Two free outdoor gatherings arrive in Santa Monica's Ocean Park neighborhood starting Thursday, Aug. 6, giving neighbors a reason to put down their phones and meet each other on the grass or the sand.
The Ocean Park Social Club hosts the next installment of its Summer Picnic Series on Thursday, Aug. 6, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Mary Hotchkiss Park, 2302 4th St. The series launched July 9 and continues every other Thursday through Sept. 3, with remaining dates on Aug. 20 and Sept. 3. No cost to attend.
The club is affiliated with the Ocean Park Association, the neighborhood civic group. OPA newsletter editor Sean Besser highlighted the series in an Aug. 3 update. Residents with questions can email organizer Tess at [email protected]. OPA membership, which supports the club's programming, runs $20 a year, with a $10 option available.
Two days later, the Santa Monica Public Library brings its SMPL at the Beach pop-up to the Annenberg Community Beach House, 415 Pacific Coast Highway, on Saturday, Aug. 8, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The library bills it as Southern California's only beachside pop-up library.
No library card needed.
The Saturday schedule includes Seaside Storytime at 10:15 a.m., nautical crafts, and an interactive musical performance by Sweet Potato Music at 11:30 a.m. A Surfside Lounge area offers a quieter spot to read. The event is free and open to all ages.
The Annenberg Community Beach House itself is open to the public with no membership required. The historic site, originally William Randolph Hearst's oceanside estate for actress Marion Davies, was restored with a $27.5 million commitment from the Annenberg Foundation, according to the Los Angeles Conservancy.
The picnic series runs through early September, with the final gathering on Sept. 3.
Upcoming community events in Santa Monica:
- Thursday, Aug. 6 — Ocean Park Social Club Summer Picnic, Hotchkiss Park, 5:30–7:30 p.m. (free)
- Saturday, Aug. 8 — SMPL at the Beach, Annenberg Community Beach House, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. (free)
- Monday, Aug. 10 — OPA Monthly Meeting, Ocean Park Library, 2601 Main St., 6 p.m. (also on Zoom)
- Thursday, Aug. 20 — Ocean Park Social Club Summer Picnic, Hotchkiss Park, 5:30–7:30 p.m. (free)
- Sunday, Aug. 30 — Adopt-A-Beach cleanup with OPA and Heal the Bay, Tower 26 (contact Dave Tann at [email protected])
- Thursday, Sept. 3 — Ocean Park Social Club Summer Picnic, Hotchkiss Park, 5:30–7:30 p.m. (free)
