LA Pride: There's no wonder that the billing "one of the largest pride festivals in the world" is so often applied to West Hollywood's three-day, joy-tastic, mega-so-much-to-do-tacular. There are the concerts -- Kesha and Wilson Phillips are two headliners -- and the dance areas and mondo parties -- that roller rink is back so break out the disco wear -- and the community -- look for booths, speakers and gatherings celebrating LGBT -- and that huge, huge, group-filled, celeb-cameo'd parade, which sees about 400,000 spectators, give or take. Dates? Pride blooms in and around Santa Monica Boulevard from June 12-14.
Hello Kitty Supercute Friendship Festival: When Hello Kitty Con wrapped last fall, and then the exhibit at the Japanese American National Museum, many SoCalers thought those might be the last fun events spotlighting the Sanrio icon, one of pop culture's most recognizable characters, at least for the time being. But let the sad frowns be banished: A live entertainment tour, with photo opportunities and a chance to dress up in your most colorful, bow-topped costume, has presented itself. Be fabulous and sparkly at The Forum from June 12 through 14. Really, though: Dress up, if you love dressing up.
LA Film Fest: Our town may send tons of movies out to the wider planet, but what do we like to do when it comes time just to throw our own kind of shindig here at home? Why we enjoy the Los Angeles Film Festival, a multi-day party that'll include 74 feature films, some 60 shorts, and a whole film-filled barrel of panels and parties and happenings. The place is downtown, the to-dos are plentiful, and the chance to get your Oscar predictions on, early, starts now. Through Wednesday, June 17.
Sherlock Holmes Exhibition: What would the world's greatest fictional detective deduce about the opening weekend of a large-scale exhibit detailing his life and times, a show based at the Discovery Cube Orange County? The celebrated gumshoe might consult Mr. Watson and then suggest that the exhibition would be filled with items pertaining to the science of Sherlock, the pop culture phenomenon the character has spurred, author Arthur Conan Doyle's letters, and more mayhem (mayhem of the best, Sherlockian sort, of course. Opening day is June 11, puzzle-solvers.
Happy 100th, 3-D Cinema: Though many of associate stereoscopic movie-making with the 1950s, it got its spectacular start long ahead of that decade, back in June of 1915, to be exact. The Aero Theatre and American Cinematheque are celebrating its centennial with several screenings of flicks hailing from 3-D's Golden Age. "House of Wax," "The Creature from the Black Lagoon," and other wowza, glasses-cool gems are on the schedule from June 11 through June 14.
