Went to Fiesta Hermosa yesterday afternoon mainly to catch Pine Mountain Logs and ended up staying…read morefor hours. It really is one of those classic South Bay events that feels like the unofficial kickoff to summer. The entire downtown area of Hermosa Beach turns into a huge street fair with live music, food, drinks, carnival rides, artists, and hundreds of vendors spread throughout the closed streets. There were families everywhere, groups of friends hanging out in the beer garden, people walking around with dogs, and just a really fun community vibe overall. Pine Mountain Logs were great live and the Garden area had a relaxed energy with music going most of the afternoon. The vendor mix was exactly what you would expect from a big festival like this. Some really cool local makers and artists mixed in with a little random street fair chaos, which honestly is part of the charm. You can grab food from local Hermosa spots or festival booths, stop for a drink, wander the Makers Mercado, listen to music at different stages, or just people-watch for a few hours. It is busy, loud, and crowded in the best possible way. Really impressive that this has been going for more than 50 years. Events like this are part of what makes Hermosa feel like Hermosa. 5 stars

I have grown up in the South Bay but this was my first year going to Fiesta Hermosa. We arrived…read morepretty early and walked around until everything officially opened at 11am. The weather was chilly and overcast but did warm up . My LO enjoyed the carnival rides. There are two ticket booths were you can purchase tickets. No cash accepted. Lots of vendors but I didn't really go look for anything in particular. Food - Yes, food is pricey but it's a festival so that's the norm. The food vendors do take cash, credit card, Venmo or Zelle. Parking - you can park at Northrop and take. Shuttle of there are numerous paid parking really close to the festival off of Pier Avenue. $25 to support Hermosa Schools for our parking lot and I felt it was worth it. There was a free succulent potting craft which was so fun There's lots of music and is definitely a fun way to spend a few hours over Memorial weekend.

Haven't been back here in probably 15 years…read more. My partner and I decided to visit again and was a nice experience. Tons of vendors! Vendors selling; jewelry, clothes, handmade goods, arts and crafts, toys, collectibles, artwork, etc. So many things to see! There's also food vendors with lots of options to choose from as well as fruity beverages, drinks and beer. There's also carnival rides, games and a petting zoo for the kiddos! Best of all, live music for entertainment! Plenty of chairs to sit for eating-- or just to enjoy the music. Many of the vendors were extremely friendly and welcoming. Folks seemed to enjoy themselves dancing as well. I missed going here and it brought back memories. Free admission and free parking!

The good: I came yesterday to this fair and enjoyed myself…read moredespite the foggy and dreary weather. There was live music, carnival rides, carnival games, food stands like funnel cake and fries, arcade games, vendors, and local businesses like YMCA, the police department and yoga studios promoting their stores. I was able to easily find parking at the garage in the Promenade shopping center. I definitely plan to come back annually. My daughter enjoyed seeing the pigs, llama, bunnies, goats, horses, and dogs. I got a free candy from the YMCA stand. The rides looked really fun and we're substantially large enough for older kids and adults too. The bad: I only saw 3 portable potties but I was able to use the restroom by the skating rink in the Promenade. The interesting: They had the same petting zoo that was at the Festival Hermosa.

Fun street fair to check out vendors and community services. There is free parking at Kinecta…read moreCredit Union, and there is a bus that takes you to the fair.

I love going to the MB Old Hometown Fair. I am not much into the arts and crafts booths but I like…read moreto look through at everything. Most of the booth including the beer garden and wine garden's proceeds go to the Manhattan Beach school's soccer, football, tennis, baseball, lacrosse...teams. Last year I volunteered at the wine garden and we had a very nice selection of wines and all the proceeds went to the Manhattan Beach Education Foundation. Parking is impossible so I recommend riding a bike or taking a free shuttle from the Northrop Grumman parking lot located on Aviation Blvd just North of Manhattan Beach Blvd. www.mbfair.org/

Absolutely the best fresh seafood I've ever had. I'm definitely coming back, highly recommended!read more

One of the main reasons for vacationing in Los Angeles this time was to go to the Lobster Festival!…read more There was another festival at San Pedro during the same weekend, but we picked this one at Redondo Beach because of the discounted admission ticket on goldstar.com and the location. Instead of $15, we paid $9 or so. We parked down the street for $10 at the Salvation Army (for a good cause) and walked over. Some of our friends parked closer in another lot for $2/hour. First, we purchased meal tickets at one booth, then stood in line at another booth to get our lobster meal - we got the "Big Louie Dinner", which is the larger 2.5 lbs. lobster for $50 rather than the 1.25 lb. one for $30. It came with a roll and some small potatoes. We went to another booth to have our lobsters cracked open with a mallet. However, I still had to crack lots of shells open. Luckily, I had brought gloves, kitchen scissors, and disposable hand wipes. Others in our group purchased meal tickets for other lobster dishes such as Lobster Mac and Cheese. The wait time and the lines for food were rather cumbersome and a bit confusing. When we were dining, we sat at tables and chairs that were under some tents. Afterwards, we walked around the booths. One of the vendors had a game, so we played and won prizes. We enjoyed the live music and the nice weather! It was quite a memorable experience! I was really happy to meet Gloria for the first time; see Carrie again and meet her family; and catch up with Craig & Tim! If I were to do it again, I would try the other Lobster Festival and compare. We don't have Lobster Festivals in Hawaii, so it's kinda fun for me!

We went to the kite festival today in Redondo Beach, did 30 minutes of metered parking at first but…read morethen got smart and moved my car to nearby free street parking so I didn't have to keep adding coins to the meter! Score! Got the beach umbrella and towels out and spent a good 2 hours here enjoying the beach, breeze and the kite display. We should bring our own kite next time! There were a good 40+ kites in the sky, very cool. Nice way to spend a couple hours on a Sunday afternoon!

This festival is a delight!!! I should buy a kite!…read moreIn my photos you'll see Colors wild & free A sight I hold dear At this place every year 2020 is the 46th year this event has gone on It's beautiful, unique & great family fun Some kites are fancy, some are homemade They decorate the sky like a floating parade If I were a kite I would fly Against the blue sky Higher and higher I'd go I'd put on a show In the wind I would dance I'd swoop and I'd prance Like a rocket I'd soar Then I'd come back for more I'd sail the skies I'd find paradise And when day turned to night I'd be out of sight I'd play in the stars Hell, I'd go to Mars I'd be in such bliss The moon I would kiss I hope you won't frown If I never come down It would be a good thing If you'd just cut my string......

The Riviera Village Summer Festival occurs annually during the month of June. I nearly forgot to…read moreattend until I was driving to the Village to have breakfast. Luckily, I found free street parking, but there's plenty of metered parking nearby. They close the middle of the street to pedestrian traffic only, so those metered spots are unavailable. It's great. Dogs are allowed, so people bring them and the rest of the family for games, dining, music, and shopping. The vendors are lined up in the middle of the street. Vendors are selling clothing, jewelry, hats, and art, just to name a few. The main stage is usually set up near HT Grill. All the restaurants and shops that are normally open on Saturdays are open during the festival.

Riviera Village Summer Festival is one of those yearly events that brings together all of the…read moreexpected components; namely: craft sellers, food, bands, and rides. Like the other festivals that take place around the Southbay, this is a fun place to go to interact with locals and see all of the interesting elements that the sellers and other people bring to the event. Every year, this event changes. This is mainly due to the fact that different sellers show up offering their wares. It's one of those events that you never know what you will find. Parking at this event can be an issue. The best thing to do is to get here early and then you can park in the main lot used for Riviera Village. There's meters in this lot and if you get here early enough, you'll find a spot. I know this event offers offsite parking with shuttle bus service, but that always seems like such a hassle. So, my advice is get here early enough and your self-parking will not become an issue. Overall, fun event to spend a little time and see what the various sellers are selling, perhaps have a bite to eat either at the event itself, or one of the local restaurants, and/or just enjoy the ocean air.

It's been years since I've attended a ho'olaulea. A spur of the moment visit and well worth the…read moredrive. It brought back so many fond memories of attending with my family and friends every year. As time passes it's hard to get everyone together. Hubby and I went for a peaceful day at the park. We attended the second day of the festival. Lots of merch vendors plenty to see, touch, feel. The hard part was deciding on which color lol. A smaller stage with covered seating area located in the back. Food vendors lined along the pathway. Malasadas! Chocolate filled?! Yes please! We tried all the flavors and chocolate was the favorite. Hot and fresh so good. I did have to dust a little sugar off like a beignet because I wanted that oozing chocolate.. divine! Manapua was aight.. I know they could do better. Everyone is friendly and welcoming. No attitudes at these festivals only kind and caring. You can bring your own water which is so nice especially during the summer. Get there early for a shady spot to set up your chairs, blankets or og bamboo mats. Parking was $10 in the parking structure. Lots of handicap parking spots reserved in the front. It was nice to see these accommodations. The structure is the length of the park so there's lots of space. If you get there early enough you can also park on the sidewalk or at the other end of the park with a little further walk to avoid fees. Mobile bathrooms with outdoor wash station. All of the performances were so beautiful. Listening to the island music and watching the performers brought the ohana vibes with the island spirit of aloha. Live musicians and MC were the cherry on top. Keeping that peaceful harmony flowing throughout the whole day.

ohana, community, entertainment, relaxation, amazing food, e lawe mai i kau kala, me kou no ho a me…read moreka pakeke me ka malu paha... e hele mai i ke kakahiaka nui ono mea'ai... e'al kakou!!! hui hou

Came here today for the first time to enjoy the festival. Saw NO cherry blossom trees though…read more Picked up some Torrance city related swag and saw some vendor booths. Ate 2 pizzas from the food trucks on site. Picnic under the trees with shade. Kids played in the playground area nearby. Saw a cultural performance. Glad the weather was nice to enjoy this Saturday.

Great local cherry Blossum hosted by city of Torrance. Bring a picnic blanket and hang out on the…read moregrass with venders, food trucks and cultural performances throughout the day. Great family fun!

[UPDATE 1: Review #32]…read more Went back to the Festival on Sunday to purchase another piece of Ms. Michiko Miyazaki's 3D artwork. She was so nice... gave my daughter a mini blue crane origami. H immediately headed for the Arts & Crafts booth to color a fish & fan. Then we wandered over to a display of plants, flowers, & bonsai trees. Our second to the last stop (we were planning to watch the Taiko Drums) was an origami table with a "grumpy, old man" (he wasn't, just looked like it). ;-) My l'il one wanted to make a flower that kinda looks like a tulip but the instructor was teaching everyone how to make a box. Needless to say... it was an interesting session with a 3 year old who skipped her nap & was somewhat cranky for having to wait. H kept chatting & mumbling through the instructions, then all of a sudden he shouts "HEY!" & shocks H to sit up straight & focus. LOL He also jokes in between the folds to "take our time but hurry up." What a contradictory man. =D Anyway, we got it done but it took awhile (see photo for finished product). We ended the afternoon with a couple of performances by the Taiko Center of L.A. (their most viewed YouTube performance was in the Princess of China music video). Cool! This Festival is definitely an enjoyable family-friendly event that supports the local community.

It's 40th Annual Bunka-Sai Japanese Cultural Festival in Torrance. Proceeds to benefit the Student…read moreCultural Exchange Program at the Miller Recreation Center on April 21(Sat) and 22(Sun) from 11am to 5pm. The admission and parking were free. The festival included all types of Japanese arts and crafts with performances and food. They featured Sumi-e paintings done by students from Kawai Sumi-e Club of Gardena. I was happy to see the tradition carries on with these type of clubs in our digital world. I just wish there were more choices on the food and snack to try and explore.

Large outdoor Greek festival that has been highly recommended to me by the locals who attend every…read moreyear. Yes, everything is expensive, but seeing as how it is located in a church, I'm assuming this is the church's way to have a fun fundraiser. There is an admission fee on top of the premium you pay for the food, but if you go to their website, you can get a coupon for one free admission. Parking: They have dedicated handicap spots on the curb right in front. Everyone else either did street parking, or parked in the empty elementary school lot across the street. Kids: They have a bouncy house and an inflatable slide, but you need to get a wristband for each child. Wristbands cost $10 and I believe they are unlimited for the day. They also sell candy in the area where they sell the wristbands. Food: It was cool to also see them roast the lamb off in one corner. I just wish they didn't use such a skinny lamb. The fries on the lamb plate were nice and crispy, and you get 3 pieces of lamb. They had a large pastry & cookie selection with a sampler deal. As someone who is not an expert in Greek desserts, I wish they made it clear on the menu which ones are the pastries by having it on one side of the menu and cookies on the other side. The items I wanted to try were all pastries and unfortunately they don't have a pastry sampler deal. Prices reflect per pastry or for cookies, you get 2. It wasn't until we were ready to go that I stumbled upon their indoor dining hall. It was packed in there as well as the shaded umbrella tables, so I guess I would have had to roast in the sun anyways. In the dining hall, they have pretty much the same offerings as outside, except there is rice pudding as well. While they did have the hot foods in a warm buffet server, the only way to get to it is by standing in line and waiting patiently to get to the last station, slowly scooting through each section since the line is roped off single file. Bathrooms: They have a bathroom inside the dining hall as well as across the outdoor tables. Inside the dining hall, the women's bathroom had 3 stalls and thankfully the line wasn't ridiculously long as they tend to be at festivals. They had live music, but it was too loud for my comfort. They also sold water ($2) and the bottle says that they donate a portion to mental health, which we really do need in America. Cool event, especially to go with friends. I'm really glad I came but this is a one-time experience for me. For me, the heat, the price, and the loud atmosphere is just not worth coming back - I much prefer going to an indoor artisanal specialty shop. Now I just really want to make a trip to Greece, lol.

Great food prepared by the loving Greek community. Every volunteer we came into contact with at the…read morefestival was very friendly and helpful. We tried many of the foods and loved them ALL! LOL. We come yearly and are never disappointed. Thank you!