Events & What’s Happening
The Hollywood Bowl hosts a full summer season of concerts ranging from classical to pop, with some free or low-cost family-oriented events on the schedule.
💡Pack a picnic — outside food and wine are allowed and it makes the evening feel festive and relaxed for families.
One of the largest county fairs in the US, held at Fairplex in Pomona, featuring rides, livestock, concerts, and food competitions.
💡Purchase tickets online in advance for discounts and arrive on weekday mornings to avoid peak crowds.
Seasonal Halloween event at Universal Studios Hollywood with haunted mazes, scare zones, and live entertainment on select nights.
💡This event is intended for older kids and teens — check age recommendations for mazes, and note it runs evening hours only.
Free community celebration of Día de los Muertos in downtown LA's Grand Park featuring ofrendas, live performances, artisan vendors, and family activities.
💡Face painting and ofrenda-building stations are kid favorites — bring marigolds to participate in community altars.
World-famous New Year's Day parade along Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena featuring elaborate floral floats, marching bands, and equestrian units.
💡Stake out a spot on Orange Grove or Sierra Madre Boulevards the evening before for a great view with less chaos.
Major annual marathon running from Dodger Stadium to Santa Monica, drawing tens of thousands of runners and spectators along the iconic 26.2-mile course.
💡Cheer from the sidelines near mile 19 in Brentwood for a festive, family-friendly crowd and easy parking.
One of the largest book festivals in the country, held at USC, with author panels, children's programming, and hundreds of exhibitor booths.
💡The children's stage programming fills up fast — check the schedule ahead and plan your route around it.
Historic open-air market at 3rd and Fairfax operating since 1934, with fresh produce, specialty foods, international eateries, and artisan stalls.
💡Kids love the eclectic food stalls — grab donuts from Bob's Coffee and Donuts and let them pick lunch from different vendors.
Iconic downtown LA food hall open daily since 1917, featuring diverse vendors selling fresh produce, hot food, and specialty goods.
💡Saturday mornings are lively but manageable — the egg breakfast options are plentiful and kids enjoy watching vendors prep food in open stalls.
Free weekly storytime sessions for young children at branches throughout the LA Public Library system, featuring books, songs, and crafts.
💡Sessions vary by branch — check the LAPL events calendar online to find the closest location and confirm the current schedule.
Weekly open-air food market at ROW DTLA featuring around 80 local vendors selling diverse street food, desserts, and artisan goods.
💡Arrive right at 10am for short lines and cooler temperatures — the shaded seating fills up quickly by midday.
Affordable pony rides and a historic carousel inside Griffith Park, one of LA's most beloved family outdoor destinations.
💡Combine with a hike to the nearby Griffith Observatory or a visit to the LA Zoo for a full family day in the park.
Planning Your Visit
Neighborhoods & Areas
Local Tips for Families
- 💡The California Science Center's Space Shuttle Endeavour exhibit requires free timed-entry tickets that must be reserved online — they release new slots 30 days out and weekends book within hours, so set a calendar reminder and grab them the moment they open.
- 💡Universal Studios Hollywood's wait times for Harry Potter rides drop dramatically during the first 30 minutes after park opening and again in the final hour before close — rope drop strategy here is worth the early alarm.
- 💡The La Brea Tar Pits offers free admission to all LA County residents (bring a utility bill), and on Tuesdays the museum admission is free to everyone — the outdoor fossil excavation pits are always free to observe from the walkway regardless of admission.
- 💡Parking at Griffith Observatory is limited and often full by 10am on weekends — instead, park at the Greek Theatre lot on Vermont Canyon Road and take the free LADOT Observatory shuttle that runs Friday through Sunday.
- 💡Grand Central Market on Broadway in downtown LA is one of the best cheap family meal stops in the city — Eggslut, Sticky Rice, and Horse Thief BBQ all have kid-friendly options and you can feed a family of 4 for under $60 while the kids explore the historic 1917 market hall.
- 💡The Getty Center admission is always free (you only pay for parking at $20 per car) — the gardens, architecture, and city views alone justify the trip even if your kids are too young for the art, and the Central Garden fountain area doubles as an impromptu splash zone on warm days.
- 💡For beach days, Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach have calmer surf and cleaner sand than the more famous Venice and Santa Monica beaches, with easier street parking and a walkable pier-adjacent restaurant strip that makes lunch simple.
- 💡The Autry Museum of the American West in Griffith Park is free on the second Tuesday of each month and runs genuinely engaging children's programming on weekends — it's consistently overlooked by tourists fixated on the bigger museums but has some of the best interactive exhibits for ages 5-10 in the city.