*** 2023 Memorial Weekend ***
Fiesta Hermosa is the largest beachside arts and craft festival in Southern California, and it has been around event since 1952.
[Time]: The festival takes place every Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends.
[Ticket]: Street vendors, food pavilion, and musical entertainment are all absolutely free. Additional tickets are required for activities such as the petting zoo and carnival rides. There is a $5 cover charge for the beer garden. For carnival tickets, here is the price breakdown:
One ticket = $1
Rides = 4 tickets
Games = 4 to 10 tickets
Petting zoo = 4 tickets
Petting zoo & ferris wheel = 5 tickets
Feed at petting zoo (cash only) = 1 for $3 and 2 for $5
[Parking]: Finding parking at Hermosa Beach can be challenging on a regular summer weekend, and it becomes even more difficult during Fiesta. Fortunately, there are free park-and-ride options available from 10 AM to 10 PM. Visitors can park at the Northrup Grumman lot on Aviation Blvd at 33rd St in North Redondo Beach (Google NGC M5 Parking, located right next to the Chevron gas station at 2301 N Aviation Blvd, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266). Another option is the Mira Costa High School parking lot (1401 Artesia Blvd, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266). Hermosa Valley School (1645 Valley Dr, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254) also offers nearby parking for $20.
[Shuttle]: Our party departed from the Northrup Grumman M5 parking lot at 2:15 PM with a mid-stop at Mira Costa High School. However, the bus was overcrowded and some people had to wait at the Mira Costa High School stop. I've observed multiple visitors boarding with their furry friends. If your dogs are at ease in confined areas and exhibit good behavior without excessive barking, bus drivers won't prohibit their presence on the buses. After Mira Costa High, the bus made two stops: one at PCH + Pier Ave and another at 10th + Hermosa Ave. The official website STRONGLY recommends getting off at the first stop (PCH + Pier Ave) and heading downhill to conveniently enjoy Fiesta. I wholeheartedly agree with this recommendation. Our party got off at PCH + Pier Ave at 2:30 PM. Later, we waited at the 10th + Hermosa Ave stop, and the lines were slightly confusing as one was for returning to Mira Costa High and the other for returning to the Northrup Grumman lot. Visitors can ask the security guard at the bus stop and the returning bus should have a sign indicating its destination making it clear which bus visitors should board. Our party boarded the bus at 3:35 PM and returned to the Northrup Grumman lot at 3:55 PM.
[Activities]: The festival is divided into five main sections: carnival, boutique/art vendors, the beer garden, food pavilion/fair/court, and beach concerts. The number of vendors exceeded my expectations and many of them had a hipster/trendy vibe similar to those you would find at the weekly Sunday Melrose Trading Post. One of the highlights of this festival is the abundance of free food and drink samples. Several vendors offered free popcorn and hummus samples and even Coca Cola and Minute Maid had booths at the Hermosa Beach Pier Plaza giving out complimentary drink samples. The makeshift food court offered a diverse selection and there are also other local brick-and-mortar food options available.
The festival surpassed all my expectations with its free park & ride, abundance of boutique and food vendors, captivating beach vibe, excellent local shops, complimentary food/drink samples, and lively beer garden. It's the perfect place to spend 2-4 hours and have a fantastic afternoon. read more