Free parking Friday. A Pride arts festival that tends to fly under the radar. A strange Johnny Depp police call making TMZ rounds. And yes, California may actually be coming for quartz countertops.
Here are five things worth knowing in and around West Hollywood before the weekend gets going.
1. Free Parking Friday For Harvey Milk Day
If you’re driving in West Hollywood Friday, you’ll catch a small break.
In observance of Harvey Milk Day, the City will not enforce parking meters or associated time limits today —Friday, May 22. That means metered street parking is effectively free citywide for the day.
Before everyone gets too excited, there’s a catch.
Permit parking rules still apply, along with all other parking regulations. Street sweeping restrictions remain in force, and so do peak-hour towing restrictions. In other words, this is free meter parking, not a free-for-all. Read the signs.
The free parking coincides with the City’s annual Harvey Milk Day celebration, which doubles as an unofficial kickoff to Pride season. The event runs Friday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the South Lawn at West Hollywood Park, 647 N. San Vicente Blvd., near the Aquatic and Recreation Center staircase.
This year’s celebration includes the annual José Sarria Drag Pageant, community organizations, voter registration and remarks from local leaders.
2. Police Called To Johnny Depp’s West Hollywood Home
One of West Hollywood’s more famous hillside homes drew police this week.
According to TMZ, LAPD responded Tuesday around 4 p.m. to Johnny Depp’s West Hollywood property after reports of an alleged repeat trespasser lingering near the front gate. The caller reportedly told police a woman had been seen at the property multiple times over the weekend and was sitting at the gate at the bottom of the hill. Sources told TMZ the woman allegedly tried to leave a message for Depp and was seen filming the home. By the time officers arrived, she was gone, and no arrests were made.
Depp’s castle-like estate above the Sunset Strip has long been one of the neighborhood’s more recognizable celebrity properties, tucked into the hills overlooking the city. It’s also apparently not the first time the property has dealt with unwanted visitors. In 2021, another alleged intruder reportedly entered his home and was later arrested after causing damage inside.
3. WeHo Pride Arts Festival Returns This Weekend
Pride season starts feeling very real this weekend.
The WeHo Pride Arts Festival returns Saturday and Sunday, May 23-24, with film screenings, literary events, performances, workshops and conversations centered on LGBTQ artists and storytellers.
The free festival takes place at the Village at Ed Gould Plaza, 1125 N. McCadden Place in Hollywood, home of the LA LGBT Center.
Programming generally runs from around noon into the evening both days, with theater, spoken word, music and film spread across multiple spaces.
If giant festival crowds and packed dance floors are not your thing, this tends to be the quieter side of Pride season. More community vibe, less shoulder-to-shoulder chaos.
4. Could California Ban Quartz Countertops?
This one feels random until you realize half the kitchens renovated in West Hollywood over the last decade seem to have quartz countertops.
California regulators are considering restrictions, or an effective ban, on certain engineered stone countertops because of growing concerns over silica dust exposure among workers who cut and install them.
The issue is silicosis, a serious and irreversible lung disease tied to inhaling fine silica particles.
Nothing has changed yet, and quartz countertops are not suddenly disappearing tomorrow. But California is weighing some of the strictest action in the country, which could eventually affect remodel costs, material availability and what ends up in future kitchens.
For a city constantly renovating condos and apartments, it’s one worth watching.
5. Russian Community Awards And Classical Night Return Saturday
One of West Hollywood’s longer-running cultural traditions returns this weekend.
The City’s 20th Annual Russian-Speaking Community Awards Ceremony, followed by Classical Night in May, takes place Saturday, May 23, at West Hollywood City Council Chambers, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m., with the program beginning at 6 p.m.
The evening recognizes individuals and organizations that have contributed to West Hollywood’s Russian-speaking community, followed by a classical music concert benefiting Casa De Luz shelter. Admission is free, though donations are encouraged. Validated parking is available in the adjacent City garage.
West Hollywood has one of the region’s largest Russian-speaking populations, particularly on the Eastside. The annual event has quietly been part of the City’s cultural calendar for years.
Read the history of Johnny Depp’s home – it is fantastic. Once owned by the famous divorce lawyer, Marvin Mitchelson who has his own storied history.
Westhollywoodhistory.org features a deep dive on this and many other fascinating stories Highly recommend!
Yes, that website is great – just looked. I think this house is probably the best in WeHo (although technically LA). If only those walls could talk.
The TV movie “Scream, Pretty Peggy” with Bette Davis was filmed there, it’s on YouTube,
Thank you, Tommatchthecase! I am watching it now – so cool to see the inside. I think Brian may need to do a profile on this house! Perhaps he can get Johnny Depp to let him in! Ha
Quartz counter tops are incredibly dangerous to manufacture and California should have banned them years ago when the human toll to workers became known.
Agreed Steve-
The Los Angeles Times did a heartbreaking story on the workers, including some in their 20’s, who are on supplemental oxygen as a result of silicosis from cutting quartz countertops. The article made it clear that it is extremely difficult/ impossible to eliminate the risk, even with best practices.
Oh, so for thousands of years, this is now an issue? You are so enveloed in the woke. Curious, what is your counter to made from? The Italian stone cutters will appreciate your input. WTF?
The science of today didn’t exist when quartz countertops were first being used. We have a better understand of how harmful it is in 2026, because of evolution in science.