Santa Monica residents can help shape the future of the city's airport land, catch a free broadcast of one of opera's best-known works and watch costumed dogs take over Main Street this weekend, as three events spanning civic affairs, the arts and entertainment fill Saturday and Sunday.
The city will unveil the master plan for the park planned at the Santa Monica Airport site Saturday afternoon, a few hours before LA Opera beams its season-opening production of "Carmen" to large screens on the Santa Monica Pier. On Sunday, Main Street closes to traffic for a Halloween-themed block party and dog festival.
Airport park plan goes public
The city will show residents its clearest picture yet of the future park at the airport site during a community workshop from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at Memorial Park Gymnasium, 1401 Olympic Blvd.
The event launches Phase 4 of the five-phase Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project after more than two years of community outreach. Staff will present the Illustrative Master Plan, which shows how the park will be organized and how people will move through it, along with perspective drawings of key views. Residents can give feedback directly to the project team.
"The airport land belongs to the people of Santa Monica, and its future should be decided by them," Mayor Caroline Torosis said in the city's Oct. 6 announcement.
The plan builds on the Phase 3B Framework Diagram, informed by an online survey that drew more than 4,200 responses from February to April on where districts should sit within the site and how they could be used. The city is planning for the land after aviation operations end in 2028. Sasaki is the lead consultant.
The existing 8-acre Airport Park remains part of the debate. On Oct. 7, the Planning Commission endorsed a recreation commission letter urging the city to keep the park as it is rather than move it into a new active-sports district.
Free parking is available in the Memorial Park lot. Those who can't attend can comment through an online survey or at upcoming board and commission meetings, including a Planning Commission meeting tentatively set for Nov. 18.
Information: smacproject.com
'Carmen' on the big screen
LA Opera opens its season Saturday, Oct. 17, with Bizet's "Carmen," and the opening-night performance at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in downtown Los Angeles will be broadcast live and free to the Santa Monica Pier, 200 Santa Monica Pier. It is the company's 13th "Opera at the Beach" simulcast.
Gates open at 4 p.m. for family activities, including crafts with LA Opera Connects, balloon art, face painting, local performers, giveaways and food vendors. The broadcast begins at 6 p.m. on large LED screens. The opera is sung in French with English and Spanish subtitles and runs about 3 hours, 15 minutes with one intermission.
Domingo Hindoyan, LA Opera's new music director, conducts Thaddeus Strassberger's new production. Rihab Chaieb sings the title role, with Joshua Guerrero as Don José, Kathleen O'Mara as Micaëla and Liam James Karai as Escamillo.
Los Angeles County and Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath, who represents the 3rd District, fund the event. "I'm thrilled to welcome LA Opera back to the Santa Monica Pier for a free simulcast of 'Carmen,' bringing world-class opera directly to our communities," Horvath said in LA Opera's Sept. 28 announcement.
No tickets are required, but LA Opera asks attendees to register at LAOpera.org/Beach for parking information, updates and a free gift. Outside food and nonalcoholic beverages are allowed, and organizers suggest blankets, low lawn chairs and a jacket. Large coolers, canopies, tents, sun umbrellas and pets are prohibited. The pier sits at the western end of Colorado Avenue near the Metro E Line's Downtown Santa Monica Station.
Information: LAOpera.org/Beach
Main Street goes to the dogs, in costume
Main Street will close to cars from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, for the Main Street Block Party + Day of the Dog, a free, all-ages festival the Main Street Business Improvement Association bills as the city's last street festival of 2026.
Day of the Dog, run by Pet-A-Palooza, takes place from noon to 5 p.m. between Pacific Street and Ocean Park Boulevard. DogTrekker's events calendar lists a canine costume contest, a haunted house for pups, breed-specific races and pet exhibitors. Other attractions include a VCA and Venice Paparazzi pet photo booth, Halloween and fall crafts, live music on the Main Street Stage, kids' activities, a Route 66 centennial cake at 3 p.m. and a classic car meet from 2 to 6 p.m.
Admission is free. The only paid item is an optional $10 Tito's cocktail ticket, sold through Eventbrite, for the beer garden in the Ashland Hill parking lot, 2807 Main St., open 1 to 6 p.m. Eight dollars from each ticket goes to the Santa Monica Animal Shelter Foundation, and organizers hope to raise $4,000.
Main Street will be closed from Pier Avenue to Pacific Street from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Big Blue Bus Routes 1 and 8 will detour. Metered and garage parking are available nearby.
Information: mainstreetsm.com