Cinco de Mayo: There'll be plenty of margarita-based merriment around town, with many fiestas happening on Cinco de Mayo Eve, but for large-scale entertainment-rich events, you'll want to visit Olvera Street for "popular and traditional music, exhibitor booths, cultural dancing, and plenty of delicious Mexican food" on May 4 and 5. At Heritage Hill in Lake Forest, it's the Rancho Days Fiesta on May 4. Mighty wrestlers'll reign, along with burlesque artists and comedians, at The Mayan Theatre as Lucha VaVoom celebrates Cinco de Mayan on May 3, 4, and 5. And at the Citadel Outlets? Ballet Folklorico will fill the early afternoon hours on May 5.
Cinco Savories 'n Sips: Of course, you may also be looking for a regal relleno or a stellar tequila-based sip, and several destinations, restaurants, and bars'll also deliver on that foodie front. Taco Madness delivers the delish to La Plaza de Cultura y Artes on May 4, oh yeah. Fuego in Long Beach'll have live Latin jazz and a Latin Sunday brunch, a pop-up margarita garden will grace Gracias Madre in West Hollywood, Petty Cash has a special brunch, Whiskey Red's and The Proud Bird'll offer five-dollar margaritas, The Fields LA'll have a fiesta with several food specials, and Here and Now will celebrate both Cinco de Mayo and "Star Wars" Day, all weekend long.
"Star Wars" Day: Put the finishing touches on your Leia buns or find your favorite Finn-inspired outfit, for several places will honor the annual Force-tastic holiday on May the Fourth. May the Fourth, er, Force be with you at Disneyland, where Hyperspace Mountain will open (at Space Mountain) on May 4. The Void has a 4-for-3 deal on May 4 on its immersive "Secrets of the Empire" VR experience, so head for Santa Monica, Glendale, or Anaheim. And younger fans can dress up and have fun at a special Kidspace Children's Museum May the Fourth event in Pasadena.
Free Comic Book Day: It's kind of a magical thing, when "Star Wars" Day and the occasion devoted to scoring complimentary comics fall on the very same day. It doesn't happen every year, but it will in 2019, so make for your favorite independent comic book shop (as long as it is participating) and pick up a great comic book that you'll pay nothing to get (it is pre-selected for the day, do note). Do people show in costume? Often. Is there a festive air in the shops, with other special events popping up? It happens. Most of all, it is about showing love to our superb indies, with those gratis comics serving as a secondary perk.
POP SK8 opens: We're fortunate enough to see plenty of frosty-of-spirit ice rinks show up around the holidays, here around Southern California, but pop-up roller rinks? The kind that might make an appearance during the warm months? Not really a thing. That could all change this summer, for this limited-time, three-city skate scene is Hokey-Pokey-ing into our worlds, first in Valencia starting on May 4, then Woodland Hills, and finally Culver City for much of July and a little of August. Theme nights, rentable cabanas, contests, and more lace'd-up livelines is on deck.
