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

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.

The three-day carnival festival was held here over the weekend, on Venice Blvd between Overland Ave…read moreand Motor Ave. There were a few of arcade games, carnival rides, and food trucks.

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.

Sergio did an amazing job for our party. Arrived on time, prepped and entertained us for half an…read morehour. Great music choice. Everyone loved it and it gave that wow effect to my party.

These guys are amazing ! They perform with such intensity and left me in awe. The fire is…read moremesmerizing and entrancing . So cool. I would definitely book them for show. Fire on my birthday why not !? They really have a good setup, good music, and radiant energy. I love that each one has their own style and unique elements . I could sit watching this forever .

The Admission: VIP Early Bird ticket $85. Could enter the event one hour (5pm) earlier than the…read moregeneral admission (6pm). Shorter lines and definitely can try out every food vendor. Overpriced? DEFINITELY!!!! With the food selections, quality and food portion...... too expansive. The Food and beverage: Unlimited tasting (till they run out of food). 3 non-alcohol beverage vendors (naked juice, energy drink and milk tea). There is a separate area for alcohol vendor. They check ID and give out wristband. Alcohol tasting are Thai beer and sake. Tasting size. Unlimited tasting. The Parking: Private parking lots (cash only)

I agree with the other reviews: way too expensive & super long lines. But my biggest gripe is…read more"Where the heck was the NIGHT MARKET food?!" No stinky tofu, no chicken cutlet, no popcorn chicken, no BOBA. Instead there were tacos, shawarma, lobster roll, etc. Don't get me wrong, they were tasty enough, but I just feel so deceived!

This isn't a very big Art Walk and everything is super spread out. I liked what I did see and…read morepurchased a cool new singing bowl. The Beer gardens were a nice addition, just wish everything was closer. I will say that things got a lil spooky at night walking almost 2 blocks and not seeing a booth.

It was decent, but after going to DTLA art walk it's hard to even come close to the setup and…read moreturnout. Wished that the art was closer together, the exhibits were too spread out that I almost gave up on checking them all out. I did enjoy the art that I saw, and the artists were all so sweet! I'm all for supporting artists!! Hope to see it evolve.

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!

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.