Top 5 Things to do with Friends at COAST

September 19, 2018 2:14 PM
by Allison Ostrovsky

There is no place like Downtown Santa Monica–the vibrant, picturesque scenery of the palm tree-lined Palisades Park, views of the Pacific Ocean, the Santa Monica Pier, unique shops and delicious eateries attract people year-round from all over the world.

On Sunday, Oct. 7, Metro presents COAST, Santa Monica’s free, open streets event, offers a new way to experience this beachfront destination with your friends. The free event celebrates the City’s commitment to mobility, art, and sustainability with live music, large-scale art installations, and interactive experiences along a two-mile route of car-free streets. So grab your friends and come check out these top five fun activities that will have you exploring beautiful Santa Monica like it’s your first time!

      1. Go on a bike ride adventure on scenic and car-free streets.

Santa Monica’s iconic Pier and sandy beaches are two of Southern California’s must-see destinations. Enjoy views of both while biking alongside the Pacific Ocean on two-miles of car-free streets. There will be plenty of opportunities to hop off and park your bike for free and explore an exciting array of interactive programs, art installations, and performances. Ride your own bikes or rent one at the 80 Breeze Bike Share stations in Santa Monica and Venice, as well as at multiple bike stores along the event route. Remember to bring a bike lock if you are riding your own bike!

     2. Find the performances that’ll get you moving.

However you choose to navigate the route, you’ll discover engaging performances and cultural experiences from around the world. Musicians and dancers will enliven stages and sidewalks with upbeat music and interactive choreography. Shake your hips to the original sounds of Afro-Latin music with El Santo Golpe or opt for a step-by-step tutorial alongside the salsa, hip-hop dancers of Contra Tiempo. Marvel at American composer and pianist John Steven Morgan’s captivating “piano-finger-fast musical mastery”, time travel to the 1950s and jive to The Alley Cats doo-wop hits, and feel the power of Japanese drums  performance by Koshin Taiko.

     3. Be part of the art - join interactive art installations and workshops.

Unleash your creativity and participate in larger-than-life art activations. Giant, mesmerizing pinwheel structures, Pinwheel Oasis by Aphidoidea, will be installed throughout the route. Snap a whimsical Instagram photo under one and help share the message of clean wind energy, and don’t forget to use #COASTSaMo. Grab a group of friends and be part of John Quigley’s large-scale human art installation to form an image and message that will be photographed from above and will inspire choosing car-free forms of travel. Channel your inner artist at Camera Obscura Art Lab, hosting: Music to Draw to, a workshop by artist-in-residence, Lisa Diane Wedgeworth, in which the sounds of celestial folk band, Desert Magic, will inspire and guide your doodles and sketches; a guided plein air drawing session led by Deborah McDonald with Otis College Extension; and Creatures on the Move, a kinetic interactive installation and hands-on workshop created by artist Molly Allis.

    4. Don’t just stroll, bike and roll…skate and jump!

In addition to walking, biking and skating along the two miles of car-free streets, there are other active and playful activities that will get your heart pumping! Whether you prefer to jump rope with a single rope or Double Dutch with a pal, showcase your favorite tricks and learn some new ones with jumpLA. Grab a helmet, and pads for a lesson in the adrenaline sport popularized in Santa Monica–skateboarding with The SKATESIDE!  After learning some tricks, challenge your friends to a skate on the open course for all levels, then check out the demos by professional skateboarders to see how far you have to go! You can also cheer on your favorite rider during the best trick contest.

    5. Join the “After Party!”

End your action-packed day by watching the sun set behind Santa Monica Pier at the Twilight on the Pier Series Finale. The Pier-wide festival starts at 5 p.m. - complete with immersive art, music, food offerings, drinks, games and interactive activations all along the Pier promenade.

COAST: The City of Santa Monica’s Open Streets Event takes place on Sunday, Oct. 7 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. For more information about this free event, visit www.smgov.net/coast. For more information about Metro’s Open Streets Program, visit https://www.metro.net/projects/active-transportation/metro-open-streets-grant-program/.

Authored By

Allison Ostrovsky
Cultural Affairs Supervisor