Happening annually on Memorial Day weekend, Topanga Days is a 3-day music festival with artisans, food, beverages, a fun zone for kids and family games that raises funds for the Topanga Community Center, a 501c3 nonprofit.

This year’s musical lineup features Grammy award winning artist, Fantastic Negrito, on Saturday, May 25th at 5:30 p.m., the catchy, synth pop sounds and dynamic stage presence of 80s Rock icons, Missing Persons, on Sunday, May 26th at 5:30 p.m., and the genre defying psychedelic folk sounds of musical savant, Jonathan Wilson, on Monday, May 27th at 5:45 p.m. In addition to the headliners, the diverse, crowd-pleasing Main Stage outdoor lineup includes, Krooked Kings, Nosotros, Venice, Deb Ryder, The FBR, Will Worden, Kummerspeck, Wynchester, Tristan Lake Leabu, Low Coast, Electric Magic, and The Dirty Lowdown.



For more info, Click Here.

Find out about more upcoming local events, Click Here for the Event Calendar.

A Mexican court has heard chilling details of the events that prosecutors allege followed the deaths of Perth brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their American friend, as a man faces charges relating to their disappearance.

According to Australian News, Jesús Gerardo, also known as "El Kekas", appeared before a court in the Mexican city of Ensenada this morning, where his last name had been suppressed according to local laws.

The judge read out the state's case, in which Jesús's then-girlfriend, 23-year-old Ari Gisell has turned prosecution witness.

The prosecution alleged Ari, whose last name had also been suppressed, told authorities her then-partner had admitted to killing the three men.

The court heard she told investigators her then-romantic partner had arrived at her house on Sunday and told her "I fucked up three gringos".

The court heard she said, "what do you mean?" to which he replied, "I killed them".

Prosecutors alleged he then gave her a mobile phone and said "look what I got you", before taking her outside to show her the new tyres on her car that had been allegedly stolen from the trio's vehicle.

Charges against Jesús have not yet been upgraded to murder, but that is expected to happen in coming days.

When Ari had turned on the stolen mobile phone, she attracted the attention of Mexican authorities. Ari was arrested in relation to the trio's disappearance, along with Jesús's brother, Cristian Alejandro.

Upon her arrest, the court heard she told investigators she wanted to assist the investigation because she had a four-year-old daughter who she needed to care for.

She alleges Jesús has a history of domestic violence and had been physically and mentally abusing her.

She has been charged with drug possession after being found with methamphetamine.

Jesús is yet to enter a plea and has been remanded in custody until his next court hearing, which is scheduled to take place on November 8.

The Mexican police version of events in the murders of three surfers appears shady to those knowledgeable about the area and local corruption.

Mexican prosecutors said a trio of bandits targeted the victims’ truck so they could take its tires, then reacted with violence when confronted by the surfers, leading to their deaths and the bodies being hidden four miles away

“Basically, the reasoning of them being carjack victims gone wrong makes very little sense. These surfers were well traveled and would most likely know better than to try to fend off a truck jacking,” stated a source who does private security work in Mexico.

“My guess is they were mistakenly identified as a rival criminal organization and murdered. That being exposed would create an ongoing investigation that no cartel wants to deal with and would create a devastating impact on tourism in the area,” which is popular with surfers and visitors from the US, the source explained.

“The case is highly unusual, as presented by Mexican police, who say the supposed robbery was done by small-time criminals who ended up destroying the vehicle they were allegedly trying to steal,” he added.

“Given the deep and widespread corruption in the Mexican police, it’s hard to dismiss the possibility of a cover-up, potentially to shift blame away from a powerful drug cartel. This would certainly align with the Mexican government’s efforts to downplay the severity of cartel violence in Mexico.”

Join us for a day of celebration on Fire Service Day on May 11 at Fire Station 1! The Santa Monica Fire Department is excited to welcome the community into the heart of their firefighting operations.

Saturday, May 11
10 a.m. -1 p.m.
Fire Station 1, 1337 7th St.

For more info, Click Here.

On Tuesday, Los Angeles City Councilwoman Traci Park announced the launch of the area's first Coastal Care+ operation.

"Our care plus coastal team gives us added resources to ensure that hazardous material aren't flowing into our storm drains and poisoning our environmentally sensitive areas," Park said.

"The Coastal Care+ team, which will provide enhanced services across our coastal neighborhoods and free up resources for other parts of the Westside. We are also excited to announce our Vibrant Venice initiative, dedicated to preserving safe and healthy access to our city’s iconic landmark, Venice Beach."

Coastal Care+ programs help remove health and safety hazards and solid waste from homeless encampments.
"Residents and visitors often encounter restrooms that are in disrepair, lived in or have been vandalized. That's unacceptable which is why I'm introducing a motion today to fund restroom ambassadors and beautification services so that our restrooms here are safe," Park said.

Park said she's also introducing a motion with the goal of funding mental health beds and treatment for homeless individuals living on the street.

In November 2023, the Malibu City Council declared a Local Emergency aimed at addressing the risks of dangerous, illegal, and reckless driving on a 21-mile stretch of Pacific Coast Highway (PCH or State Route 1) locals call “Dead Man’s Curve” that is visited by millions every year. From 2011 to 2023, there were 58 people killed and more than 100 injuries to drivers, passengers, bicyclists, and pedestrians on PCH. The dangerous driving behaviors on PCH culminated in the tragic deaths of four Pepperdine University students who were struck and killed by a speeding driver while walking along PCH on Oct. 17, 2023. That year alone, there were 220 crashes on PCH. Three of the crashes killed seven people and another 93 crashes resulted in injuries. The overwhelming majority of crashes involved speeding.

The situation is dire. Actions are being taken at the local and state level. The City of Malibu, City of Los Angeles, City of Santa Monica, California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), California Highway Patrol (CHP), California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), and allied law enforcement agencies are committed to doing everything possible to improve safety on PCH, a top priority for the community and the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA).



Go Safely PCH is a collaborative effort among local and state traffic safety stakeholders who are taking specific actions to reduce deaths and serious injuries on PCH.

City of Malibu

- Three CHP officers dedicated to traffic enforcement on PCH.
- $39 million spent on traffic safety improvement projects on PCH, with another $8 million dedicated to future PCH safety improvement projects.
- 2024 PCH Safety Report will track and update 130 improvement projects outlined in the City of Malibu’s 2015 PCH Safety Plan.
- 30 projects have been completed with another 50 projects in design and construction phases.
- 6 “LIDAR” speed guns for traffic safety enforcement activities by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD).
- Two traffic enforcement operations in December 2023 and January 2024 by LASD and CHP resulted in 115 speeding citations. Citations for speeding accounted for more than 80% of all citations issued.
- From Jan. 29 to Feb. 11, 2024, CHP officers issued 154 citations, 151 citations were for speeding. One driver speeding at 100 mph was stopped and arrested for DUI.
- On Feb. 8, 2024, with several CHP officers not assigned to the Malibu Task Force were deployed in Malibu for targeted traffic enforcement, resulting in 23 citations for moving violations and 16 non-moving violation citations.
- In 2023, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Malibu Lost Hills Station reported that 7,580 citations were issued for various traffic related violations in the City of Malibu. Of those, 50% were drivers between 20 to 34 years old, and 10% were Malibu residents.

Caltrans

$4.2 million Director’s Order that includes 30 infrastructure improvements:
- 13 speed feedback signs at 10 locations
- Speed limit markings on the road
- New safety corridor signs
- Lane separators to prevent vehicles from drifting into oncoming traffic or making illegal turns.
- New speed limit signs to enhance visibility at night
- Curve warning signs at four locations
- Three road safety audits that propose pavement upgrades, adding bike lanes and pedestrian access improvements at PCH/Heathercliff Road bus stop. Projects would be from Cross Creek Road to the Ventura County line. The bike lanes would be near Via Escondido Drive to Busch Drive and near Malibu RV Park Road to Via Escondido Drive.
- Pedestrian signal upgrade north of Carbon Canyon to replace flashing yellow pedestrian beacon with full pedestrian signal. Construction start date is anticipated in Summer 2024. See the full list of current and planned PCH Safety Projects within Caltrans District 7, which includes Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Caltrans will continue to update this page as more projects are added and completed.

California Highway Patrol

- Traffic enforcement task force in Malibu that will assist LASD on 21-mile stretch of PCH in Malibu.
- Zero tolerance for speeding. If you are stopped for speeding on PCH, you will be cited.
- Patrols on canyon roads leading into Malibu to deter speeders.
- More than 1,200 citations issued in 2024 through April by the CHP Task Force in Malibu. The overwhelming majority of the citations were for speeding.

For more info, Click Here.

Car show and fiesta on Venice Beach on Sunday, Cinco de Mayo.

Punk’s not dead, it’s LIVE at Santa Monica Pier's Locals’ Night on May 16. Don’t miss Plow Posture, Cycotic Youth, and Strawbery Fuzz bringing the noise!

Find out about more upcoming local events, Click Here for the Event Calendar.

Please join the Black Surfers Collective, Heal the Bay, Surf Bus Foundation, Swim Up HIll, and Santa Monica Conservancy as we unite to celebrate Nick Gabaldón Day on June 1, 2024! Nick fearlessly pursued his passion for surfing, paving the way for countless others. This event serves as a celebration of diversity in surfing and an opportunity for the community to come together, share stories, and ride the waves in his honor. Let’s celebrate his legacy of resilience, determination, and love for the waves. Together, let’s keep his spirit alive!

Heal the Bay Aquarium under the Santa Monica Pier will be free for all visitors in honor of Nick on Saturday, June 1st so bring your friends and family out to enjoy. A celebrity guest reader will pop in for story time and special art activities will be offered, as well as screenings of documentaries exploring issues of race, coastal access, and following your passion against all odds.

To register, Click Here.

Find out about more upcoming local events, Click Here for the Event Calendar.