October OPA Monthly Meeting Monday (Oct. 12): The meeting is at the Ocean Park Library @ 2601 Main St. starting with food and mingling at 6:00pm. We will also be hybrid on Zoom. Click here to add the OPA monthly meeting and Zoom link to your calendar. Here’s the zoom link.
Update on The Victorian Closing:
- The venue made this Instagram announcement stating that “After 20 incredible years, The Victorian is closing its doors, but not before we say thank you.” Its final weekend will be its annual Halloween party, which leaves four more weekends before doors close for good.
- As we reported back in March, the real story is that the team that runs the property are the same team that run Calamigos Ranch (calamigos.com) in Malibu and are closing it because they plan to turn this into a beach version of their members-only club. When negotiating a lease extension with the City of Santa Monica (who owns the property), the plan they submitted is as follows: “The Victorian to be converted into a family-based recreation, events, and wellness facility for members.”
- Here is an SMDP article with some addiitonal details.
- This Staff Report includes remodel mockups that include adding a pool and wellness amenities, discusses the Farmers Market, and other key lease terms.
Half Of Santa Monica’s Aggravated Assaults Occur In Just 5 Percent Of City: A 20-year analysis found serious violence rose sharply downtown, while crime across most of the rest of Santa Monica remained stable. Researchers found that 50.6 percent of aggravated assaults recorded from 2023 through 2025 occurred within just 5 percent of Santa Monica’s geographic area. Robbery was even more concentrated, with 71 percent of offenses occurring within 5 percent of the city. This SaMo Patch report has a lot more details and visualizations of the key areas.
The Blue Notebook – A Weekly SMPD Recap – September 13-19: Here is the weekly recap of police activity that includes the fact that “calls for service are 5.7% above the comparable 2025 period, while arrests are 64.8% higher, and officer-initiated activity is up 23.4%.”
Upcoming SaMo Candidate Forums: The City of Santa Monica and the League of Women Voters of Santa Monica (LWVSM) have partnered to host two nights of candidate forums to help residents learn more about the candidates running for the following offices. Forums will take place at live and and some of them will also be watchable on YouTube. my.lwv.org/california/santa-monica
- Friday Oct. 9: Santa Monica City Council Candidate Forum & Santa Monica Rent Control Board Candidate Forum; @Santa Monica City Hall, City Council Chambers (1685 Main Street, Santa Monica)
- Wednesday Oct. 14: Santa Monica City Council Candidate Forum & Santa Monica Rent Control Board Candidate Forum; @1834 14th St.
Register to Vote by October 19: If you have moved recently or haven’t registered, the deadline to vote in the November 3 election is imminent. You can register online or check your voter status here. The L.A. County Registrar will begin sending Vote-by-Mail ballots to registered voters on October 5.
Five Ways to Prepare For a Potentially Historic El Niño (Video): Forecasters say this one has a high chance of becoming the strongest on record. This SaMo Mirror video report shows five ways to prepare.
OPA Gold Member Alfalfa has a new menu offering – Alfalfa Farmstand Sides: From fresh side salads and roasted vegetables to signature grains and proteins, including our Organic Massaged Kale Quinoa, Spicy Cashew Cabbage, Roasted Carrot & Beet, Charred Broccolini, Mint Cucumber Salad, and more. Your Farmstand Favorites, now available on the side. Please support the local businesses that support your neighborhood!
Things to Do This Weekend
- Santa Monica Forward Happy Hour (Thursday 6-8pm): @ Brew Works; Instagram: @SantaMonicaForward
- Oktoberfest at The Miramar: Forget Munich (Thursday–Saturday 5–10 pm): Oktoberfest is coming to Santa Monica. The Fairmont Miramar is transforming The Bungalow into a Bavarian beer garden with Paulaner and Sam Adams Oktoberfest beers, bratwurst, roasted chicken, pretzels, apple strudel, traditional games, polka and live bands. Admission is free, and lederhosen are presumably encouraged. @ 101 Wilshire Blvd. More details here.
- Fire Prevention Week Open House (Saturday 11am–1pm): This year’s theme is “Charge into Fire Safety: Safe Charging Is a Superpower.” Families can meet firefighters, explore fire engines, tour the station, and learn more about lithium-ion battery safety. This Fire Prevention Week, they’re sharing simple tips to help families use and charge these devices safely. Fire Station 1, 1337 7th St.
- AJA Vineyards 2nd Anniversary: Raise a glass to OPA supporter AJA Vineyards, which is celebrating its second anniversary with two days of festivities at the tasting room. Stop by for a specialty wine flight, a first taste of the brand-new 2023 Winemaker’s Red Blend and limited-edition anniversary tote bags—available while supplies last. Friday, Oct. 9–Saturday, Oct. 10, 1417 2nd St. ajavineyards.com/events
- Ocean Park School House Community Festival: Celebrate the return of Ocean Park School House to its Ocean Park home at the school’s first-ever Community Festival. The free, family-friendly afternoon will feature tacos, crafts, music and more, including a performance by OPSH-parent band Sure Dude, plus a special ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the newly refreshed campus. Bring the kids, bring your neighbors and come see what’s happening at your local school. Saturday, Oct. 10, 1–4 p.m., Los Amigos Field, Ocean Park Blvd. & 5th St. Open to all. smashptsa.org
- Main St. Farmers Market (Sunday 8:30am – 1:30pm): It’s the Great Pumpkin Adoption this Sunday at the Main Street Farmers Market with organic Tutti Frutti ghost pumpkins for kids 12 and under (1 per kid please!) starting at 9am until all are adopted. Back on stage this week we have Alex Chaiet 9-9:45am and the GM Jazz Quartet 10am-1pm. Joining us on the lawn will be Council Member Natalya Zernitskaya with crafts for the kids and the My Gym kid obstacle course. See you there!
- Celebrating Belmar History & Black Santa Monica (Sunday 12–5 pm): Historic Belmar Park will come alive with “Continuum”, a free, all-ages celebration honoring the history and legacy of Black Santa Monica. The afternoon features live music, KCRW DJs, a vendor village curated by Black Market Flea, art and historical exhibits, and conversations about Belmar’s history with journalist Sam Sanders and historian Alison Rose Jefferson. There will also be a Bloom Bar, family-friendly art activities and more. @ 1650 Seventh St. Free. More details here.
- Off the Hook Seafood Festival (Sunday 4–7 pm): Seafood lovers, prepare to get shucking. This signature event returns to the Santa Monica Pier for its eighth annual celebration, featuring tastings from more than 20 local chefs and restaurants, wine and beverage tastings, live yacht rock, and oyster shucking and slurping competitions. The event also raises funds and awareness for Heal the Bay, making it a pretty good excuse to eat your way through a Sunday afternoon. @ Santa Monica Pier offthehookseafoodfest.com
- Resiliency Picnic (Sunday 4–6pm): Join Climate Health Now, Climate Action Santa Monica and Great Park Coalition for a casual community picnic and conversation about how Santa Monica can prepare for and respond to future challenges. City sustainability staff will also share information about local resilience efforts and gather community input. @ Hotchkiss Park, 4th St. & Strand. Families welcome; light snacks and drinks provided. More details here.
- NEXT WEEKEND (Sunday, Oct. 18): Pet-A-Palooza – Day of the Dog on Main St.: Calling all dogs—and the humans who are lucky enough to live with them. Pet-A-Palooza’s Day of the Dog takes over Main Street with a free, pet-friendly festival featuring vendors, pet activities, demonstrations, and dog races. Enter your fast dog, wiener dog, corgi or doodle and see if your four-legged athlete has what it takes to claim glory. Free. petapaloozawest.com/santa-monica
Upcoming Calendar of Events
- COOKBOOK CLUB (Oct. 19): Cookbook club returns this fall! If you are not familiar, a Cookbook Club is when a group of people choose 1 cookbook or 1 author and each make a different recipe, and then enjoy the meal together, potluck style. This quarter we will be cooking from any of Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbooks! Check out his broad base of books HERE. I personally have Plenty More, but have never made anything from it so Cookbook Club seems like a great way to break it open and give it a try! If you would like to participate or have questions, email me at samosocialclub@gmail.com.
- OPA Book Club: Next planned dates are 11/4 (James), and 12/2 (The Year of Living Danishly). Email alexabarrett@gmail.com for more info. All meets are at 6pm at the Ocean Park Library (2601 Main St.).
- OPA Monthly Meeting: Monday, Oct. 12, 6pm @ Ocean Park Library
