Events
Blood Drive at The Original Farmers Market
July 1-2. With the need for blood donations increasing, The Original Farmers Market is once again hosting the Cedars-Sinai Bloodmobile Bus on site for a two-day blood drive. Donors will receive a free COVID-19 antibody test, a complimentary health screening (includes blood pressure assessment, iron/hematocrit reading, temperature and pulse reading), and a free pickle from Kaylin and Kaylin. The best part: All donors will be entered into a drawing for a $40 Original Farmers Market gift certificate. Spaces limited; sign up in advance online. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 6333 W. Third St., L.A., 323.933.9211. Thursday | Friday
Cinelounge Outdoors
Opens July 2. Calling all moviegoers! Watch first-run films at Cinelounge’s new outdoor venue with lawn-chair seating for 200 guests on artificial turf. Open daily, the venue has a privacy wall, wireless headsets, curated concessions, 10 varieties of its signature gourmet popcorn and more amenities. The first screening, running July 2-15, will be the new music documentary/concert film Summer of Soul. Gate opens 20 minutes before showtime. Advance ticket purchase required; see website for schedule and prices. 1625 N. Las Palmas Blvd., Hollywood, 323.924.1644. arenascreen.com
Melrose Rooftop Theatre
Reopens July 4. West Hollywood’s cult-favorite Melrose Rooftop Theatre returns bigger and better for its fourth season at  E.P. & L.P. with a mix of new releases and classic movie screenings daily. There will be individual bean-bag seating with personal wireless technology headsets and specialty craft cocktails. $28 general admission, $49 three-course dinner and a movie package. Tickets are selling fast; see website for schedule. Cinema doors open at 7:30 p.m., screenings begin at sundown through 10:30 p.m. 603 N. La Cienega Blvd., West Hollywood. melroserooftoptheatre.com
Fourth of July
Messhall Kitchen
July 2-4. Get together with friends and family for a memorable Fourth of July filled with American food and drinks at neighborhood favorite Messhall Kitchen. Available all weekend long, there’s a new, limited-time smoked beer can chicken special ($51) which includes a whole chicken, peel-n-eat corn, baked beans, red white and blue potato salad, housemade biscuits, and Kansas City barbecue sauce. Guests can add on a six-pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer for $6. Opens at 11 a.m. for dine-in. 4500 Los Feliz Blvd., L.A., 323.660.6377. messhallkitchen.com
Hollywood Bowl’s Fireworks Spectacular
July 3-4. Celebrate good times—and Independence Day—with the ultimate hitmakers Kool & the Gang at Hollywood Bowl. The disco-funk greats bring the party to the Bowl for two days at the annual Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular, while conductor Thomas Wilkins and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra perform patriotic favorites. Gates open at 5:30 p.m., performance begins at 7:30 p.m. 2301 N. Highland Ave., L.A., 323.850.2000. hollywoodbowl.com
Food + Drink
Calabama x Off The Menu’s Boozy Brunch
July 3. Rally up your brunch pals and head to Prohibition-style bar Employees Only for a special boozy brunch collab between Calabama and Off The Menu. Enjoy three all new menu items from Calabama: deep fried pimento cheese balls with two dipping sauces, Southern mac salad, and Micheladas made with Estrella Jalisco and Calabama Hot Sauce. Open to the public, guests can order off the a la carte menu or combo menu, while Off The Menu members receive a free breakfast sandwich and Estrella Jalisco Michelada. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. RSVP required. 7953 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, 323.536.9045. RSVP
La Casita at Hotel Figueroa
Now Open. With summer in full swing in Los Angeles and city mandates officially lifted, the iconic Hotel Figueroa welcomes visitors near and far to its new Mediterranean-inspired two-story villa and cocktail lounge La Casita. Indulge in elevated, organic coastal Baja fare—such as ceviche classico and grilled shrimp tacos—alongside refreshing poolside cocktails like The Tia Rosa (pictured). Su-Tu 11 a.m.-10 p.m., W-Th 11 a.m.-midnight, F-Sa 11 a.m.-2 a.m. 939 S. Figueroa, downtown, 213.660.3032. hotelfigueroa.com
Arts + Culture
Grand Park’s Portraits of Freedom: Building a Life in L.A.
July 1-31. Powered by The Music Center, Grand Park presents a month-long public art installation, Portraits of Freedom: Building a Life in L.A., that applies an artistic lens to celebrate home and freedom. Located throughout different areas of Grand Park between Grand Avenue and North Broadway, the on-site programming features photography and video exhibitions, as well as a nighttime projection installation that will illuminate L.A. through civic pride, identity, and engagement while narrating cornerstone stories of the American experience. 200 N. Grand Ave., L.A. july.grandparkla.org
Fowler Museum at UCLA
Reopens July 1. Mark your calendar for the reopening of the Fowler Museum at UCLA! Guests can experience two brand-new exhibitions, which are The Map and the Territory: 100 Years of Collecting at UCLA; and Photo Cameroon: Studio Portraiture, 1970s-1990s. Note: Face masks are required of all visitors and staff. Th-Su noon-5 p.m. Free admission. 308 Charles E. Young Drive N., L.A., 310.825.4361. fowler.ucla.edu
Legacies of Exchange: Chinese Contemporary Art from the Yuz Foundation
Opens July 4. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) presents Legacies of Exchange: Chinese Contemporary Art from the Yuz Foundation. Featuring Ai Weiwei, Huang Yong Ping, Wang Guangyi, Xu Bing, and more, the exhibition brings together 20 works of Chinese contemporary art created by 15 artists in response to international trade, political conflict, and global artistic exchange. All visitors, including LACMA members, must purchase or reserve an advance timed-entry ticket online or by calling. 5905 Wilshire Blvd., L.A., 323.857.6010. lacma.org
Photo credits: Cinelounge Outdoors courtesy Philip Sokoloff. Jonah Elijah by Jose Gomez. Yue Minjun, “Infanta,” 1997, Yuz Foundation, © Yue Minjun courtesy Pace Gallery. All other images are courtesy of the businesses and venues.
