Los Angeles is bursting with unique adventures any time of year, but there’s especially a buzz this week as the city embraces summer with open-air events, world-class performances, and plenty of local secrets to explore. For listeners seeking something special tonight or this weekend, the La Brea Tar Pits is hosting its Summer Nights series on Friday, July 18. This free after-hours bash offers live music with Ladies of Sound providing the soundtrack, hands-on science activities for all ages, tasty food trucks, local drinks at the Tar Bar, and the chance to wander among mammoths and mastodons beneath the stars. Kids and gamers alike can play Ecos: La Brea—a Roblox video game merging paleontology and art—only available on site through July 21, while adults can relax on blankets during sunset and chat with scientists in the Fossil Lab, where you might get an insider look at projects usually hidden behind the scenes, according to the official program for the Tar Pits.

Live music lovers are spoiled for choice at LA Live, just blocks from Crypto.com Arena in downtown. Tonight and through the weekend, global superstars from Banda El Recodo to Eslabon Armado and Hombres G & Enanitos Verdes take the stage, while fans eager to peek behind the curtain can score daytime VIP tours of the arena, walking through storied locker rooms and venues that have hosted everything from Lakers championships to the Grammys.

For a different vibe, The Grove—LA’s iconic outdoor shopping and dining plaza—transforms with pop-up shops, interactive activations, and exclusive in-store events every week in July. This weekend, there’s a Sol de Janeiro x Sephora Badalada Bloco Party with Brazilian flair and a slime-making station by The Gui Gui Slime Boutique, perfect for families looking for hands-on fun and a little bit of that Hollywood magic.

Listeners craving the classic LA cityscape can join a hike to the Hollywood Sign, led by local comedians and their dogs for a blend of laughs, behind-the-scenes city lore, and must-have selfies just steps from the world-famous letters. Sunset hikes around Griffith Park or Runyon Canyon bring panoramic skyline views and the chance—to quote recommendations from both Tripadvisor and the Los Angeles Times—to spot a celebrity or soak up city secrets, especially rewarding after a bit of a workout.

Adventurers can go deeper on horseback along the Mulholland Trail for cinematic views over the skyline, or take a quick harbor cruise in Long Beach, learning about the sprawling city’s maritime past. The upper hike to Sandstone Peak in Malibu offers ocean mist and vistas stretching to Catalina Island, all within about an hour’s drive. Quieter gems include the Alta Canyada trail in La Cañada Flintridge with sweeping views, or a lakeside stroll in Pasadena, prized for its serene atmosphere—even the “hip” Silver Lake walks, known for indie coffee stops and mural-spotting, reward any morning wanderer.

Film buffs and pop culture fans can peek behind the Hollywood curtain with guided Warner Bros., Sony, or Universal Studios tours, where you’ll walk through legendary sets and soundstages, maybe even pass a Batmobile, and likely spot props from movies you know by heart—a classic LA experience with something new to discover every time.

For art and cultural delights, visitors can immerse themselves in the city’s vibrant food scene through guided culinary tours, nibbling around dim sum parlors in Chinatown, tacos in Boyle Heights, or savoring Korean BBQ in Koreatown while hearing stories that shaped LA’s food landscape. These tours often thread through neighborhoods rich with murals and immigrant history, letting listeners taste LA’s amazing diversity in every sense.

Of course, locals recommend ending with something outdoors. Join a sunset picnic in Santa Monica’s reimagined Tongva Park, or try the shady, lush walk in Northridge, whose hidden creeks and canopies give respite from summer heat. And baseball lovers should look for Dodgers home games, a tradition equal parts sport and citywide block party, especially as July rolls on.

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