June in Southern California
A month so full of things worth doing that staying home begins to feel like a personal failing.
June in Southern California arrives the way a good host does — unhurried, confident, and already holding something remarkable. The marine layer burns off by ten. The evenings are long and warm and forgiving. And this particular June, the calendar is so full that you will need to make actual decisions about your actual life. We suggest you start now.
Here is where to be.
The Weekend That Turns a Sidewalk Into a Gallery
On June 20th and 21st, over 500 chalk artists descend on The Paseo at 300 E. Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena and proceed to do things to a public sidewalk that most people couldn't do on canvas. The 33rd Annual Pasadena Chalk Festival runs 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. both days, draws over 20,000 visitors, raises money for arts education, and costs nothing to attend. It is, in the most literal sense, a gift. Bring comfortable shoes and low expectations for how much ground you'll actually cover. You will stop more than you think.
Twelve Days of Desert Culture
From June 11th through the 22nd, Palm Springs transforms into something it already half was — an open-air cultural playground. XOXO Palm Springs is a new citywide arts and culture festival spreading across theaters, galleries, historic landmarks, boutique hotels, and outdoor stages throughout the city. Theater, dance, film, architecture, visual art, live music — all of it woven into the desert landscape that has been inspiring artists since before it was fashionable to admit it. Twelve days. One city that knows exactly what to do with them.
The Short Film That Stays With You Longest
Also in Palm Springs, the International ShortFest returns June 23rd through the 29th for its 32nd edition — one of the largest showcases of short-form cinema in North America, complete with Academy Award-qualifying awards and $25,000 in prizes. Short films are the medium that rewards attention in the most concentrated form: ten minutes, sometimes five, and if the filmmaker is good, you carry it with you for years. This festival has been finding those filmmakers for three decades.
Santa Barbara Does What Santa Barbara Does
On June 20th, downtown Santa Barbara closes the street and hands it over to the 52nd Annual Summer Solstice Celebration — bold costumes, colorful floats, dancers, live music, and the particular joy of a city that understands that sometimes the correct use of a public street is a parade. This year's theme is "Wild World." The celebration ends at Alameda Park for live music, boutique shopping, and a wine and beer garden. It is free. It is spectacular. It is deeply, characteristically Santa Barbara.
And if you find yourself in Santa Barbara on June 27th, the Lavender Festival at Santa Barbara City College brings together over 75 local artisans celebrating creativity through the one plant that manages to smell like both a garden and a spa simultaneously. The Santa Barbara Wine Festival runs the same day at the Museum of Natural History — commemorative glass included.
One Night at the Zoo
On June 6th, the Santa Barbara Zoo hosts Zoo Brew — unlimited tastings from over 30 local breweries on a grassy hillside overlooking the Pacific, with live entertainment and the quiet understanding that this is one of the more civilized ways a person can spend a Friday evening. Tickets required and worth every penny.
The Bowl Season Begins
The Santa Barbara Bowl — one of the most beautiful outdoor venues in all of Southern California — opens its summer concert season with shows on June 2nd, June 13th, and June 17th. There are few better arguments for living in this part of the world than sitting in that amphitheater on a warm June evening while music moves through the hills. Check sbbowl.com for the lineup.
Cars on a Lawn in San Marino
On June 14th, Lacy Park in San Marino hosts the San Marino Motor Classic — one of Southern California's most distinguished concours d'elegance events. World-class collector cars arranged on one of the most beautiful lawns in the San Gabriel Valley, surrounded by people who understand that an automobile can be, in the right hands, genuinely moving. Even if you've never considered yourself a car person, this might be the day that changes things.
An Art Movement Reconsidered
On June 4th, David Zwirner Los Angeles opens California Light and Space (The 21st Century Version) — a group exhibition running through August 1st exploring the art movement that California invented and the world eventually noticed. Free admission. Worth the drive from anywhere in the region. (See our full feature.)