Celebrate Mother’s Day and Mother Earth this Saturday, May 7, at the 20th Annual Santa Monica Festival from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Clover Park. This entirely eco-friendly festival is a celebration of the intersection of art and the environment. The event is solar-powered and will produce nearly zero-waste. And the best part? Admission, parking, and bike valet are all free.
Presented by the City of Santa Monica’s Cultural Affairs Division and Office of Sustainability, the festival will present everything from live music and dance to karate to cooking demonstrations. Food trucks will provide local foods including Crepe’n Around and Let’s be Frank.
KCRW’s Garth Trinidad will kick off the festival at 11 a.m. on the Ocean Stage, and at both 11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. surprise guest artists will make an appearance. At 1:30 p.m. L.A.-based rock band The Americans will perform original songs influenced by traditional rockabilly, rural blues and early country and folk music.
There will be something for everyone, with 10 “zones” throughout the festival. Take a fitness course at “Work it Out,” with eight different classes being offered throughout the day, including belly dancing and hip-hop. Visit “Dance Attack” to learn moves that will later become part of a flash mob. At the “DIY Zone” learn the art of Japanese bookbinding or transform plastic bags into beautiful flowers.
Independent artists and vendors will be selling their work at the “Marketplace” throughout the day, and the “Eco Zone” will provide environmentally smart solutions to daily living with a number of eco-encouraging businesses and organizations. Don’t forget to visit the “Town Square” to intermingle with those involved in helping to better Santa Monica.
Cooking demonstrations will take place at 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 2 p.m. at the “Food Salon.” Chefs and farmers were paired by Laura Avery of the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market to work together to share cooking tips and recipes with what is currently in season.
Biking is highly encouraged at the festival. In addition to the free bike valet, bikers can learn DIY bicycle repair, view a bike exhibition from Santa Monica Spoke, obtain a biking license and join in a cycling themed art workshop that helps bikers track their paths with a scrap book of illustrations and tips, and rules of the road.
Clover Park is located at 2600 Ocean Park Boulevard, between Cloverfield Boulevard and 28th Street. Bike valet is located at 25th Street, south of Ocean Park Boulevard. For more information visit smgov.net/festival.
