AUG. 21–22
Sunset Junction Street Fair
The 30th annual Sunset Junction Street Fair on Sunset and Santa Monica boulevards in Silver Lake celebrates diversity in Silver Lake, Echo Park and Loz Feliz—areas known for their colorful population of artists and musicians and racial and lifestyle diversity. It’s also one of L.A.’s biggest annual events, expected to attract more than 100,000 people a day this year. The fair features carnival rides and more than 200 food and retail vendors and nonprofit organization booths, but it’s best known for hosting three stages of live music. This year’s eclectic lineup includes Bad Brains, Shiny Toy Guns, Mayer Hawthorne, Meshell Ndegeochello and Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes. All proceeds from tickets ($15–$20) benefit the Sunset Junction Neighborhood Alliance.

JULY 29–AUG. 1
X GAMES 16 The ESPN-sponsored premier event for extreme sports—BMX biking, skateboarding, rally-car racing and motocross—returns to Staples Center, Nokia Theatre L.A. Live and the Los Angeles Coliseum, all downtown. Star athletes invited to compete include Canadian boarder Pierre-Luc Gagnon and BMX biker Dave Mirra.

OPENING AUG. 6
SANTA MONICA PLACE The revamped three-level, open-air shopping destination is just two blocks from the beach and at one end of the Third Street Promenade. In addition to a new Nordstrom (opening Aug. 27) and Bloomingdale’s, the shopping center offers a collection of fashionable retailers like Kitson, Burberry, Ever and Ed Hardy plus six chef-driven restaurants and 10 fast-casual eateries on its signature rooftop Dining Deck.

AUG. 6–8
RENT A star-studded production of this Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, featuring actress Vanessa Hudgens, pop singer Nicole Scherzinger and actor/comedian Wayne Brady, gets a three-day run at the Hollywood Bowl outdoor amphitheater. Actor Neil Patrick Harris makes his musical directing debut with this fully staged production.

THROUGH AUG. 8
THURGOOD Laurence Fishburne transforms into the first African American Supreme Court justice, Thurgood Marshall, in this biographical play at the Geffen Playhouse in Westwood. Fishburne’s Broadway performance of Marshall earned him many accolades including an Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Solo Performance and a Tony nod for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play.

THROUGH AUG. 8
THE LIEUTENANT OF INISHMORE The New York Times calls this dark comedy, written by Academy Award-winning, Olivier Award-winning and Tony Award-nominated Martin McDonagh, “brazenly and unapologetically a farce.” The plot centers on a hard-boiled terrorist played by Chris Pine (Star Trek), who returns home to avenge the death of his beloved cat. It’s onstage at the Mark Taper Forum downtown.

AUG. 26–28
SUNSET STRIP MUSIC FESTIVAL The Smashing Pumpkins headline the Saturday night finale of this three-day music festival in West Hollywood. The second annual fest honors the legendary guitarist Slash and features live performances at six Sunset Strip music venues. It concludes with a street festival, when the Strip is closed to traffic for only the second time in its history.

THROUGH SEPT. 4
THE ART OF TELEVISION COSTUME DESIGN See more than 100 of television’s most memorable costume designs from current TV hits like Big Love, Glee and True Blood, as well as a showcase featuring the work of 2010 Emmy Award-nominated costume designers and supervisors. The free annual exhibition is at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising downtown.

Here for the weekend? Go to WhereLA.com for our Weekend Roundup, where you’ll get the lowdown on the coolest concerts, festivals, pop-up restaurants, art exhibits, drink deals and more.