The Richard Nixon Library in Yorba Linda will offer free admission for Memorial Day, May 27, 2013. Special activities for the day include a formal wreath-laying ceremony at 10:15 am, a 1:30 book signing by Ed Nixon and a family concert featuring the Placentia Symphonic Band at 2 pm.

The Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace
18001 Yorba Linda Blvd.
Yorba Linda, CA 92886
(714) 993-5075
www.nixonlibrary.org
Hours: Mon - Sat 10 am - 5 pm, Sun 11 am - 5 pm

The Reagan Library in Simi Valley charges regular admission on Memorial Day, but is still a popular destination for the holiday. If you're planning a visit there over the weekend, go early. They often stop selling tickets as early as 2 pm so everyone has time to visit Air Force One before 5 o'clock closing. Visit www.reaganfoundation.org for more info.

More: Memorial Day Weekend Events in Los Angeles

There are so many fun things going on around Los Angeles for Memorial Day weekend that I'm having a hard time making up my mind what to do myself.  It's forecast to be a little cool at the beach, which means the crowds will likely be even bigger at LA Theme Parks.

The best patriotic parades of the weekend will be in Canoga Park, but the parade is not the only big event in the East Valley for the holiday weekend. The Topanga Days Country Fair has its own little country parade along with a three-day music festival and  Greek music, dance and food fans will be kicking up their heels at the Valley Greek Festival in Northridge. Even further north is the Cajun Music Festival in Simi Valley.

In the Southbay, Hermosa Beach will be the center of attention with the three-day Fiesta Hermosa music festival and street fair.

In Orange County, Garden Grove will host the annual Strawberry Festival starting Friday night, and further south, the Scottish Fair and Highland Games will take over the Orange County Fairgrounds.

Details of these and memorial ceremonies can be found on my list of Memorial Day Events in Los Angeles.

If creepy crawlies make you want to look closer instead of run away, you'll want to head to the Natural History Museum of LA County's annual Bug Fair this weekend. It's the largest celebration of insects in the country with hundreds of things to see and do and over 70 exhibitors showing and selling all things related to the creepy-crawly and winged creatures including books, art and preserved and live specimens. In addition to live animal presentations and workshops, there will be buggy performance artists, bug chef demonstrations and cook-offs and the perennial favorite, the cockroach races. The museum's resident entomologists will be on hand to talk about the NHM collection of arthropods and arachnids.

When: May 18-19, 2013, 9:30 am - 5 pm
Where: Natural History Museum of LA County, 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90007
Cost: Adults $12, students & seniors w/ID $9, Youth 13-17 $8, Children 5-12 $5, under 5 Free
Parking: $8-$10, see Parking
Info: www.nhm.org/site/activities-programs/bug-fair

Long Beach has the third largest Gay Pride Parade and Festival in the country, and it kicks off Pride season with the earliest event of the year. The two-day festival fills up Shoreline Drive in Long Beach from Alamitos to Pine Avenue, most recently part of the Long Beach Grand Prix circuit.  Fantasia will headline the popular bands gracing the main stage on Saturday night. Finalists from American Idol and The Voice top the Sunday line-up. There will also be a Spotlight Stage, Dance Stage with DJs, a Country Music Stage and Urban Soul Stage. The Parade Sunday will include over 200 floats and marching groups.

There are three entrances to the festival, MAIN GATE (on Shoreline Drive south of Ocean) PINE GATE (On Shoreline    Drive & Shoreline Village) LINDEN GATE ( From the Convention Center parking lot.)

Friday night kicks off the weekend with the Teen Pride event on the festival grounds and the  annual Pink Party in the Long Beach East Village. Sunday is the Annual St. Luke's "Pride Communion on the Bluff." It takes place at 9 am before the Pride Parade at Bluff Park on Ocean Blvd near Redondo Ave.

When: Festival May 18-19, 2013, 11 am - 10 pm, Parade, Sunday May 19, 10:30 am
Where: Festival on Shoreline Drive from Pine Avenue to Alamitos Blvd., Long Beach.
Parade is on Ocean Blvd. from Temple west to Alamitos.
Cost: festival $20, free for children under 12 (no children under 12 on the festival grounds after 5:30 pm), free for active military with ID upon request at the gate. Parade is free.
Metro: Blue Line to the 1st Street Station
Info: www.longbeachpride.com