The following is a submission from the City of Santa Monica.
Americana in the Park is back for a 5th year with a special edition celebrating Santa Monica’s 150th Anniversary with an array of artists reflecting the city’s diverse and creative spirit on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, from 1:30-6:30 p.m. at Gandara Park.
Presented by Santa Monica’s own McCabe’s Guitar Shop along with Santa Monica-based KCRW as the media partner, Americana in the Park brings a broad spectrum of Americana music from traditional roots, blues, jazz and folk to its modern forms.
Attendees are invited to pack a picnic, bring blankets and lawn chairs, and enjoy an evening of top-notch, family-friendly entertainment. Local food trucks will also be on hand, offering delicious options for purchase — from classic burgers at Messi Burger, to Caribbean fusion at Tropic Truck, to sweet treats from Creamy Boys ice cream truck.
Fun for all ages, Americana in the Park will also feature kid-friendly activities provided by Rediscover Center and a McCabe’s Guitar Shop pop-up stocked with merch, musical accessories and more.
Altadena Musicians, a group supported by the city’s Art of Recovery initiative and committed to assisting individuals who lost their musical instruments and audio gear in the recent devastating fires, will be on hand to share more information about their efforts with attendees.
The 2025 concert lineup includes:
El Rayo X– Formed in 1981 by the legendary multi-instrumentalist David Lindley, El Rayo-X fused rock, blues, reggae, and world music into a genre-defying soul-stirring sound. For a special night at Americana in the Park, the original spirit of El Rayo-X returns, paying tribute to Lindley’s legacy while bringing the timeless El Rayo-X sound to life for a new era.
Alice Howe & Freebo – Rock bass legend Freebo weaves his fretless stylings into Alice Howe’s soulful, impeccably-tuned vocals for a harmony-driven performance showcasing two uniquely compelling songwriters.
The Gumbo Brothers – Formed in 2002, The Gumbo Brothers’ New Orleans and classic 70s funk quickly became a hit in Los Angeles. Throughout the years, the band explored their sound, adding soul, upbeat R&B, and hip-hop, and bringing even more vitality with the addition of vocalist and emcee Apollo Jai (formerly Justin Sky) in 2019.
Babilonia featuring Celia Chavez – After years touring the world as a singer for major artists, Celia Chavez emerges as Babilonia, reclaiming pieces of herself through soul, jazz, and folk—resisting melancholy, embracing bittersweetness and arriving with a luminous new sound that’s wholly her own.
Americana in the Park is free and open to the public. Public transportation is encouraged. Big Blue Bus Route 43 serves Gandara Park, with buses running every 45 minutes. Additionally, Metro Rail’s E Line serves the nearby 26th St./Bergamot Station, with trains operating between East Los Angeles and Downtown Santa Monica every 10 minutes. Plan your trip at bigbluebus.com.
For more Americana in the Park information, click here.
For a full calendar of Santa Monica’s 150th Anniversary events, click here.
