The outdoor UCLA Jazz Reggae Festival is a staple Memorial Day weekend event which attracts big-name performers to the Intramural Field on the UCLA campus. The festival draws a crowd of 25,000 to 30,000 people.

Passionate South American salsa dancing is celebrated in style at Los Angeles Airport's Radisson hotel. Workshops and competitions for both teams and couples combine to make this event suitable for all, from enthusiastic amateurs to the pros.

The Los Angeles Independent Film Festival brings the latest US indie offerings to the company town itself. As well as screenings at a variety of cinemas and a competition, there are numerous seminars and workshops for the independent film-maker.

The Los Angeles International Short Film Festival is one of the highest-profile events for short filmmakers in the American industry. The festival is Academy-accredited - which means that the winning films are eligible for Oscar consideration.

Last Remaining Seats celebrates old Hollywood and Los Angeles' beautiful downtown area. Held every Wednesday evening from late May to June, the event screens classic films in many of the city's stunning old theatres and includes live entertainment.

The music and extreme sports behemoth that is the Vans Warped Tour rolls into Pomona's Fairplex. It presents leading punk and hardcore bands on ten stages, extreme sports, a Guitar Hero 2 Tent, Lucha Libre wrestling and more.

Los Angeles' Echo Park provides the setting for the annual Lotus Festival, famous for its lotus flowers, which have been blossoming every year since the 1920s. The event highlights the people and cultures of Asia and the Pacific Islands.

Outfest is one of the largest gay and lesbian film festivals in the US. A Los Angeles institution, it annually screens around 300 films, including US and international features, shorts, documentaries and videos at venues around the city.

Los Angeles' Latino International Film Festival screens a huge variety of films from all over the Spanish-speaking world. Alongside lectures, symposiums, workshops and awards, it is also a platform for the Stateside launch of new Spanish-language films.

The huge annual extreme sports jamboree of the Summer X-Games is held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. More than 300 of the world's best alternative sports athletes compete for medals and nearly US$1 million in cash.

The Autry National Center hosts the annual Southern California Indian Center Pow Wow. The two-day event features drumming, dancing, parades, food and exhibits put together by Native Americans from all over the USA.

LA Tennis Open is an important tournament on tennis' ATP Tour, attracting many of the top men's players to the hard courts at the Los Angeles Tennis Center at UCLA. Pete Sampras and John McEnroe have both won here.

Muscle-flexing Baywatch-style is the name of the game at the International Surf Festival. Three of southern California's finest beaches - Manhattan, Hermosa and Redondo - welcome more than 3000 fit competitors and 100,000 spectators.

HARD Festival prides itself on the quality dance acts that it attracts to the Los Angeles Historic State Park. With just one stage, the line-up is all headliners and has gained a reputation as the city's best annual dance party.

Long Beach Jazz Festival features top artists in a great location in Rainbow Lagoon Park. Musicians perform on a grassy knoll next to the lagoon and you can opt for VIP or box tickets, or just enjoy from the lawn.

An infamous residential area in Los Angeles, Watts is known for the racially fuelled 1965 Watts Revolt. This three-day event rose from the ashes of that revolt and features carnival rides, a parade, live music, food and plenty more.

The Little Tokyo district of Los Angeles stages the Nisei Week Japanese Festival, a nine-day celebration of Japanese and Japanese-American culture. The event features ondo (folk dancing), cultural exhibits, a parade, a street arts fair and the Taiko Gathering.

From Italy to Mexico and Sweden, the international Orange Street Fair celebrates different ethnicities and cultures. Held every Labor Day weekend along the Orange Plaza in Los Angeles, the festival welcomes performances, food, arts and crafts and much more.

The entire Labor Day weekend at the Marriott Los Angeles Airport Hotel is given over to the Sweet & Hot Jazz Festival, honouring the greats with tunes from modern-day masters. Hundreds of performers appear on eight different stages.

The Santa Monica Pier Twilight Dance Series takes advantage of the beautiful Californian summer evenings in the stunning location of Santa Monica Pier. The event attracts performers playing everything from Latin jazz and pop to hip-hop and blues.

The Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum is in a popular suburb among the hippy community of this material-minded city. The pretty, open-air auditorium presents Shakespeare plays and other classics in the Topanga Canyon at weekends throughout the summer.

There is more to horror than trite story lines and gore, as you'll find out at Shriekfest at Raleigh Studios in Los Angeles. The four-day international festival and screenplay competition welcomes filmmakers and screenwriters in the horror/thriller/sci-fi/fantasy genre.

Known universally as a favourite pastime in the US, baseball is the quintessential American experience. Dodger Stadium is home to the Los Angeles Dodgers Major League Baseball team and stages regular games each year from April to October.

Los Angeles' Santa Monica Civic Auditorium hosts the ever-popular Vintage Fashion Expo. Around 75 dealers display clothes that range from Victorian dress through the Roaring Twenties to the bell-bottomed Seventies and modern-day retro styles.

Twice a year the curious Beverley Gardens park just off Rodeo Drive holds a wonderful art festival, known as Affaire in the Garden. It is one of the popular art shows on the West Coast and attracts over 40,000 visitors.

For more than 75 years Los Angeles has hosted an annual festival celebrating the great German composer J.S. Bach. The event makes fine use of the First Congregational Church of Los Angeles' organ, the world's largest church pipe organ.

The Monster Massive electronic music festival is an annual Halloween spooktacular. The event brings a host of top international DJs to spin their scariest tunes at the Sports Arena in Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

LA Zoo's Photo Day is a fantastic opportunity for photographers of all levels of expertise to learn about wildlife photography and put this learning into practice. The event includes workshops, presentations and even the opportunity to borrow equipment.

The Los Angeles Storytelling Festival presents workshops and performances for anyone interested in a good yarn. Concerts and workshops at the Culver-Palms Methodist Church Complex explore how storytelling fits into life and story swaps give everyone a chance to share.

Each Christmas Eve, LA Arts Commission hosts its Holiday Celebration at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Honouring the holiday spirit of many cultures through music, song and dance, attendees are encouraged to bring canned and packaged goods for the local foodbank.

Start the whale-watching season in LA at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium's annual Whale Fiesta. This fun-filled day includes the famous Duct Tape Whale Sculpture Contest, the Great Cetacean Creation Sand Sculpture Contest, talks by whale experts, music and food.

The team behind LA's biggest club night can be relied upon to produce spectacular New Year parties. True to their name, in 2011/2012 Giant Maximus NYE is taking over a seven-acre site off 8th Street and Figueroa in Downtown LA.

From black-and-white photography to cutting-edge snapshots, Photo LA in Santa Monica Civic Auditorium welcomes famous names in photography as well as emerging artists. The international fine art photography exhibition and sale is held for four days.

The LA Art Show at the Los Angeles Convention Center brings together around 15,000 works (from masterpieces of the past to cutting-edge contemporary). More than 125 internationally known exhibitors attend, making this the place to look for a new purchase.

The Los Angeles Convention Center hosts the California Gift Show, exhibiting fresh design ideas from all over the world. Products range from fashion accessories, personal care products and lighting to jewellery, contemporary design, stationery and tableware.

Chinese New Year in Los Angeles is famous for its Golden Dragon Parade, which involves a spectacular procession of painted dragons down North Broadway. With a large Chinese community, huge crowds are guaranteed for the parade, street fair and races.

Los Angeles' Museum of Contemporary Art celebrates its history with the largest-ever installation of its renowned permanent collection. Featuring around 500 artworks by over 200 artists, the chronological multimedia exhibit fills galleries at both of MOCA's downtown Los Angeles locations.

Los Angeles' Santa Monica Civic Auditorium hosts the ever-popular Vintage Fashion Expo. Around 75 dealers display clothes that range from Victorian dress through the Roaring Twenties to the bell-bottomed Seventies and modern-day retro styles.

The annual NHRA Winternationals at the Pomona Raceway in Los Angeles opens the drag-racing season, offering US$2 million in prize money and races in multiple disciplines. These include Top Fuel, Funny Car, Dragster and Stock Car competitions.

From South Africa to Cuba, the annual Pan African Film & Arts Festival screens a diverse repertoire of black films from around the world. The festival is held at various theatres in downtown Los Angeles, including the Magic Johnson Theatre.

The city of Angels ushers in spring with the adrenaline-pumping Los Angeles Marathon. Runners take on a 26.2-mile course through the city's streets while music, dancing and more keeps spectators entertained and runners focused.

Enjoy the sound of the Taiko drum while taking in the sights of the Kimono fashion show at the annual Cherry Blossom Arts Festival South California. The outdoor festival in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo includes Japanese dancing and plenty of food.

Ice hockey fans head to the Staples Center to catch The LA Kings in action as they play their NHL games. The regular season runs from October to April annually.

A blessing of the animals ceremony in Los Angeles may seem incongruous in its central urban setting - it takes place in Olvera Street - but nonetheless it is an established tradition held annually (on Easter Saturday) since 1930.

Basketball fans head to the famous Staples Center to catch the LA Clippers in action as they play their NBA games. The regular season runs from early November until April.

Basketball fans head to Los Angeles' famous Staples Center to catch the LA Lakers in action as they play their NBA games. The regular season runs from November until April.

The free Los Angeles Times Festival of Books attracts thousands of visitors to USC with panel and speaker sessions, outdoor stage-based readings and performances. Numerous authors discuss their work and take part in book signings for adults and children.

The poppy is the state flower of California and this annual festival celebrates its bloom in spectacular style. The two-day event, at Lancaster City Park, includes performances by well-known jazz artists and environmental displays as a warm breeze replaces the winter chill.

The UCLA Pow Wow is an annual gathering of Native Americans at the North Athletic Field on Los Angeles' UCLA Campus. It is a wonderful concoction of music, dance and drumming, with an underlying message that indigenous American culture thrives.

Los Angeles has a thriving community of talented photographers. During the annual Month of Photography Los Angeles a variety of events and programmes relating to photography are held across the city. Events are geared towards both professionals and amateurs.