SMDP's Weekly Guide to Food & Entertainment Goings-On In & Around Town includes Santa Monica’s first municipal art gallery, the Sounds of Santa Monica Kids Club, a deep dive into deep space, Bagel Fest, and much more!
Santa Monica’s first-ever municipal art gallery opens at Bergamot Station Arts Center: Kicking off the celebration is an opening reception for the gallery’s inaugural exhibit “Case Study: Adapt” on Friday, April 10 from 10 a.m.–noon. The reception will feature light refreshments and remarks by California for the Arts Executive Director Julie Baker and a commendation for State Senator Ben Allen, founder of Arts Month. https://www.santamonica.gov/press/2026/04/02/santa-monica-s-first-ever-municipal-art-gallery-opens-at-bergamot-station-arts-center
Sounds of Santa Monica Kids Club: Families are invited to sing, dance and play, featuring a live performance by The BeatBuds, an interactive musical duo dedicated to engaging young audiences through rhythm, movement and creativity. The experience includes hands-on activities, crafts and giveaways, all complimentary for attendees. Friday, April 10 11 a.m.-12 p.m., 395 Santa Monica Place https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sounds-of-santa-monica-kids-club-edition-tickets-1984406738975
Marina WELL Rey - a free Health, Wellness & Selfcare Expo: Over 60 local businesses will be offering Free Classes, Talks, Doggy Yoga, Vendors and Entertainment. Saturday, April 11, Coco Beach Sports Bar & Grill, 404 Washington Blvd., Venice eventbrite.com/e/marina-well-rey-health-wellness-self-care-expo-tickets-1985527200305
Wally's Tasting - Spring Whites & Asparagus: From vibrant, mineral-laced whites to aromatic, terroir-driven selections, showcasing spring’s freshness, precision, and harmony. Saturday, April 11, 3p.m., 214 Wilshire Blvd. wallywine.com/events
Westside Chamber Orchestra: The riches of Germanic music are represented by masters from three different centuries. Mendelssohn's Nocturne for winds from the 19th century is followed by Strauss' post-war Metamorphoses for strings and concluding with Mozart's Symphony #39. 🇩🇪🇦🇹 FREE. Saturday April 11, 7p.m., St.Paul's Lutheran Church, 958 Lincoln Blvd. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-westside-chamber-orchestra-mendelssohn-strauss-mozart-tickets-1982733584525
Pup-chella - Ollie + Bob n’ Cars: Cars, Coffee, & Dogs: 🐕Not in Indio for Coachella? Come along to goodboybob’s pup-chella.. As the sun sets, stroll through the lineup of rare cars, coffee, cake, burritos, wine, beer, and plenty of good boys on the lineup. Saturday, Apr 11 6:00pm – 8:00pm, 2058 Broadway https://partiful.com/e/irnewfx16GJKjwP1g2h5
Venice Street Fair: The fair will close 3rd Ave between Rose Ave and Sunset Ave for artists and small businesses. Sunday, April 12, 9:30a.m. - 4:30p.m. instagram.com/theartistfair
Free Pet Resource Fair at Penmar Park: Reducing Animal Stress, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to supporting animals in shelters and rescues. One of our missions is pet retention (keeping pets and people together and out of the shelter). We are working with Councilmember Tracy Park’s office to host a free and open to the public community Pet Resource Fair. Sunday, April 12, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 1341 Lake St. Venice https://www.venicepaparazzi.com/2026/02/10/reducinganimalstress/
Sound is Medicine: This free public program invites participants into the practice of deep listening as a creative act. Through guided listening, shared sound experiences, and moments of collective reflection, we’ll explore sound as a medium for awareness, transformation, and connection. Drawing from traditions of sonic art and listening practices, the gathering treats sound not just as something we hear, but as something we feel and inhabit. Sunday, April 12, 4 – 7 p.m. Camera Obscura Art Lab, 1450 Ocean Ave. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sound-is-medicine-tickets-1984321973439?aff=oddtdtcreator
Inside Santa Monica’s Most Coveted Historic Homes: The Landmarks of Adelaide Drive is a walking tour highlighting prominent homes such as the Frank Gehry residence, with interior tours of the Second Roy Jones House and Boehm House. Sunday, April 12, 1 - 4p.m. https://smc.givecloud.co/2026adelaide
Mahjong Mondays at Zinque Venice: Join either a beginner-friendly night where you’ll learn the fundamentals or if you. already know the basics, skip the lesson & join for guided play. If you’ve been looking for a reason to leave the house on a Monday, this is it. Come solo or bring a friend! 🀄Mondays, 1440 Lincoln Blvd. https://lezinque.com/community/mahjong-mondays-venice-04-13-26
Annual Soundwaves Concert Series - House on Fire: Enjoy the piano-centered multi-instrumental trio of Andrew Anderson, Wells Leng, and Richard An, and the Feedback Wave Riders: guitarist Michael Jon Fink's improvising group with guitarists Alan S. Tofighi and Primoz Sukic and saxophonists Ulrich Kreiger and Vinny Golia. Tuesday, April 14, 7:30p.m., 12424 Wilshire Blvd. soundwavesnewmusic.com
Weekly Western Wednesdays Line Dancing at Santa Monica Place: No prior dance experience is required, and attendees are encouraged to bring enthusiasm and comfortable shoes. FREE. Every Wednesday through April 29, 6 - 8 p.m., 395 Santa Monica Place, Center Plaza.
SMC Planetarium Offers Deep Space Series Throughout April: Enjoy live-hosted shows on Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons throughout April, featuring its weekly "Night Sky Show" alongside three "Deep Space Deep Dive" programs exploring nebulae, the Milky Way, and galaxies. Each roughly 40-minute show is followed by a Q&A with Planetarium Lecturer Sarah Vincent. Friday evening shows begin at 6 p.m. with "The Night Sky Show," followed at 7 p.m. by a feature program. Children under 3 are not permitted at Friday evening shows. Sunday Family Matinée shows begin at 1 p.m., with the feature program at 2 p.m. smc.edu/planetarium
ONGOING: Museum of Illusions; The CUBE VR; Splatter Studio; Arts, Culture & Creativity Month (April); Wellness & Waves (through 10/17)
What to Eat & Drink?
Pasjoli and Seline Chef Dave Beran Earns James Beard Semi-Finals Nomination for Best California Chef: Rooting for the chef who has been nominated before for his excellent Michelin-recognized Main St. restaurants. https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2026-03-31/la-finalists-james-beard-awards-2026-lifetime-achievement-nancy-silverton
Multiple SaMo Bakeries Listed in Top 20 Chocolate Chip Cookie in LA: Petitgrain lands at #6 and Cookie Good grabs the #20 spot in The Infatuation list. For Petitgrain, they rave about how “Each one is roughly the size of our face, with quarter-sized chunks of chocolate and a noticeable crispness throughout. It’s exactly the kind of Cookie Monster (a noted crunchy cookie enjoyer) would reach for first.” 1209 Wilshire Blvd. https://www.theinfatuation.com/los-angeles/guides/best-chocolate-chip-cookies-la
Crudo e Nudo 5th Anniversary Guest Chef & Winemaker Series: Chef/Owner Brian Bornemann is bringing together his dear chef and winemaker friends for a series of delicious takeovers at his acclaimed sustainable seafood restaurant and biodynamic wine bar along Santa Monica’s vibrant and beachy Main Street. Some of California’s best chefs and winemakers are partnering up for fun seafood-driven specials and perfect pairings. It’s all about celebrating great fish, great wine and community, which means party vibes and no prix-fixe menus. April 13-19, 12 - 9p.m., 2724 Main St. resy.com/cities/santa-monica-ca/venues/crudo-e-nudo
FIG Bordeaux Dinner Experience: Join a monthly wine series with Ian Blackburn, founder of Learn About Wine. Experience an elegant, sommelier-led evening at FIG featuring a three-course dinner paired with a selection of Bordeaux wines. Thursday, April 16, 6:30 p.m., 101 Wilshire Blvd. https://www.figsantamonica.com/happenings/
Chelsea Restaurant Winemaker Dinner: Enjoy an evening under the stars on their patios with a five-course dinner with winemaker of Sea Creatures Wine. Thursday, April 16, 7p.m., 2460 Wilshire Blvd. https://resy.com/cities/santa-monica-ca/venues/chelsea/events/winemaker-dinner-with-sea-creatures-wine-2026-04-16
Further Afield: BagelFest: BagelFest was created in 2019 to celebrate the people, craft, and culture behind great bagels. What started as a small gathering of bagel obsessives has grown into the world’s premier bagel festival, bringing together top makers, industry leaders, and thousands of fans to taste, learn, and crown the best bagels in the world. Sunday, April 12, Wilshire Blvd Temple, 3663 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles bagelfest.com
More Further Afield: Make Food Not Waste Pop-Up Dinner Series: The series is bringing together some of LA’s leading chefs and restaurants – Heather Sperling of Botanica, Aaron Lindell of Quarter Sheets, and Fátima Juárez of Komal (a 2026 James Beard Emerging Chef Finalist!) – with top NYC chefs and restaurants – Telly Justice of HAGS, Mike Fadem of Ops, and Jeremiah Stone and Fabián von Hauske Valtierra of Wildair – for three special collaboration dinners in LA in April. https://resy.com/cities/los-angeles-ca/venues/make-food-not-waste-dining-series
Looking Ahead: SaMo International Jazz Festival (5/1-9); Venice Beach Cinco de Mayo Parade (5/2); Netflix Is A Joke Fest (5/4-10); EEEEEATSCON (5/16-17); Montana Ave. Annual Sidewalk Sale & Wellness Walk (5/16); MAINopoly Taste of Main Street (5/24); U.S. Women’s Open Golf Championship (6/2-5);
If there’s something you think is worth highlighting, you can reach out directly to me at sean@smdp.com. Here are my past columns and let me know if you have any feedback on Around Town: Gallery Openings, Pet Fairs, and Bagel Fest!