LA Events This Week: September 8–14, 2026 — Beam Yourself Into a Big One

Beam yourself into this week’s LA calendar — because it kicks off with a genuine milestone. From September 8 through 14, 2026, Los Angeles is throwing a 60th birthday party for Star Trek, closing out a summer-long salsa series with one last dance, opening its arts campuses for a fall preview, and gathering the whole family downtown for a bilingual book festival. Here’s everything worth putting on your calendar, day by day. (Want the bigger picture? Check out our full guide to LA events happening all September.)

🖖 Tuesday, September 8 — Star Trek Turns 60

[Free Event] Star Trek 60th Anniversary: Under the Stars

Six decades since it first boldly went where no show had gone before, Star Trek gets a proper LA send-off: a free outdoor screening on the Autry Museum’s lawn, pairing the original 1966 pilot episode with a sneak-peek episode of Strange New Worlds. Expect surprise talent appearances, food trucks, and giveaways — plus, unusually for a museum event, leashed dogs are welcome. Doors at 6 PM, screening at 7:30 PM. RSVP required, first-come first-served.

💃 Friday, September 11 — One Last Night of Salsa

[Free Event] Summer of Salsa: Conjunto Oye!

LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes closes out its Summer of Salsa series the right way — with a free dance lesson before the band even plugs in. If you’ve been meaning to learn, this is the night; if you already know your way around a clave rhythm, just show up ready to move.

[Free Event] Jazz at LACMA also plays its weekly Friday set at 6 PM in the Smidt Welcome Plaza, if you want to make it a two-stop night.

🎨 Saturday, September 12 — Fall Preview at Bergamot

[Free Event] Bergamot Station Open House

Santa Monica’s arts campus throws open its doors for a full day of new exhibitions, gallery talks, food, and entertainment — a low-key, wander-at-your-own-pace way to see what the city’s galleries have planned for fall. 11 AM–9 PM, free.

Also today: [Theater] Free Theatre in the Parks: Jane Austen UnScripted kicks off its run at Kings Road Park in West Hollywood — a fully improvised Regency-era comedy that’s different every single performance, so if you catch it this week, you’re seeing a story nobody else will ever see again. 4 PM, free with RSVP.

📚 Sunday, September 13 — The Weekend’s Big Day

This is the day to clear your calendar — three genuinely great free events, all worth building a Sunday around.

[Festival] Los Angeles Libros Festival — The LA Public Library’s 8th annual bilingual book festival takes over Central Library with Spanish-language storytelling, author talks, workshops, and live music. 10 AM–4 PM, free, no ticket needed — just show up.

[Concert] Americana in the Park — Pack a picnic blanket for Gandara Park, where McCabe’s Guitar Shop, Santa Monica Cultural Affairs, and KCRW are throwing a free afternoon of roots, blues, and folk music, headlined by Grammy winner Albert Lee — plus a Bob Baker Marionette Theater performance for the kids. 1:30–6:30 PM.

[Free Event] Disney Bros. Cartoon Studio Square Day Block Party — Over in Los Feliz, D23 marks the exact spot where Walt and Roy Disney opened their very first studio in 1923, with skate demos, exhibits, and community booths filling the block. Noon–5 PM, free.

🎬 All Week

[Free Event] Marina del Rey Movie Nights continues its Saturday tradition at Burton Chace Park — bring a blanket, the movie starts at 8 PM.

How to Spend Your Week

• Only have one night to spare? Make it Sunday — Libros Festival, Americana in the Park, and the Disney block party are all happening the same day, so you can hop between them.
• Want something completely free and family-friendly? Star Trek Under the Stars, Libros Festival, and Americana in the Park all fit the bill.
• Feeling social? The salsa lesson at LA Plaza on Friday is one of the easiest, lowest-pressure ways to meet people and learn something new in one night.
• In the mood to wander? Bergamot Station’s open house is built exactly for that — no schedule to follow, just galleries to drift through.

This LA events calendar is updated weekly — bookmark this page and check back for the latest things to do in Los Angeles. Every listing links directly to the venue or official source, so you always get accurate times and details before you head out. For everything else happening this month, see our complete September 2026 LA events guide.

Have an LA event you’d like us to consider covering? Email us at submissions@myunboundedlife.com.