Free Music and Four Pavilions on Central Avenue Today
Los Angeles, CA · September 19, 2026
If you hear horn sections echoing across South Los Angeles before lunchtime, consider it your cue to step outside. A cool cloud cover should keep the sidewalk stroll comfortable all afternoon.
The Lead
Central Avenue fills with live brass, percussion, and sidewalk crowds today as the 31st Annual Central Avenue Jazz Festival gets underway between Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Vernon Avenue. Running from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM, the free street gathering pays homage to the historic corridor that anchored West Coast jazz through the mid-20th century, when nearby venues hosted legends like Dexter Gordon and Gerald Wilson. Today's program spreads across three performance stages and four thematic pavilions, anchored by headliner Sheila E. and the Alfredo Rodriguez Band, alongside youth ensembles from local arts conservatories. City transportation crews closed the multi-block stretch before dawn to allow staging, and Metro has rerouted bus lines around the perimeter through late tonight. Organizers expect street sweepers to clear the asphalt by 10:00 PM, returning the corridor to regular traffic by morning.
Local Pulse
Council Halts Permits on Burned Warehouse City Hall In a unanimous vote, councilmembers blocked redevelopment permits for the Boyle Heights industrial site pending full safety reviews.
Crews Begin Pasadena Bus Rapid Transit Transit Contractors broke ground along Colorado Boulevard this week on the nineteen-mile line connecting Pasadena directly to North Hollywood.
New Open-Air Night Market Debuts Tonight Community Hollywood Park launches an evening market today featuring dozens of local vendors, live art, and regional street food.
Today's Outlook
- High 82°F · Low 63°F — Overcast
- Expect persistent gray skies and mild warmth, making light layers ideal for being outdoors.
What's On Around Town
Today
End of Summer Vintage Market Pan Pacific Park, 10:00 AM–5:00 PM Racks of retro apparel and collectibles gathered on the park lawn.
Thai Fest by the Beach Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, 11:00 AM–8:00 PM · Free Traditional dance showcases and authentic street food right over the water.
Westchester Arts & Music Block Party Loyola Boulevard, Noon–7:00 PM · Free Community bands, interactive art installations, and local bites along the boulevard.
A Current Affair Vintage Marketplace Cooper Design Space (860 S Los Angeles St), Noon–5:00 PM · Paid Dozens of premier vintage fashion exhibitors under one downtown roof.
Squeeze with Adam Ant and The English Beat Hollywood Bowl (2301 N Highland Ave), 8:00 PM · Paid Classic new-wave hits echoing through the canyon amphitheater tonight.
Tomorrow
- Spider Pavilion Opening Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (900 Exposition Blvd), 9:30 AM–5:00 PM · $10
- Bob Baker Day Los Angeles State Historic Park, 10:00 AM–5:00 PM · Free
- Los Angeles Record Fair Arts District Brewing Company (828 E 3rd St), Noon–5:00 PM
Monday
- Boone Children's Gallery Drop-in Workshop LACMA (5905 Wilshire Blvd), 11:00 AM
- Kelela The Wiltern (3790 Wilshire Blvd), 7:00 PM · Paid
- Lily Allen Greek Theatre (2700 N Vermont Ave), 7:30 PM · Paid
Spotlight & Story
- Double Ascension
- Herbert Bayer’s bright orange-red sculpture has coiled above the reflecting pool at 505 South Flower Street since 1973. Bayer originally christened the 33-step aluminum staircase Stairway to Nowhere, relenting to corporate requests for an optimistic rename just before its downtown unveiling.
Los Angeles Daily Digest — compiled from local sources as of 6 AM. For breaking updates, follow your local newsrooms.
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