Los Angeles Film Festival ( June 18 -- 28 ) Since the Oscars are a closed shop to the general public , turning up in L.A. for the biggest night in the movie calendar -- unless you happen to be on the guest list -- is pretty much a non-starter . Do n't miss the Mr and Mrs Muscle Beach competition on Venice Beach . If you 're a film buff much better instead to hit town for the annual film festival , where you can delight at over 100 features , as well as star-studded premieres , seminars with industry bigwigs and outdoor screenings . Mr and Mrs Muscle Beach Competition ( July 4 ) It may not seem the obvious way to celebrate America 's emancipation from British colonial rule , but the annual Independence Day competition on Venice Beach is definitely a spectacle , and a unique slice of Americana to boot . Now in its 75th year , the event features bikini-clad women contestants as well as a plethora of Arnie Schwarzenegger wannabes all hoping to be crowned the golden couple of muscle . The Long Beach Jazz Festival ( August 7 -- 9 ) What nicer way to enjoy a warm summer evening in the city than with the crash of the Pacific sounding on one side and melodious jazz on the other . The only jazz festival in Southern California , the Long Beach event is beautifully located on a grassy knoll overlooking a long sweep of lagoon . The festival begins at 5pm on the Friday and runs all weekend and features some of the top jazz artists of the year . New Year 's Eve Partying If it 's a New Year burnout you 're after , they do n't come any bigger than Giant Maximus , which claims to be the biggest end of year party in the world aimed at over-21s ( the age limit for drinking alcohol in the U.S. , obviously ) . Spread over a seven-acre site in the downtown , the event includes top DJs , acrobats , a psychedelic circus and a giant ferris wheel . In all 10,000 revelers gather under three air-conditioned big tops to usher in the next year surrounded by skyscrapers .
The Muscle Beach film festival offers a chance to enjoy cinema in its spiritual home . Check out the ridiculously buffs bodies at the L.A. competition . Join one of party people for Independence Day at the Mr and Mrs Muscle Beach .