Arts & Literacy Festival 2024

The City of Santa Monica in collaboration with SMMUSD presents the annual Arts & Literacy Festival at to Virginia Avenue Park on Saturday, April 27, 2024, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. which is celebrating its 10th year.  

The 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. 

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: 

·       reDiscover Center’s Robot Costume Party  

·       Robotic demonstrations by SaMo Tech Robotics Team  

·       Santa Monica Public Library (SMPL)’s Storytime Stage features robot themed books read by local librarians and Santa Monica Fire Chief Matthew Hallock

·        An obstacle course organized by Santa Monica Fire Department  

·       Delivery robot Coco making special deliveries

·       The popular Steve’s Machine Empire featuring participatory machines and contraptions  

·       Santa Monica Resource Recovery Recycling's Curby the Robot will be on hand to teach children about recycling 

·       Dancing with Bollypop and WeBreak Dance companies 

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

Main Stage performance schedule: 

·       Emcee Sean Hill 

·       SaMo Tech Robotics Team Demonstration 

·       WeBreak hip hop dance company 

·       Santa Monica Youth Orchestra's Mariachi Ensemble and Balkan Ensemble

·       Bollypop interactive dance performance 

·       Elemental Music's Prelude program

·       Santa Monica Ballet Folklórico