With temperatures heating up and the first day of summer right around the corner, festival season is in full swing. And what better way to enjoy the heat than with music, food and film. Here are my top four picks for making the most out of your summer.

1. Playboy Jazz Festival

I’ve always enjoyed jazz, but recently have found myself developing a deeper appreciation for the genre. As a newbie, I still have a lot to learn about the complex nature of the music and its history. The Playboy Jazz Festival is the perfect opportunity to immerse oneself in the contemporary work of established artists and rising musicians.

Founded by Hugh Hefner in 1959, the festival is held each year at the Hollywood Bowl and celebrates the music of jazz through the performance of orchestras, bands and vocalists. This year marks the 37th annual Playboy Jazz Festival and features artists such as Herbie Hancock, Jason Moran, Aloe Blacc and Eddie Palmieri’s Afro-Carribean Jazz Band. The two-day festival begins this weekend June 13 and 14, and is hosted by comedian George Lopez. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster or at Hollywoodbowl.com

2. LA Film Festival

Everyone loves a good movie, but if you count yourself among those film fans with an insatiable appetite for director commentary, thematic discussion and innovative filmmaking than this event is meant for you. An exciting experience for anyone in love with storytelling, the Los Angeles Film Festival showcases the creative vision of American and international filmmakers while offering a variety of events for the hardcore film fan. Known for its master classes, the festival also provides film screenings, Q&A sessions, live performances and conversations with industry professionals on the art of filmmaking. Drawing their inspiration from the city of angels, the films featured seek to capture the spirit of life in L.A.

The festival runs June 10-18 and tickets are available at LAFilmFest.com

3. LA Street Food Festival

Are you a foodie? Do you prefer walking the streets and roaming down alleys searching for that great food truck and tasty pop-up than sitting down to the same old boring meal from the local Chili’s? No offense to Chili’s, of course. Their Margarita grilled chicken is actually pretty good. But if you are looking for a little more variety, a creatively constructed dish, and A LOT of it than the upcoming LA Street Food Festival is a must.

The 6th annual LA Street Food Fest hosts over a hundred street food vendors, and a variety of street-inspired dishes from local LA restaurants. The great thing is one price of admission gets you an all you can eat and drink ticket to every vendor within the event. Beer and cocktails are served with no added cost, and parking is free. Held at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on July 11, tickets can be purchased at lastreetfoodfest.com.

4. Eat|See|Hear

In a mad combination of all three summer pastimes, Eat|See|Hear brings together food, film, and music in a traveling outdoor event series that was lauded the “best” by Los Angeles Magazine in 2014. Presented by the Showtime cable network, Eat|See|Hear features multiple events within one. Grab some grub from a variety of LA’s most popular food trucks like The Grilled Cheese Truck or Baby’s Badass Burgers. Listen to musical performances from up and coming bands, and then lay out your picnic blanket and enjoy an iconic movie under the stars projected on a massive 52-foot wide screen.

Sounds like heaven to me. What about you?

Happy Summer Fest!

photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/21353838@N06/8450653081″>Downtown L.A.</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/”>(license)</a>

photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/29069717@N02/15058058855″>Summer 1959 Ad, Playboy Jazz Festival, South Bowl at Soldier Field in Chicago</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/”>(license)</a>

photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/17290430@N07/4181217438″>Downtown Reflection</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/”>(license)</a>

photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/45409431@N00/9391593778″>showtime (cc)</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/”>(license)</a>