Twenty-two years and going strong, that's the Santa Monica Festival not me, if only. Although 90+…read moredegree heat was predicted, a light marine layer, cool ocean breezes created a pleasant backdrop to showcase this year's sustainability themed event, as well as, events within like, the Juneteenth Celebration, A Taste of Summer with the Annenberg Beach House and the Santa Monica Farmers Market Challenge which pitted Nyesha Arrington http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-9/bio/nyesha-arrington and Josie Le Balch http://www.josierestaurant.com/ to create a $15 meal for four. I fear this foodie was a festival wimp because I was too wiped to hang out for their food fight. A myriad of activities for folks of all ages with kids really digging the Big Blue Bus and trash recycling truck to hop on and explore. The free bike valet http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/santa-monica-festival-santa-monica-2?select=vH2e66N3SWb9kldxGYxzyg#uVsNV593GV0zcfWGsam18g encouraged leaving the car at home as my friends and I did. Plenty of food trucks http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/santa-monica-festival-santa-monica-2?select=vH2e66N3SWb9kldxGYxzyg#8h3JhmFhSm4yY2dSUK3G3g and even a fashionmobile http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/santa-monica-festival-santa-monica-2?select=vH2e66N3SWb9kldxGYxzyg#_UknuOz5Hw8CSlqpB0GlAw ! Santa Monica is indeed a city of cultural activities and well-honed services to be taken advantage of by all. More here: http://www.smgov.net/Portals/Culture/content.aspx?id=15035 Highlight for me was artist Cassandra Tondro's http://tondro.com/ "From Cans to Canvas" interactive painting experience http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/santa-monica-festival-santa-monica-2?select=vH2e66N3SWb9kldxGYxzyg#wUrJjuqoQeDWgII5lKypig http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/santa-monica-festival-santa-monica-2?select=vH2e66N3SWb9kldxGYxzyg#1rjspkly2CXSvNRTZ6H9sg If you missed today's festival, do bookmark it for 2014, trust me, it's worth it!

We came, we saw, we thronged! From a distance, the Santa Monica Festival at Clover Park looked like…read moreany other free outdoor community event, a weekend sea of pedestrians and rows of white tents and bold lettered banners. But Saturday was cool, Clover's grass was green, and the atmosphere was indeed festive. There were several options for free or metered parking in supervised lots within walking distance, making at least our vehicular arrival and departure quick and painless. After leaving the car, we made a beeline for the park's restrooms, where, as it typically happens whenever we step out to a fairground, we spent a considerable chunk of our visit waiting our turns in slow-moving lines. Plenty of music filled our ears while we waited, especially the notes coming from center stage, where a featured group, The Lions, sounded particularly captivating. We quietly joined standing watchers later on, just in time to see The Lions wrap up their soulful and energetic gig. Festival treats were also close at hand, so we couldn't miss tasting Linde's old-fashioned sugar roasted almonds. We followed our noses to her popular table where I impulsively grabbed us a couple of warm paper cones in a sweet twofer deal. Linde jokingly asked if we were unable to share, to which I honestly replied, "yes." It was a fair-tastic time. The usual apparel gifts and arts-and-craftsy things were available for passers-by to browse and purchase, and interactive activities engaged families, kids, and kids-at-heart. It seemed apparent to us after one walk-through that the city government was out to connect with and educate visitors in exchange for cheap swag and fun, with a number of public service kiosks that let you spin wheels and answer questions for prizes. We didn't get around to checking everything out (see Tess M.'s yelp here: http://bit.ly/11hmlqO for some neat things we missed), but all in all, the Festival was pleasant and low-key, which is pretty much Santa Monica in a nutshell.

It's always fun to go to the Abbot Kinney Festival. Lots to look at. Before the pandemic there…read morewere more bars on Abbot Kinney, not so much now.

Just another great way to harold the end of summer…read more.. AKF is thrown annually, stretches the entire length of Abbot Kinney Blvd. and has a little of everything: * YES - Lotsa food stands w/ interesting offerings (ie: Hotato's "chips" on a stick) * YES - Jewelry stands: both affordable and some pricier * YES - Art, signage & poster, clothing/tee stands * YES - Live music & DJ * YES - Fun people watching * YES - Most of AKB's original shops are open as well * WOA: - Street (free) parking. Tons of bikes were parked as well. - Pet-friendly. - Pretty clean; they were smart in placing tons of trash cans throughout. Too bad it's only hosted once a year.

Lovely event for the community. I went to the one this weekend. Since this is right before the…read moreholidays, it's a great opportunity for shopping small businesses to get gifts. There are a lot of people and vendors so this may be overwhelming for some. There was a free workout class in the morning. And after walking around the full length of the event, I ended up with loads of free goodies. I recommend parking a few streets away on Centinela and walking. There are plenty of residential neighborhoods. Kid friendly. Dog friendly too.

I didn't find there was a lot to do except shop and made it through the festival fairly quicklyread more

A big turnout this year! With lots of performances and Thai vendors for everyone to try out…read more Located at the Santa Monica pier. It was really crowded and I wish they didn't put the tables right in between all the vendors, which made lining up to order long and confusing

So lively and a lot of people! I ate food from Emporium Thai, my hubby got chicken satay and a…read moredrink. The tall models were fun to watch and the live band was great too

The Culver City Summer Music Festival is A LOT smaller when you compare it to the Santa Monica…read moreTwilight Dance Series. Both are free concerts that occur on Thursdays in the summer. I prefer the Santa Monica concert more, because it's at the pier. Or, you can also watch the concert on a megascreen on the beach! The Culver City concert is located at city hall. Minimal grass space. Mostly concrete for you to sit on. There is free parking underneath city hall. Or you can park at the nearby Culver City Garages for 2 hours free. We got there at 6:30, when the concert was scheduled to arrive at 7. There was no place to sit. Every inch was taken. There isn't too many places to stand either, without blocking the sea of people sitting down. Luckily we managed to find a tiny spot in between two groups near the stage. If you get there early enough, the city of Culver City puts out chairs right in front of the stage for people to sit on. (About.. 30-40?) I don't know if I would come back. It's nice. And parking was relatively painless. And the concerts in Culver City have better acoustics. I guess I would . . . if there was a good band playing that night. *Two thumbs up*

If you, like: 1) music (jazz, swing, salsa, folk,…read morebrazilian...) 2) being outdoors 3) meeting people 4) dancing 5) the summer 6) free things Stop by the Culver Summer Sunset Music Festival. Every Thursday night there are different live performances. It can be anything that you want it to be. Wild and crazy! OR relaxing and chill...Start off the weekend right listening to good music with good company.

Loved everything from the appearance of God. The free feast was delicious as well as the savory…read morebooth!!

And finally that time of the year, when you can catch the Festival of Chariots parade at the Venice…read moreBeach Boardwalk arrived. Very exciting time for me since this year is my first time at the festival. I've seen great photos of the colorful parade and this year, the timing worked magically.I was able to attend it and eager to do so. The Festival of Chariots (Ratha Yatra) is an ancient Indian celebration dedicated to 3 deities. Hence the 3 chariots (floats) you see at the parade. The first festival in US was held in San Francisco in 1967 (they still organize it in Golden Gate Park). Since '76, Venice Beach hosts another one on the West Coast, a perfect location, in tune with the vibe of the celebration which takes places over 3 days in Santa Monica. In the last day, a parade starts on Main Street in Santa Monica, moves along Ocean till it gets to Venice Beach where booths, tents are set up for more festivities to follow. This is a beautiful event, very colorful, peaceful and unique. Many participants wear Hindu inspired clothing, some pull the chariots ahead by huge ropes (I was told it's good for your karma to do so). Everyone is friendly, they spread their joy, books about their spirituality, vegetarian cooking and yoga. A lady from the parade stopped to talk to us, she gave useful information about the history behind the event, the sister parade in San Francisco and about this cool fest. No one is trying to convert anyone, it's not about pushing anything on you. I'm interested in other cultures and spirituality of various people and I practice yoga, so I don't mind learning more things. The parade starts at 10 am in Santa Monica, it gets around noon in Venice, be there a bit before. It's lively, colorful, like no other. Very joyful. Then, more festivities begin, there's a stage where they have various artists perform, booths where you can learn about the history of the festival and where you can practice yoga. They have a free vegetarian feast (for 20,000 people), the line was moving and I enjoyed the food and the tea they served (Thank you!), it's such a nice, generous gesture. There are more booths where they sell Indian street food, fruits, drinks, smoothies. We tried the coconut water ($4) fresh, from an actual coconut, I'm not a huge fan of coconut water (I know it's trendy), the taste doesn't do it for me, but I enjoyed the experience.Had to try it! There are booths where they sell Indian clothes, home decor, jewelry. I've been to many street fairs and this one has the most reasonable prices for food and merchandise. It is hot, but you're on the beach. Casual, fun event. It's a positive vibe all around, people are nice, that's what this festival is about. Love, tolerance and kindness, which we can have more in our lives nowadays. We can learn from each other and the Festival of Chariots can open your mind and hearts. Hare Krishna, everyone! Love, joy and peace!

Full line up of bands playing from 11a to 7p. There's dancing, hoops and body paint. The sound's…read moregreat and so are the bands.

As one of the few people who paid full price & wasn't comp'd to check this event out, I have to say…read moreit was still worth it! Super fun, positive vibes, lots of great tastings & flowing alcohol - what's not to love other than the steep ticket price, lol? I had been curious about this event for awhile. For my friend and me, it was perfect. We often have a hard time deciding on a restaurant or cuisine so this was a great GNO. This was my first time at the festival, but honestly, I'd do it again!

best bang for your buck food & wine event i've ever been to!…read more our food & wine festivals at home (hawaii) are wayyyy more expensive than this was. paid for the VIP and def got my monies worth. there were sooo many vendors to get food and drinks from. i couldnt even eat everything, let alone even have room for drinks. i also say def get the VIP so you can get in there early because it gets hella crowded. some stations do take awhile to get food from because their cooking process is a little more intense, so also plan for that. i suggest hitting those stations up first before the masses come in as the lines only get even longer. loved all the unique wineries. back home we only have the mainstream bigger name brands. also loved how many liquor stations there were, and tons that i had never heard of before. loved that it was in the cooler months because i can imagine that place would be completely unbearable during summer months when its hot with that many people in there getting there early also helps the parking situation. pay for parking, but at least there was hardly anyone in there when we arrived. i can imagine that lot filled up super fast. the only hard part was finding the lot as the signs did not point to where to turn, at least not from the direction we came from. would definitely go again and pay for VIP!

A fantastic way to get to know and experience Main St. and its food offerings in Santa Monica!…read moreAbout 20 restaurants participating in offering a small sample of their best appetizers, a taste of their main entree or drinks! I highly recommend it and take a friend or two. Plus, Monopoly themed! My favorite were the onigiri, acai, churros and chicken curry!

A fun and exciting walk-around food event to explore Main Street, MAINopoly gathers more than 20…read morerestaurants and vendors to serve out bite-size samples in celebration of Memorial Day. In the spirit of the event, many folks excitingly dressed up on their best monopoly theme outfits with top hats and monocles, and the light spring drizzle didn't seem to stop everyone from stopping at every location! With street parking readily available, check in first at the start booth for the game board and monopoly money. Astro Doughnuts and Fried Chicken served out surprisingly sweet PB&J and creme brulee mini-donuts, while Jameson brought out small servings of savory shepherd's pie. Don't forget to stop by Sweet Rose Creamery for desserts. A few places pair up special promos on drinks with their food selections: generous half off beer with pizza slices at Brick + Mortar; and favorite $4 sangria with a small pick of mac n' cheese at Manchego. Huge thank you to Christine D for sharing her Yelp giveaway with me!