Rip-Rolling Blackouts for Your Summer Calendar

Ol’ Will would’ve surely enjoyed the crashing waves, sandy beaches, starry night and salty air. Perhaps the perfect backdrop for a double dosage of the Bard’s As You Like It and The Tempest, which begins at scenic Point Fermin Park in San Pedro and then travels to surrounding cities such as Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach and Long Beach.

Sing-a-Long Sound of Music

Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave.; June 30, 7 p.m.; (323) 850-2000; $50-$1.

Think of this as a support group for the devout Julie Andrews crowd, or simply a gathering of some very ardent fans of musicals shamelessly belting out “Doe, a deer, a female deer . . .” You know the rest. Come dressed as Maria, the Captain or your favorite von Trapp kid and take part in the costume competition (judging will be strict, so lederhosen is required). And in case you don’t know all the lyrics by heart (shyeah, right!), the screen will be subtitled to help you climb those hills of high octaves. ä

July

Queen Mary July 4th Extravaganza

1126 Queens Hwy., Long Beach; carnival June 30 & July 1, 1-11 p.m.; July 3, 5-11 p.m.; July 4, noon-11 p.m.; fireworks June 30, July 1 & July 4, 9 p.m.; (562) 435-3511; carnival free, fireworks included in Queen Maryadmission, $19, $17 seniors, $15 children 3-11.

Overlooking the harbor, this head honcho of holiday happenings celebrates Indie Day with a bang. Fireworks take place through the beginning of September, and the Big One on the Fourth is a pyro party of magnificent proportions: 20 minutes of musically choreographed sparks a-blazin’. Surely there’s more. The carnival, held at the adjacent Queen Mary Events Park, has more food than you can stomach and enough rides to dizzy yourself silly. We also insist on checking out the new Cold War submarine Scorpion, spirit-raising “Ghosts and Legends” attraction, and “World of Reggae” exhibit with a retrospective of, who else, Bob Marley.

July 4th Fireworks Spectacular

Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave., July 2-4, 7:30 p.m.; (323) 850-2000; $90-$5.

Pack a picnic basket and blankey, and gaze at the nighttime sky as thousands of red-white-and-blue lights flicker in flights of fancy. Hollywood Bowl Orchestra conductor John Mauceri and vocalists Kristin Chenoweth and Jubilant Sykes perform patriotic ditties and Broadway favorites commemorate not only the Fourth, but also the 100th birthdays of both Walt Disney and Louis Armstrong.

Lotus Festival

Echo Park Lake, Park Ave. between Glendale Ave. & Echo Park Blvd.; July 14, noon-10 p.m.; July 15, noon-9 p.m.; (213) 485-1310; free.

What started as a gathering of 15,000 people in 1972 has grown into a summer highlight of more than 100,000 who convene at the largest bed of lotus flowers — a symbol of life and purity among Asians — outside of China, to honor Asian and Pacific Islander heritage. This year, the Indonesian-American community will be celebrated with an opening ceremony of traditional music and dance, followed by martial-arts shows, dragon-boat races, demonstrations on origami, calligraphy and plants, a health fair, a marketplace filled with Asian and Pacific Islander wares, and exotic delicacies aplenty; plus, a fireworks finale accompanied by taiko drumming on Saturday.

Cruise Night

100-500 blocks of Brand Blvd. between Broadway & Doran St., Glendale; July 21, 5-10 p.m.; (818) 548-6464; free.

Over 400 pre-’72 custom cars and hot rods parked along six blocks, including ’32 Fords, ’57 Chevys and ’65 Mustangs that are bound to drive you chrome crazy. And as you admire these beauties longingly and chow down on some curbside grub, legendary surf rockers the Surfaris (“Wipe Out”) and the Champs (“Tequila”) will be rockin’ two stages with groovy oldies-but-goodies.

August

Los Angeles Tofu Festival

Little Tokyo, San Pedro St. between Second & Third sts.; Aug. 4, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Aug. 5, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; (213) 473-1620; $1.

Before you go screaming to the nearest In-N-Out, it wouldn’t kill ya to try some of this stuff. Apparently it’s healthy (made with nothing but soybean, water and calcium), and with such mouthwatering concoctions as tofu enchiladas, tofu pot stickers and some mmm mmm mmmtofu chocolate cheesecake, it’s great-tasting too. Local TV news anchors will also be on hand to try to convert you to the other side with music, taiko drumming and dance, as well as a Health and Fitness Expo providing screening booths and a Children’s Pavilion offering games, entertainment and a “teddy bear clinic” that’ll make your kid’s first visit to the doc painless.

Nisei Week Japanese Festival

Little Tokyo, Aug. 4-12, various times; (213) 687-7193, or www.niseiweek.org; most events free.

A SoCal tradition exploring Japanese and Japanese-American culture for over ä 60 years sounds off with an opening ceremony featuring taiko drumming, cultural exhibits, a marketplace, tea ceremony, carnival, car show, parade with floats, tofu festival, traditional ondo dancers dressed in kimonos, and a salute to Japanese-American military veterans.

Hungarian Festival

Alpine Village, 833 W. Torrance Blvd.; Aug. 5, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; (818) 996-7685; $5, $3 seniors, $1 children.

Hungarian expats take you on a virtual trip through the picturesque capital of Budapest along the blue Danube as they celebrate one of Eastern Europe’s most beautiful countries. The Gypsy music and Karpatok, Eszter Lanc and Ug Hargita folk-dance ensembles offer a glimpse of the culture, and the authentic cuisine, consisting of chicken, sausages, stuffed cabbage and hearty goulash (beef stew), just might make you want to consult your travel agent.