Free Things to Do in LA This Weekend: May 8 - 10, 2026
- May 1
- 8 min read
Below: 25+ free events across LA County, Friday through Sunday, grouped by day. Most are walk-up; a handful need an RSVP — we've flagged those.
TOP FREE PICKS THIS WEEKEND
Best Freebie: Lil Sweet Treat Grand Opening — Saturday, Abbot Kinney
Best Insider Move: Netflix Is a Joke "Comedy Jamwich!" at Canter's — Friday, Fairfax
Best for Families: Free Community Movie Night — Saturday, Will Rogers State Historic Park
Best Wellness Freebie: Smells Like Summer Tour Mother's Day Warm-Up — Saturday, Likeminded Studios Venice
Best Food Freebie: Planet Peach x Whata Peach Smoothie — May 8–10, all Whata Peach locations
Heads up: some events require an RSVP — flagged below. Always confirm with the venue before heading out; parking and transit vary, especially around The Grove, Abbot Kinney, and South Coast Plaza on Mother's Day weekend.
ONGOING FREE THINGS TO DO IN LA
The Getty Center — Brentwood
General admission is always free. Parking is $25, but the tram ride up the hill, the gardens, and the J. Paul Getty's permanent collection make it one of the best free afternoons in the city.
📍 1200 Getty Center Dr
🗓️ Tue–Sun, 10 AM – 5:30 PM (closed Mondays)
💰 Free admission
The Broad — DTLA
General admission is free with advance online reservation — and Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Mirrors is part of the permanent collection. Reserve a week or two ahead for weekend slots.
📍 221 S Grand Ave
🗓️ Tue–Sun (closed Mondays)
💰 Free with reservation
Greystone Mansion & Gardens — Beverly Hills
The Doheny estate that's been in roughly half the films you've seen. Sixteen acres of gardens, the mansion exterior, and one of the best public viewpoints in the 90210.
📍 905 Loma Vista Dr
🗓️ Daily, 10 AM – 5 PM
💰 Free admission
FRIDAY, MAY 8
SGS Fridays — Venice
The recurring Friday night social moves into The Penmar in Venice. Easy walk-up post-work move on the west side — bring a friend.
📍 The Penmar, 1233 Rose Ave
🗓️ Friday, May 8 | 5 PM
💰 Free
The Design House Exclusive Pop-Up — The Grove (runs May 8–10)
A three-day "exclusive" pop-up at The Grove that's actually free to walk into. Design installations, curated brand activations, and the crowd that already shops The Grove on a normal Friday.
📍 The Grove, 189 The Grove Dr
🗓️ Fri 4–10 PM | Sat 10 AM–10 PM | Sun 11 AM–8 PM
💰 Free
Things Between Birthday Sample Sale — Arts District (runs May 8–9)
The contemporary fashion label throws its birthday sample sale at ROW DTLA's Dock Street. Two days of discounted inventory in the most photogenic warehouse complex on the east side.
📍 ROW DTLA (Dock St), 777 S Alameda St
🗓️ Friday, May 8 – Saturday, May 9 | 10 AM – 6 PM
💰 Free entry
Netflix Is a Joke Presents: Comedy Jamwich! — Fairfax
The festival's free late-night set at Canter's Deli — the most LA combination Netflix Is a Joke has ever put together. Comedy + 24/7 deli + Fairfax. The Friday move if you don't already have a ticket.
📍 Canter's Deli, 419 N Fairfax Ave
🗓️ Friday, May 8 | 8 PM
💰 Free
Venice Family Clinic Art Exhibition + Auction — Venice
The annual benefit for one of LA's most important community health clinics turns Abbot Kinney into a daytime gallery. Big-name LA artists donate work; the public shows up to look (and bid, if they're feeling generous).
📍 910 Abbot Kinney Blvd
🗓️ Friday, May 8 | 11 AM – 6 PM
💰 Free entry
The Shore at Lido Marina Village — Newport Beach (runs May 8–10)
Lido Marina opens The Shore — a three-day waterfront pop-up with food, retail, and that Newport harbor backdrop. Mother's Day weekend in OC, but the drive is worth it for the setting alone.
📍 3300 Via Lido, Newport Beach
🗓️ Friday, May 8 – Sunday, May 10 | Opens 9 AM
💰 Free
Planet Peach × Whata Peach: Free Smoothie Drop (runs May 8–10)
Skincare brand Planet Peach takes over every Whata Peach location with a custom Planet Peach Smoothie. Saturday May 9, 11 AM–3 PM, the Studio City location is the on-site activation hub with extras.
📍 All Whata Peach locations (on-site activation: Whata Peach Studio City)
🗓️ May 8–10 (smoothie); May 9, 11 AM–3 PM (Studio City activation)
💰 Free smoothie
The BÉIS Warehouse Sale — Corona (runs May 8–10 + May 14–17)
The travel brand opens its Corona warehouse to the public. Discounted bags, suitcases, and accessories direct from the source. About an hour from Downtown — worth it if you've been eyeing a weekender.
📍 2250 Griffin Way, Corona
🗓️ May 8–10 + May 14–17 | 10 AM – 6 PM
💰 Free entry (sale prices on inventory)
Glow Recipe × SunLife Organics: Watermelon Glow Hwachae (runs through May 31)
Glow Recipe and SunLife Organics drop a co-branded Watermelon Glow Hwachae — Korean watermelon-and-pine-nut dessert in pink-soda Glow Recipe colors. At every SunLife location through May 31. LA spots include Calabasas, Larkspur, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, Thousand Oaks, and West Hollywood.
📍 All SunLife Organics LA locations
🗓️ Now through May 31
💰 Order to purchase (limited-edition collab item)
SATURDAY, MAY 9
Smells Like Summer Tour: Mother's Day Warm-Up — Venice
The wellness pop-up tour rolls through Likeminded Studios with a Mother's Day–themed morning session — workout, brunch, and brand samples. The kind of activation that performs on Reels and feels good in person.
📍 Likeminded Studios, 116 Washington Blvd
🗓️ Saturday, May 9 | 8 AM – 12 PM
💰 Free with RSVP
Lil Sweet Treat Grand Opening — Abbot Kinney
New Abbot Kinney sweets shop opens its doors with a 12-hour grand opening — free samples, opening-day-only specials, and a prime spot on the busiest stretch of the boulevard.
📍 1415 Abbot Kinney Blvd
🗓️ Saturday, May 9 | 11 AM – 11 PM
💰 Free
Mind Over Miles Matcha Run — Tustin
Community run starting at Pepper Tree Park, ending in matcha. OC pick that's a longer drive but the only matcha-themed run in the region this weekend.
📍 Pepper Tree Park, 230 W First St, Tustin
🗓️ Saturday, May 9 | 9 AM
💰 Free
Thunder Road 1-Year Anniversary — West Hollywood
The Santa Monica Boulevard music-bar hits its first birthday with a free day party. Cult-favorite spot for the people who already go; weekend introduction for the people who don't.
📍 7253 Santa Monica Blvd
🗓️ Saturday, May 9 | 2 PM – 6 PM
💰 Free
Dog Mom Picnic Party — Chinatown
The Mother's Day version for the dog moms. LA State Historic Park, vendor village, dog-friendly, free for everyone with or without paws.
📍 LA State Historic Park, 1245 N Spring St
🗓️ Saturday, May 9 | 3 PM – 5 PM
💰 Free
Free Community Movie Night — Pacific Palisades
Will Rogers State Historic Park hosts an outdoor screening — bring a blanket, doors at 6:30, movie at 8. The lowest-effort Saturday-night plan on this list.
📍 Will Rogers State Historic Park, 1501 Will Rogers State Park Rd
🗓️ Saturday, May 9 | Doors 6:30 PM, Movie 8 PM
💰 Free
Naturium: Glow Better Together — Multi-Location (runs May 9–10)
The skincare brand sets up at three LA outdoor spots for free morning glow sessions: Silver Lake Reservoir, Manhattan Beach Pier, and Studio City. Both weekend mornings, 9 AM–12 PM.
📍 Silver Lake Reservoir | Manhattan Beach (320 Manhattan Beach Blvd) | Studio City (12080 Ventura Pl)
🗓️ Saturday, May 9 + Sunday, May 10 | 9 AM – 12 PM
💰 Free
Stay Awhile Mobile Cafe (Dime Beauty) — Santa Monica
The mobile-cafe-meets-pop-up parks on the Promenade for one Saturday. Coffee, beauty samples, and Dime Beauty's curated brand setup right next to Victoria's Secret.
📍 1311 3rd Street Promenade
🗓️ Saturday, May 9 | 11 AM – 4 PM
💰 Free
New Balance Grey Days — Beverly Grove (runs May 9–10)
NB takes over both their Grey Days Space and NB Next Door for a two-day Grey Days celebration — the brand's annual nostalgia moment for runners, sneakerheads, and the LA crowd that knows what NB Grey means.
📍 Grey Days Space (8275 Beverly Blvd) + NB Next Door (8271 Beverly Blvd)
🗓️ Saturday, May 9 + Sunday, May 10 | 9 AM – 6 PM
💰 Free
Siren Season is Calling (CALPAK) — Venice
The travel brand turns The Brig into a summer-themed activation. Photo moments, CALPAK's full lineup, and the most-photographed bar on Abbot Kinney.
📍 The Brig, 1515 Abbot Kinney Blvd
🗓️ Saturday, May 9 | 11 AM – 7 PM
💰 Free
EB Denim × Soshe Mother's Day Pop-Up — Hancock Park
The local denim label and Soshe team up for a Saturday-only flagship activation. Custom denim, accessories, and in-store-only pricing on the La Brea corridor.
📍 EB Denim Flagship, 217 S La Brea
🗓️ Saturday, May 9 | 11 AM – 4 PM
💰 Free
Mother's Day Block Party at Credo — Abbot Kinney
The clean-beauty retailer turns its Abbot Kinney flagship into an all-day open house. Brand reps, samples, mini-services, and the walk-and-shop format Abbot Kinney does best.
📍 Credo Beauty, 1350 Abbot Kinney Blvd
🗓️ Saturday, May 9 | All Day
💰 Free
SUNDAY, MAY 10
Kiehl's Mother's Day Plans — Costa Mesa
Kiehl's South Coast Plaza flagship opens its doors for a free Mother's Day skincare experience — mini-facials, samples, gift wrapping if you're shopping. Walk-up.
📍 Kiehl's South Coast Plaza, 3333 Bristol St Unit #1021
🗓️ Sunday, May 10 | 12 PM – 6 PM
💰 Free
Mother's Day Run/Walk — Pasadena
Run With Us's annual Mother's Day morning event on Lake Avenue. Family-friendly, walk or run pace, and the kind of low-key Sunday tradition Pasadena does best.
📍 Run With Us, 235 N Lake Ave
🗓️ Sunday, May 10 | 8 AM
💰 Free
Collab Happy Hour at Boba Guys — Echo Park
Boba Guys's Rideback Ranch location hosts a Sunday evening collab — drink specials, brand partners on-site, the chillest possible Sunday hang on Beverly.
📍 Boba Guys – Rideback Ranch, 1670 Beverly Blvd
🗓️ Sunday, May 10 | 3 PM – 6 PM
💰 Free
Mother's Day Buns & Beauty — Brentwood Farmers' Market
The Brentwood Farmers' Market does its Mother's Day version: hair-styling pop-up, beauty brand booths, and the regular Sunday market lineup.
📍 Brentwood Farmers' Market
🗓️ Sunday, May 10 | 9 AM – 2 PM
💰 Free
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