By Emanuela Boisbouvier
Daily Press Intern
Santa Monica summer days can be draining as thermometers reach the 100-degree peek and the promenade seems to shrink as the number of people strolling down it triple. Yet, summer also brings unique events to the community.
With the always popular Twilight Concert Series anchoring the summer season, locals have access to music, movies, food and dancing.
Sharon Sperber, co-founder of Eat|See|Hear said locals are sometimes reluctant to travel during the height of tourist season.
“Which is why events need to be brought to the community directly,” she said.
Eat|See|Hear is a celebration of food, music and movies, held on Saturday nights from 5:30 to 10 p.m. in alternating locations throughout the county.
“Los Angeles is the movie capital of the world, the birthplace of the food truck revolution, and has a burgeoning music scene,” Sperber said. “It seemed like the perfect place for this kind of event.”
Organizers said Eat|See|Hear is among the highest quality outdoor screenings and has the West Coast's largest inflatable movie screen in its possession. Over 10 food trucks attend each night, while new, up-and-coming bands perform. Attendees set up their chairs and blankets to watch the night's film, which varies from classics to recent releases, to give all types of audiences a chance to attend.
Eat|See|Hear is held in rotating venues, including the Santa Monica High School Amphitheater, which is one of their most popular locations. The Sperbers wanted to bring this series directly to locals to create a community-oriented event.
Upcoming events in Santa Monica are on July 9 showing "Hairspray" with the band Hawai, August 27 showing "Spaceballs" with the band Magic Bronson, September 10 showing "Pretty in Pink" with the band Dear Boy and September 17 showing "Purple Rain" with the band to be announced.
Where and when: Saturdays, 5:30-10 p.m., Locations vary
To bring: Low chairs, blankets, pillows, pets.
Cost: $5-21
Visit http://www.eatseehear.com for more information.
The Santa Monica Food Truck Lot pops up on Tuesday evenings from 5 to 9 p.m. on the corner of Main Street and Ocean Park Boulevard. In 2011, it was among the first weekly lots in Los Angeles. During the summer months, families and newcomers gravitate toward the lot, creating a picnic style, interactive ambiance, member of the SoCal Mobile Food Vendors Association said.
It has become a major fundraiser for the California Heritage Museum and has raised over a quarter of a million dollars in five years, member of the SoCal MFVA said.
About six to eight trucks, all members of the SoCal MFVA, attend every week. People can discover a variety of dishes from Asian to Italian to Argentinian all the while enjoying it from The Victorian's terrace, which is open to the public on this Tuesday nights.
Where and when: Tuesdays, 5-9 p.m., 2612 Main St
To bring: chairs, pets, and your appetite!
Cost: Depends on how hungry you are.
Visit https://www.facebook.com/smfoodtrucklot for more information.
The Twilight Concert Series is held for free on the Santa Monica Pier every Thursday night from 7 to 10 p.m. Bands cover a wide array of styles, varying from indie rock to classic Latin to New Orleans bass, making sure that all types of audiences get a chance to come out and have fun.
Mayer Hawthorne will be opening the series on July 7 with his soul-infused beats. While the pier fills up quite fast, latecomers can always groove to the music from the beach, with one of the most breathtaking views of Los Angeles, the sun setting over the Pacific Ocean, as a backdrop.
Where and when: Thursdays, 7 p.m., Santa Monica Pier
To bring: A sweater and your dancing shoes. And your bike which you can leave with a bike valet in front of the Pier.
Cost: Free!
Visit http://santamonicapier.org/twilightconcerts for more information.
Finally, the HUSHfest offers monthly Saturday night silent DJ concerts on the west-end of the Santa Monica Pier. It opened on June 20 with Tom Chasteen, an infamous Los Angeles electronic dance music and reggae DJ. While the original HUSHfest took place in San Francisco in 2008, it has expanded to other locations such as Santa Monica, Lake Tahoe and Miami.
Several artists perform at the same time as multiple channels are offered on the headphones, allowing people with different musical tastes to assemble in one big silent party.
Where and when: Next one is July 16, 7p.m., Santa Monica Pier
Cost: $10-45
Visit http://www.hushconcerts.com/annual-events/hushfest for more information.
