Fun Things To Do This Weekend in Southern California — April 17-19, 2026
Photo by Brian Furutani, Acura Grand Prix
Fun Things To Do This Weekend in Southern California — April 17-19, 2026
Got weekend plans? We do! Whether you’re looking for a family adventure, a budget-friendly outing, or just something fun to do, we’ve rounded up the best events happening this weekend. Check out what’s going on!
✍️ Bookmark this page and check back every week!
🚗 Know Before You Go: Confirm details with the event organizer before making plans. We’re here to help you find the fun, but changes, cancellations, and mistakes can happen!
Happening All Weekend – April 17-19
FREE! Annual Parade & Carnival
Hawaiian Gardens
Families can enjoy live music, youth performances, and a full weekend carnival vibe with shows, cheering on performers, and community festivities.
FREE! Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour
Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall, Los Angeles
Fans can explore Dragon Ball games, panels, and live competitions, plus interactive booths and limited-edition collectibles.
FREE! Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival
Old Town Newhall, Santa Clarita
Step into the Old West with live music and history demos. Kids can pan for gold, meet farm animals, and try frontier crafts.
FREE! Bunka-Sai Japanese Cultural Festival
Ken Miller Recreation Center, Torrance
Experience Japanese culture with performances, crafts, and hands-on demos including origami, martial arts, and games.
Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach
Acura Grand Prix, Long Beach
A three-day festival combining world-class racing and family-friendly activities. The Family Fun Zone features rock climbing walls, games, simulators, and mini race cars.
Springfest in Redondo Beach
Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, Redondo Beach
A carnival and community festival featuring rides, games, live music, food trucks, and a kid’s zone.
Apple Blossom Festival
Oak Tree Mountain, Oak Glen
Celebrate spring with live music, crafts, and mountain festival vibes. Kids can explore blooms, enjoy treats, and play outdoors.
Saturday – April 18
FREE! Good To Go Fair
Pretend City Children’s Museum, Irvine
Attend free developmental, vision, dental, and social-emotional health screenings for children ages 0–5. Complete 3 screenings and earn a free admission ticket to Pretend City Children’s Museum.
FREE! Spring Native Gathering and Powwow
California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), Carson
Experience traditional Native dances, drums, and cultural performances. Kids can try beading, explore crafts, and enjoy youth activities.
FREE! Open Space Celebration
Quail Hill Trailhead, Irvine
Enjoy a pancake breakfast, outdoor exhibits, and a guided nature hike. Kids can meet mounted police horses and explore hands-on activities.
FREE! Earth Day Beach Clean Up & Educational Fair
San Clemente Pier, San Clemente
Join a beach cleanup and explore an educational fair by the ocean. Kids can see city vehicles, play games, and grab free giveaways.
FREE! Mariachi Music Festival
Downey High School, Downey
Enjoy live mariachi performances and folklorico dance all day long. Kids can watch student groups, explore culture, and grab food truck treats.
FREE! Inglewood STEM Fest
Edward Vincent, Jr. Park, Inglewood
Explore STEM through sports with hands-on activities and demos. Kids can meet professional sports teams, try STEM activity stations, and learn while playing.
FREE! Earth Day Festival
Costa Mesa City Hall, Costa Mesa
Explore eco booths, games, and hands-on demos at this Earth Day festival. Kids can plant flowers, win prizes, and take home free compost.
FREE! Community Arts Festival
Central Park, Rancho Cucamonga
Celebrate local art, live performances, and creative exhibits. Kids can try hands-on activities and explore interactive art experiences.
FREE! CMA Grand Opening | Cabrillo Marine Aquarium
Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, San Pedro
Celebrate Earth Day at the grand opening of a newly renovated Exhibit Hall. Join a beach cleanup, ribbon cutting, tours, puppet shows, films, and food trucks throughout the day.
FREE! Earth Day at the Bay
Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center, Newport Beach
Celebrate Earth Day with crafts, science activities, and live music by the bay. Kids can complete a scavenger hunt and win prizes.
FREE! Family Art Day (Earth Day Event)
Crystal Cove State Park, Laguna Beach
Create art inspired by pollinators and nature at this beachside event. Kids can paint, build, and contribute to a community mural.
FREE! Earth Day Celebration
The Shops at Rossmoor, Seal Beach
Celebrate Earth Day with ocean-themed crafts, games, and hands-on fun. Kids can touch sea animals and take photos with a shark character.
FREE! Earth Day Celebration
DeForest Park, Long Beach
Celebrate Earth Day with crafts, a butterfly release, and community fun. Kids can enjoy face painting, balloon twisting, and free lunch for early arrivals.
FREE! Kite Festival
Ascot Hills Park, Los Angeles
Fly kites, enjoy live music, and explore a fun outdoor festival marking 20 years of Ascot Hills Park. Kids can grab free kites (while supplies last), make crafts, and LA residents can pick up a tree, rain barrel, or compost pail.
FREE! Children’s Day Fun Fair
Barton Park, Anaheim
Enjoy games, crafts, and a fun-filled community fair at the park. Kids can grab popcorn, win prizes, and play all afternoon.
FREE! DTLB Live!
The Promenade, Long Beach
Build and race Pinewood Derby cars while enjoying live music and vendors. Kids can compete for prizes and explore a lively downtown event.
Easy Mornings
Gloria Molina Grand Park, Los Angeles
Enjoy nature-inspired activities including family yoga, arts & crafts, face painting, storytelling, and a sensory break space. Also check out the free outdoor festival across the street with live music, dance performances, and interactive art-making to the day.
Caterpillar Adoption & Earth Day Festival
The Children’s Museum at La Habra
Adopt a live caterpillar and watch it transform into a butterfly at home. Kids can explore bee exhibits, crafts, and hands-on Earth Day activities.
Kidchella
Club Joyful, Venice
Enjoy live kids music, bubbles, glitter, and play zones at this mini festival. Kids can dance, create, and explore all morning long.
Earth Day Celebration
The Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College, Moorpark
Meet animal ambassadors, explore conservation booths, and celebrate Earth Day. Kids can see wildlife up close and take home free trees and seeds.
Spring Krazy Krafts Day
International Printing Museum, Carson
Create prints, books, and paper crafts at this hands-on art day. Kids can try letterpress, stamping, and screen printing.
Water Lantern Festival
Hansen Dam Aquatic Center, Lake View Terrace
Watch glowing lanterns light up the water in a peaceful evening event. Families can create memories and enjoy a beautiful nighttime experience.
Grand Opening Party
Sender One, Aliso Viejo
Celebrate the grand opening of a new climbing gym with a DJ, raffles, vendors, a ribbon cutting ceremony, and shortened Sender City sessions. Day passes are $20.
FREE! Short Dawgs in Da House
Ventura Harbor Village, Ventura
Watch adorable dog races, contests, and waterfront festival fun. Kids can cheer on pups, explore vendors, and see the Biggest Weenie Race.
Sunday – April 19
FREE! Avocado Festival in Fallbrook
Avocado Festival in Fallbrook
Celebrate all things avocado with food, contests, and festival fun. Kids can race in the Avo 500 and explore hands-on activities.
FREE! Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival
Bowers Museum, Santa Ana
Enjoy taiko drumming, dance, and cherry blossom crafts. Kids can make art, watch bonsai demos, and try a cherry pie treat.
FREE! Earth Day Celebration
Wilmington Waterfront Promenade
Enjoy live entertainment, a birds of prey show, and waterfront fun. Kids can do crafts, get face painting, and explore eco activities.
FREE! Palisades Earth Day & VegFest
Palisades Village Green, Pacific Palisades
Explore eco booths, native plants, and vegan eats at this community Earth Day fest. Kids can enjoy activities, face painting, and fun surprises.
Earth Day Festival
Natural History Museum, Los Angeles
Explore museum exhibits, live shows, and hands-on Earth Day activities. Kids can build with LEGO®, plant seeds, and meet live animals.
Dinosaur World Live
Irvine Barclay Theatre, Irvine
Watch life-like dinosaurs come to life on stage in this interactive show, then meet a dinosaur after the performance.
Touch-A-Truck™
Westfield Sherman Oaks Fashion Square Mall
Explore fire trucks, construction vehicles, and hands-on play zones. Kids can meet local heroes and take photos with Paw Patrol characters.
Wildlife Wonders
Sherman Library & Gardens, Corona Del Mar
Meet birds of prey, zoo animals, and wildlife experts in the gardens. Kids can create owl crafts and explore hands-on nature activities.
🪁 Ongoing Events
March 13 – May 17: Butterfly Season
Kidspace Children’s Museum, Pasadena
Dress up with monarch wings, explore bug safaris, and adopt live caterpillars during this spring pollinator celebration. Included with admission.
March 21 – April 26: FREE! Tanaka Strawberry Festival
Tanaka Farms, Irvine
Free admission with free activities including wagon rides, Easter Bunny photos, barnyard animals, and a 30-minute all-you-can-eat Strawberry Feast; U-Pick Strawberry Tours available with paid reservations.
April 3 – June 30: Grunion Runs
Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, San Pedro
Watch grunion come ashore during a staff-led beach observation; each evening includes aquarium entry, a short film, a hatching experience, and a beach-side grunion watch.
April 3 – 19: LA Spring Fair
La Prada Event Plaza, South El Monte
The largest spring festival in Los Angeles County with carnival amusement rides, carnival games, local artisans, and live music.
April 4 – May 3: FREE! The Lizard & El Sol
Parks Across Pasadena & Altadena
A bilingual outdoor theater show for ages 0–5 featuring music, storytelling, and crafts in local parks.
📚 Local Library Events
- LA County Libraries (88 branches)
- Long Beach Public Libraries (12 branches)
- OC Public Libraries (27 branches)
- Anaheim Public Library (7 branches)
- Irvine Public Library (3 branches)
🔍 Looking for more fun things to do?
👉 Check out the full Kidsguide Calendar
👉 Don’t miss these Limited-Time Events & Experiences
👉 Mark your calendar with even more upcoming Free Events
Disclaimer: The Kidsguide team does their best to keep event details accurate at the time of posting, but information can change without notice! Be sure to double-check with the event organizer before heading out. Kidsguide is not responsible for any errors, omissions, or changes on our calendar—we’re just here to help you find the fun!
Categories: Blog
This post was written by Kidsguide
