By Chloe Mulliner, on April 2, 2015

Los Angeles on the solstice

During the Lakers’ 1986-87 NBA championship parade in downtown Los Angeles, head coach Pat Riley stood before a swarm of loyal Lakers fans and promised a repeat championship. True to his word, a year later on June 21, 1988, the Lakers nabbed the championship again with a 108-105 victory over the Detroit Pistons.

Fast forward to 2015, and probably only die-hard fans still glorify June 21st as the day the Lakers slammed dunked a two-year winning streak. But most people do remember that the date marks the first day of summer in Los Angeles and the longest day of the year, so what’s not to celebrate? Slap on some sunscreen, follow our suggestions for things to do in Los Angeles, and make this day one for the books. 

Sunrise: The sun rises at 5:41 a.m., which means there’s only 14 hours, 25 minutes, and 35 seconds left of sunshine. What are you waiting for? Head to the Hollywood Bowl Overlook to watch as the first glimpses of sunlight illuminate downtown LA.

Brunch: If the sunrise isn’t enough to get you out of bed, the bottomless rum punch at Sunny Spot will do the trick. Rocking the solar theme, Sunny Spot serves up a mean Jamaican brunch with diablo shrimp and grits and mofongo and eggs. Score a seat on the patio to soak up the midday solstice sun between bites of yucca fries.

 

Mid-day: Don’t forget it’s Father’s Day! Nothing says “thanks for putting up with me” more than baseball tickets and a few cold beers. Take your pops to Dodger Stadium where the Los Angeles Dodgers will take on the San Francisco Giants. As if it wasn’t cool enough to watch one of the longest-standing rivalries in baseball history unfold, the first 40,000 fans will score Father’s Day BBQ sets.

Afternoon: Make Music Los Angeles is back. During last year’s shows in Los Angeles, more than 200 musicians took over La La Land, from Grant Park to Sunset Triangle Plaza. This year’s free music festival will bring down the house with 11 hours of live music in spots all around the city.

Evening: If your ears aren’t ringing from the Make Music sets, rock your dubstep over at the Hollywood Bowl. Underworld, the legendary British electropop trio, will bust out their dance beats to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their album “dubnobasswithmyheadman.” The show starts at 7 p.m. 

Viewfinder Tip: Not a meat eater? Red Lion Tavern serves up soy sausage dishes for vegetarians.

Sunset: Ditch dress codes and bottle service scenes for sauerbraten and spaten lager at Red Lion Tavern. Transport to Bavaria as you hit the rooftop patio, pair a boot of beer with some bratwurst, and soak up lingering rays of heat during the sunset at 8:08 p.m. 

Whether you’re an LA local looking to spice up your Sunday Funday or a visitor venturing outside of your hotel in Los Angeles, this itinerary will help your summer solstice go down in history. 

Here’s you missed during the 2014 summer solstice in Los Angeles:
-While the Hollywood Bowl Overlook is great, we caught the sunrise at Griffith Park at 5:42 a.m.

-Make Music LA 2014 event busted out the hottest beats and bands across the city.

-The Los Angeles Angels won 3-2 against the Texas Rangers.

-The day concluded with a cabaret show at the steampunk-inspired bar, The Edison. 

What are your big plans for this year’s LA summer solstice?

 

Header Image Attribution: Flickr/Creative Commons/Justin Higuchi/Via/https://flic.kr/p/nBumBL
Body Copy Image Attribution: Flickr/Creative Commons/Eugene Kim/Via/https://flic.kr/p/4UvL7L