Every Thursday, we start looking forward to the weekend ahead with one word in mind: recovery. That resolve lasts for all of ten seconds, until we start reading through event listings, scouring restaurant guides, and sending in (very) last-minute RSVPs to friends' birthdays and just-because's. If your Friday through Sunday looks anything like ours, you can probably kiss those weekday daydreams about 48-hour sleepathons goodbye. In its stead, we're going to keep you going from morning to midnight with tons of free events, live music, and great grub.
Go on, get the deets...
Quick aside: Don't forget to enter our Whole Foods gift card giveaway! Contest ends Sunday, and the winner will be announced in the BGG Playlist on Monday.
Friday
Tonight is all about eating well and catching an awesome show -- there are a ton of options for live music to choose from (don't you love LA?) but first, let's start with a bite and a buzz. Earlier this year, Discover Los Angeles put together definitive dining guides for eating out in every neighborhood. Read through the full best-ofthe-best list, or pick from one of our Broke Girl Guide-approved options below:
Santa Monica: Huckleberry Cafe and Restaurant
Pasadena: La Grande Orange Cafe
Venice: Gjelina
Hollywood: 54Twenty
Downtown: Spice Table
Feel free to linger over dessert and drinks, or snag the check as soon as you're done and head to your show of choice:
Private Label: Twin Shadow with Wynn, Strange Talk (DJ set) at Lure Nightclub, $10; The Black Angels with The Black Ryder at The Observatory, $20; comedian Andy Kindler & friends at The Improv, $18; The Airborne Toxic Event at the Pacific Amphitheatre, $27.50; Glass Candy, Goddollars, Dave P & Sammy Slice United at The Fonda Theatre, free with RSVP here; Hello Seahorse and Bonnz at Los Globos, $6.
Saturday
South Bay
Need an excuse to spend the day at the beach? We didn't think so, but in case anyone asks, you're there to catch the Manhattan Beach Open. In its 53rd year, the MBO is the longest-running beach volleyball tournament and this year's edition has actual past Olympians competing for $200,000. Your consolation prize? Attendance is free.
Hollywood
Common Broke Girl knowledge: YouTube is a great place to get free, DIY advice on everything from at-home yoga to cute, achievable hair without the high price. Those who prefer to catch their favorite vloggers in person (along with free swag bags from Bare Escentuals) can do so at the first annual BeautyCon. At the Siren Studios; registration is free.
The writers/comedians behind hilariously adorable HelloGiggles are hosting a panel at the UCB. We're obsessed with this idea -- and apparently everyone else is, too, because they're already anticipating a waitlist. Buy tickets here ($10).
Mid-Wilshire/Miracle Mile
Grab a few girlfriends and head to The Deco Building on Wilshire for an afternoon of shopping, silent auctions, a celebrity psychic and food truck grub -- and if all that wasn't convincing on its own, up to 100% of the profits are going to a great cause -- to help cover medical expenses for a local family touched by cancer. Attendance is free, and you can learn more about the family's amazing efforts here.
Downtown
Back in the early days of FYF Fest, LA's end-of-summer indie concert, tickets were a Broke Girl-friendly $25. The festival's profile has since risen, and while a weekend pass will set you back a cool $99, it gets you stageside for sets by My Bloody Valentine, MGMT, TV on the Radio, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Solange, and Beach House -- and those are just the headliners. Check out our FYF-inspired fashion guide, and be sure to look for picture perfect highlights from Broke Girl's Guide (on Instagram and Twitter @BrokeGirlsGuide) and get at us with your own favorite moments (#bggfyf).
If you won't be making it down to FYF, head to one of these other shows:
Urban Outfitters x Converse Present Bleached & Dum Dum Girls at the new UO store in Malibu. Free beer plus transportation to and from makes this a fuss free option. Follow @UO_LosAngeles for more info.
Bonobo, Z-Trip, and KCRW morning heartthrob Jason Bentley at the Pacific Amphitheatre, $32+; Peter Frampton, B.B. King, and Sonny Landreth at the Greek Theatre, $53+; The Colourist at the Observatory, $10; KCRW Summer Night with Rocky Dawuni, free at the Levitt Pavilion in MacArthur Park; and 2013 Grammy winners Quetzal, free at the Levitt Pavilion in Pasadena.
Sunday
Downtown
Grand Park's Sunday Sessions presents another free afternoon of picnics and electronic music at (you guessed it) Grand Park, followed by a free movie screening of everyone's favorite Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan rom com, Sleepless in Seattle. Festivities from 2-10 pm.
Hollywood
Feeling like an all-day poolside bacchanalian? Start at Drai's Sunday Dayclub with GTA ($20), then party on into sets by Oliver & Mighty Mouse at 10 pm -- tickets here.
Other Shows:
Part Time Punks, Fear of Men, and Dunes at the Echo, $8; 40th Anniversary of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon at the Pacific Amphitheatre, $28+; Tongue & Groove presents an open mic night for fiction, essays, poetry and spoken word at The Hotel Cafe, $6.
