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.

Love this event. It's filled with such good vibes. So many neat vendors...dangerously so. Loved the…read moreyoga and the music was off the charts. Such a fun time. We got there a couple of hours before the event to get a good parking space and just hung out at Alana's for coffee and breakfast and then went to Good Girl Books to fill up time.

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

Love this place..every year the line up of musicians are worth the wait…read more Yayayayayyayay

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*

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!

I'm pretty disappointed with the event we attended last night. Purchased VIP tickets and was only…read moreabout 10 people from the front. When we entered at 6:30 (an hour early for VIP), the place was somehow already crowded?? Minutes later, it was hard to even walk inside the hangar. We were shoulder to shoulder with people. Luckily we got to sample most foods. The food selection was great. Plenty of wine tastings and other drink options. The issue was not the food. The problem was how incredibly crowded it was. Around 7:30 when it was time for the general admission entry, I thought there's no way they could fit anymore people in here. Then it became SO CROWDED that you literally could NOT WALK or get to anything! People were bumping into each other trying to get anywhere. It just became an extremely stressful experience trying to get to anything, so we just left. I just want to say shame on LA Food and Wine for overselling and cramming as many people in like a SARDINE CAN! This used to be a wonderful event and I was so excited to finally be able to attend again, only to be disappointed. THIS WAS A FIRE HAZARD! There's no way that many people in that hangar was safe in any way.

May 24, 2026 | Santa Monica | Once I received a newsletter about the upcoming Mainopoly event, I…read moreimmediately contacted my friend who went along with me last year! We had so much fun & it was time to do it again! I secured the tickets online and we were on our way, on such a beautiful and sunny day! Mainopoly | Once you pass through the colorful balloon arch, check-in, receive a wristband, Mainopoly Money, as well as a game board of restaurants and cafés along Main Street, you're on your way to a discovery of new bites and drinks! Alcohol & Non-Alcohol, your choice! Samples | How fun! You exchange Mainopoly Money for Samples! We were surprised that some samples were quite generous! Of course, we paced ourselves, & often took quick bites! Other times, those samples were gone in a heartbeat, because they were so delicious! Haha! There are also paid items throughout the event, your choice! Contest | Drawing | Feel free to dress up, as there is a main prize for the best costume! Also, there's a chance to win prizes for completing the entire game board by visiting each place & getting a signature that you were there and/or had sampled! Parking | Paid Parking Lots & Meter Parking! Be sure to read the signs! We took Waymo from my place! At the end of the event, we also went on a fun free ride that's offered along Main Street simply for fun, as we waited to meet up with another friend! Score! Atmosphere | Fun & upbeat! Right away, two girls decided to walk along with us at the start the event! Another time, while my friend and I were chatting, a girl who attended the event Solo, joined us! Fun! Some places had seating, live music, and did I mention so many cute dogs everywhere?! I loved every moment of it! Pet Adoption | There was even a super cute pet adoption area by one of the restaurants and it was so fun to play with the cute dogs! They were absolutely adorable! Overall | Once again, we had a blast! Drinks and food were discovered! People were friendly throughout the event, as well as other game players & we even did a little shopping along Main Street! It's quite a fun event and I highly recommend!! Let's go!

I went to my first MAINopoly: Taste of Main Street in Santa Monica and already can't for next year!…read more This culinary walking event featured some of Main Street's best restaurants, bars, and local businesses stretched across quite a few blocks, so you will get your steps in, which made it such a fun way to explore the neighborhood while trying a huge variety of food and drinks. At check-in, everyone received a wristband, game board, and "MAINopoly" money to exchange for tastings at each participating location. Once you visited a stop, your game board was marked off, and completed boards could be turned in for a chance to win prizes. Some of the participating businesses included Ashland Hill, Circle Bar, HomeState, Jameson's Pub, Junior Cookies, Library Alehouse, Lula Cocina Mexicana, Michael's Santa Monica, Tavern on Main, Triple Beam Pizza, Ubatuba Acai, and many more. Every stop offered something unique, and it was a great mix of restaurants, bars, dessert spots, and wellness brands. One of the coolest additions this year was the new "Entertainment Zone" feature, where guests 21+ could sip alcoholic beverages while strolling between locations. It gave the event such a lively and social atmosphere. The event is made to be walkable. Parking was manageable with paid lots/meters and nearby street parking available (I parked in the residential for free!), and I also appreciated that the event was very kid-friendly. Overall, MAINopoly was such a fun way to spend the day eating, exploring local businesses, and enjoying the Santa Monica community. I will definitely be going again next year!