The Santa Monica Pier's free Locals' Night series kicks off its 2026–27 season Thursday, Sept. 17. The opener packs three punk bands, free salsa lessons over the ocean and a 274-portrait photography exhibition into one evening.
Gates open at 3:30 p.m. and programming runs until 10 p.m. Free tickets are available at pierlocalsnight.eventbrite.com.
The evening's theme is "Westside Punk Night." On the Pier Deck, Riptide opens at 5:30 p.m., followed by Horny Toad at 7 p.m. and Implicit Bias at 8:30 p.m., according to the Santa Monica Pier Corporation.
A classic car meetup with DJ Cee Rock runs from 4 to 8 p.m. on the Pier Deck, with vintage vehicles parked alongside the stage.
At the West End, Orchestra Son Mayor performs live while salsa instructor Courtney Parisi leads free lessons starting at 5 p.m. An open dance floor stays active until 10 p.m., with Super DJ Robby spinning between sets.
Families can start earlier. Books & Cookies Musical Storytime offers interactive sessions at 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. in the Merry Go-Round Building.
Afterglow exhibition opens
Inside that same building, photographer Sam Comen's "Afterglow: Portraits by Sam Comen" holds its opening reception from 3:30 to 7 p.m. Comen set up a simple outdoor portrait studio on the pier in July and photographed 274 people over three days, talking with locals, travelers and international visitors about what brought them to the pier, Santa Monica Lookout reported.
"I chose the Santa Monica Pier because it's a place where so many different people and journeys come together," Comen told Santa Monica Lookout.
His work is held in the collections of the Library of Congress, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the City of Santa Monica Cultural Affairs' Art Bank. Jim Harris, executive director of the Santa Monica Pier Corporation, said the pier has long drawn people from across Los Angeles and around the world, calling the exhibition a reflection of that spirit. The show, a collaboration with the pier corporation and the city's Art of Recovery initiative, runs through Sept. 30. As we reported Sept. 14, the exhibition is free and open to the public.
Route 66 turns 100
The Sept. 17 event also marks the centennial of Route 66, the highway designated on Nov. 11, 1926, that stretches roughly 2,448 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica. National Geographic noted that the pier is considered the road's spiritual endpoint. Organizers tagged the night with the moniker "The end of the road is just the beginning."
Locals' Night is presented by Pacific Park and produced by the Santa Monica Pier Corporation. Organizers recommend arriving by rideshare, Metro, bus or bike.
Upcoming Santa Monica community events:
- Through Sept. 30 — "Afterglow: Portraits by Sam Comen," Merry Go-Round Building, Santa Monica Pier. Free.
- Route 66 centennial programming — Details at santamonica.com/route66.
