A Kid-Friendly Guide to KCRW’s Summer Nights

Image Credit: Asha Mone for KCRW

I’ve been taking my little ones to see outdoor concerts ever since they were old enough to wear earplugs, and one of our family’s favorite series is KCRW Summer Nights.

So you can imagine my excitement when I got some special news to share with the Backseat Babies family — the KCRW Summer Nights schedule has landed!

While all the events sound incredible as per usual (Good Food night market at the Wende museum, anyone?), there were a few that stood out as being especially exciting for the junior music lovers in our house:

• KCRW DJs SiLVA and Raul Campos at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium

• An early evening at Kidspace from 4–8 PM with Anne Litt and Peanut Butter Wolf

• Taste of Downtown Long Beach with Raul Campos and Nassir Nassirzadeh (take the train!)

• J.Rocc and LUXXURY at Union Station (definitely take the train!)

• Special guest DJ Trixie Mattel at the Autry Museum, with KCRW DJs SiLVA and Ale Cohen

Thirteen of the events are at museums, which means that aside from seeing a great set or two, you can also check out the space for free.

Plus, I’ve got something extra special to announce — the first-ever official Backseat Babies meet-up at the La Brea Tar Pits Summer Nights event! We’ll be spread out in a special picnic area on the lawn, close enough to the dance zone to get your wiggle on, but at a comfortable distance from those all-too-effective speakers.

We’ll bring the earplugs and a cooler full of juice boxes, and you BYOD, bring your own dino. Kids are invited to wear their prehistoric finery (break out those T. Rex costumes), bring along their favorite dinosaur-themed toys, puzzles, or figurines, and encourage them to show off their roars on our picnic blanket.

The museum will be free and open, and there will be some exciting events happening both in and outside (I’m hearing rumors of puppets…), with food trucks and a special 21+ beer garden, so make sure to bring a couple of volunteer babysitters along.

It’s going to be so much fun, and I am beyond excited to connect with this special community in person. I can’t wait to see you all there!

Speaking of community, the launch of Summer Nights coincides with KCRW’s spring fundraiser. Your support is what makes these Summer Nights and every event possible, all year long, helping the station put on positive, family-friendly experiences that are free for all Angelenos to enjoy. And as a card-carrying KCRW member since high school, I can confidently say that all the cool kids (and cool parents!) are doing it.

What’s Happening This Weekend:

Friday, May 15th

Truly, is there any better way to start your weekend than with Jazz at LACMA? Take in a set from Julius Rodriguez, then swing by the Boone Children’s Gallery for free family art activities.

This one is all the way out in Fountain Valley, but there was something so anarchically delightful about the idea of a Crawfish Festival that I had to include it. Kids under 12 get in free!

Saturday, May 16th

It’s a big day at Bob Baker with the opening of the Choochoo Revue! Their first original show in 40 years, this railway fantasy promises an imaginative journey for fans, young and old.

I love a good night market, and our friends Morphin are playing a set at this Artisan Thai Market in Chinatown. Catch me jamming out with a baby on my hip and kanom krok in my hand.

The Velaslavasay Panorama is such a gem, and their sixteenth annual LA old time social promises to be as weird and wonderful as ever. Think square dancing, workshops, and musical cakes from ten to midnight.

For a more sedate Saturday, the Clarkia Flower Festival at UCLA’s Mathias Botanical Garden will be an all-day celebration of community and flowers, with nature programming, live music, and food.

Over at The Village Well, they’re hosting a meet and greet with the founders of The People Place, where they’ll share resources and their favorite parenting books.

Sunday, May 17th

If you’ve got creepy crawly lovers in your household, the 40th annual bug fair at the Natural History Museum is a must this Sunday. Get hands-on with creepy crawly crafts and activities of all kinds.

Reset for the week with a healing binaural sound bath at the Philosophical Research Society. If little ones get a case of the wiggly-wobblies, a kind librarian just might be willing to give you a tour of the forbidden dark arts library (yes, this is a real thing!).

Wander down four garden blocks full of art at the Beverley Hills Art Show, the perfect way to enjoy a sunny Sunday and channel your inner aesthete.

The Getty is hosting an all day Family Festival tied to their exhibit Photography and the Black Arts Movement, 1955–1985, with live music, dance, storytelling, and interactive workshops honoring the Black Arts Movement.

This is not the first time I’ve recommended sunset music on the LA river, and it certainly won’t be the last. There’s just something so magical about rounding out the weekend by the water, listening to vibey tunes, and watching the herons at play.