Main Street will host its annual Summer Soulstice music festival with activities this Saturday, June 21 from 12 to 7 p.m., and has two stages for all-day music performances. The event is free of charge, kid-friendly, and pet-friendly. Summer Soulstice is hosted by the Main Street Business Improvement Association (MSBIA). Businesses will remain open, but Strand through Pier will be closed to vehicles.
The event has been a tradition for 25 years, with a brief intermission due to COVID-19 restrictions, and was originally purely a music festival. Once it came out of the pandemic, the festival reinvented itself to include different activities as well as the two music stages. The festival originated as an intimate, side-street ordeal that catered to an older demographic. Now, it’s modernized and adapted to appeal to all age groups and lifestyles.
“We definitely try to keep our 20 year plus neighbors pleased. So for example, we have a tribute band for Tom Petty, Petty Theft has been playing at this event probably all 20 years. So we definitely keep them, but we incorporate so many different genres,” said Jenny Rice from the MSBIA. “And we have, you know, a Black female solo artist. We have a local rapper that's from the Pico neighborhood that's performing. So just trying to diversify from an older, not mixed race crowd, to something that hits everybody.”
This year’s event will have a kids activities area hosted by The Pump Station, as well as a Beer Garden hosted by Ashland Hill. Both events represent the effort by the organizers to make the event fun for all ages and demographics.
There are two music stages involved, one at each end of the festival's limits. Subaru will host one stage on Strand and Main, and the other will be hosted by Gerber Kawasaki on Pier and Main. Each has performers at 1, 3, and 5 p.m. to keep the live music playing through the event. Petty Theft, a Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers tribute band, will be returning this year at the Subaru stage at 5 p.m. Another tribute band, Red Hot Tribute, will be playing at the Gerber Kawasaki stage at 5 p.m.
Manny B. The Kid, a local to the Pico neighborhood, will be performing at 3 p.m. at the Gerber Kawasaki stage as well. Hi My Name is Lana will be playing at the same stage at 1 p.m., while Beau LePaige and Jane Fonda’s will be playing at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. respectively on the Subaru stage. There will also be a local talent showcase hosted by the Ocean Park Association from 12 to 5 p.m. with performers every hour.
Ashland Hill’s Beer Garden is $15 for pre-sale tickets and will feature country music, pride Drag Bingo, and beer tastings from 2 to 7 p.m. The Drag Bingo will be from 3 to 5 p.m., and is hosted by Miss Barbie-Q. Edgemar Restaurant is hosting an event called Marina Del Rave in correlation to the festival with West LA DJs in their courtyard.
The Pump Station will host a Kid Corner from 12 to 5 p.m. with face painting, storytime, and a Q&A with registered dietitian Jennifer Agha-Khan. There will also be a Pet Party and Photo Booth hosted by the VCA. Many restaurants on Main will take part in the event.
“I think that people sometimes think of these things as just for adults, but the truth of the matter is, Santa Monica is filled with a lot of families–a lot of growing families–so it's important to have things that everyone in the family can enjoy, as opposed to having like, Mainopoly is definitely more of an adult focused event. What's nice about this is that it’s very balanced,” said Cheryl Petran, manager of The Pump Station.
There will also be a Volkswagen Classic Car Show between the two streets, and some shops, such as the Blow Me Candle Co. are staying open later to cater to any customers.
