Four food events you should know about

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Tonight

Chillin’ in MacArthur Park MacArthur Park’s Levitt Pavilion kicks off its free summer concert series with a community reception called ‘A Taste of MacArthur Park.’ The event features the culinary prowess of 12 neighborhood restaurants, including Mama’s Hot Tamales and La Fonda. Councilman Ed Reyes will be on hand and a concert featuring Gabby Villanueva and her band will follow.

I went to a few of these last summer and had a silly good time. You can bring a picnic and a blanket and just relax as the sun sets. MacArthur Park has come a long way thanks to community efforts to clean it up. MacArthur Park Levitt Pavilion (at the corner of 6th and South Park View streets), community reception 5 p.m., concert 7 p.m. Free. (213) 384-5701, www.levittla.org.

Thursday

Ice for you Be the coolest person you know (internally at least) by swinging by Paciugo Gelato Caffe’s one-year anniversary party in Hermosa Beach. The party involves the happy distribution of free cups of hand-crafted gelato. The party spirit is up to you. Paciugo Gelatto Cafe, 1034 Hermosa Ave., Hermosa Beach. 4 to 7 p.m. (310) 379-2525.

Five years in Spain Bar Celona in Pasadena celebrates its fifth anniversary in conjunction with the Running of the Bulls celebration in Pamplona, Spain. The festivities include an all-night happy hour with $5 tapas, sangria, beer and cocktails; paella cooking demonstrations; DJs and live flamenco guitar; a mechanical bull and, at 9:30 p.m., a faux running of the bulls session. Bar Celona, 46 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. (626) 405-1000. www.barcelonapasadena.com.

Locals night launches Cafe Pinot kicks off the Patina Group’s inaugural ‘Locals Night,’ which hops from one Patina restaurant to another throughout the summer. Cafe Pinot’s turn at bat features a taste of the French Riviera with complimentary assorted tapanades and homemade crackers and breads. Tasty items including pommes frites, tuna niçoise rillettes and an open-faced grilled rosemary chicken sandwich go for $5, and French cocktails are $7. Cafe Pinot, 700 W. 5th St., L.A. (213) 239-2568. www.patinagroup.com/locals.

-- Jessica Gelt