Looking for things to do in Los Angeles this summer? Eat|See|Hear’s outdoor movie, food truck and live music event series will be returning for its 5th Anniversary Season! When you combine classic films, up-and-coming indie bands, lots of scrumptious food, hanging out with friends, and a warm Southern California evening, you can’t help but have a really great time.
May Outdoor Movie Events
The series
kicks off May 7 with a showing of the 1987 romantic drama, Dirty Dancing. Set in 1963, the film tells the story of Frances “Baby” Houseman (Jennifer Grey), an innocent “Daddy’s girl,” who travels with her family to a resort in New York state’s Catskill Mountains. There she falls in love with the camp’s slick dance instructor, Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze), a man whose background is vastly different from her middle-class, sheltered lifestyle. It’s a classic romance that’s even better on the Eat|See|Hear 60-foot inflatable screen with a 52-foot viewing area.
This event will be held at the Santa Monica High School Memorial Greek Amphitheatre, located at 601 Pico Blvd. Just like previous years, Eat|See|Hear’s doors will open at 5:30 p.m. The movie will start at 8:30 p.m., but arriving earlier will give you plenty of time to find your seats and get settled before showtime. You’ll also be able to kick back to some great music before the movie. On May 7, we’ve booked a performance by Summer Twins, playing dreamy rock n roll songs and they will take the stage at 7 p.m.
Whether you’ve seen Dirty Dancing dozens of times before or whether this is your first time seeing this movie, you’re sure to enjoy it. Summer Twins’ performance won’t disappoint you either. But there are some things you need to remember to ensure a nice evening. In particular, you need to think about seating. Because this venue is a concrete amphitheater, you should bring either a blanket or some cushions or pillows to sit on so you can be more comfortable. Low-profile beach chairs (which sit no more than six inches off the ground) are also okay. Besides the concrete seating area, there is also a small grassy area in the front of the theater and this is available for seating too, but this area is very limited and is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
As has always been Eat|See|Hear’s policy, you’re welcome to bring in your own “picnic style” food into this or any Eat|See|Hear event, as long your coolers are no bigger than 12×12″. But truth be told, you will be missing out missing out on some of the fun if you don’t sample at least some of the food trucks that will be there.
Eat|See|Hear curates a line up of some of LA’s best food trucks to each week’s events, and May 7 will be no exception. Long-time favorite food trucks will be returning for the evening, plus some a number of new vendors, including Baby’s Badass Burgers, Brasil Kiss, Chancho’s Tacos, CVT Soft Serve, Foodism,Greasy Wiener, India Jones, Konestruction, Pho King Awesome, Pizza & Co., Postcards CAS, Richeeze Grilled Cheese, Royal Red Velvet, Street Kitchen LA and Wise BBQ. If you haven’t had one of Baby’s hamburgers or a cupcake from Royal Red Velvet since one of last year’s Eat|See|Hear events, it’s definitely time to treat yourself again.
Something else to think about is your canine buddy. If you’ve been to Eat|See|Hear event before, you know that friendly, leashed dogs are always welcome to accompany “their humans” to the event. Having your furry friend with you can make for an even better time. That is, if you bring your waste bags, dog treats and some bottled water to fill up your dog bowl. Having these items with you keeps your dog and everyone else around you happy. Oh, and as a reminder, we always greet all doggies with dog treats at the entrance, too. Plus we always have extra bags for those little emergencies and water bowls around the venue. These are a few ways we aim to make pets feel welcome.
While you’re packing up items to bring, you might want to bring a sweater or jacket, or extra blankets to wrap up in to keep warm. It may be Southern California, but even if it’s in the 90s during the day, it can still get chilly at night. You won’t enjoy yourself nearly as much if you’re shivering.
As far as where to park your car, your best bet is probably the Civic Center Parking Structure, located at 333 Civic Center Drive. This structure is across the street from the high school and the entrance to the event. It’s a convenient place to park and for a reasonable rate, but don’t forget to pay for your parking before going to your vehicle. From the parking structure, you can enter through the walkway on 4th Street, between the track and the DoubleTree Hotel.
You can purchase tickets online for the May 7 event and all summer 2016 events. While admission can be paid for at the door, your best option is to go on the Eat|See|Hear website and buy your tickets in advance. If you wait until the night of the event, there’s no guarantee tickets will still be available because events often sell out in advance. General admission tickets are $14 each for adults, $8 for children 5-12 years old, and free for children 5 and under.
In addition to general admission tickets, a limited number of “Fashionably Late” passes are available for advance purchase at $21 each. These passes guarantee seating in a reserved area, regardless of arrival time (keep in mind you won’t have a specific “spot” to sit in, but you will have plenty of room to sit in the general area). So if you’re stuck in traffic or have a busy day and can’t get to the event venue until right before the movie starts, you don’t have to stress because your seating area will be waiting for you. You can arrive at 8 p.m. instead of 5:30 p.m., and you’ll still have a place to sit. Fashionably Late tickets must be purchased online, and they’re available in limited quantities, on a first-come, first-served basis. They are not sold at the door.
Events All Summer Long in LA
Of course, after May 7, the outdoor movie fun continues every Saturday night through September 17th. On May 14, Eat|See|Hear will return to Santa Monica High School for their annual screening of The Princess Bride. This classic fairy tail has all the usual characters of any fairy tail: a beautiful princess, a gallant hero who rescues her, and an evil villain, along with some modern twists. The musical guest planned for the evening is Mothlight, a dream pop outfit from Los Angeles.
On Saturday, May 21, Eat|See|Hear will travel to Pasadena to present a 30th anniversary screening of the 1986 musical fantasy film, Labyrinth. This is a babysitting-gone-wrong tale of a self-absorbed teenage girl, who has 13 hours to navigate a labyrinth in order to save her baby brother, who was kidnapped by a goblin king, a role made famous by the late David Bowie. This event will be held at Centennial Square at Pasadena City Hall, located at 100 N. Garfield Avenue. Music for the evening will be performed by the bi-coastal rock band, Faulkner.
Eat|See|Hear’s fourth Saturday night event of the month, May 28, will showcase the comedy, The Big Lebowski, a 1998 film which is about an unemployed-but-likeable slacker, the Dude, played by Jeff Bridges, who is confused for a billionaire by the same name. He and his friends (Steve Buscemi and John Goodman) are drawn into a crazy scheme to find the billionaire’s missing younger wife. The venue for this event will be on the lawn at the Autry in Griffith Park, which is located at 4700 Western Heritage Way in Los Angeles. The band slated to perform will be Santa Monica’s Opus Orange.
That’s just May. A different film will be showcased every Saturday night through the summer months, with the last event of 2016 slated for September 17. See the rest of the summer 2016 event schedule. These are outdoor movies in Los Angeles that you won’t want to miss!
Tag a Friend & Win!
Be sure to follow @EatSeeHear on Facebook and Instagram where you’ll find regular “Tag a Friend & Win Tickets” giveaways. Every week one winner will be selected to win a pair of tickets to the movie event of their choice on each platform. Double your chances by liking and tagging your friends on both Facebook and Instagram!
It all sounds like loads of fun—movies, music, great food and even exciting contests and other promotions along the way. So plan now to make Eat|See|Hear part of your summer. Remember: you might not be able to take long vacations or summer getaways. But you can still plan for some good times. Even after the busiest, craziest, most hectic workweeks, you can still “get away” when you come to an Eat|See|Hear event. And that’s what summer in LA’s all about—chillaxing with your friends and family—including your pooch—on a warm summer Saturday night!