2:00 am, August 1
The World Famous Doll Hut, Anaheim
http://www.facebook.com/events/321817831310162/
Enjoy some local punk/ska music this Friday night at the Doll Hut in Anaheim. The cover for this show costs $5. No one under 21 may attend.
The Secret Affair – 60’s Night
9:00 pm – 1:00 am, August 1
Alex’s Bar, Long Beach
http://www.alexsbar.com/event/176399
Occurring on every month’s first Friday, this 60’s night at Alex’s Bar will play all vinyl music of motown, northern soul, boogaloo, 60’s pop, and more. Feel free to dress up too, as the bar staff will hold costume contests and dance contests. No one under 21 may enter.
The Dirty Little Secrets @ Whisky A Go Go
11:00 pm – 12:00 am, August 1
Whisky A Go Go, West Hollywood
http://www.facebook.com/events/1439050033046394/
The sexy vixens from the Dirty Little Secrets return this Friday night for a raunchy show at the Whisky. This bar requires a variable cover charge. When entering, mention that you want to see the Dirty Little Secrets.
25th Annual Clairemont Family Day
8:00 am – 5:00 pm, August 2
South Clairemont Park, San Diego
http://www.clairemontfamilyday.com/
Bring the entire family over to the park this Saturday for a FREE fair at the park. This fair will feature a pancake breakfast, arts & crafts, live entertainment, food, drinks, games, rides, a car show, and more. Visitors can swim for FREE in the park’s pool from 12pm until 3pm.
2014 Lucas Oil Long Beach Sprint Nationals
8:00 am – 5:00 pm, August 2-3
Marine Stadium, Long Beach
http://www.scscracing.com/
Powerboat racers from across the country will congregate in Long Beach this weekend for this annual competition. Admission costs $15 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under.
21st Annual Long Beach Crawfish Festival
12:00 pm – 11:00 pm, August 2
12:00 pm – 10:00 pm, August 3
Rainbow Lagoon Park, Long Beach
http://www.longbeachcrawfishfestival.com/
Indulge in crawfish, beignets, drinks, and other New Orleans eats this weekend in Long Beach. In addition to all the food, attendees will find a TV lounge, dance contests, live music, souvenir photos, and more. Entry to this all-ages festival cost $13 presale and $15 at the gate for adults, while kids 12 and under get in free with a paid adult admission. Adding a two-pound crawfish feast will cost $28 presale and $38 at the gate. Adding a three-pound crawfish feast will cost $35 presale and $48 at the gate. The parking lots across the street charge for use – park for free in the neighborhood east of Alamitos Avenue.
HARD Summer Music Festival
12:00 pm – 12:00 am, August 2-3
Whittier Narrows Recreation Area, South El Monte
http://www.hardsummer.com/
Electronic Dance Music (EDM) has always remained a popular genre in our recent history. Since the early 1990’s, people have jammed and danced to EDM through various forms, such as rave, techno, trance, dubstep, and more. Due to this genre’s lack of lyrics, EDM sounds the same to everyone around the world. This international appeal reaches every corner in the world, especially at Electric Daisy Carnival. This weekend, Los Angeles will see its own EDM concert with Hard Summer, a two-day outdoor concert taking place at the Whittier Narrows Recreation Area in South El Monte. Tickets start at $85 for one-day general admission, and go up as high as $270 for a two-day VIP pass. No one under 18 may attend.
Bicycle Drive-In
6:00 pm – 10:00 pm, August 2
7th & Pine, Long Beach
http://summerandmusic.com/event/bicycle-drive-in/
Ride your bikes to this FREE all-ages event and enjoy an evening of film and music. Visitors may bring blankets, chairs, and picnics to set up to enjoy the movies and/or music.
Yeastie Boys @ The World Famous Doll Hut
8:00 pm – 2:00 am, August 2
The World Famous Doll Hut, Anaheim
http://www.facebook.com/events/1521778111376388/
Get crazy this Saturday night at this local punk show at the Doll Hut. The cover for this show costs $5. No one under 21 may enter.
OC Fair Fun Run 5K
8:00 am – 12:00 pm, August 3
OC Fair & Event Center, Costa Mesa
http://www.ocfair5k.com/
The OC Fair hosts a 5K at the fairgrounds this Sunday morning. Registration costs $40 presale and $45 on the day of the race, if any spots remain. Children ages 6-12 register for $25 presale and $30 on the day of the race, if any spots remain. Online registration closes this Thursday. All participants receive a goodie bag, which includes a T-shirt, a medal for participating, and one admission into the OC Fair.
Lakewood Family Sunday Funday Ride
9:30 am – 1:00 pm, August 3
Del Valle Park, Lakewood
http://la-bike.org/events/lakewood-family-sunday-funday-ride-0
Bring out your family for a bike ride around Lakewood and Long Beach. The course runs up to 18 miles, but participants may choose to ride for a lesser duration.
18th Annual Chula Vista Lemon Festival
11:00 am – 5:00 pm, August 3
Third Avenue Village, Chula Vista
http://thirdavenuevillage.com/18th-annual-lemon-festival-scheduled-august-3-2014/
This street fair in Chula Vista will have food, arts & crafts, live music, dance, entertainment, and lemons everywhere. Completely free to attend for all ages, visitors should park in the neighborhoods south of 3rd Avenue.
2nd Annual North Pacific Beach Sip ‘N Stroll
11:30 am – 4:30 pm, August 3
Cass St, Pacific Beach, San Diego
http://www.sipnstrollpb.com/
Discover all the local shops and restaurants in North Pacific beach at this free street fair this Sunday afternoon. Cass St will close to traffic to allow visitors to roam the street and check out all of the booths, vendors, food, drinks, merchandise, games, rides, and more.
A Punk, A Camera, and An Empty Stomach 