Glow is this Saturday (from 7:00pm into 3:00 am Sunday), and is one of the most unique public events in the city. Glow is held only once every other year, bringing together art, music, performance using the beach, the pier, and parts of the cityscape as places to interact with in a variety of creative and often site specific ways. I’ve been to each of prior two Glow Festivals held so far, in 2010, and 2008, and I’m eager to see what this year’s line up of artists come up with.
It’s been an enormously attended event in the past, and I would expect that to be no different this year, so walking, biking and riding the bus are highly encouraged ways to get to the event. Car parking will be charged at higher than usual rates the closer the garage or lot is to the event. There will be bike valets, and likely bikes seen attached to anything nailed or rooted down. I’m fortunate enough to live close enough to walk, so that’s what I did last time around to skip even the bike parking situation.
SMMoA will be hosting a bike ride from Bergamot Station for people who want to check out the museum before Glow begins and skip the traffic going in, though parking at Bergamot will be limited (and the lot there closes at 4am).
Big Blue Bus will have detours to avoid the street segments closed to vehicle traffic for the event (and yes some people do use the street closures for a night time mini-CicLAvia-esque atmosphere), and there will be some special event shuttle bus circulation. (BBB .pdf of special service changes) In addition to the bike valet stations, the Santa Monica Bike Center will also be running extended hours for their services, including the shop for any emergency bike repairs.
Here are some other guides, and articles leading up to Glow if you’re curious to know more:
- Official Glow Website (includes map & links to related apps, including an app to make phone users part of one of the art piece Colorfields)
- Patch’s event guide.
- Mirror’s tips to “Enhance Your Experience At Glow“
- Daily Press – Get Ready To Glow
Here a few of my images from past Glow events:
