It's Going To Be A Great Weekend For Free Events In Los Angeles

Looks like there are a lot of interesting and varied events going on this weekend and the great thing is that many of them are free. In that vein, I thought I would spotlight a few that look like the best bets, including a couple I might like to attend (if I get a spare second during this super busy period for me!). ALL of the events below are free.

If you are into classic theater, there are two Shakespeare festivals and a reading of Anton Chekhov's masterwork, The Seagull, being staged this weekend. The first Shakespeare outing is being held in San Pedro when the Shakespeare by the Sea series ends its Summer run on Saturday with a performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream, the Bard's play where the impish Puck makes mischief with fairy royalty and human lovers alike, leading them on a merry midsummer night chase.

If you are not ready to hike down to San Pedro but still want to get your Shakespeare fix, Griffith Park hosts its own Summer Shakespeare series. This weekend will have The Taming of the Shrew performed Saturday night and Twelfth Night performed on Sunday night. The plays are staged by the Independent Shakespeare Company, a group founded in 1998 by actors sharing a passion for classical works who "focus on stripping back the conventions of contemporary theater and discovering efficient, entertaining ways to bring great works to a modern audience". 

Chekov's The Seagull is being staged by the Downtown Repertory Theater Company at the Historic Pico House in the Olvera Street section Downtown. The 1895 play explores the tensions between mothers, sons, lovers, friends and servants and its story centers around a famous actress, Irina Arkadina, who is obsessed with a callous lover, dismissive of her frustrated son and suspicious of an admiring young woman.

If fitness is your thing, the Santa Monica Pier and the Ferrigno family fitness dynasty present Hey There Muscles - Lean Fitness by FerrignoFIT, a six-week fitness and wellness program at the Pier on Saturdays at 9 a.m. This Saturday is the last class of the Summer and is focused on creating lean muscle and healthy living and eating habits, taught by the original Hulk himself, Lou Ferrigno. 

There is also the Bombay Jam Fitness Class at Blanks Studios in Sherman Oaks Saturday that incorporates cardio and toning routines into a total body workout with routines set to custom music mixes created by Bombay's hottest DJs (the music is a blend of Bollywood and mainstream Top 40 tracks). The cardio routines incorporate basic, easy to follow dance fitness moves with Bollywood flare, and the toning segment focuses on sculpting long, lean muscle in the hour-long class where you can burn up to 800 calories!

And finally, if you just want to have a few drinks, listen to great music and sample some of the area's best food trucks, Timbuk2, the makers of those super-cool backpacks that are in vogue with everyone from bicyclists to farmers market shoppers to beach-goers, are opening up their new store in Venice with a 2-day grand-opening celebration Saturday and Sunday featuring local craft beer, complimentary photobooth pics, live music and surprise giveaways and discounts.

Hard to believe all of this stuff is free but it is, so if you go to any of these events please let me know on my Facebook page how they were. Maybe I'll see you at the free Roberta Flack concert at Burton Chace Park Saturday night!