Free things to do in Los Angeles this month

Get your feet stomping at this annual duo of back-to-back music festivals. For over 40 years, Day of the Drum has taken over Watts Towers for an afternoon of global music, dance and poetry. Hear sounds from Japan and Nigeria, as well as Afro-Brazilian drums and Aztec dance. The even-longer-running Jazz Festival kicks off the following day with a lineup of both traditional and contemporary jazz, soul, gospel and hip-hop performances. Admission and parking for both are free.

An evolution of the long-running Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk, the newly dubbed DTLA Artnight finds dozens of Downtown businesses opening their doors to art lovers on the first Thursday of every month, when over 25 galleries will debut new exhibitions. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure kind of experience, but if you start at Emerging Gallery (125 E 4th St), you can pick up a map of all the participating spots. MOCA is even joining the fun as the cultural event expands from the Historic Core to Grand Avenue. Head to the museum for a free exhibition tour at 5pm.

Over two September weekends, this Lincoln Heights beer and cider brewery is bringing Oktoberfest to Northeast L.A. with a celebration full of German-style beers, stein holding contests and sausages. Saturday programming includes live music and keg bowling (free with the purchase of a stein pour), while Sunday attendees will be able to watch a weenie dog race at 2pm and sing karaoke backed by a live band later on in the evening. Revelers in dirndls and lederhosen will get $1 off steins.

At this amazing annual art festival, more than 500 artists create temporary masterpieces in chalk on the sidewalks of Pasadena, prompting thousands of onlookers to watch where they walk. Eventually awards are presented in a number of different categories, and then it’s all washed away for good—nothing good can last, right? Though the event is typically held over Father’s Day weekend, this year it’s moved to September and is located in Brookside Park, next to the Kidspace Children’s Museum. 

Gotta go fast—to an art show. SEGA and iam8bit are celebrating Sonic the Hedgehog with 35 Years of Speed: The Sonic Art Exhibit, a free Los Angeles exhibition featuring original work from more than 30 artists inspired by the world’s most famous blue hedgehog. The two-day pop-up takes over streetwear brand ARK/8’s La Brea store on September 26 and 27, giving Sonic fans plenty of time to admire the artwork and relive three and a half decades of supersonic nostalgia. Admission is free, RSVPs encouraged, emerald level status not guaranteed.

Billing itself as “Orange County’s biggest party since 1977,” the Old World Oktoberfest promises enough beers, brats and bands to make you feel like you’re in Munich—albeit with better ocean views. Every Wednesday through Sunday between September 12 and November 8, this re-created Bavarian village will offer a sausage-filled menu, oompah and German bands, a biergarten, dancing and more. While Old World’s Oktoberfest is 21-plus with a cover charge on Friday and Saturday evenings, it’s open to families and revelers of all ages on Saturday afternoons and other nights. (Entry is free on Wednesday and Thursday nights, as well as Saturday afternoons, just book ahead online.)

One of L.A.’s best free live-music offerings, Jazz at LACMA has featured legit legends over its 35-year run at the museum. Seating for the program is available in the museum’s plaza on a first-come, first-served basis, though you’re welcome to picnic on the grass, too (you won’t really be able to see the show, but you’ll still hear it). You’ll find the series on Friday evenings in LACMA’s welcome plaza (just behind Urban Light) throughout the summer. We’re betting it’ll be even more popular than usual this year, with the new David Geffen Galleries in the background.

The beloved Bob Baker Marionette Theater is staging free, family-friendly performances at Barnsdall Art Park on the west lawn outside the Hollyhock House on select Sunday mornings. Spread out a blanket and enjoy a 30-minute “Fiesta” puppet show at 9:30am or 11am, followed by free art activities for all.

Catch free outdoor movies at Burton Chace Park. Bring a low-back chair to claim a first-come, first-served space. Tickets aren’t required, but RSVPs are appreciated to stay up to date on any changes.

Take a seat under the arch at the former Hollywood & Highland for this free series of movie screenings, held on the last Friday of the month from May through September. RSVP ahead of time, then pick up a cozy blanket from the Ovation Hollywood booth, as well as free popcorn and discounted treats from the TCL Chinese Theatre concessions stand.

Wander through a 1929 Spanish-style villa at this dreamy indoor-outdoor market. The historic Toluca Lake home has been transformed into Villa Blanca Lifestyle, a venue that hosts biweekly Sunday-afternoon markets, among other events. The ground-floor rooms and courtyard are filled with local vendors selling everything from accessories to live poetry to candle flower bouquets. To eat, there’s sourdough pizza, cookies, cupcakes and coffee to enjoy as you wander.

Culver City’s E Line–adjacent mixed-use development presents this free series of screenings, held on the lawn right next to the Metro stop. This summer’s slate includes a dog-friendly screening of Legally Blonde, a romance book swap tied to Pride & Prejudice and a bike-friendly showing of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. Tickets are free and include complimentary popcorn and two hours of parking validation.

Five photographers who pushed their medium in new directions in the second half of the 20th century present their unique takes on the city in this Getty Center show. Influenced by techniques including social documentary practices, staged scenes and fashion, the photographs of Laura Aguilar, Reynaldo Rivera, George Rodriguez, Patssi Valdez and Ricardo Valverde expanded Chicano and Chicana representation in Los Angeles.

Do you get a little thrill every time you go to the Beverly Hills Hotel? You have architect Paul R. Williams to thank, even if you might not know the name. This exhibition at the USC Fisher Museum of Art aims to fix that. “Paul R. Williams: An Architect Considered” specifically spotlights the visionary architect’s multifamily housing projects through original drawings, photographs and plans, juxtaposed with new commissions by contemporary artists and architects. The message is clear: Williams didn’t just shape Los Angeles; he imagined a more livable version of it, one gorgeous building at a time. Complementary Williams exhibitions at LACMA and the Getty Center will open later in the year.

This show aims to give Black queer culture in California—particularly in Los Angeles—the credit it’s due as a part of the decades-long fight for LGBTQ+ rights and recognition. Through historical materials, photographs, film and vintage newspapers, the exhibition recovers a history that’s been largely excluded from the record, introducing visitors to sites, protagonists and allies who played a role in the fight for democracy and free expression. 

The reopened Getty Villa will descend into the underworld with this exhibition, which looks at the ritual spells and religious writings ancient Egyptians employed to garner favor with Re and Osiris in the afterlife. See the Getty’s collection of rare Book of the Dead rare hieroglyphics-adorned and illustrated manuscripts, dating back to around 1000 BCE, which were last displayed in 2023. The show should dovetail nicely with the museum’s “Sculpted Portraits From Ancient Egypt,” which runs through January 2027.

The inimitable artist, musician and activist—and John Lennon’s other half—is the subject of the Broad’s highly anticipated new show, Ono’s first-ever solo museum exhibition in Southern California. Organized in collaboration with the Tate Modern in London, “Music of the Mind” allows visitors to directly interact with works from the artist’s seven-decade long career. In conjunction with the show, the museum has transformed the olive trees on the outdoor East West Bank Plaza into Wish Trees for Los Angeles, where visitors can tie their own wishes on the branches. Many of the works invite audience engagement, in fact, all working toward a common goal of peace and connection. Tickets for the special exhibition are usually $21, but you can visit on Thursdays from 5 to 8pm for free.

The Skirball’s Jack Kirby exhibition may be over, but the museum has followed it up with this expansive look at how comics came to dominate pop culture. Many of the creators of the medium were immigrants and outsiders—including Jewish Americans—who poured their experiences with struggle, aspiration and reinvention into their work. On display, you’ll find original artwork and artifacts relating to beloved comic book characters, from Superman and Black Panther to Little Lulu and Archie. While admission to the Skirball is typically $20, admission is free to all on Thursdays.