26-04-2025
Summer is Coming, But Spring in Venice is a Vibe
Venice Beach always vibes with its own chaotic, kaleidoscopic, and artistic energy. But the onset of spring and the later setting sun bring a fresh jolt to the ever-eclectic neighborhood, and a slew of events slated for this week are a reminder that summer is coming for locals and visitors alike. The Venice Heritage Museum, with its vintage photographs, postcards, videos and other artifacts celebrating the neighborhood's long and vibrant history of music and skateboarding, is an absolute delight. And it's free. Tonight, the museum hosts its Fourth Fridays, a nod to Abbott Kinney's monthly First Fridays food truck extravaganza. On May 10, the museum is hosting a fundraiser dubbed Venice Vibrations that will help keep this neighborhood treasure alive hosted by renowned jazz journalist and KCRW personality LeRoy Downs with performances by two iconic bands with deep Venice roots: Venice and Cosmic Vibrations, along with DJ sets. The $50 ticket price (in advance, $65 at the door) is well worth it just for the chance to win a raffle prize which include: a top hat signed by Slash from Guns N' Roses; a limited-edition print by Venice artist Muck Rock, a painting by Venice artist MB Boissonnault, a photograph by Rod Bradley, and a necklace from LFrank Jewelry.
On Saturday night, the founders of Venice Insider Pass, a perk program for residents, are having a locals event, think neighborhood block party, only "it's a full blown Venice love fest for the community," says founder Jennie Kissin. The event will be held on the back patio at the iconic Venice watering hole Roosterfish from 6 to 8 p.m. A ticket gets you a complimentary cocktail and a plethora of tasty bites from favorite local restaurants, like Gjusta Grocer, Ggiata; Salt & Straw, Fiorelli Pizza, Sweetfin; Breakaway Cafe and others along with music, and a chance to win a VIP bag with goodies from beloved nabe retailers. "It's a little taste of Venice and a whole lot of love," Kissin says.
Saturday night will also mark opening night for "Fostered" at the Pacific Resident Theatre on Venice Boulevard. The play, about a chaotic family dealing with the pending election in 2016, was written by Chaya Doswell and is directed by Andy Weyman and stars Weyman's wife Terry Davis. The play's opening is especially cathartic for the couple, along with several of the cast members, who lost everything in the January wildfires that tore through miles upon miles of the Pacific Palisades, Malibu and Altadena, killing 30 and destroying nearly 10,000 homes and businesses in Los Angeles County. Weyman said he was determined to bring Fostered to the stage, partly because of the devastation he and so many others suffered. "The trauma of losing our home in the Palisades fire is lodged in my bones," he told Los Angeles. "I realize I'll never forget what happened. It's been like the death of a loved one. I must learn to live with it. I'm one of many, experiencing the same feelings of sadness and loss. Sleepless nights. Not eating right. How to move forward? Laugh." Fostered is guaranteed to bring those laughs, he said.
On Wednesday, Gran Blanco will host its vaunted Jazz Series, the brainchild of Travis Cornell, which turns this Venice hotspot on Windward Avenue into a clubby New York-style cocktail bar. With its fabulous mixologists and tasty bites, it's a great way to spend a Wednesday night. Of course, there is no lack of entertainment on the Boardwalk chocked with artists and vendors and even a breakdancing crew. In Italy, the country that inspired Venice and its canals and artistry, the term that might apply to the boardwalk is qualsiasi cosa, or anything and everything. One of our favorite artists is Darick Breland who decorates the end of Westminster Avenue daily with hand-scrawled messages of hope and a brightly-colored hopscotch that bring the nonstop smiles from the throngs of passersby, old and young alike.
Summer is coming indeed.
