August in LA is a weird little in-between month: camp’s winding down, school supply lists are hitting your inbox, and everyone’s doing the math on how many summer things they promised the kids versus how many actually happened. Good news: the Westside is not letting you off easy.
This month you’ve got Fiesta La Ballona turning 75 (petting zoo, pony rides, $1 ride tickets, the works), free kids’ concerts in the Getty garden that feel way fancier than they have any right to for $0, robots doing Shakespeare in Culver City, a brand-new car-free art festival taking over Ocean Avenue, and a library that literally pops up on the sand. Almost everything on this list is free, which feels right for the month when you’re also buying three backpacks. We organized it all by neighborhood so you can find the stuff that’s actually near you, flagged what’s worth the drive, and told you the honest stuff too — like what’s not happening in the Palisades this year, and which events took August off. Consider your last month of summer handled.
SANTA MONICA
Baby Time at the Main Library — Wednesdays, Aug 5, 12, 19 & 26, 11:30 AM–12 PM
Lapsit storytime with books, bounces, and that specific brand of chaos only a room full of pre-walkers can produce. First come, first served, so don’t dawdle.
SMPL at the Beach — Friday, Aug 7, 10 AM–3 PM A pop-up library ON THE SAND — the only one in Southern California.
No library card needed to check out a beach read, plus nautical crafts, games, a Seaside Storytime, and a live set from Sweet Potato Music. Books + beach = the ultimate parenting cheat code.
Art on Ocean — Saturday, Aug 8, 11 AM–6 PM Ocean
Avenue goes completely car-free for Santa Monica’s brand-new arts festival: 100+ artists, live music, and a legit Kids’ Area with sensory play, face painting, bracelet making, and free Paint Lab workshops (plus a toddler-sized Little Artists Studio for your tiniest Picasso). Then stick around — there’s a free Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle screening in Palisades Park at dusk, 6–9 PM.
Sunset Picnic at the Beach House — Thursday, Aug 13, 5–8 PM
Pack a dinner, claim a courtyard table, and let the golden hour do the heavy lifting. Hit the new Sand & Sea Room first for crafts and games — the kids will be occupied before you’ve even unwrapped the sandwiches.
Santa Monica Summer Market Days — Friday, Aug 14, from 10 AM
A daytime market in Palisades Park with ocean views included at no extra charge.
A Talk Through Pier History — Thursday, Aug 27, 7–8 PM
A free hour of wild true stories about the Pier — great for older kids who’ve outgrown storytime but not storytelling.
Ongoing all month:
Beach House pool + splash pad — The historic heated pool is open daily through Labor Day (Mon–Thu 12–6, Fri–Sun 10–6; pool passes sold on site), and the splash pad and playground are always free. Marion Davies really did leave us the best hand-me-down in LA.
Pier History Walking Tours — Sat & Sun at 10 AM, plus Monday sunset tours at 6 PM. FREE.
Wellness & Waves — Saturdays 8–10 AM at the Pier: group run, then oceanfront yoga or pilates. FREE. Bring your teen; earn your pancakes.
Cayton Children’s Museum — 21,000 square feet of climb-it, pretend-it, paint-it glory for ages 0–8 (yes, there’s a real helicopter). Weekend STEAM programs are free with admission; reserve ahead — walk-ins wait at peak times. (Santa Monica Place, Level 3)
Santa Monica Playhouse Family Theatre — Weekend matinee musicals for “kids 2 to 102,” with birthday parties hosted by costumed fairy tale characters available at every show. Historically $15 kids / $17.50 adults, free under 2. Call (310) 394-9779 to confirm the current show and dates. Their last summer theatre camp week also runs Aug 3–7 (9 AM–3 PM, $545).
Main Street Farmers Market — Sundays. The one with the music, the pony-adjacent energy, and the best people-watching per square foot on the Westside.
BRENTWOOD
Getty Garden Concerts for Kids — Saturdays & Sundays, Aug 1–16, all shows at 4 PM
The Getty’s Central Garden turns into the chicest kiddie concert venue in America, and it’s FREE. Aug 1–2: Grammy winner Dan + Claudia Zanes with Tyree Austin (folk-jazz-gospel with beatboxing — trust us). Aug 8–9: Flor Bromley’s joyful bilingual bangers. Aug 15–16: folk queen Elizabeth Mitchell celebrating 20 years of her landmark family album. Bring a blanket and a picnic; leave the lawn chairs, glass, and wine at home (sorry).
Ongoing all month:
Brentwood Farmers Market — Sundays on San Vicente, now supersized: after the fire, the Palisades market merged in, stretching from Gretna Green to Bundy. Come for the peaches, stay for the community reunion vibes.
Brentwood Country Mart — Littles Storytime at 11 AM (check their calendar for the day), plus the toy shop and courtyard that were basically engineered for stroller life.
VENICE
Abbot Kinney First Fridays — Friday, Aug 7, 5–10 PM
The boulevard’s monthly block-party glow-up: food trucks as far as the eye can see, live music, and shops open late. The 5–7 PM window is prime family time — go early, eat everything, exit before it turns into date night.
Sunset Sessions at The Penmar — Fridays, Aug 7, 14, 21 & 28, 5:30–9 PM
Live music on the edge of the Penmar Golf Course, aka Venice’s favorite “concert where the kids can sprawl on a blanket” situation. Aug 7 kicks off with a celebration of FX’s The Shards featuring Camber; bring blankets or U-shaped frame chairs (the only chairs allowed) and set up around the putting green. Kids welcome and supervised — golfers are still out there swinging.
Last Thursday Venice Summer Concert — Thursday, Aug 27, evening
A free concert right on the boardwalk at Dudley Ave, and yes — kids, dogs, blankets, and low chairs are all officially encouraged. August’s headliner drops on the series’ socials closer to the date.
Ongoing all month:
The Penmar’s weekly lineup — Beyond Fridays, The Penmar runs movie nights on Wednesdays and jumbotron sports all week — a solid low-lift dinner-and-a-show for families in the Rose Ave orbit.
Club Joyful — Venice’s family social club (café + play space + community, ages 0–5 sweet spot) runs a steady rotation of ticketed events: Breakfast, Bubbles + Bounce mornings, Family Game Nights, a monthly all-ages Foam & Dance Party, and Mermaid Playdates with actual mermaid meet-and-greets. August dates book via their app.
CULVER CITY
Two Gentlebots of Verona — Every Saturday & Sunday, Aug 1–23, 11 AM
The Actors’ Gang’s beloved free family Shakespeare is back, and this year the Bard gets robots: two best friends both fall for Silvia Dot Matrix (yes, a robot), hilarity and forgiveness ensue. One hour, big laughs, actual Shakespeare underneath. Register early online, arrive 15 minutes ahead, bring low chairs or a blanket.
Summer Sunset Music Series — Thursdays, Aug 6, 13 & 20, 7–9 PM
Free concerts in Town Plaza at the Culver Steps while the kids dance themselves into an early bedtime. Aug 6: Soul3Sixty + Lester Lands & Sonny Green with The Midnight Blues Revue. Aug 13: Adelaide Pilar. Aug 20: Tatiana Tate & Her All-Star Band closes out the season. Low-back chairs and small blankets welcome; park under the complex or at the Cardiff/Ince structures.
KCRW Summer Nights at the Wende Museum — Friday, Aug 14
A free evening of music, museum access, and general Culver City cool. Skews slightly older-kid, but all ages welcome.
Fiesta La Ballona — 75th Anniversary — Fri Aug 28 (4:30–10 PM), Sat Aug 29 (12–10 PM), Sun Aug 30 (12–8 PM)
The Westside’s biggest party turns 75, and it shows up in style: carnival rides, a petting zoo, pony rides, K-9 demos, two stages, ~130 vendor booths, a pancake breakfast, a magic show, and roughly 25,000 of your closest neighbors. Three days; pace yourselves.
Ongoing all month:
Culver City Farmers Market — Tuesdays 2–7 PM on Main Street. The perfect “we survived the day” dinner plan.
TOPANGA
Family Fundays at Theatricum Botanicum — Sundays, Aug 2 & 9 ONLY, 10:30 AM
A half-hour of interactive storytelling, music, and friendship under the oaks for kids 7 and under — pure canyon magic. Fair warning: the season ends Aug 9, so these are your last two shots.
Treasure Island — Sun 8/2 at 3:30 PM; Mon 8/10, Sun 8/16, Thu 8/20 & Sat 8/29 at 7:30 PM
Pirates! Sword fights! An outdoor woodland stage! Theatricum’s family-friendliest mainstage show delivers swashbuckling for the kids and surprisingly thoughtful storytelling for you. Come early and picnic in the gardens — the journey is part of the magic.
Ongoing all month:
The full rep — By August all five Theatricum plays (including A Midsummer Night’s Dream) are in rotation, so theater-loving families can binge the whole season in a single week.
Topanga Farmers Market — Fridays. Canyon produce, canyon people, canyon vibes.
PACIFIC PALISADES
Palisades Village Grand Reopening — Saturday, Aug 15
The comeback moment the whole community has been waiting nineteen months for: Caruso’s village at Sunset and Swarthmore reopens with a full day of curated events, immersive experiences, and community programming — and roughly a third of the storefronts are brand new. Returning favorites include Loomey’s Toys, K Bakery, and Erewhon, and the center plans to resume its year-round family programming from here on out. Bring tissues; this one’s going to be emotional.
PLAYA VISTA
PV House Presents: Dirty Honey — Saturday, Aug 1, 6:30–8 PM
A free outdoor rock show at RUNWAY to kick off the month. Loud enough to feel cool, early enough for bedtime.
Sunday Wellness Social — Sunday, Aug 2, 10 AM–12 PM
Morning movement on the green with The Studio (MDR) — stretch while the kids roam the turf.
Country Music Nights — Fridays, Aug 7, 14, 21 & 28, from 6 PM
RUNWAY’s Friday lawn series swaps jazz for country all month: blankets, boots optional, dinner from the surrounding restaurants, extremely toddler-tolerant.
Kid’s Club at RUNWAY — Tuesday, Aug 11, 10–11:30 AM
The monthly second-Tuesday morning of songs, stories, bubbles, and wiggles, with rotating partners like Wild Child Gym, Zooga Yoga, and Books & Cookies. Free, but RSVP on Eventbrite.
Taste of RUNWAY — Thursday, Aug 27, 5:30–8 PM
Sample your way through the whole neighborhood’s restaurants in one go.
Ongoing all month:
Concerts & Movies in the Park — Playa Vista’s resident association runs Sunday concerts (5–6:30 PM, food trucks from 4 PM) at Central Park Bandshell and Concert Park. August acts post at playavista.com.
PLAYA DEL REY
Dockweiler Beach fire pits — Every night, all month
The last great free bonfire beach in LA. S’mores, sunset, sandy pajamas — the whole August dream. Pits are first-come, so stake your claim early on weekends.
Heads up: LA Audubon’s free Open Wetlands events at the Ballona Wetlands take August off — they’re back in September. And for more free outdoor movies and concerts within driving distance, LA County Parks is running 108 of each through Aug 29 (soundsoflacounty.com).
WEST LA
West LA Regional Branch Library — Weekly, all month Toddler storytime Wednesdays at 10 AM (18 months–3 years), Family Storytime & Songs Thursdays at 4:15 PM, and Read With a STAR volunteer Saturdays 2–4 PM — three visits earn kids a free book to keep. Air conditioning included.
WORTH THE DRIVE
Water Lantern Festival — Fri Jul 31, Sat Aug 1 & Sun Aug 2, gates 5:30 PM
Thousands of glowing lanterns released across the water at sunset (launch 8:30–9:30 PM), plus food trucks, music, and a scavenger hunt beforehand. Genuinely magical — bring tissues and a camera.
Marina del Rey Summer Concert Series — Saturdays, Aug 1, 8 & 15, 7 PM
Free waterfront concerts at Burton Chace Park — and Aug 1 is THE kid night: a full symphony orchestra, chorus, and celebrity cellist Tina Guo playing video game scores from Zelda-adjacent epics like God of War, Fallout, and World of Warcraft. Aug 8: Monsieur Periné; Aug 15: D Smoke & Carl Thomas. RSVP recommended, first-come seating, low-back chairs only, food trucks on site.
Hollywood Bowl Film Concerts — Jurassic Park Sat Aug 8, How to Train Your Dragon Sun Aug 9, Top Gun: MaverickSat Aug 15
Full movies on the big screen with a live orchestra playing every note. The dragon one is the family sweet spot.
Perseid Meteor Shower — Peaks Aug 12–13, late night
Nature’s free fireworks. Topanga and Dockweiler are your closest dark-ish skies — pack blankets, hot cocoa, and low expectations for anyone under 6 staying awake.
Nisei Week + Natsumatsuri Family Festival — Aug 15–23 (festival); family fest Sat Aug 15, 11 AM–3 PM
Little Tokyo’s grand celebration of Japanese American culture, with a parade and plaza festival — and the Natsumatsuri Family Festival at Terasaki Budokan is the kid centerpiece: origami, fan crafts, a Paul Frank stamp rally, Bon Odori dancing, and taiko drumming.
Marina Movie Nights — Sat Aug 22: The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants; Sat Aug 29: Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Free movies under the stars at Burton Chace Park. Bring a real blanket — that marina breeze does not play.