Los Angeles has plenty of food festivals, but very few let you eat serious barbecue, ride a Ferris wheel, and watch live horse racing in the same afternoon. That’s exactly what happens this Memorial Day weekend, when the infield at Santa Anita Park turns into a three‑day feast for the Smorgasburg LA BBQ Invitational.
What is happening at Santa Anita Park this Memorial Day weekend
This Memorial Day weekend festival will with two main pillars:
- A full Memorial Day carnival with rides, games, music, and live horse racing running alongside the food event.
- A three‑day Smorgasburg LA BBQ Invitational featuring some of the best up‑and‑coming barbecue vendors in SoCal.
Smorgasburg LA, billed as the largest weekly food market in the country, is taking over the Santa Anita Park infield for a three‑day BBQ bonanza on Memorial Day weekend. The event runs Saturday, Sunday and Monday, May 23–25, bringing a curated lineup of some of SoCal’s best up‑and‑coming barbecue vendors, a full carnival, music, and live racing.
Pitmasters will go head‑to‑head for a panel of judges and a People’s Choice Award. The overall winner earns a free booth at Smorgasburg’s BBQ Day later this summer, plus a Smorgasburg Invitational trophy.
What to do What to do at the Memorial Day Carnival & BBQ Invitational
- Create a mini “BBQ crawl”: Use your scrips to try Texas, Filipino‑Texan, Cambodian‑Texan, Japanese‑influenced style BBQ. You can grab some brisket at one booth, ribs at another.
- After a few tastings, pick your favorite and then vote for the People’s Choice Award.
- Use the Ferris wheel as your reset: ride it at golden hour to get those San Gabriel Mountain views and a breather between brisket bites.
- Play Carnival games and earn prizes!
Key details
📆Saturday, Sunday & Monday | May 23 – 25
⌚Gate Opens: 11:00 AM | Event times: 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM
📍Location: Infield in Santa Anita Park
🚗Free Parking: Gate 6 off Colorado Place
🎟️Check ticket prices here
