Latest News

Puppies For Sale on Venice Boardwalk



"Summer Must be here, backyard breeders back to hustling puppies on the boardwalk," reports @kantseler

Malibu



A compilation of sessions at one of California's most famous and crowded beaches.

Surfers (in order of appearance): Devon Howard, Nathan Strom, Ryan Miller, Allen Sarlo, Cliff Kapono, Ashton Goggans, Carlos Munoz, River Covey, Nate Yeomans, Tosh Tudor, Billy Wickens, Lex Weinstein, Joel Tudor, & many more.

Film & Edit: Evan Schell

Another Fire at the Infamous Venice Fire Bathroooms

This appears to be the 5th fire in the past 2 weeks at these Rose Ave parking lot bathrooms at Venice Beach.

Successful Venice Beach Clean Up



It was a successful day on Friday at the Quest Resource Management Group Beach Clean Up Event at Venice Beach! The team collected 20 lbs. of trash (124 cigarettes, 283 pieces of foam, & 190 microplastics).

Venice Beach Drunk Homeless Man Threatens Resident



"This intoxicated person just threatened me and followed me at North Venice and Pacific. These people are totally out of control and it took all of my strength to fight him. They are partying and being obnoxious and harass people every day." reports Jonathan Alcorn

Shark and Whale Sighting at Sunset Point

Venice Fire Station 63 Annual Pancake Breakfast



Pancake breakfast made by our local fire fighters, and served by Playa Venice Sunrise Rotary Club members. Activities also include DJ, fire station tours, jumper, coloring table, fire safety demos, t-shirt sale, and more! Come support our local firefighters and Fire Station 63.

May 13, 2023
Los Angeles Fire Dept. Station 63 1930 Shell Ave
Venice, CA 90291

For more info, Click Here

Another Fire Inside Venice Beach Restrooms



Surf Photos - Venice Pier - Wednesday 4-26-2023

Here's surfing photos from Wednesday, April 26th at the Venice Pier. This set of surf photos was shot by Six12 Media and brought to you by Jack's Surfboards.                                                                
Tristan "Red Dog" Welch


Here's surfing photos from Wednesday, April 26th at the Venice Pier.

This set of surf photos was shot by Six12 Media and brought to you by Jack's Surfboards.

These are just a few of the 180+ photos from this session. If you were out there, you probably got some surfing shots, probably multiple photos, they will be in the complete photo galleries for this day, check them out, the links to the complete galleries are down below.





Yves Bright













You can find 150 more photos from this session, all full size and in high-resolution, in these 2 photo galleries:

Venice Pier - Wednesday 4-26-2023 Gallery #1
Venice Pier - Wednesday 4-26-2023 Gallery #2


If you were out there, we probably got some cool surfing shots of you, go check them out!

Wanna see photos from previous days at this and other local surf spots from this photographer?
Click Surf Spot Galleries and look for the spot and then the date.

Venice Pier Kite Festival



The first annual Venice Beach Pier Kite Festival.

Diversity In Aquatics Fundraiser



Come out and support fundraising efforts that will help educate, promote, and support water safety and healthy aquatics activities for all — especially in vulnerable populations because everybody should enjoy water activities & nobody should drown.

May 6, 2023
2p - 6p
Jamaica Bay Inn
Marina Del Rey, CA

For more info and to register, Click Here

Venice Cinco de Mayo Parade & Festival



Join us in bringing back this historic event to celebrate Mexican American Heritage and our city’s cultural diversity.

Parade begins at 10:00AM. Route begins at Lincoln Blvd and California Ave.

Street Festival begins at 11:00AM on 7th Ave between California Ave and Broadway Ave in front of Oakwood Ark in Venice, CA.

Saturday, May 6, 2023
10:00AM to 6:00PM OAKWOOD PARK
767 California Ave
Venice, CA. 90291

Aztec Dancers
Grupo La Rosa Folklorico
Princesa donaji De Oaxaca
Charro
Mariachi
Venice High School Band
Straight out of Venice Rapper Baby Dog
Informational Booths
Vendor Booths
Face painter
Raffles
DJ
Food Truck
Authentic Mexican Food
Piñata
Santa Monica Cheerleaders
Classic cars

For more info, Click Here

Malibu City Staff Clear Homeless Encampment from Tuna Canyon


Earth Day Beach Clean Up Santa Monica

On April 6 Malibu City staff cleared an encampment on vacant private property in Tuna Canyon where multiple fires attributed to homeless encampments have previously occurred. Lifeguard Tower 28
200 Ocean Front Walk
Santa Monica, CA 90405


Earth Day Beach Clean Up Santa Monica


Earth Day Beach Clean Up Santa Monica

Highlights of the Horny Toad Concert at Santa Monica Pier Locals Night



Highlights from the Horny Toad concert at the Santa Monica Pier's 4/20 Locals Night. Horny Toad is a Rock/Reggae/Ska/Funk band formed by Louiche Mayorga (ex-Suicidal Tendencies), along with Anthony Brewster and Moises Casillas, with Chris Abbott a.k.a. Kid Caviar on vocal duties.

Pep Williams' Exhibit Behind Bars at Malibu City Hall



In 2017 photographer Pep Williams had the opportunity to photograph inmates at the Chuckawalla Valley State Prison and Ironwood State Prison in Blythe, California. In his photographs, Mr. Williams portrays these men’s lives with dignity and humanity, even in a harsh setting and in the shadow of difficult pasts, and discovered a functioning social world and individual wisdom from men he met in prison.

Mr. Williams is a fine art photographer, video director, and third-generation DogTown skateboarder from South Central Los Angeles. He has traveled globally, creating materials for his photographic exhibitions, and has photographed spreads for magazines worldwide. The series, “Behind Bars,” is on permanent display at The Autry Museum.



"Behind Bars" is on display from March 27 to May 5, 2023 at the Malibu City Gallery (23825 Stuart Ranch Rd). Free admission and open to the public Monday - Friday, from 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM.

For more info, Click Here

Santa Monica Homeless Man Wanted for Felony Assault



On April 20, 2023, at approximately 7:43 PM, the Santa Monica Police Department received a 911 call of an assault at the California Pizza Kitchen located at 210 Wilshire Boulevard. Patrol officers assigned to the Department’s Downtown Services Unit were on scene within two minutes. In the outdoor seating area at the restaurant the officers found a table on its side and broken dishes and food on the floor. The victim of the attack was bleeding from cuts on his hand. The suspect was already gone from the area.

The victim and several witnesses told the officers that just a few minutes before, a male suspect, who was not known to the victim, without provocation approached the victim and his dining partner while they sat at their table, picked up two chairs, and slammed them down on the table. At some point during the altercation, the victim fell to the ground and cut his hand on broken dishware on the floor. The victim was transported to the hospital for treatment for the lacerations.

The suspect is described as male, White, 5-08, 180-200 pounds, unknown age, full beard, wearing a green or brown jacket, orange sweater, white undershirt, blue jeans, and blue framed glasses. The suspect appeared to be experiencing homelessness.

Anyone with any information pertaining to this incident or person(s) involved is strongly encouraged to contact SMPD Sergeant Goodwin during business hours at 310-458-8451, chad.goodwin@santamonica.gov, or the Watch Commander (24 hours) at 310-458-8427

Rise and Fall of LA's Space Age Nautical Pleasure Pier



Join us for an illustrated lecture on the history of Pacific Ocean Park with authors Christopher Merritt and Domenic Priore!

Pacific Ocean Park: The Rise and Fall of Los Angeles' Space Age Nautical Pleasure Pier - Lecture and Booksigning with authors Christopher Merritt and Domenic Priore

Friday, May 5 · 7pm
Philosophical Research Society
3910 Los Feliz Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90027

Pacific Ocean Park -- or as it was commonly known in Los Angeles from the '50s through the '70s, P.O.P. -- was extraordinary in both its glamorous rise and spectacular fall. As a family-oriented attraction in the '50s with modernist-styled rides designed by Hollywood's best, P.O.P.'s attendance briefly surpassed that of Disneyland.



This illustrated lecture on the history of this Southern California icon with authors Christopher Merritt and Domenic Priore, whose spectacular book Pacific Ocean Park: The Rise and Fall of Los Angeles' Space Age Nautical Pleasure Pier includes hundreds of images, most of them unseen elsewhere, including original ride designs and illustrations, including Tiki-rich, space age, and nautical rides. P.O.P. was often widely seen in movies and television shows throughout the '60s. Its Cheetah auditorium hosted important early rock shows, including those by Ritchie Valens, The Doors, and Pink Floyd. P.O.P. was located at the dividing line between Santa Monica and Venice, the only spot during Prohibition-era Los Angeles where residents were allowed to dance and consort in a carnival-like atmosphere. The book also backgrounds the infamous "Dogtown" of the '70s in which surfers took advantage of big waves that rolled through P.O.P.'s rotting piers near homeless junkies.

Following the presentation, authors Christopher Merritt and Domenic Priore will sign copies of their book on Pacific Ocean Park, available right now on Amazon!



Ticket Price: $15 (in-person and Zoom options available)

For more info & to buy tickets, Click Here



MIke - Surf Chats with Topanga Lou



"Beg. Surfers Put Better Surfers In Danger"

The Velvicks' Earth Day Performance Rocks Santa Monica



From Santa Monica Close Up:

" The Velvicks brought down the house at the 3rd annual Earth Day Beach Festival in Santa Monica today! The festival was a celebration of our planet and a powerful demonstration of love and unity."

Santa Monica Close Up is a photo blog by Santa Monica based Photojournalist/Press photographer Fabian Lewkowicz. Fabian is the former staff photographer for the Santa Monica Daily Observer Press, Santa Monica Mirror, Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Corsair.

Support Santa Monica Closeup/Fabian Lewkowicz with Venmo or PayPal to help earn money to make these videos:

https://venmo.com/u/santamonicacloseup

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/fabianlewkowicz

Beach Water Quality Map

Laboratory results from three local agencies are displayed on the map. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (DPH) Environmental Health Recreational Waters Program, collects ocean water samples from the mainland, once a week throughout the year. DPH collects an additional five samples from Avalon on Santa Catalina Island beginning in April through October. The Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts (SD) collects ocean water samples at selected sites on the mainland, once each week throughout the year. The Beach Cities of Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach, Palos Verdes Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes (BC) jointly collect water samples within their cities, once a week throughout the year. DPH, SD, and BC also resample sites that have exceeded State Standards for bacteria in ocean water. The City of Los Angeles, Environmental Monitoring Division, LA Sanitation (HYP) collects water samples from various sites, one to five times per week, all year round. LA City also collects samples at some DPH sites as required by their State NPDES permit.

The public is notified when a site has exceeded State Standards for bacteria in ocean water on this website, by telephone hotline, and by signs posted at the impacted beaches.

Use the map below to obtain the current water quality status of your favorite beach location. Use your mouse wheel to zoom into a particular location. Click on the marker to identify the sampling location. This map is updated as conditions change.


The World of Barbie Opens in Santa Monica

"The World of Barbie" is now open in Santa Monica.



For tickets and more info, check out: "The World of Barbie".

Painting a Huge Surf Mural at Venice Beach



Catch 100 Foot Wave Season 2 on HBO Max , streaming now.