OPA Happy Hour TODAY / Thursday: Our Spring community happy hour is TODAY / Thursday (4/25) from 4:00 – 6:00pm @ Jameson’s Irish Pub patio (2702 Main St.). Come enjoy FREE appetizers and GREAT company. See you there!
Judge Rules Controversial State Housing Law SB 9 Unconstitutional: This SaMoLookout article describes SB 9 to “allow lots zoned for a single-family home to be split into two lots with two homes each without requiring a public process” and says the ruling is “a major blow to State control over local development.”
Santa Monica High School Among 50 Best LA-Area Schools: This SaMo Patch summary details that SaMoHi ranks 48th among all So Cal high schools, 120th in California and 850th nationally (out of over 20,000), according to U.S. News and World Report.
Main St.’s Gnarwhal Coffee Co. Expands To Venice: This post details that there’s an ABC application up at 1700 Lincoln Blvd., previously home to Double Zero, so expect more than organic, socially responsible coffee on the menu.
The OPA Teen Neighborhood Improvement Initiative is Looking for Neighbors in Need of Helping Hands with yard work or small repairs – gardens that need planting, yards weeded, fences painted or repaired. This group of students has taken an interest in yard work and the neighborhood high school has agreed to allow for it to count toward their community service requirement. Please reach out to Kelly Martin at kellymartin12@gmail.com to see if your project may fit our guidelines and schedule.
Venice Cocktail Lounge Gran Blanco Enters Its Izakaya Era: This EaterLA article details how the nearly five-year-old cocktail lounge located below the Venice sign on Windward Avenue from the founders of Great White recently reopened following a months-long closure to revamp its menus and interiors.
Travel & Leisure Names Santa Monica Beach Among ‘Best’ in America: This write-up states “Nothing screams summer on the pier like funnel cake and a Ferris wheel. The famous Santa Monica Pier draws people from all over the state with its classic amusement park complete with a roller coaster, games, and golden-fried carnival treats. Heal the Bay Aquarium beneath the Ferris wheel offers hands-on educational fun for the kids. This vibrant stretch along the Pacific is also a prime spot for partaking in all the usual beach activities: sunbathing, swimming, surfing, volleyball, and sunset viewing. You can also bike, jog, or walk along the paved path to iconic Venice Beach down the way.”
Things To Do This Weekend:
- JAMS-SMASH Theater Presents Mean Girls Jr. (Friday, Saturday & Sunday): Enjoy “a kid-appropriate version of this musical comedy about Cady Heron, the naive newcomer who navigates the social perks and perils of high school life, where Plastics reign and good friends can be hard to find (and keep). Through song and satire, this timely show encourages audience members to share their sparkle and adjust each other’s crowns.” Friday, April 26, 7 p.m., Saturday, April 27, 2 p.m. & 7 p.m., and Sunday April 28, 2 p.m. @ 2425 16th St.. www.jamstheatrecompany.com
- Annual Venice Beach gRUNion Night Party (Friday 10:45pm): During spring and summer, on select nights during the full and new moons, hundreds of shimmering grunion fish come ashore to spawn. Join fellow ocean lovers on the sands of Venice Beach at night for the Venice Oceanarium annual gRUNion Party & lab. FREE. @ Venice Breakwater. https://www.veniceoceanarium.org/events-calendar/05jxulbx1sfw9ycmn8v910otnrg2zg
- Arts & Literacy Festival 2024 (Saturday 10am – 2pm): This year’s theme is “The ROBOTS Are Here,” and the event will host over thirty different community organizations offering games and activities that align with Santa Monica Cradle to Career Building Blocks for Kindergarten campaign. The campaign promotes social and emotional development, self-care, physical well-being and motor skills, language development and early learning to help parents, educators, early childcare providers, and other community partners work together to make sure all Santa Monica children start kindergarten ready to learn, inside and outside the classroom. This is also a great chance for middle and high school students to earn community service hours. More details here.
- Chubbies Splashdown on the Pier: Expect a giant inflatable water slide on the Santa Monica Pier and those brave enough to slide down it will receive a FREE pair of Chubbies swim trunks. There will also be a live DJ, free food & drinks, a giant hammer carnival game & more. Saturday, April 27, 12 – 6 p.m. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/chubbies-splash-down-at-the-santa-monica-pier-tickets-876240798817
- Tomato Time! Container Gardening Workshop at SaMo Public Library (Saturday 3 – 4:30 pm): Librarian Bobby Tsui teaches you how to grow tomatoes from seed to harvest, including selecting the proper container and potting mix, care and feeding, and dealing with common pests and diseases. A hands-on planting activity follows the presentation. Attendees will receive a seed sampler pack and have the opportunity to plant tomato seeds to take home and grow. Space and supplies are limited and on a first come, first served basis. @ the Montana Ave. Branch Library, 1704 Montana Ave. https://smpl.org/
- The Network SM – Queer Picnic in the Park (Saturday 3 – 7:30pm): Get to know your neighbors, celebrate the glorious queer community we’re creating together, and talk about the future of LGBTQIA+ Santa Monica/the Westside. (The sunset is a bonus if you stay until the end.) EAT, DRINK, and BE QUEER! @ Hotchkiss Park, 4th St & Hollister. https://www.instagram.com/thenetworksm/
- Main St. Sunday Farmers Market: In celebration of the last week of Earth Month, Arbor Day and International Jazz Day, special guests, the SaMohi Jazz Bands will be joining us! 10am-1pm. On the lawn, Bach 2 Rock instrument petting zoo and the Master Gardeners planting activities for kids. See you there! Here’s the full May calendar of events.
