The Guide to Memorial Day Weekend Events in Los Angeles

Known as the "World's Greatest Naval Ship" because of her big guns, heavy armor, fast speed, longevity and modernization flexibility, Battleship IOWA is anchored at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro and is renowned as an award-winning museum and must-see tour attraction.

On Monday, May 27, Battleship IOWA is hosting a Memorial Day Remembrance Event to honor and remember our service members who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our Nation. Taking place from 10am to 3pm, this is a FREE community event with major support from Supervisor Janice Hahn (Fourth District).

The day begins with a remembrance ceremony featuring invited guests and Battleship IOWA staff. Highlights include a patriotic tribute by San Pedro City Ballet, DJ and live music, San Pedro Brewing Co. beer tasting, food trucks, face painting, military vehicles on display, and veteran-owned business exhibition. Throughout the day, when you purchase a tour ticket to Battleship IOWA you are invited to place an American Flag on the fence (dockside) in memory of our fallen service members.

Festivities on the pier are free for all. Active, reserve, and retired military may tour Battleship IOWA for free, all others will require a purchased ticket.

Leading the Western Conference by five points, Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) is currently the highest scoring team in MLS and forward Carlos Vela is the top-scoring player. LAFC hosts the Montreal Impact at Banc of California Stadium on Friday, May 24. Tickets are now on sale at Ticketmaster.

Whether you're a longtime MLS fan or a newbie, be sure to check out our Ultimate Guide to LAFC Match Day.

Celebrating its 5th anniversary, RuPaul's DragCon returns to the Los Angeles Convention Center in Downtown L.A. on Memorial Day Weekend. Taking place from Friday, May 24 to Sunday, May 26, RuPaul’s DragCon provides a platform for fans – of all ages and backgrounds – to meet and interact with world-renowned RuPaul's Drag Race Queens, celebrities, and icons in a friendly and accessible environment. Read on for our guide to DragCon, from hotel room packages to after parties.

Besides hosting DragCon after parties, the Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles has events happening throughout the long weekend, starting on Friday, May 24 with UK festival regulars, Smooth Sailing spinning Upstairs. Next door, The Theatre at Ace Hotel presents Sasha Velour: Smoke & Mirrors The Live Show.

On Saturday, Upstairs hosts Home Bass, a party by women representing all facets of Electronic music featuring guest DJ NOIR with residents Spiñorita, DJ Dolorez, and Alley Gorgon.

Taking place from 11:00 am - 5:00 pm on Sunday, May 26, The Golden Bazaar is a radically inclusive pop-up market celebrating black and brown makers, businesses, and community leaders. Featuring 15+ vendors selling vintage clothing, vinyl, wellness items, tarot readings, art, and community conversation. Free and open to the public at Segovia Hall.

On Memorial Day, Motown On Mondays presents California Sol, a free daytime rooftop soirée taking place at Upstairs from 2pm-10pm. Sets by the MOM residents plus special guests DJ Day, Young Einstein and Caserta; poolside vibes by Scratchin Beg and Clifton.

With locations in Downtown L.A. and Hollywood, Rooftop Cinema Club offers a premier outdoor movie experience with panoramic views, spectacular sunsets and state-of-the-art wireless headphones. Rooftop Cinema Club returns to the rooftop terrace at LEVEL in Downtown L.A. with an eclectic schedule of new releases, classics and cult favorites. On Memorial Day Weekend, LEVEL is screening "Coming to America" (Friday, May 24) and "Do the Right Thing" (May 25). Rooftop Cinema Club's Hollywood location, NeueHouse will be showing "Bohemian Rhapsody" Sing-A-Long (May 24), "Spice World" (May 25), and "Ordinary People" (May 26).

For more Memorial Day Weekend screenings, check out our outdoor movie guide.

A celebration of L.A.’s finest jazz musicians, Jazz at LACMA features the art of jazz as practiced by leading Southern California artists. Jazz at LACMA takes place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. every Friday at the central BP Pavilion, near Chris Burden's iconic Urban Light. On Friday, May 24, Jazz at LACMA welcomes GRAMMY Award-nominated jazz pianist and composer, Otmaro Ruiz. Known for his versatility and virtuosity, the Venezuelan-born performer moved to Los Angeles in 1989 to join the group of great names of the jazz world such as Alex Acuña, Justo Almario, and Abraham Laboriel. Admission is free, there are no reservations for seating. For more info on upcoming performers, visit the Jazz at LACMA page.

BONUS: Admission to LACMA is free on Memorial Day thanks to Target!

The Aquarium of the Pacific will open its stunning new wing, Pacific Visions on Friday, May 24. The 29,000-square-foot, two-story Pacific Visions will house a state-of-the-art immersive theater, expanded special exhibition and art galleries, and additional space for live animal exhibits. The experience begins in an Art Gallery that immerses visitors in a sensory space that sparks curiosity and inspiration. Next, visitors gather in the Orientation Gallery to view a short film and interact with a virtual waterfall. The Honda Pacific Visions Theater has more than 300 stadium-style seats facing a 32-foot-tall, 130-foot-wide screen that is curved in a 180-degree arc to capture viewers’ entire range of vision. After the theater show, visitors enter the Culmination Gallery, which features a massive interactive projection wall, game tables, and animal exhibits.

Pacific Visions will be open daily and included in the price of a General Admission ticket. In addition, Pacific Visions will serve as a new space for lectures and presentations, live performances, and film screenings.

Opening Saturday, May 25 at the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo, At First Light: The Dawning of Asian Pacific America is a multi-media exhibition that explores and celebrates the emergence of a politically defined Asian Pacific American consciousness and identity. The exhibition chronicles the transformation of the un-American categorization of “Oriental” to the political identity of “Asian Pacific American” that rejected racist stereotypes, stood up for human rights, recovered lost histories, and created new cultural expressions.

As part of the Department of Cultural Affairs Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, the landmark Central Library welcomes storyteller Barbara G. Wong, who will tell wonderful tales from China and Hawaii—magical stories about dragons, sharks, magic pots, mysterious paintings, and more! Free and open to all ages.

The FIGat7th Kids Club is a free arts & crafts workshop presented every second and fourth Saturday. On May 25, the Kids Club invites guests to upcycle CDs (remember those?) into a colorful, reflective mandala. The workshop takes place at TASTE (Lower Level, M1) from 2-4pm. Children must be accompanied by adult. Art workshops are suitable for all children ages 3 and older.

On Sunday, May 26, Angel City Brewery presents the annual Heritage Fest from noon to 6pm. The annual birthday celebration features specialty flights and vertical tastings of barrel aged beers, as well as Quadratic Formula Imperial Irish Red, Mattole River, and Belligerent Bloke. There's also live music all day, live mural painting, food provided by Downtown Taco Co and Craft Pizza, and a museum of “Old Angel City Stuff.”

New Art Tours of Angel City Brewery feature an exclusive, educational tasting/tour of the building, its art and the artists who have left their mark at the brewery. Free tickets available at Eventbrite.

There are few experiences more quintessentially Los Angeles than spending a summer evening under the stars, catching a concert at the Hollywood Bowl. Throughout the year, the Hollywood Bowl hosts fantastic "Lease Events" (non-L.A. Phil-produced events). On Sunday, May 26, the Bowl presents New Kids On the Block: The Mixtape Tour, with special guests Salt-N-Pepa, Tiffany, Debbie Gibson and Naughty By Nature.

Led by slugger Cody Bellinger and the red-hot pitching of Hyun-jin Ryu, the Los Angeles Dodgers head into Memorial Day Weekend at the top of the NL West. The Dodgers welcome the New York Mets for a four-game home stand beginning at 5:10pm on Memorial Day. Promos during the home stand include $1 Dodger Dog Night, Seinfeld 30th Anniversary Night Ticket Package, and Sandy Koufax Jersey.

Get ready to shake, shake, shake to a night of funk, disco, Latin and R&B when WAR and KC and the Sunshine Band co-headline the Greek Theatre on Saturday, May 25. Support from Tierra and El Chicano.

The 46th annual San Fernando Valley Greek Festival is taking place on Memorial Day Weekend at Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Northridge. The festival evokes the sights, sounds and tastes that define the traditional Greek way of life. Enjoy the hospitality of the Valley’s Greek community and experience the simple pleasures of life in a Greek village. Enjoy authentic Greek cuisine, shop the agora (outdoor marketplace), watch Greek dance performances and cooking demos, have fun with the kids, and tour the church. If you can't travel to Greece this year, the Valley Greek Festival is the next best thing to being there!

Now in its 46th year, Topanga Days is a quintessential Southern California experience. The family-friendly festival includes music acts on two stages, contests, games, local artisans and vendors, food, and a parade. 100% of the event proceeds benefit the nonprofit Topanga Community Center (TCC), one of the last remaining community houses managed by volunteers in California. This year’s main stage headliners are LA-based Orgōne on Saturday, May 25; singer-songwriter Fantastic Negrito on May 26, and Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real on Memorial Day.

Popular contests and games include the Egg Toss, Three-Legged Race, Baby Derby, Bubble Gum Blowing, and Pie Eating. The ever popular Fun Zone has bounce houses, face painting, and human whack-a-mole to entertain the entire family. The Topanga Days Memorial Day Parade takes place along Topanga Canyon Boulevard starting at 8:30am on Monday morning. Tickets range from $15 for a single-day TCC member ticket to $80 for a three-day non-member pass. On Memorial Day, all members of the armed forces (past and present, with military I.D.) and their families receive free entrance to the Festival.

Since 1972, the Hermosa Beach Chamber of Commerce has produced Fiesta Hermosa, dubbed the ”largest arts & crafts fair in Southern California.” Over 300 artists and crafters are featured, including painters, photographers, ceramicists, jewelers, sculptors, and handcrafters along with live music, Charity Beer & Wine Garden, food court, and Kiddie Carnival. The festival takes place Memorial Day Weekend starting at 10 a.m. in Downtown Hermosa Beach. With the ocean as a backdrop, Hermosa Beach is an ideal place for a summer festival with warm temperatures and balmy sea breezes.

The Queen Mary presents Salute to Service, a three-day tribute event held over Memorial Day Weekend, honoring and remembering those who have served, and paying homage to the legendary Queen Mary’s duty as a troopship during WWII. The family-friendly activities offered aboard the ship will include historical reenactments and demonstrations, appearances by beloved historical figures, ship tours, exhibits, film screenings and special lectures.

Each day from noon to 8 pm, you’ll find WWII troops, nurses, and Allied leaders throughout the Queen Mary, giving you a glimpse into the incredible true story of how the ship guided the Allied Forces to Victory in WWII.

The Queen Mary is proud to offer free admission to active service members of the armed forces, retired military personnel, veterans, and first responders. Guests of the same party will receive a 25% off discount on tickets for Memorial Day weekend available at the box office.