Great Escape: Travel Downtown for Chinatown Summer Nights

Escape to downtown L.A. this Saturday evening, and again on Sept. 10, for Chinatown Summer Nights. It's a food, music, shopping and arts event perfect for all ages—and best of all, admission is free.

Taste an array of culinary choices through Iron Chef-style cooking competitions; eat at local restaurants serving authentic Chinese and Asian cuisine; and get some nibbles at gourmet food trucks.

Music will be featured all night long, from live acoustic sets to KCRW radio DJs Anthony Valadez, Aaron Byrd, Jeremy Sole and Raul Campos performing under the neon-lit courtyard of Central Plaza. A massive outdoor dance floor has been installed for those who want to get their boogie on. 

Events range from outdoor ping-pong tournaments to live cultural performances featuring top Chinese acrobatic acts; large-scale outdoor projections; hands-on cultural workshops and activities presented by local organizations and museums; shopping at local Chinatown merchants; and much more. 

Bike racks and plenty of street and lot parking are available. Planning to go Metro? Take the Gold Line and exit at Chinatown Station. Map it: 943-951 N. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012, in Central and West Plazas. For more information, go to chinatownla.com.

Chinatown Summer Nights is produced in collaboration with the following community partners: KCRW (89.9 FM), Community Arts Resources, Los Angeles Chinatown Corp., ChungKing Plaza Association and Metro.