March arrives in Santa Monica with longer light, salt in the air, and banners quietly unfurling in honor of Women’s History Month — a tradition federally recognized each March since 1987. This year, the city’s celebration stretches from library craft tables to the glow of the Pier and all the way to City Hall.
It begins softly.
At the Main Library, children tug at sleeves and point toward the Youth Services desk, where a new ritual waits: a “Take & Make Kit for Kids.” Inside each packet are the makings of a family tree — paper branches ready to bloom with the names of mothers, grandmothers, sisters, mentors. The kits, for ages four and up, will be available all month at the Main Library and its branches, while supplies last.
A few days later, the music starts.
On March 8 at 7:30 p.m., the stage lights rise at the BroadStage. The Julia Keefe Indigenous Jazz Ensemble takes its place — a powerhouse collective of Native and Indigenous musicians from across Indian Country. Led by Julia Keefe — a trailblazing composer, arranger, conductor and vocalist — the ensemble honors the often-overlooked Indigenous artists who helped shape jazz, that singular American art form.
That same evening, just down the coast, the sky joins in.
The solar-powered Ferris wheel at Pacific Park washes itself in purple, green and white — the colors of International Women’s Day, symbolizing justice, dignity and hope. From dusk until 11:35 p.m., the lights shimmer against the darkening Pacific, visible from the sand or streamed live online.
And then, at month’s end, the conversation turns candid.
On March 28, from 2 to 3:30 p.m., the Main Library hosts “Making Herstory at City Hall,” a gathering of the women who have led Santa Monica. Current Mayor Caroline Torosis sits alongside former mayors Gleam Davis, Judy Abdo, Lana Negrete and Pam O’Connor. Together, they promise stories from the dais, advice for women eyeing public office, and answers to questions from the audience.
Across the month, the commemorations unfold:
- Family Tree “Take & Make” Kits at the Main Library and branches (all March)
- Julia Keefe Indigenous Jazz Ensemble at BroadStage (March 8, 7:30 p.m.)
- International Women’s Day Ferris Wheel Lighting at Pacific Park (March 8, dusk–11:35 p.m.)
- “Making Herstory at City Hall” Panel Discussion at the Main Library (March 28, 2–3:30 p.m.)
In Santa Monica, Women’s History Month is not a single ceremony but a series of moments — crafted by small hands, carried on brass notes, glowing over the ocean, and spoken aloud by the women who helped shape the city’s history.
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