Skip to main content

Best Things to Do in SoCal and LA This Week: May 18-24, 2026

Every week, I highlight a few events across the SoCal region. This week, pick strawberries, dance with pride, study a century's worth of architecture, and visit Yoko Ono's first solo exhibit in SoCal.

Moments in time

The Skirball Cultural Center presents Robert Russell and Lisa Edelstein: A Palace in Time, an exhibition exploring how personal and collective histories are preserved through objects, family rituals, and fleeting moments of connection. Inspired by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel’s notion of the Sabbath as “a palace in time,” the exhibit brings together new works by LA-based artists and married partners to create a contemplative space where the sacred and ordinary intertwine.

Robert Russell and Lisa Edelstein: A Palace in Time, three paintings on a white display wall
Skirball Cultural Center
2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90049
Wednesday, May 20, 12:00 PM
$20

Yoko Ono takes over The Broad

The Broad presents Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind, the artist’s first solo museum exhibition in Southern California. One of contemporary art’s most influential and misunderstood visionaries, this expansive show traces over 70 years of groundbreaking work spanning conceptual art, performance, film, music, and peace activism. Rare films, participatory performances, and historic collaborations with John Lennon further reveal how Ono transformed art into a tool for anti-war activism and world peace. Thought-provoking and playful, the show also allows audiences to participate or engage directly with many of the installations.

Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind, Yoko Ono portrait photograph of her holding a sculpture in her hand next to a picture of an interactive art exhibit
The Broad
221 S. Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Saturday, May 23, 10:00 AM
$21

Berry happy to be here

The Garden Grove Strawberry Festival returns to honor the city’s rich agricultural roots and strawberry-growing history. Started in 1958, this festival transforms Garden Grove into a carnival filled with rides, parades, contests, live entertainment, and a basket full of berry-themed fun. From longtime locals to first-time visitors, the festival offers a nostalgic slice of Americana with something for every age.

Garden Grove Strawberry Festival, patriotic strawberry character wearing an American flag hat, shoes and holding American flags.
Village Green Park
12732 Main St
Garden Grove, CA 92840
Friday, May 22, 1:01 PM
Free

A century of LA architecture

Aloud presents A Hundred Years of Architecture in Los Angeles, a conversation exploring LA’s architectural legacy. In celebration of the Los Angeles Central Library Centennial, this event brings together architects and designers Barbara Bestor, Leo Marmol, and Pamela Shamshiri, moderated by architecture critic Frances Anderton. Together, they’ll trace a century of design movements that shaped the city’s visual identity. From Spanish Colonial Revival and Art Deco to Mid-Century Modern, the evening promises an engaging journey through the city’s built environment and cultural landmarks. To learn more about Mid-century modern architecture, watch the Artbound episode, Arts & Architecture: The Case Study House Program.

A Hundred Years of Architecture in Los Angeles
Los Angeles Central Library
630 W 5th St
Los Angeles, CA 90071
Wednesday, May 20, 7:01 PM
Free

Pride in the park

Celebrate love at the Echo Park Pride 2026 Celebration, a neighborhood gathering at one of LA’s most colorful communities. A free event featuring festivities, live performances, vendors, and community resources, embrace an inclusive atmosphere where everyone is invited to show up proudly and authentically.

Echo Park Pride 2026 Celebration, image of a pride flag blowing in the wind
El Centro Del Pueblo
1157 Lemoyne St
Los Angeles, CA 90026
Saturday, May 23, 12:01 PM
Free

Support Provided By