Breathing fire at Chinatown Summer Nights. Photo by Salina Canizales via Flickr/CC.

It’s summer, so take a vacation from traffic with one or more of the following transit-accessible events happening across our beloved City of Angels.

Friday

Join Metro Presents for free live music this Friday evening in the Union Station waiting room. The California Feetwarmers are known for their unique blend of New Orleans Jazz, ragtime and swing. Two free 45-minute performances start at 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., and dancing is encouraged! (Metro Red/Purple, Gold or Silver Line to Union Station, or various Metro and municipal buses serving Patsaouras Transit Plaza.)

For lovers of horror and film history: don’t miss the Universal Monster Mash triple bill at the Egyptian Theatre! See Tod Browning’s Dracula, Arthur Lubin’s Phantom of the Opera, and George Waggner’s The Wolf Man starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $11 general admission, $7 for members and $9 for students and seniors with ID. (Metro Red Line to Hollywood/Highland Station, Metro Rapid 780 or Bus 156/656 to Hollywood/Highland, or Bus 212/312, 217, or 222 to Hollywood/Las Palmas.)

Saturday

Discover how summer is celebrated in Japan at the Natsumatsuri Family Festival hosted by the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo. This free event runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is packed with exciting and educational activities for children. (For the full itinerary, visit the festival webpage.) Present your valid TAP card and receive $2 off adult admission and 10 percent off at the Chado Tea Room. (Metro Gold Line to Little Tokyo/Arts District Station, Metro Bus 30/330 or 40 to Judge John Aiso/Temple.)

Boyle Heights restaurant Un Solo Sol Kitchen has organized a free musical event this Saturday in Mariachi Plaza, in honor of their 4th anniversary in business. The concert runs from noon to 10 p.m. and features DJs as well as local hip hop groups. Food will be offered at the restaurant, across East 1st Street. (Metro Gold Line to Mariachi Plaza or Metro Bus 30 or 620 to 1st/Boyle.)

If you’re seeing Jenny Lewis at the Wiltern (we’re jealous!) don’t forget that the Purple Line to Wilshire/Western is a great way to go! There is no maintenance schedule on the Red/Purple Line this Saturday night, which means trains will run every 10 minutes throughout the evening.

This Saturday is also the third and final Chinatown Summer Nights of 2014. From food to music, art and dancing, there’s something for everyone at this event that is fast becoming a staple of Summer in Northeast LA. Hop on the Metro Gold Line to Chinatown Station or various Metro and municipal buses serving Chinatown.

Sunday

Olvera Street hosts the 14th Annual Taste of Ecuador Food Festival this Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. This event is free and open to the public, and features traditional Ecuadorian music and dance, carnival booths, a raffle, and of course, plenty of food and products for purchase. (Metro Red/Purple, Gold or Silver Line to Union Station.)

How has film shaped narratives about veterans’ experiences, and are these representations changing? Celluloid Soldiers: Veterans through Hollywood’s Lens, a panel at the L.A. Central Library, will ask just that question of panelists Kirby Dick, Jean Oppenheimer, and Brayden Yoder. The panel is free to attend and runs from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (Metro Red/Purple Line to Pershing Square Station.)

After Un Solo Sol’s party on Saturday, Mariachi Plaza will see a second anniversary celebration this Sunday: the Libros Schmibros “Feliz Aniversario” fiesta. From 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., an entry fee of $5 gets you music, horchata, tres leches cake, a year-long membership to the lending library and three books of your choice to keep. Sounds like fun — and a great deal! Go Metro and receive a free bookmark to boot. (Metro Gold Line to Mariachi Plaza or Metro Bus 30 or 620 to 1st/Boyle.)

All Weekend

Unique LA is back this Saturday and Sunday at the California Market Center in the Fashion District in downtown Los Angeles, with their annual summer mart of entirely made-in-LA products. Shop local artists, designers, and vendors. Entry is $10 for both days, and comes with free drinks and snacks from festival partners. (Metro Blue or Expo Line to Pico Station or Metro Red/Purple Line to 7th/Metro.)

Theater enthusiasts take note: this Friday and Saturday are the last two days of Redcat’s New Original Works Festival in downtown L.A.. Go Metro and receive 20 percent off tickets. For more info and how to get there, see our earlier Source Post.

Did we miss something? Let us know where you’re taking Metro this weekend in our comments section.