This is just one installment of 37 Things a Man’s Gotta Do This Summer, our annual compendium of everything worth seeing, doing, eating, drinking and generally making time for in your neck of the woods between now and September.
Another summer means street festivals, beach days and other en
Allow us to add a few more reasons, with the nine outdoor adventures every Angeleno should partake of this summer.
Inside (er, outside): a journey to the remains of L.A.’s gold rush, movies on a pool deck and what’s basically a family-friendly Burning Man.
Pack some sunblock.
With your friends …
1. L.A.’s Forgotten Gold Rush
Santa Clarita, May 27
Northern California is known for its gold, but it was also found outside of Santa Clarita in 1842 by Don Francisco Lopez. Go on a two-mile hike with Atlas Obscura to learn more about the Oak of the Golden Dream.
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2. Rapha Rides
Los Angeles, July 28-30
Vintage cycling outfitter Rapha is putting on a weekend of group rides and workshops that span from the cultural (lessons with Herman Miller) to the arduous (hidden climbs of Brentwood) to the leisurely (donut rides).
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3. Hollywood Fringe
Hollywood, June 8-25
The immersive theater festival returns to Hollywood with more than 2,000 different performances that’ll rope you in, literally. Some involve treasure hunts; others are on stage.
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With a special someone …
4. Mr. C’s Pool Cinema
Beverly Hills
There are a bunch of great ways to see movies outdoors in L.A., but Mr. C’s is the most intimate, and it definitely comes with the best food, courtesy of Cipriani’s. You’ll be lounging on comfy day beds on their quaint deck. Our picks: Oceans 11 (June 6), Chocolat (June 20), Jaws (July 11), Sabrina (July 18), Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (August 1), Boogie Nights (August 8), Back to the Future (August 15) and Moana (August 22).
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5. Dwell on Design
Los Angeles, June 24-25
Los Angeles is chockablock with modernist abodes worth ogling. Dwell on Design curates a solid list of places to see and separates them by region (Westside on Saturday, Eastside on Sunday). This would make for a great day date so long as it’s not a first date — that might be confused for coming on too strong.
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6. Bender
Downtown and Santa Monica, ongoing
Bender organizes outdoor yoga sessions complete with a DJ and amazing views. They do them at the Santa Monica Pier and on the roof of the parking deck at the ROW in DTLA. Their teachers come from YogaWorks, and there are lots of assistants that walk around to help with adjustments. Get unified.
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With the whole fam-damn-ily …
7. I3 Arts Fest
Downtown, June 2-3
Grand Park will be transformed into a kid-friendly Burning Man for this two-day festival that spans three outdoor parks in downtown. One of the musical performances is an Earth Harp, which at 900 feet is the world’s tallest instrument.
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8. Dance Sundays with Debbie Allen
Beverly Hills, June 11 – August 27
Debbie Allen (Fame) teaches group dance lessons on Sunday’s at the Wallis in Beverly Hills that are both kid-friendly and fairly aerobic. This summer includes lessons in salsa, African dance and hip-hop.
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9. Garden Concert: Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
Brentwood, August 5-6
Secret Agent 23 Skidoo performs kid-friendly hip hop, reggae and blues with the aid of Captain Jack Sparrow. It takes place on the Getty’s beautiful lawn.
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This is the first installment of 37 Things a Man’s Gotta Do This Summer, our annual compendium of everything worth seeing, doing, eating, drinking and generally making time for in your neck of the woods between now and September.
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