Arts & Literacy Festival 2025

The City of Santa Monica, in collaboration with SMMUSD presents the annual Arts & Literacy Festival at Virginia Avenue Park on Saturday, April 26, 2025, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.  

This year’s theme is “Dinosaurs!” and the event will host over thirty different community organizations offering games and activities that align with the Santa Monica Cradle to Career Building Blocks for Kindergarten (BBK) campaign. Building Blocks for Kindergarten 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. 

Getting to the Arts & Literacy Festival at Virginia Avenue Park: Walking and biking are encouraged. Additional free parking is available at Venice Family Clinic, 2509 Pico Blvd or at SMC Lot 4 between 16th and 17th Streets on Pico Blvd. The park is served by Big Blue Bus Line No. 7. Virginia Avenue Park is wheelchair accessible and welcomes persons of all abilities. For special accommodations, contact (310) 458-8688 or TTY (310) 917-6626.

Event activities include: 

·       Dinosaur Costume Parade

·       Santa Monica Public Library (SMPL)’s Storytime Stage features dinosaur themed books read by local librarians

·       Collecting stamps from activity booths on the event’s Explorer Card, redeemable for a free book at the Santa Monica Public Library booth

·    Various Performances on the Main Stage

·    And so much more!