Don your queenly outfit and join the royal procession to Irwindale.
By Alysia Gray Painter ••
The Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire Opens: Snapping a photo with Good Queen Bess, cheering on the jesters and madrigal performers, or joining a special theme weekend (pirates, time travelers) are just some of the merry options open to visitors to the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area in Irwindale. As, of course, is the eating of turkey legs. It's an every-weekend kind of thing, from April 8 through May 21, and donning your tights, boots, or fancy-pants ruff is part of the party.
Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach: Sure, all of the very (very) fast action'll be on the closed-to-traffic, open-to-race-cars streets of downtown LBC, but there are tons of to-dos off the track, from concerts (hello, Billy Idol and Billy Gibbons) to the Lifestyle Expo to Mickey and the Road Racers Pit Stop, "an interactive family experience." Marvel at the speed and power of the racers, then take in some tunes or eats, April 7 through 9.
GPLB
Drift cars, Stadium Super Trucks and sports cars add to the action at the Grand Prix of Long Beach.
Getty Images
This is the most familiar type of car at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Featured in Sunday's main event, the IndyCar competition features cars with a heavy dose of aerodynamic style. In this photo, Scott Dixon of New Zealand and driver of the Target Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara Honda makes a turn during the IndyCar Series Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 21, 2013.
John Bosma/Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach
The field roars down Shoreline Drive during the IndyCar race.
Peter Murray/Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach
The International Motorsports Association (IMSA) WeatherTech Sportscar Championship event is basically several races in one featuring different classes of race cars on the track at the same time. Pictured here, an example from the 2016 Prototype field. The Prototype cars are designed from the ground up as race cars in contrast to production-based racers.
Doug Gifford/Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach
One of the most competitive sports car classes, production-based models from BMW, Porsche, Corvette and Ferrari battle on Shoreline Drive during the 2017 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. The IMSA race scheduled for Saturday afternoon is the third race of the season after two endurance events -- the 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring. In contrast, Long Beach will be a flat-out sprint. Keep track of the action by watching for the illuminated numbers on the sides of the cars -- you'll be able to tell that car's position in its class.
John Bosma/Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach
The Pirelli World Challenge race on Sunday morning also will feature a large field of production cars-turned-racers. Porsche, Audi, McLaren and Bentley are just some of the cars that compete in the Pirelli World Challenge series.
John Bosma/Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach
Here's where things take a turn -- and a flying leap. In addition to IndyCar and sports car racing, the weekend features these Stadium Super Trucks. Ramps are set up along the Long Beach course, sending the trucks airborne in a sight like no other during the weekend.
Peter Murray/Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach
The Stadium Super Trucks are built for whatever off-road duty is thrown at them, but they can make themselves at home on the streets of Long Beach, too.
John Bosma/Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach
The Motegi Racing Super Drift Challenge is in turns 9, 10 and 11 at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. The objective is to put the car into a controlled power-slide and impress the judges.
John Bosma/Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach
A well executed drift means the driver got as close as possible to markers set up on the turns. It's a test of car control that will be on display at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.
SoCal Corgi Beach Day: Southern California positively barks with interesting canine gatherings, but this meet-up of hundreds of corgis — let us repeat that, hundreds of corgis — tends to get a lot of love, and attention, from even the non-corgi contingent. The date is Saturday, April 8 (rain had been in the early forecast, but no longer), the theme is tiki (oh yes it is), and the cuteness will abound at Huntington Dog Beach.
Harry Potter Roller Skating Night: While the wizards of the Potter universe can move quite quickly — thank a host of spells for that, and their trusty, Quidditch-ready broomsticks — the wizards visiting Moonlight Rollerway in Glendale on Saturday, April 8 will sail thanks to the wheels beneath their feet. People will dress-up, tunes from the films will play, and other magical doings will burble up throughout the evening, like a delightful enchanted potion.
Broke LA Music & Arts Festival: All of the huge, clear-your-calendar warm-weather music festivals are just ahead, the kind of sound extravaganzas that can take some saving, some driving, and some sleeping over. But this in-town party keeps it way affordable, and keeps it to just a day. Make downtown for multiple stages, multiple acts, dog adoptions, and food truck action. The date? You can get your fest-y fill, for just $25 at the door, on Saturday, April 8.
