An entertainment extravaganza returned to Santa Monica’s premier landmark Thursday, with a collection of community events taking over the Santa Monica Pier. The evening marked the return of Locals’ Night to the Pier, which takes place on the third Thursday of the month.
Activities geared towards children began in the afternoon hours, as the Merry Go-Round Building held a musical storytime complete with cookies as a sweet snack, and offered kids the chance to receive face paintings. As afternoon turned to evening, residents of all ages were able to enjoy performances from Santa Monica-based Latin music groups La Compañia and Mayaztek. La Compañia ushered in the evening of Sept. 21 with a rendition of Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September,” while Mayaztek captured the crowd with a modern twist on traditional Latin sounds.
The dancing didn’t stop at the Locals’ Night main stage, as the west end of the Pier played host to “Salsa Way,” a salsa dancing display featuring music from Trombor and DJ Andy Lorenzo. Locals were able to strut along to a salsa lesson from dancing duo Cesar Romero and Courtney Parisi. For those without their dancing shoes, a classic car show was set up near the main stage, showing off the area’s finest retro rides.
