Built in the early 1920s, the Hollywood Bowl has just undergone a major overhaul. The elegant Greek-style natural outdoor amphitheater, cradled in a small mountain canyon, is the summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Hollywood Bowl orchestras, and often hosts internationally known conductors and soloists on Tuesday and Thursday nights. Friday and Saturday concerts typically feature orchestral swing or pops concerts. The summer season also includes a jazz series; past performers have included Natalie Cole, Dionne Warwick, and Chick Corea. Other events, from standard rock-'n'-roll acts like Radiohead to Garrison Keillor programs, summer fireworks galas, and the annual Mariachi Festival, are often on the season's schedule. To round out an evening at the Bowl, many concertgoers use the occasion to enjoy a picnic dinner and a bottle of wine -- it's one of L.A.'s grandest traditions. You can prepare your own or order a picnic basket with a choice of hot and cold dishes and a selection of wines and desserts from Patina's on-site catering department, which also provides delivery to box seats: Call tel. 323/850-1885 by 4pm the day before you go to place your food order. Arrive a couple of hours before the show starts, in order to dine while listening to the orchestra or band tune up. Fun with Festivals -- The L.A. Philharmonic's summer concert series at the Hollywood Bowl is the world's largest outdoor music festival. Free Morning Music at Hollywood Bowl -- It's not widely known, but the Bowl's summer morning rehearsals are open to the public and absolutely free. On Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9:30am to 12:30pm, you can see the program scheduled for that evening. So bring some coffee and doughnuts (the concession stands aren't open) and enjoy the best seats in the house (tel. 323/850-2000; www.hollywoodbowl.org).

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Los Angeles 2008, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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