Tournament of Roses Parade – Downtown Pasadena
Since 1890, the Tournament of Roses Parade has been a New Year’s Day tradition. Broadcast to millions of viewers worldwide, the parade features more than 40 elaborate floats as well as dozens of bands and equestrian units marching through downtown Pasadena. The parade also features a Queen and Royal Court picked from students of local high schools.
Rose Bowl Game – Rose Bowl Stadium
The Rose Bowl Game is also known as “the Granddaddy of Them All” because the college football game has been a January tradition since 1902. Known for many historic firsts (including the first intercontinental radio broadcast of sporting event in 1927 and a first national telecast of a college football game in 1952), the Rose Bowl Game as of 2015 had also produced 29 national champions.
Golden Globe Awards – Beverly Hilton
The Golden Globe Awards marks the beginning of the all-important awards season in Los Angeles, featuring prestigious awards for the entertainment industry. Bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the first Golden Globes ceremony was held in 1944 and has been staged at the Beverly Hilton since 1961.
dineL.A. Restaurant Week – Citywide
dineL.A. Restaurant Week is a 14-day dining event held in January and July that showcases the diverse and thriving L.A. dining scene. Nearly 350 of the city’s top restaurants feature prix-fixe menus for lunch and dinner, giving diners the opportunity to sample the best that L.A. has to offer.
Chinese New Year/Golden Dragon Parade
Each February, the Golden Dragon Parade is produced by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles along Chinatown’s North Broadway in honor of the Chinese New Year. Tens of thousands of people crowd the route to experience a century-plus-old tradition that includes dozens of floats, music and firecrackers.
Grammy Awards – STAPLES Center
The music industry celebrates its best of the year with the Grammy Awards, which have been given out since 1959. With its permanent home at STAPLES Center, the star-studded awards ceremony is broadcast worldwide and features dozens of live performances.
Film Independent Spirit Awards – Santa Monica Beach
Founded in 1984, the Film Independent Spirit Awards reflects its underground roots with an irreverent ceremony that celebrates the best of independent film. The awards traditionally take place on the eve of the Oscars in a huge tent on Santa Monica Beach.
Academy Awards – Dolby Theatre
Debuting at the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel in 1929 the Academy Awards are the oldest entertainment awards ceremony, celebrating the year’s best in cinema at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood & Highland. The annual Oscars telecast is seen in more than 200 countries.
L.A. Marathon – Citywide
The ASICS LA Marathon, which was first held in 1986, features runners from more than 50 countries and is completed by more than 20,000 participants each year. The course winds its 26.2 miles from Dodger Stadium to Santa Monica Beach.
Fiesta Broadway – Downtown Los Angeles
Fiesta Broadway is billed as the largest “Cinco de Mayo” celebration in the world! Guests of all ages can enjoy live music stages and lots of food, fun and games throughout Downtown L.A. Although the event celebrates the Fifth of May, the event usually takes place the last Sunday of April.
Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire – Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area
The Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire takes place each year from early April to mid-May at the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area in Irwindale. First held in 1963, the Faire attracts more than 200,000 people and features more than a dozen stages of entertainment as well as dancers, music, food and of course, costumes.
Battleship USS Iowa Memorial Day – San Pedro
The 16-inch main guns of Battleship IOWA serve as the backdrop to a stirring Memorial Day tribute to the soldiers, sailors and airmen who lost their lives in the uniform of America’s armed services. Memorial Day celebrations include family-friendly movie screenings, musical performances, ship tours and much more.
Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride Celebration – Downtown Long Beach
The Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride Celebration takes place over two days in downtown Long Beach and attracts more than 80,000 participants each year. Held since 1984, the event also attracts top-selling music performers.
NoHo Theatre & Arts Festival – North Hollywood
The annual NoHo Theatre & Arts Festival is one of the largest and longest-running theatre & arts celebrations in Southern California, featuring live theatre, music, fine arts, dance, crafts and food from around the world. The free, two-day Festival features theatre performances, art exhibits, an international food court and live music. The NoHo Theatre & Arts Festival is a unique arts and culture event for the entire family!
The L.A. Film Festival – Downtown Los Angeles
The L.A. Film Festival is produced by Film Independent to exhibit more than 100 feature films. The event attracts almost 100,000 people to its Downtown Los Angeles festivities and includes talks from film-industry members as well as concerts.
LA Pride Festival – West Hollywood
The LA Pride Festival celebrates transgender, lesbian, gay and bisexual citizens via a parade that attracts more than 400,000 people each year to its West Hollywood locale. Local art and entertainment are also featured.
July 4th Fireworks Spectacular – Hollywood Bowl
One of Southern California’s most popular summer traditions, the annual July 4th Fireworks Spectacular at the Hollywood Bowl features legendary music acts and incredible fireworks displays in a gorgeous outdoor setting.
Anime Expo – Los Angeles Convention Center
Each July, fans of Japanese animation flock to the Los Angeles Convention Center for the Anime Expo, which first took place in California in 1992 and has been at the convention center since 2008. Thousands of anime fans dressed in mind-blowing costumes attend competitions, industry panels, screenings and much more.
dineL.A. Restaurant Week – Citywide
dineL.A. Restaurant Week is actually a 14-day dining event that’s held each January as well as each July to showcase the region’s best culinary practitioners. Almost 350 of the area’s best-known restaurants provide prix-fixe menus geared to lure more people into sampling what the area has to offer in the culinary arts. Learn more here.
Nisei Week Japanese Festival – Little Tokyo
Since 1934, Los Angeles has celebrated its Japanese American legacy with Nisei Week. The festival takes place in Downtown L.A.’s landmark Little Tokyo district and includes a queen and court, a parade, food vendors and other activities celebrating Japanese and Japanese American culture.
Los Angeles County Fair – Pomona Fairplex
A Southern California tradition since 1922, the Los Angeles County Fair attracts more than one million people to the Pomona Fairplex every year. The three-week event features dozens of carnival rides and attractions, as well as a popular concert series with best-selling musical artists.
Emmy Awards – Microsoft Theater
The Primetime Emmy Awards, which are given by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, fetes the year’s best in television entertainment. The ceremony takes place at the Microsoft Theater (formerly the Nokia Theater) at L.A. LIVE in Downtown Los Angeles.
Port of Los Angeles Lobster Festival – San Pedro
Each September marks the Port of Los Angeles Lobster Festival and Music Weekend at San Pedro’s Ports O’ Call Village. The three-day event includes lots of lobster, musical acts and, yes, pirates. Watts Towers Day of the Drum Festival/Simon Rodia Watts Towers Jazz Festival – Watts Towers. The Watts Towers Day of the Drum Festival, along with the Simon Rodia Watts Towers Jazz Festival, celebrates jazz, gospel and R&B. In addition to music, the two-day event features kids activities such as arts and crafts as well as food.
AIDS Walk Los Angeles – West Hollywood
Each October, tens of thousands of people participate in the six-mile AIDS Walk Los Angeles, which loops through the West Hollywood area. As of 2015, AIDS Walk Los Angeles had raised $80 million since its inception in 1985.
Halloween Carnaval – West Hollywood
More than a half-million people attend the West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval, the world’s largest Halloween street party. The free, all-ages festival features a half-dozen stages of live music and entertainment.
L.A. Auto Show – Los Angeles Convention Center
Every November, the car capital of the world welcomes hundreds of thousands of enthusiasts, media and leading industry figures to the L.A. Auto Show at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Founded in 1907, the 10-day event features dozens of World and North American debuts.
USC vs. UCLA Football – Los Angeles Coliseum/Rose Bowl
One of the greatest rivalries in college football is renewed every November when crosstown rivals USC Trojans and UCLA Bruins face off at either the Los Angeles Coliseum (home of the Trojans) or Rose Bowl Stadium (home of the Bruins). The USC-UCLA game can attract 100,000 fans and often has National Championship and Bowl game implications.
Marina del Rey Holiday Boat Parade – Marina del Rey
For those looking to celebrate the holiday season in true Southern California style, the Marina del Rey Holiday Boat Parade has hosted a cavalcade of holiday-decorated and lighted boats since 1963.
Hollywood Christmas Parade – Hollywood
Floats, equestrian riders, classic cars, marching bands and of course, celebrities are featured each holiday season at the Hollywood Christmas Parade, which has been held on world-famous Hollywood Boulevard since 1933.
Holiday Sing-Along – Walt Disney Concert Hall
Walt Disney Concert Hall each year hosts its Holiday Sing-Along, giving revelers a chance to experience the Hall’s pipe organ, jazz combo and choir and sing the favorite songs of the holiday season.
