AleSmith’s 1st Annual IPA Week
July 13-17
AleSmith Brewing, San Diego
http://alesmith.com/events/alesmith-ipa-week/
In the past, AleSmith has celebrated IPA Day, which typically falls on the second Tuesday of July. This year, AleSmith will expand the celebration to a full week of specialty IPAs, educational seminars, and unique hoppy creations.
LA Restaurant Week
July 13-26
Greater Los Angeles Area
http://www.discoverlosangeles.com/dinela-los-angeles-restaurant-week
Hundreds of restaurants in the Greater Los Angeles Area will participate in this 14-day feast. All participating restaurants will offer either discounts on select items, or prix-fixe menus.
Belmont Shore Stroll & Savor
5:30 pm – 9:00 pm, July 15-16
Along 2nd Street, Belmont Shore
http://www.belmontshore.org/stroll-savor/
This “Taste of Belmont Shore” occurs during the summer months annually from May through August on the third Wednesday and the Thursday immediately after. Attendees may purchase booklets of 12 tickets for $10, and redeem these tickets for food & drink samples from various restaurants along 2nd Street. Buy tickets presale now at Olives Gourmet, La Strada, We Olive, Mail Boxes etc. & Sweet Jill’s, or purchase tickets in front of CHASE BANK during the event.
Boulevard Brewing: Beer & Cheese Pairing @ Phantom Carriage
6:00 pm – 10:00 pm, July 15
Phantom Carriage Brewery, Carson
http://www.facebook.com/events/464822890365945/
Enjoy some Boulevard Brewing beers along with gourmet cheese pairings this Wednesday night at Phantom Carriage Brewery in Carson. Call Phantom Brewery via the link provided for reservations, pricing, and offerings.
12th Annual California Wine Festival
July 16-18
Multiple locations, Santa Barbara
http://nightout.com/events/12th-california-wine-festival-santa-barbara-july-16-17-18-2015/tickets
This weekend, a variety of wine events will take place throughout Santa Barbara. Events vary in content and price, so click on the provided website for details about what to expect.
2015 Idea World Fitness Convention
12:00 pm – 6:30 pm, July 16-17
11:30 am – 6:30 pm, July 18
Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles
http://www.ideafit.com/fitness-conferences/idea-world-fitness-convention
Check out this FREE* all-ages fitness expo going this this week at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Numerous workshops, sessions, demos, and activities will go on all week outside of the expo hours (see the website for the full schedule), while over 300 exhibitors will occupy the expo hall to display their goods and/or services. Learn about the latest fitness trends, diet plans, health statuses, and more from the various speakers and coaches throughout the expo. Although visitors can receive free admission, visitors will still have to pay for parking, so have cash available for that.
* = Register yourself online to receive free admission to this expo. At the door, entry will cost $15.
2015 Sun & Sea Festival
10:00 am – 12:00 am, July 17
7:00 am – 5:00 pm, July 18
Imperial Beach, San Diego
http://sunandseafestival.com/
Have some fun in the sun this weekend at Imperial Beach in San Diego. All weekend, a plethora of activities will occur, each with its own cost and attendance restrictions, from sandcastle building to a pancake breakfast to a night ball. See the website for full details on all the events going on this weekend.
2015 Orange County Fair Opening Day
12:00 pm, July 17
OC Fair & Event Center, Costa Mesa
http://ocfair.com/
The OC Fair this year runs Wednesday through Sunday each week starting July 17 with the final day on August 16. 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. 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.
2015 Body Art Expo
2:00 pm – 11:00 pm, July 17
11:00 am – 11:00 pm, July 18
11:00 am – 7:00 pm, July 19
Fairplex, Pomona
http://www.bodyartexpo.com/
Check out this all-ages tattoo expo running all weekend at the Fairplex in Pomona. Hundreds of tattoo artists from across the nation will fly in this weekend to deliver their works of art onto willing bodies. The expo will also feature live tribute bands, freak shows, a beer garden, hot body contests, tattoo contests, plenty of merchandise vendors, and more. Attendees interested in receiving ink should book an appointment with an artist – walking up to the artist may result in nothing if the artist fills up his or her schedule early. One-day admission costs $20, while a 3-day admission costs $45. Children under 10 enter for free with a paid adult admission, but note that no vendor will provide a tattoo or piercing to children. Please bring cash for parking, which may range from $5 to $10.
Stone Brewing Tap Takeover
5:00 pm – 10:00 pm, July 17
Alpine Village, Torrance
http://www.facebook.com/events/1010146765662502/
Southern California heavyweight Stone Brewing will take over the beer taps at Alpine Village this Friday night. No admission required – simply show up, and pay for beer as you go.
Monterey Park Night Market
5:30 pm – 10:30 pm, July 17
2:30 pm – 10:30 pm, July 18
Barnes Park, Monterey Park
http://mpknightmarket.com/
The popularity of night markets has surged within the past year. This Friday, Monterey Park gets their very own night market, complete with free admission. Come to this all-ages outdoor fair this Friday night, and check out all the food, drinks, desserts, merchandise, live entertainment, and more. Expect heavy traffic approaching this area, especially for a Friday night, so plan your commute accordingly.
Dance Downtown
7:00 pm – 11:00 pm, July 17
Music Center Plaza, Downtown Los Angeles
http://www.musiccenter.org/events/summer/DanceDowntown/
Every other Friday this summer, the Music Center Plaza in Downtown Los Angeles will hold a free and all-ages dance event. Learn to dance the moves, show off your moves, and/or meet new people interested in dance.
Punk Rock Night @ the Blacklight District Lounge
7:00 pm – 1:00 am, July 17
Blacklight District Lounge, Long Beach
http://www.facebook.com/events/872979049442229/
Release some aggression at this local punk show this Friday night in Long Beach. The cover for this show costs $5. No one under 21 may enter.
The Casualties: Live in Southern California
7:00 pm – 1:00 am, July 17, The Observatory, Santa Ana http://www.observatoryoc.com/event/the-casualties
7:00 pm – 1:00 am, July 18, The Observatory, North Park, San Diego http://observatorysd.com/?event_id=6006925
3:00 pm – 9:00 pm, July 19, Los Globos, Silverlake http://www.clublosglobos.com/event/886071-casualties-los-angeles/
Famous punk band The Casualties will headline three all-ages shows in Southern California this weekend. Each show has a different ticket price, so click on a show’s link for pricing details.
Grilled Cheese & Beer Night
7:30 pm – 10:00 pm, July 17
Andrew’s Cheese Shop, Santa Monica
http://www.eventbrite.com/e/july-17th-grilled-cheese-beer-night-tickets-17202207265
Enjoy a four-course dinner with beer pairings for $50 at this local cheese shop in Santa Monica this Friday night.
2015 Rental Car Rally – Los Angeles
9:00 pm – 3:00 pm, July 17
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.
2nd Annual Love Long Beach Festival
6:00 am – 7:00 pm, July 18-19
Granada Launch Ramp, Long Beach
http://www.lovelongbeachfestival.com/
This FREE and all-ages event will feature a plethora of family-fun things to do at the beach. Expect to find sports, games, arts & crafts, food, drinks, beer & wine garden, and more. On Saturday night, catch a fire show down on the beach as well.
67th Annual Catalina Ski Race
8:00 am – 3:00 pm, July 18
The Queen Mary, Long Beach
http://www.catalinaskirace.net/
Over 70 water ski teams from around the world will race from The Queen Mary to Avalon and back this Saturday morning. Spanning a total of 62 miles round trip, this open sea race takes approximately one to two hours for most teams to complete, but the nature of the unpredictable ocean draws in the large audience that attends every year from around the world. The deadline to participate has already passed, but spectators may visit for free, so if you like what you see, bookmark this event for next year!
Long Beach Dragonboat Fest
9:00 am – 6:00 pm, July 18-19
Marine Stadium, Long Beach
http://www.lbdragonboat.com/
Come watch numerous teams race Dragonboats in Marine Stadium, with the finals on Sunday. Expect to see Chinese traditional art demonstrations, Chinese Acrobats, traditional dance, hip hop, music and martial arts performances. Spectators may attend and watch for free.
37th Annual Ho’olaule’a Hawaiian Festival
9:30 am – 5:00 pm, July 18-19
Alondra Park, Lawndale
http://www.hiccsc.org/
This free and all-ages cultural fest at the park will feature various music and dance acts. Local vendors will sell food and merchandise too. Visitors must park in the parking structure facing Redondo Beach Blvd and enter the park’s back entrance.
2nd Annual Orange County Brew Hee Haw
Three 4-hour sessions, July 18-19
OC Fair & Event Center, Costa Mesa
http://www.ocbrewheehaw.com/
The OC Brew Ha Ha team returns with this weekend-long beer festival taking place at the Orange County Fairgrounds. Covering three 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. General admission costs $50 presale or $60 at the gate and lasts three hours, while VIP admission costs $65 presale or $75 at the gate and lasts four hours. All ticket-holders receive unlimited beer tasters plus a complimentary pass to the OC Fair for that day. A session will take 12-4pm and 5-9pm on Saturday, and 1-5pm on Sunday. 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.
Punk-O-Rama
6:30 pm – 12:30 am, July 18
M15 Concert Bar & Grill, Corona
http://www.facebook.com/events/1603491339929980/
Catch Agent Orange, D.I., and many other great local punk bands at this all-ages show this Saturday night in Corona. The cover for this show costs $15.
3rd Annual Bicycle Drive-In
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm, July 18
The Promenade, Downtown Long Beach
http://www.summerandmusic.com/
Roll up with your bicycles to Downtown Long Beach this Saturday night for a free nighttime event with a movie screening, laser light show, costume contest, live music show, beer garden, and more.
Narcoleptic Youth @ The World Famous Doll Hut
8:00 pm – 1:00 am, July 18
The World Famous Doll Hut, Anaheim
http://www.facebook.com/events/1431094200543380/
Get your weekly dose of punk rock this Saturday night at the Doll Hut in Anaheim. The cover for this show costs $12. No one under 21 may enter.
Viernes 13 @ Alex’s Bar
9:00 pm – 2:00 am, July 18
Alex’s Bar, Long Beach
http://www.alexsbar.com/event/899869-viernes-13-santos-y-sinners-long-beach/
Rock out to some skacore music this Saturday night at Alex’s Bar in Long Beach. Tickets for this show cost $8 presale or $10 at the door. No one under 21 may enter.
1st Annual Orange County Zine Fest
11:00 am – 5:00 pm, July 19
Orange County Center for Contemporary Art, Santa Ana
http://oczinefest.tumblr.com/
Art lovers rejoice – Orange County gets their own Zone Fest this Sunday afternoon. This free and all-ages event will feature hundreds of local and/or independent authors and publishers sharing their magazines, comics, and other DIY material. Workshops and speakers will engage attendees with more material.
Duane Peters Gunfight @ Alex’s Bar
2:00 pm – 8:00 pm, July 19
Alex’s Bar, Long Beach
http://www.alexsbar.com/event/868905-duane-peters-gunfight-long-beach/
Rock out to some local punk bands this Sunday afternoon at Alex’s Bar in Long Beach. The cover for this show costs $10. No one under 21 may enter.
Around the World in 80 Sips
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm, July 19
Galco’s Soda Pop Stop, Highland Park
http://www.facebook.com/events/1462733907352261/
Enjoy an evening of tasting international sodas, live music, and entertainment in Highland Park this Sunday. Presale admission costs $12 for adults or $5 for children. Admission at the door costs $15.
Slaughter & The Dogs: Live in San Bernardino
6:00 pm – 2:00 am, July 19
Elks Lodge, San Bernardino
http://www.facebook.com/events/577257142412612/
Rock out to a bunch of punk bands this Sunday night in San Bernardino. Tickets to this all-ages show cost $15 presale or $17 at the door.
