A Warm Welcome For Locals and Visitors At the Abbot Kinney Festival

Abbot Kinney Festival (Photo by legendary_purry)

It's the first weekend of fall, and in tradition with the last Sunday of September, we have a heatwave pushing into the 90s and Venice's biggest event of the year. Now in its 32nd run, the Abbot Kinney Festival will take over a mile-long stretch of the famous boulevard, known for its palm trees skyline, trove of destination eateries and fashionably reinterpreted bungalow boutiques. 

For one day only, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., 300 vendor booths, five live music stages, three beer gardens, two kids stages and a fleet of food trucks will transform the strip into a street festival for thousands of locals and out-of-towners.

Festival highlights include a HUSHconcerts' silent disco on Santa Clara at the Spritzr Love Lounge, sidewalk chalk art on Westminster where kids can join in to create the Children's Mandala, Firestone Walker's Beer Garden on San Juan, and the Sunny Spot grill over at The Brig's All Vinyl stage on Palms. 

Venice shops and artists including Dogtown Skateboards, Hecho En Venice, Vaalbara Designs, Electric and Rose, Hepp's Salt Co., Christy Dawn, Aurelia Dumont Photography, CaliSons, as well as makers from around the Southland will be representing at the vendor booths.

Local singer-songwriter Tom Freund will also be performing at the Andalusia stage at 5 p.m. following the Spirit of Venice awards and the presentation of community grants, which is at the heart of the Abbot Kinney Festival. It's the largest fundraiser held each year by the Abbot Kinney Festival Association, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting Venice youth, community, and art organizations. 

For more details visit Abbot Kinney Festival.