Not going to Coachella this year? All is not lost. Here are some to-dos going on around town for those forgoing that annual trek to the desert.
Space Is the Place Roller Disco at World on Wheels: Disco dancing as it should be done…on wheels. Wee! Uh huh uh huh! If wine bars aren’t your thang, check out this roller disco party that goes down every fourth Saturday of the month. There’s also karaoke and an upstairs (no skates) dancefloor if you don’t wanna stop til you get enough. Admission is $10 with skate rental but you can also bring your own disco skates if you want.
EVENT: SATURDAY, APRIL 28 from 10pm to 2am
4645 1/2 Venice Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90019
(323) 933-5170
Fiesta Broadway: Trade Rage Against the Machine for some mariachis at Fiesta Broadway. Known as the largest Latino event in the U.S., 500,000 attendees are anticipated to swarm 36 blocks of Downtown L.A. soaking in some culture in the form of live performances all day long on six stages. The year I went Celia Cruz was performing on stage. So if you’re into Latin music you can look forward to entertainment from some of the top Latin entertainers.
So take a metro to Pershing Square and spend the whole day dancing, eating and enjoying the carnival rides.
EVENT: SUNDAY, APRIL 29 from 11am to 6pm
Broadway and First Street
Los Angeles, California 90015
Los Angeles Times Festival of Books: My favorite time of year to visit UCLA is during this huge book festival. I used to work it ages ago when I worked for Book Soup peddling books. Ugh, I hated working it (who knew there were a lot of freaky book lovers out there) but trolling the campus for celebrity author signings, book sales and author panels always brought me much glee. Events I’d like to check out this year: Joseph Wambaugh and James Ellroy in Conversation, TC Boyle with an intro from Jerry Stahl and the panel on “Blogging and Beyond.” Panel tickets are free but you just have to pick ’em up 30 minutes before the event of your choice.
EVENT: SATURDAY, APRIL 28 from 10am to 6pm; SUNDAY, APRIL 29 from 10am to 5pm
UCLA Main Campus
405 Hilgard Avenue
Los Angeles, California 90024
Hot Fuzz at the ArcLight: Kick off a night of barhopping in Hollywood by laughing at some po-pos. These guys had it coming. Hot Fuzz, a brilliant action comedy brought to you by the guy who did Shaun of the Dead (one of my favorite movies of all time), has an 8:10 time. By the time you get out, you can just walk up the street to the Cahuenga Corridor and discuss the finer points of the film over several cocktails at a Hollywood bar of your choosing. (Parking at their garage is only $6 for the entire day; a bargain compared to the lots north of Sunset.) BTW, while you’re at the ArcLight you might want to pick up your tickets to the midnight showing of Spiderman 3 while they’re still available for the opening night.
ArcLight Hollywood
6360 Sunset Boulevard
Hollywood, California 90028