Free Things To Do For the Next 40 Days in L.A. 

So you know what… let’s do something about that. Let’s do some long-range planning.

Contained in the 40-day rundown to follow you’ll find an eclectic assortment of festivals, exhibition openings, holiday celebrations, and art events… all with free admission. Highlights include College Night at The Getty Villa, Festival of the Kite in Redondo, a Silent Disco in Santa Monica, the Cherry Blossom Festival in Torrance, and CicLAvia in Midcity. And believe me, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Now on to the list!

Free Things To Do

March 7 – The Art of Costume Design in Film exhibition opens at FIDM Museum. Runs through May 6.

March 7 – Zócalo Public Square’s latest free discussion event poses the question, Can Decolonization Explain Everything? Panelists include artist Serge Attukwei Clottey, and essayists and novelists Laila Lalami and Pankaj Mishra.

March 8 – Hawthorne’s Common Space Brewing celebrates International Women’s Day with a plant sale via Amanecer Plant & Coffee Co., paint class from Creative Canvas Experience, and DJ-spun tunes from Meow Haus

March 10 – Pasadena ArtNight offers free admission and community activations at over 20 Pasadena cultural institutions, galleries and venues.

March 10 – Pups & Pints is a monthly meet-up for dog parents (and beer lovers) at Eagle Rock Brewery.

March 10 – Downtown Santa Monica hosts a free Silent Disco on Third Street Promenade on the second Friday of the month, from March to May.

March 11 – After a February rainout forced postponement, Downtown Santa Monica and Santa Monica Black Lives Association celebrate Black History Month with an afternoon event featuring live music, educational exhibits, and local vendors.

March 11 – Creative Communal Market is back at Runway Playa Vista with 40+ vendors and live music.

March 11 – Pepperdine University’s Weisman Museum (always free admission) hosts a Free Family Art Day on March 11 that features a day of nature walks, crafting, tours, and readings all built around the museum’s To Bough and To Bend exhibition.

March 11 – Self-Help Graphics hosts a Family Workshop on printmaking taught by lead artist Ernesto Vasquez, presented in conjunction with the exhibition Essential Workers: A Visual Narrative. 

March 11 – As part of KCHUNG Radio’s residency at MOCA, the free form radio station hosts an afternoon of sonic sculptures, interactive installations, and durational performances from local artists, all taking place at MOCA’s Geffen Contemporary campus.

March 11 – The City of Hermosa Beach celebrates St. Patrick’s Day a few days early with a parade along Pier Ave. In conjunction with the parade, there will be special activities set up at the Hermosa Beach Pier including a photo booth and live music.

March 11 – The California African American Museum hosts a free self-care yoga session with yoga and meditation teacher Constance Hartwell.

March 12 – Festival of The Kite in Redondo Beach brings a colorful day of activations to the Redondo Beach Pier, including contests with category-specific kite flying prizes, DJ’d tunes, live music, and even a hot dog eating contest

March 12 – Festival de la Primavera at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes is a family-friendly festival celebrates the vibrancy of the state of Oaxaca through music, traditional dances, gastronomy, and crafts.

March 12 – The Museum of Latin American Art hosts a pop-up shop for International Women’s Day from noon to 4 p.m. And remember that every Sunday at MOLAA is free admission.

March 12 – The Fowler Museum hosts an offsite wellness workshop at Sovern LA featuring a guided meditation led by Sepideh Hakimzadeh, followed by a dialogue circle and a sound bath.

March 12 – USC Pacific Asia Museum’s free second Sunday offers a day of workshops and storytelling to celebrate Women’s History Month, with a focus on Asian and Asian American artists.

March 12 – Festival de la Primavera at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes celebrates the vibrancy of the state of Oaxaca through music, traditional dances, gastronomy, and crafts.

March 14 – The Los Angeles County Museum of Art offers free admission to all visitors every second Tuesday of the Month.

March 14 – The Autry Museum offers free admission to all visitors every second Tuesday of the Month.

March 16-19 – The 45th annual South Gate Azalea Festival & Carnival brings four days of family fun, food, games, and live music to South Gate Park.

March 17 – The Original Farmer’s Market hosts a St. Patrick’s Day Celebration with Irish food, green beer and live music.

March 18 – El Segundo Museum of Art hosts a royal drag show with performers taking inspiration from the museum’s Time exhibition.

March 18 – To help celebrate Women’s History Month, California African American Museum hosts a zine and collage workshop led by educators from Able ARTS Work.

March 18-19 – The Getty’s Sounds of L.A. concert series returns this March with a pair of performances by vocalists Lucía Gutiérrez Rebolloso and Sandino González-Flores.

March 22 – College Night at the Getty Villa is a free evening of art, music, food, and fun, exclusively for college students.

March 25 – Torrance Museum of Art (always free) hosts an opening reception for their two newest exhibitions, including CO/LAB 5 – LOS ANGELES AND THE WORLD, a team-up of artist run galleries that includes four international spaces paired with four from Los Angeles

March 25 – The Fowler Museum hosts an opening reception for Myrlande Constant: The Work of Radiance.

March 25 – The Irwindale Public Library hosts a spring book festival.

March 26 – The Shosian Teahouse at Brand park hosts the annual Sakura Matsuri (Cherry Blossom Celebration) featuring tea ceremonies, martial arts, bonsai, music, and plenty of family-friendly fun. 

March 26 – The Torrance Cherry Blossom Cultural Festival comes to Columbia Park for a unique blend of cultural performances with a fun variety of crafts by local artisans, centered around the blooming cherry blossom.

March 26 – César Chávez Family Day at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes celebrates the iconic activist and labor leader through a day of dance and art, culinary and garden workshops and guest performances by Xipe Totec, Ballet Folklorico Y Arriba Mexico, and Tierra Blanca Arts Center.

March 26 – The Hammer hosts a Spring exhibition opening featuring art-making activities and curator-led talks.

April 1 – City of STEM and the Los Angeles Maker Faire join forces for all-event at Los Angeles State Historic Park featuring hands-on activities, inspiring demonstrations, expert presentations, crafting, food, and more.

April 1 – South Bay Pop-Ups hosts an Easter Festival and pop-up marketplace featuring over 60 vendors.

April 1 – The spring edition of Corgi Beach Day brings corgis, costumes, cuteness, local vendors to the Huntington Dog Beach.

April 1 – LBX Exchange Makers Market features 40+ vendors, live music, DJ-spun tunes, and plenty of food options from The Hangar Food Hall.

April 1 – Downey hosts an Easter celebration and egg hunt featuring over 10,000 eggs.

April 6 – The Huntington offers free admission every first Thursday of the month. Reservations open one week in advance.

April 8 – La Canada Flintridge hosts their 26th annual Easter in the Park celebration featuring egg hunts, kids entertainment, a petting zoo, raffle, and more.

April 9 – Center for Hope’s 2nd Annual Easter Festival & Celebration in Inglewood features kids crafts and activities, special vendors, and food trucks.

April 9 – The next edition Sunday Funday at The Wallis features a kid-friendly performance by Mostly Kosher followed by a Salsa dance lesson from the Debbie Allen Dance Academy.

April 11 – The Los Angeles County Museum of Art offers free admission to all visitors every second Tuesday of the Month.

April 11 – The Autry Museum offers free admission to all visitors every second Tuesday of the Month.

April 14 – Downtown Santa Monica hosts a free Silent Disco on Third Street Promenade on the second Friday of the month, from March to May.

April 15 – The twice-yearly It’s Alive! A Plant Based Horror Marketplace returns to Common Space Brewing in Hawthorne with 30+ vendors featuring food, spooky-themed goods, jewelry, collectibles, and more.

April 16 – L.A.’s biggest open streets initiative, CicLAvia, comes to MidCity and Pico Union.

April 16 – The Hammer Museum’s Family Flicks screening series continues with a showing of The Sandlot.

Ongoing Ideas

Need more art? Here are a few ideas for free exhibitions you can check out currently on view in Los Angeles:

• Bob Baker Marionette Theater: 60 Years of Joy & Wonder at Forest Lawn remains on view through March 19.
• Visual Language: The Art of Protest is on view at Subliminal Projects through March 25.
• Designing with Disaster | Stories from Seven Regenerative Cities is on view at Japan House LA through April 2.
• Mulyana: Modular Utopia is now on view at the USC Fisher Museum of Art through April 13.

Ok, so maybe you’re less of an art person than a mover and a doer. How about a couple of walks to check out from our L.A. on Foot series?

• A 4.5 mile walk at Kenneth Hahn Recreation Area.
• A 3-mile walk at Lower Arroyo Park near the Colorado Street Bridge.
• A 3-mile walk from the Santa Monica Stairs to to the Annenberg Beach House.
  
  Content Courtesy  BRIAN CHAMPLIN We Like LA
  A photo from CicLAvia: Heart of L.A., held on Oct. 10, 2021. Photo by Brian Champlin