Welcome back to GTFO LA!, your guide to the very best stuff to do in Los Angeles every weekend, designed to get you out of the f*cking house. This heatwave has been torture, so this week we've got some ideas for you to cool off. ... Oh, and, good luck Guerrilla Tacos! (See below.)
Friday, July 13
DJ Nights at Grand Park
[dropcap size=big]A[/dropcap]ll over Los Angeles, concerts are bringing people out to dance this summer and the Music Center's DJ Nights is no different. Held in Downtown's Grand Park, the dancing all happens on an open-air dance floor and what is more summer than that? On Friday artivist and professor Martha Gonzalez, lead singer of award-winning East L.A. Chicano band Quetzal, will be curating a DJ set for the series. The band uses music as a tool to tell stories of people in the struggle and Gonzalez believes in this too. What will she bring to the turntables? Be there to find out! Bring a picnic or just your dancing shoes. Drinks will be available to purchase inside the park, no outside drinks. More info here.
Restaurant Week dineL.A.
[dropcap size=big]d[/dropcap]ine L.A. week is back! The epic 15 days of special lunch and dinner menus kicks off Friday. More than 300 hundred restaurants are participating including Bar Ama, Belle Vie and BKLA. From Asian Fusion to French to Latin, your options are pretty much endless. A two-course meal will range from $15 to $25 and a three-course meal dinner will range from $29 to $95 and up. The dineL.A. Exclusive Series will feature some of L.A.'s top-notch restaurants like Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel-Air and BOA Steakhouse in Santa Monica will feature menus $95 and up. To take advantage of these amazing deals, all you have to do is go to a participating restaurant and order — although reservations are recommended. Plan your dining experience by looking at menus and restaurants here.
Last Call for Guerrilla Tacos Truck
[dropcap size=big]T[/dropcap]his is the last weekend you'll be able to find Wes Avila's Guerrilla Tacos truck out on the road as the iconic mobile gourmet restaurant prepares to shift to its flagship location in the Arts District on the corner of 7th and Mateo. Avila's Alta California menu will stop rolling on four wheels Thursday July 19 with a final service at Silverlake Wine in Silverlake. This weekend the truck will make stops Friday at Alchemy Works in Downtown, Saturday at Blue Bottle - Beverly in West, and Sunday at Blue Bottle - Venice. Find the complete schedule and times here.
Saturday, July 14
Techno Cumbia
[dropcap size=big]I[/dropcap]t was Tejano singer Selena who made the music genre famous and we continue to dance to her legacy whenever we get the chance. Curator and creative Killed by Synth presents the latest dance night dedicated to the singer, and this cumbia night filled dance party at Los Globos is guaranteed to be lit. The techno cumbia dance party hosted by Locatora Radio's Maka Muñoz, will honor the queen herself with a tribute by Selena impersonator Monica Peralta. DJs Niño Francois, Zuri Adia and Killed by Synth will be dropping the Latinx tracks. This party even has the chips and salsa covered — just come early. What are your best Selena moves? We want to see them at Los Globos this Saturday!
Lotus Fesitval
[dropcap size=big]T[/dropcap]he 38th annual Lotus Festival opens at noon Saturday at Echo Park Lake with the official opening ceremony and does not stop until Sunday night's jazz concert. The yearly event is free and good for family fun. The People's Republic of China is hosting this year's festivities that include live music, dance, food, a dragon boat race, a dedicated children's area, and more. For the complete schedule visit the L.A. Parks Department..
Mexican Craft Beer Fest
[dropcap size=big]O[/dropcap]ne way to keep cool this summer is by sipping on an ice cold beer. That's just one excuse to check out California's biggest celebration of Mexican beer this Saturday. The Mexican Craft Beer Fest at the Mikkeller restaurant in Downtown L.A. will feature more than 40 kinds of craft brews from down south. The Xocoveza Stout with cocoa, peppers, vanilla, coffee and cinnamon, German-style lager Serena Morena, Perro Del Mar IPA and more kinds of brews await you. Pair your beer with one of the bar's burgers, if you're hungry. More info here.
Sunday, July 15
World Cup Final at Los Angeles Ale Works
[dropcap size=big]A[/dropcap]ll through the World Cup, we've been giving you ideas of where to watch the exciting, heart-pounding matched. These ideas — whether you want to watch at a bar or a carniceria — still stand. But we have to give a special shout out to the World Cup viewing party at Los Angeles Ale Works for featuring fried chicken and waffles. How else could you say goodbye to one of the most glorious sports events there is? Head over to the brewery in Hawthorne for Nashville Hot Fried Chicken and Waffles. Sides will include four cheese mac and cheese, apple coleslaw, potato salad and more. Don't get us started on the amazing beer selection the brewery has. Check out the price menu and more info here.
Ice Cream Alley
[dropcap size=big]T[/dropcap]his heatwave just doesn't seem to end. Lucky for us National Ice Cream Day is here to give us yet another way to cool off. Celebrate the holiday at the Smorgasburg L.A. Outdoor Food Market. This Sunday they are launching their Ice Cream Alley which will feature tons of ice cream vendors throughout the summer until labor day. Their opening pop up will feature Jeni's ice cream, CVT Sift Serve, Sweet Rose Creamery and more. Smorgasburg regulars including Churro Boss and Wanderlust Creamery will be there too! More info here.
