See fireworks
Whether it’s at the Hollywood Bowl, Dodger Stadium, or your neighbor’s illegal fireworks, razzle-dazzle your eyes and ears with the season’s greatest pastime.
Farmers market tasting
We live in the fresh produce capital of the world! Visit your local farmers market and take advantage of the summer’s seasonal varieties. Get inspiration from Good Food’s Market Report with Gillian Ferguson — Cherries, Mulberries, and Boysenberries.
Visit a local record shop
Not sure where to go? Check out Permanent Records Roadhouse, The Glass House Record Store, or the Penrose Record Room.
Go on a hike (preferably one that ends with beer)
Does it get any more LA than going on a hike and then telling someone you just went on a hike? And if you want a hike that ends at a brewery, Johanna Flashman has you covered.
Eat at a restaurant in your neighborhood you’ve never heard of before
I crave guidance. More recently, I was reminded to take a moment to rediscover my own sense of curiosity by ignoring recommendation lists and just trying something new. “Much like dating, you need to know what you don’t like to fully appreciate what you do, further cultivating your own sense of taste and identity.” - Alison Roman, A Newsletter
Dip your toes in the Pacific Ocean
Cross a quarter mile of hot sand just to say “OMG, the water’s so cold!”
Check out one of LA’s new phenoms
Sparks’ Cameron Brink. Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani. Your kid at camp. Catch a game live and cheer on your new favorite LA athlete.
Watch a movie and get one of those novelty popcorn buckets
This one is going to be controversial. Ryan Reynolds declared 2024 as the “year the War of the Popcorn Buckets began.” Is it a bad way to spend money? Probably. Is it fun to go to the movies? Yes. Does this Gru baby carrier speak to you? And if you’re not sure what movie to see, check out our Weekend Film Reviews.
Check out a book (or ebook) from the public library
I have such a fondness for the LA Public Library and its legacy of impact on the community. I highly recommend The Library Book by Susan Orlean. It will make you want to hug a librarian. But for the sake of this bucket list, just check out any book. ANY book! From ANY public library.
Tourism Without Irony
Every once in a while I think about how lucky I am to live in a city that’s on people’s vacation bucket list. We’ve got the sunshine, the palm trees, and Marilyn Monroe’s tiny footprints. Leave the eye rolling at home and make like a tourist. Go to the pier or hop on a double-decker bus ride. If this isn’t your thing, let’s at least agree to be kind to tourists this summer.
See live music at a venue you’ve never been to before
Attending Summer Nights counts. Did you see we just added Gaby Moreno at The Music Center to the lineup? We also have a curated listing of concerts around LA on our KCRW Events page and in the KCRW app.
Eat at a night market
There are a handful to choose from but Connie Alvarez, your KCRW Insider, loves 626 Night Market.
Empty dish at BBQ
Want to be the most popular person at the block party? Use one of Good Food’s many featured recipes like this, this, or this, and bring the dish that’s sure to be cleaned out by your neighbors.
Go to the theater (and possibly save it)
As someone who was singing Les Miz as a 4-year-old (skipping the songs that were too saucy), I’m a big fan of the theater. But the scene is struggling in LA. According to Anthony Byrnes, author of KCRW’s Theater Newsletter, “Between the loss of theater companies, reduced schedules at LA’s intimate theaters, and the increased cost of producing at those venues, LA’s vibrant and abundant intimate theater scene feels a little more sparse.” So sparse that he encourages you to brave the Hollywood Fringe Festival, “pick a couple of nights between June 13th and 30th, and take a chance on shows that might be magical experiences or glorious failures, the future of LA’s intimate theater might depend on it.” You heard the man.
Volunteer
Whether it’s volunteering at an organization you love (like KCRW) or volunteering to babysit your neighbor’s pet, we can all afford to donate a bit of our time to help others.
Analog night1
When life feels hectic, my husband and I have an analog night. We put the phones away, pour ourselves a glass of wine, and put on a record. He reads a book. I cut out pictures of drag queens and collage them into CB2 catalogs. You don’t have to do exactly this, but I encourage you to find a night to break away from the blue light of the screen.
If this does not sound like fun at all, delete this email and I’ll see you next week when we celebrate Summer Nights with CAAM, a series favorite.
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