Good morning, it’s Monday, July 6, and it will be perfectly fine out today (low 80s).
1. How to do a Dodgers game with kids.
A Dodger fan celebrates with her young child during game four of the National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium on October, 17, 2025. (Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Last month, someone asked a quintessential L.A. question in our members-only online forum: They were planning to take their six-year-old son to a Dodger game for the first time and wanted tips: How early should I arrive? What do I do when he gets bored? What do I do when I get bored? How early do we leave to avoid insane exit traffic?
The question sparked a spirited discussion here at L.A. Material. It also inspired a new series we’re launching today, which will help readers get the most out of classic L.A. summer attractions. Our first installment focuses on how to survive and thrive at a Dodger game with young kids in tow.
We talked to more than a dozen Dodgers fans who routinely bring kids to games, scoured online forums and consulted the Dodgers organization to distill the best advice. Read on for tips about where to sit, where to play, what to eat and how to get a special certificate to commemorate your kid’s first game.
2. A quick look at the week ahead.
MONDAY: The World Cup frenzy continues this week, with the U.S. playing Belgium in Seattle tonight. A handful of L.A. city parks will be showing the game, along with other watch parties.
It’s also the last day to visit the La Brea Tar Pits before the museum closes for two years for renovations.
TUESDAY: Beverly Hills will swear in three council members: incumbents Lester Friedman and Sharona Nazarian and new councilmember Rebecca Pynoos.
WEDNESDAY: Nominations for the 78th Emmy Awards will be announced Wednesday morning, with industry watchers favoring Pluribus and The Pitt in their predictions.
And the Ford amphitheater in Hollywood will host a 45th anniversary screening of the 1981 Edward James Olmos-starring film Zoot Suit, in partnership with the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, Self Help Graphics and Pachuco Car Club.
THURSDAY: The first matchup of the World Cup quarterfinals will be played, with Morocco and France facing off in Boston.
FRIDAY: The World Cup fan zone at Venice Beach opens for quarterfinal weekend. And SoFi Stadium will host a quarterfinal game at noon Friday, with major traffic expected in Inglewood.
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY: The Lotus Festival returns to Echo Park Lake this weekend, with this year’s festivities honoring Sri Lanka.
3. Our Culinary Cup is live.
The World Cup has generated a full-blown mania for soccer in Los Angeles unlike anything we’ve seen in decades. But will it be able to match the stakes of L.A. Material’s first inaugural Culinary Cup?
With the help of our subscriber-only forum, we’ve selected restaurants representing each of the countries that made it to this year’s Round of 16. And just like in the World Cup, we’re having them face off against each other — but with food instead of fútbol.
Will Angel’s Tijuana Tacos exact revenge against Ye Olde King’s Head? Will Belgium Waffle Haus upset The Apple Pan? Is there even a Paraguayan restaurant in Los Angeles? To find out, read our Cup breakdown and vote on the winners.
READING MATERIAL
WHAT HAPPENED WITH NONCITIZEN VOTING: Concerns about a Trump administration backlash, as well as fears of diminishing Black voter power, helped scuttle a plan to put noncitizen voting on the local ballot, per the L.A. Times.
FOLARIN BACK IN: U.S. player Folarin Balogun’s World Cup suspension was reversed (meaning the U.S.’s top goal scorer can play in today’s game) after President Trump personally called the president of FIFA, according to the New York Times.
GOOOOOOOL: Even fans who don't speak Spanish are watching the World Cup (or Copa Mundial) on Telemundo, NPR reports.
MEET LAUSD’S NEW-ISH SUPERINTENDENT: LAist talks to Andrés Chait about how he plans to tackle the many issues facing the district — and the possibly-disqualifying fact that he’s never tried LAUSD’s famous coffee cake.
HOLIDAY HORROR: A woman died and a child suffered severe injuries when a vehicle exploded in Chino Saturday; authorities believe the explosion was caused by a large quantity of fireworks igniting. In Newport Beach, hundreds of people were arrested at a Fourth of July celebration that devolved into chaos. In Exposition Park, a post-Angel City FC game fireworks show went awry Friday night, sending fireworks streaming into the stands.
RAW MATERIAL
For today’s peek inside our subscriber-only Discord server, @jangles posted an all-timer in #vanityplates
AND FINALLY… A poem to pair with your morning coffee: “Relax” by Ellen Bass.
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