#1 Festival & Fair
The annual fair celebrated its 125th anniversary last summer, drawing more than 1.3 million attendees for the festivities. That figure just edged out the numbers for its neighboring counterpart, the Los Angeles County Fair. The action included 23 days of food, rides, shopping, exhibits, and animals. A new "Fairenheit 32 Degrees" section saw more than 10,500 fairgoers lace up skates on an actual ice rink, and nearly 150,000 cooled off in an ice museum filled with 90,000 pounds of ice sculpted by six carvers in six days. Next: July 15-August 14, 2016
#2 Festival & Fair
When the first county fair opened in 1922, it drew less than 50,000 visitors at 50 cents apiece. It has since grown exponentially. Last year’s event draw nearly 1.28 million visitors over its 19-day run and offered new attractions like “Popnology: From Science Fiction to Science Fact” and returning favorite exhibits such as the “Luminasia” lantern festival. The program opens Labor Day weekend each year. Next: September 2-25, 2016
#3 Festival & Fair
According to Forbes, the music and arts festival pulled in $84 million in ticket sales last year, earning it the spot of top-grossing music festival. Goldenvoice produces the festival in the Southern California desert of Indio, and tickets promptly sell out annually. Parties hosted by brands take over the whole region, typically on the festival’s buzzier first weekend. Next: April 15-17 and April 22-24, 2016
#4 Festival & Fair
In 2015, the Los Angeles Times-hosted program attracted 156,600 attendees—a new record. The free and open to the public festival includes screenings, food, and music in addition to books and authors. The event takes place annually on the campus of the University of Southern California. This year’s program will include Ideas Exchange, the ticketed event series that debuted to a sold-out crowd at last year’s festival. Local artists will also have a big presence in 2016, with several large-scale street-art-style installations throughout the festival. Next: April 9-10, 2016
#5 Festival & Fair
The event now takes over the L.A. Sports Arena & Exposition Park downtown with about 30,000 fans. It’s a huge leap from the festival’s modest start as a small live music event in Echo Park. Produced in association with Goldenvoice, the festival includes indoor and outdoor stages; Savages, Kanye West, and the Jesus and Mary Chain were among last year’s performers. Next: August 27-28, 2016
#6 Festival & Fair
The festival is now in its 31st year, taking over a mile-long stretch of Venice’s laid-back Abbot Kinney Boulevard. The street’s boutiques, restaurants, and art galleries mix with vendors and street food at the event for about 120,000 densely packed participants. Next: September 25, 2016
