Glowing Lanterns, Motown Classics, and Titanic VR: A Weekend of Enchantment in Los Angeles

Start your weekend in Los Angeles with something unique: the Los Angeles Water Lantern Festival, taking place July 25 to 27 at Whittier Narrows Recreation Area. This event fills the evening with glowing lanterns on the water, live music, and food trucks—a perfect blend of community and spectacle. If you’re a music fan, Dodger Stadium features My Chemical Romance in concert on July 26 and 27, joined by Wallows as part of The Black Parade tour. For a different flavor of live music, the city’s Candlelight Concerts transform venues with shimmering ambience and performances ranging from Hans Zimmer to Prince, offering listeners a magical blend of sound and setting. Art and science lovers should venture to La Brea Tar Pits on July 26 for Summer Nights at the Tar Pits. From 6 to 9 PM, enjoy complimentary admission, live DJ sets by Beat Junkies Institute of Sound, science talks, hands-on activities, and park-side picnicking with food trucks and the signature Tar Bar. For more art, stroll through The Grove, LA’s sophisticated open-air mall, combining luxury retail, farm-to-table dining, and pop-up installations for an immersive shopping and entertainment outing. If outdoor adventure is calling, Leo Carrillo State Park in Malibu boasts 1.5 miles of coastline, tidepools, sea caves, and hiking trails like the scenic Yellow Hill and Nicholas Flat Trails. Prefer wild hills? Topanga State Park, situated within LA’s city limits, offers 36 miles of hiking and biking trails, panoramic views of the Pacific, and geological wonders. For a classic SoCal beach day, nowhere beats the Santa Monica Pier: Pacific Park’s Ferris wheel delivers sprawling sunset vistas, the pier buzzes with street performers and history as the terminus of Route 66, while nearby Muscle Beach offers open-air gymnastics and vibrant local energy. Along Venice Beach Boardwalk, the rollerbladers, skateboard pros, and eclectic performers turn the scene into spontaneous street theater. The Venice Skate Park and Muscle Beach Venice—just a short walk away—are both essential stops for people-watching and sunsets. Enjoying LA’s thriving cultural landscape, venture to one of its iconic spots like Griffith Observatory for stargazing and sweeping city views, or the Natural History Museum and the Art Deco-influenced Union Station for immersive history and architecture. At the Hollywood Bowl, see Diana Ross light up the stage with Motown classics in a truly legendary setting, as reported by event listings on We Like LA. Culinary adventurers can dive into Dine L.A. Week, running through the weekend, with budget-friendly prix fixe menus at dozens of top restaurants citywide. Head to 123 Farm in nearby Beaumont and wander sprawling lavender fields aglow with 100,000 twinkling lights during evening hours, complete with live music—a summer-only treat ending July 20. For those seeking a distinctive memory, Titanic: A Voyage Through Time at Beverly Center offers a virtual reality immersion into the Titanic’s his This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.