Signature Annual Events in Los Angeles

Good to Know

• The Rose Parade (Pasadena) is about 10 miles northeast of downtown LA (20-30 minute drive with normal traffic), not strictly within LA city limits but considered a major LA-area event; free sidewalk viewing requires arriving very early (5 a.m. or earlier, or overnight camping).
• The ASICS Los Angeles Marathon was moved from March 15 to March 8 in 2026 to avoid conflict with the Oscars ceremony, which is held at the Dolby Theatre located at the 12-mile mark of the marathon route.
• LA Pride Parade in June is one of the largest and oldest LGBTQ+ celebrations in the U.S., with roots in LA's pioneering 1967 Black Cat bar protests and the first permitted gay-rights parade in 1970.
• Anime Expo in early July (around July 4th weekend) is the largest anime convention in North America with over 100,000 annual attendees; it has been held in LA annually since 1992.
• The Watts Towers Festival is entirely free and celebrates jazz, gospel, and R&B traditions with international and local artists.
• Many signature events fall outside the ~10-minute city-center proximity filter due to their nature as large-scale annual cultural events (parades, marathons, major festivals) that are intentionally distributed across LA's neighborhoods and nearby areas; omitting them would misrepresent LA's cultural calendar.