Ferris wheel at the Autry Museum in the background and logo

Autry Outdoors / Family Activities / Community Partner Events / Live Performances / Member Events

Annual Block Party

Sunday, October 6, 2024, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

The Autry in Griffith Park

Admission:
Children - Free! | Museum Admission Rates Apply
RSVP/Reservations:
Tickets Required

Register

About the Event

Celebrate the Autry of the American West's 36th-anniversary celebration at the Annual Autry Block Party! Enjoy a carnival on the lawn with family-friendly activities such as a petting zoo, bounce houses, a mechanical bull and a Ferris Wheel. Inside the museum, you can explore the Autry's two PST ART exhibitions, Out of Site and Future Imaginaries


The Annual Autry Block Party will feature:

  • Bounce Houses, Mechanical Bull and a Ferris Wheel
  • Urban Saddles, Interactive Experience with Horses
  • Live Music, Photo Booth, Game Lounge (corn-hole, Jenga, shuffleboard, giant Connect Fours)
  • Wild Horse Singers and Dancers 
  • Docent-Led Tours and Trick Ropers
  • Market Vendors and Community Partner Booths 
  • Family Play Space with Educational Activities for Kids and Families 
  • Trunk Show Featuring Local Artists
  • Food Trucks and Fry Bread

…and so much more!

Schedule of Events

Please note the schedule of events and activities are subject to change. 

Lawn: 

9 a.m.-2 p.m. | California Art Club – Plein Air

Observe plein air artists from the California Art Club as they paint on the Autry Lawn. Make sure to stop by the California Art Club booths at 1:30 p.m. for their Plein Air Showcase!

10 a.m.-2 p.m. | Urban Saddles – Interactive Horse Experience

10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Carnival

Get ready for a day full of games and prizes, delicious food and adorable animals! From the Ferris Wheel to the mechanical bull and the bouncy houses, it's going to be a day of fun and excitement that you don't want to miss. And don't forget to visit the Autry's Community Partners booths which will have tons of activities for the entire family to enjoy!

 

Plaza:

10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Doreen Villanueva Jewelry | In Front of Museum Store

10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Photo Booth

Strike a pose, capture unforgettable memories, and have a blast with your friends and family. Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity to take some amazing photos of your time celebrating the Autry’s Annual Block Party!

10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. | Miers Ice Cream Cart 

1-1:30 p.m. | California Art Club - Plein Air Art Walk

10:30 a.m. | Wildhorse Singers and Dancers 

Since 1989, Wildhorse Native American Association has been assisting urban Native American children and adolescents with cultural preservation. Gather around the drum with these talented youths as they demonstrate traditional powwow dance styles and traditional songs. 

11 a.m. | Trick Ropers 

Join the Union of Charros Associations of the State of California as they showcase impressive rope tricks and stunts.

2:40 p.m. | Trick Ropers 

Join the Union of Charros Associations of the State of California as they showcase impressive rope tricks and stunts.

 

Theater: 

11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. |  Gene Autry Talk and Screening with Karla Buhlman 

12:30 p.m. | Cowboy Poetry

1:30 p.m. | Soundscape

Take a relaxing retreat in the comfort of the Autry theater! Come in, close your eyes and let ambient, healing sounds wash over you, accompanied by the video artwork Gaping Mouth, Kristina Faragher’s artistic interpretation of Yosemite Valley. Our Autry Soundscape will rejuvenate your energy and leave you feeling refreshed, calm and ready to enjoy some more festivities!

2:30 p.m. | Cowboy Poetry

3:30 p.m. | Soundscape

Take a relaxing retreat in the comfort of the Autry theater! Come in, close your eyes and let ambient, healing sounds wash over you, accompanied by the video artwork Gaping Mouth, Kristina Faragher’s artistic interpretation of Yosemite Valley. Our Autry Soundscape will rejuvenate your energy and leave you feeling refreshed, calm and ready to enjoy some more

 

Lobby: 

10:30 a.m. | Docent Tour: Where the Buffalo Roam with Ken Wollard
 

Follow the stories of four iconic animals and how they shaped the history of the American West, as portrayed through paintings, sculptures, and cultural artifacts. The tour begins in the museum lobby and runs 60 minutes.

 

11:30 a.m. |Docent Tour: Future Imaginaries tour with Sarah Wilson
 

This new exhibition, part of the PST ART: Art & Science Collide initiative, explores the rise of Futurism in contemporary Indigenous art. Over 50 artworks are displayed, creating unexpected encounters and dialogues by intermingling science fiction, self-determination, and Indigenous technologies across various Native cultures. The tour begins in the museum lobby and runs 60 minutes.

 

11:50 a.m. | Trick Ropers

Join the Union of Charros Associations of the State of California as they showcase impressive rope tricks and stunts.

12:30 | Cowboy Poetry

12:30 p.m. | Docent Tour: The Road West tour with Ken Wollard

 

This tour will explore westward expansion in the United States during the nineteenth century, surveying the ways in which transportation and communication technologies enabled rapid social and economic growth, urbanization, and the cultural consequences of these activities on Indigenous peoples. The tour begins in the museum lobby and runs 60 minutes.

 

1:30-2 p.m. | Native Voices Scene Performance

1:30 p.m. | Docent Tour: General museum highlights tour with Carl Flood

Join us for a museum tour led by our knowledgeable docents to gain insights into our exhibitions. The tour begins in the museum lobby and runs 60 minutes.

2:30 p.m. | Cowboy Poetry

2:30 p.m. | Docent Tour: Out of Site tour with Sarah Wilson 
 

Another piece of the Autry’s contributions to the PST ART: Art & Science Collide initiative, this exhibition focuses on three technological revolutions to examine how visual technologies, artistic interventions, and the workings of state power have evolved in tandem with the Western landscape. The tour begins in the museum lobby and runs 60 minutes.

 

3 p.m. | Las Chorizeras

3:30 p.m. |  Docent Tour: General museum highlights tour with Carl Flood

Join us for a museum tour led by our knowledgeable docents to gain insights into our exhibitions. The tour begins in the museum lobby and runs 60 minutes.

 

Heritage Court/Garden: 

10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. | School of Rock Interactive Music Workshop in the Family Play Space

11-3:30 p.m.| PBS’ Curious George

Enjoy a meet and greet with PBS’ Curious George in the Autry’s Garden! Curious George will be available for 30-minute intervals starting 11 a.m. Educational activities will also be available.

 

Live Music on the Plaza: 

10 a.m.-12 p.m. | Friends in Low Places

12:10-12:40 p.m. | Carlos y Charlos

1-1:40 p.m. | Johnny Marfa & the Lights 

2-2:40 p.m. | Kimmi Bitter

3-3:40 p.m. | Satin Dollz 

4-4:50 p.m. | Moonsville Collective & Leeann Skoda

A collage of people posing for a photo.

Community Partners: 

Bill Picket Invitation Rodeo · Burbank Art Association · California Art Club · Cherry Vintage · Children's Burn Foundation · Frank D. Lanterman Regional Center · Independent Shakespeare Co · LAist · Los Angeles Conservancy · Native Voices · PST ART: Art & Science Collide · School of Rock Silverlake · SoCal Moms/Fun Family Brands · Teen Tix LA · Urban Saddles

Promotional Partners: 

Amoeba Music · Audacy · KCRW

Event Sponsors

Stephen Aron and Amy Green · The Autry Foundation · Bel Air Investment Advisors · Jane and Phillip Bellomy · Marian and Ted Craver · Rebecca and Steve Dutka · Marilyn B. and Calvin B. Gross · Hub International Insurance Services · Chrystina and James Parks · Jodie and James Rea · Lois Rice · Stan Schneider

The Block Party is supported, in part, by the LA County Department of Arts and Culture as part of Creative Recovery LA, an initiative funded by the American Rescue Plan.

Out of Site: Survey Science and the Hidden West is among more than 70 exhibitions and programs presented as part of PST ART. Returning in September 2024 with its latest edition, PST ART: Art & Science Collide, this landmark regional event explores the intersections of art and science, both past and present. PST ART is presented by Getty. For more information about PST ART: Art & Science Collide, please visit: pst.art 

Future Imaginaries: Indigenous Art, Fashion, Technology is among more than 70 exhibitions and programs presented as part of PST ART. Returning in September 2024 with its latest edition, PST ART: Art & Science Collide, this landmark regional event explores the intersections of art and science, both past and present. PST ART is presented by Getty. For more information about PST ART: Art & Science Collide, please visit: pst.art

Additional support for Future Imaginaries is provided by the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation, the Ethnic Arts Council, The Henry Luce Foundation, The Mildred E. and Harvey S. Mudd Foundation, Caryll and William Mingst, and the Pasadena Art Alliance.

Land Acknowledgment

The Autry Museum of the American West acknowledges the Gabrielino/Tongva peoples as the traditional land caretakers of Tovaangar (the Los Angeles basin and So. Channel Islands). We recognize that the Autry Museum and its campuses are located on the traditional lands of Gabrielino/Tongva peoples and we pay our respects to the Honuukvetam (Ancestors), ‘Ahiihirom (Elders) and ‘Eyoohiinkem (our relatives/relations) past, present and emerging.

The Autry Museum in Griffith Park

4700 Western Heritage Way

Los Angeles, CA 90027-1462
Located northeast of downtown, across from the Los Angeles Zoo.
Map and Directions

Free parking for Autry visitors.


MUSEUM AND STORE HOURS
Tuesday–Friday 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Saturday–Sunday 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

DINING
Food Trucks are available on select days, contact us for details at 323.495.4252.
The cafe is temporarily closed until further notice.