Come explore, play and create with us under the oaks on the Main Lawn. Families with young children (age 2–5 years old) will enjoy doing arts and crafts and nature exploration together each month.

No registration required, free with admission or membership.

Meander through the Japanese Garden with the accompaniment of acoustic music during our extended summer hours. Enjoy a drink from the Tea House bar in this new twelve-week series.

The Camellia Lounge is open from 4:45–6:30pm, Fridays through Sundays from June 2- August 27*.

Entry to the Camellia Lounge is included with admission, no reservations required.

*Please note that there will be no music on June 9, July 14, and August 4, 5, 6, and 11.

See the full music lineup here:
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Saturday–Sunday: June 10–11 (No music on Friday) | Tina Lenert- Harp

Tina has provided music both solo and with the California Shakespeare Ensemble shows at Descanso for years, with her harp as a perfect complement to a walk through the gardens. 

Friday–Sunday: June 16–18 | Rachel Rudich and Kozue Matsumoto– Shakuhachi and Koto

This fusion of traditional, modern, and improvisational music creates an incredibly vibrant and exciting showcase for Japanese culture through music. 

Friday–Sunday: June 23–25 | Fang Fang Xu- Cello

A doctorate in cello performance from USC and having performed with Pacific Symphony, USC Thornton Symphony, LA Phil, and LA Chamber Orchestra, Fang Fang’s cello playing is a favorite at Descanso.

Friday–Sunday: June 30–July 2 | Angelo Salazar– Guitar

A native of Peru, Angelo is a leader in Afro Peruvian Music and works in large and small ensembles blending styles from Cuban Latin jazz, boleros, salsa, chachacha, bossa nova, rumba, to flamenca. 

Friday–Sunday: July 7–9 | Marc Gasway– Slack Key

A multi-instrumentalist and music director, Marc’s guitar playing infuses slack key tunings with elements of traditional American forms such as ragtime, Piedmont, Delta blues, and indie rock.

Saturday–Sunday: July 15–16 (No music on Friday) | Kale Stiles- Pedal steel

Born on the big island of Hawaii, Kale grew up immersed in the local native sounds and upon living in LA, has dived deep into Jazz Manouche and modern-retro country scenes while never losing the nostalgic sounds of the Pacific.

Friday–Saturday: July 21–22 | Christopher Garcia– Percussion of MesoAmerica and India

A native of East Los Angeles, Christopher is a multi-instrumentalist and composer who entertains and educates with indigenous sounds from around the world.

Sunday: July 23 | Marc Gasway– Slack Key

A multi-instrumentalist and music director, Marc’s guitar playing infuses slack key tunings with elements of traditional American forms such as ragtime, Piedmont, Delta blues, and indie rock.

Friday–Sunday: July 28–30 | Tadaima– Taiko Jazz Ensemble

This unique ensemble comprised of Russel Baba, Gary Fitzgerald, and Leon Abner performs original music influenced by the traditions of jazz improvisation, world cultures, and modern music through a captivating combination of taiko, flute, saxophone, bass, and percussion instruments.

Saturday–Sunday: August 12–13 (No music on Friday) |  Abe Lagrimas Jr.- Ukulele

A Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award (Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts) recipient who has released multiple albums and headlined many ukulele festivals, Abe brings his expert sound of this beloved instrument to audiences across the globe. 

Friday–Sunday: August 18–20 | Fang Fang Xu- Cello

A doctorate in cello performance from the USC and having performed with Pacific Symphony, USC Thornton Symphony, LA Phil, and LA Chamber Orchestra, Fang Fang’s cello playing is a favorite at Descanso.

Friday–Sunday: August 25–27 | Philip Graulty– Guitar

Philip Graulty is a Los Angeles-based guitarist and composer whose unique approach to the guitar is informed by myriad styles including classical guitar, contemporary jazz, and country blues.

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Come enjoy a special education series put on by Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy this summer. Each day will have a hands-on learning activity in the morning and a panel discussion in the late afternoon.

Free with admission to the garden or Descanso Gardens membership, no registration required.

Schedule:

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Saturday, June 24

10–11:30am | Public event and presentation: Become a Community Scientist

4:30–6pm | Public expert panel discussion: Pollinator Power

About Living in a Wildlife Corridor

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Take a journey through the extensive network of wildlife corridors in Northern Los Angeles in Living in a Wildlife Corridor, an interactive exhibit created by the Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy being hosted in Descanso Gardens’ Boddy House, June 3–October 1, 2023.

Discover how these corridors connect islands of open space and how you can help protect and enhance them. Through the lens of talented wildlife photographers and camera trappers, via the paintbrushes and canvasses of local artists, and through the stories and wisdom of the Tongva people who have stewarded this land for millennia, you’ll see our wild surroundings from an entirely new perspective.

Image: Mother of Lions © Robert Martinez, courtesy of Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy

Come explore, play and create with us under the oaks on the Main Lawn. Families with young children (age 2–5 years old) will enjoy doing arts and crafts and nature exploration together each month.

No registration required, free with admission or membership.