Sunny Days, Sultry Nights

MAY

KelpFest

Ocean Park Blvd., Santa Monica Beach; May 27, 11 a.m.--4 p.m.; (310) 305-9645; free.

For do-gooders who missed Earth Day, here’s yet another opportunity to redeem yourself. Help the Santa Monica BayKeeper protect local bays and celebrate all things kelp. Participants will be greeted by hosts dressed as mermaids and pirates. The dazzling array of entertainment features Chumash Indian Dolphin dancers, Tahitian and Hawaiian drummers and dancers, and Samoan Fire Knife performers. Pamper your body with kelp massages and facials, and learn how to go eco at the environmental-organization booths. Cuisine consists of, what else, kelp, including cheesy slices of -- mmm-mmm-mmm! -- kelp pizza!

Old Pasadena Summer Fest

Central Park, Fair Oaks Blvd.; May 27--29, 10 a.m.--8 p.m.; (626) 797-6803; free.

Five simultaneous events in the City of Roses‘ Old Pasadena district: Playboy Jazz in Central Park offers 21 hours of live jazz, blues and salsa, and more than 100 artists display their handmade scarves, jewelry, ceramics, toys and fine art. Athletes of all levels can have fun in the Sports Zone playing hockey, baseball or shooting hoops, or just watching the bike races and skateboarding-ramp shows. Satisfy your appetite with savory treats from the area’s best restaurants and cafes. After the sugar rush, your kids can wind down at the children‘s entertainment stage, showcasing magicians, puppeteers, mimes and storytellers. The California African American Museum, the Pacific Asia Museum and the Southwest Museum are also on hand for special crafts projects.

Brentwood 24th Annual Memorial Day Parade and Festival

San Vicente Blvd.; May 28, 8 a.m.--4 p.m.; (310) 442-9784; free.

When was the last time you rode a camel? For more than 20 years, the city has hosted a day of down-home family fun that begins with an 8 a.m. endurance-challenging 5K10K run, followed by a festival of bands, pony rides, face painting, antique cars and, of course, food. There’s also an 11 a.m. parade with Honorary Mayor Paul Moyer of Channel 4 News as grand marshal. Plus, you can mingle with such TV celebrities as Concetta Tomei of Providence and Dwayne Hickman of Dobie Gillis.

JUNE

Shoe Frenzy 2000

National Guard Armory, 10808 Culver Blvd., Culver City; June 3, 8:30 a.m.--2 p.m.; (310) 836-4111; free.

And you thought the mall the day after Christmas was crazy. This is a foot frenzy, so you‘ll need to push, shove, claw and scratch to get to the goods. More than 2,000 pairs of women’s shoes -- from ultrachichi designers Yves St. Laurent and Ferragamo to less costly names like Steve Madden and Sam & Libby -- are marked 50 percent to 80 percent off, ranging in size from 5 to 11. All proceeds benefit the Women‘s Clinic and Family Counseling Center, which provides low-cost or free health care to low-income and uninsured patients throughout L.A. County.

Summer Nights at the Ford

John Anson Ford Theater, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd., Hlywd.; June 3--September 17; (323) 461-3673; various prices.

Tucked in the Hollywood Hills, the Ford offers a varied and intimate look at all aspects of the arts. This year’s lineup runs the gamut from music, theater, film and dance to family entertainment. Noteworthy performances include East L.A. Classic Theater‘s Cyrano de Bergerac (June 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24), a jazz-tap tribute to the legendary Nicholas Brothers (July 8), klezmer from world-renowned The Klezmatics (July 9), the documentary On the Road With Duke Ellington (August 6), lessons on Bluegrass for kids (August 19) and spirit-raisin’ sounds from the Gospel Train (September 9).

Cairo Carnivale

Rio Hondo College, 3600 Workman Mill Road, Whittier; June 3, 11:30 a.m.--7:30 p.m.; June 4, 11:30 a.m.--5:30 p.m.; (626) 588-4907; $10 adults, $5 kids 3--12, 3 and under free.

This is a celebration of not just the Middle East, but the entire Mediterranean. Take in some culture at an authentic Bedouin bazaar of jewelry, musical instruments, native dresses and those finger cymbals that come in handy for belly dancing. Mendhi artists will decorate your hands, or other parts of the body, with elaborate henna designs. The entertainment features more than 250 performers, including flamenco and belly dancers, and other dancers performing with snakes. Of course, there‘s plenty of live Arabic, Persian, Greek, Turkish and Yemenite music to keep your hips and shoulders swingin’ till Monday morning. The menu has the staple Middle Eastern foods: falafel, shawerma, kebabs, hummus and tabbouleh. A unique attraction is the zaghareet contest, in which women perform hollerlike wedding calls by rolling the tongue.

Valley Fair 2000

Hansen Dam Equestrian Center, 11127 Orcas Ave., Lake View Terrace; June 8, 4--10:30 p.m.; June 9--10, 10 a.m.--mid.; June 11, 10 a.m.--8:30 p.m.; (818) 557-1600; $6 adults, $3 kids 6--11, 6 and under free.

You‘d be hard-pressed to find a bigger or better event in all of the San Fernando Valley. The carnival has a ton of thrilling rides, gardening exhibits for green thumbs, a showcase of student science projects, live bands, comedy acts, magicians and an international food court. There’s even something on the animal front, including a petting zoo, and a bunch of little oinkers making a mad dash to the finish line in the pig race.

The Amazing Maize Maze

Las Posas and Hueneme roads, Camarillo; June 8 thru December, 10 a.m.--6 p.m.; (805) 495-5678; $10 adults, $7 seniors and kids 4--12, 4 and under free.