It feels like every few months there’s a reason to celebrate the Santa Monica Pier…and why not. When a structure as iconic as this is still standing after more than a century, it’s going to have collected a few key dates along the way.
Perhaps it’s a celebration of the day the Pier was almost wrecked by weather, but it wasn’t and it survived. Maybe we might remember the day when a political defeat in Council saved the Pier from being demolished, but it wasn’t and it survived.
However, this weekend, specifically Friday, is actually the anniversary of when it all began. Since it first opened on September 9, 1909, the pier has endured people, politics, poverty and even poop. Back in the winter of 1983, when the concept of an El Niño was first being realized, reported swells of over 20-feet repeatedly battered the seaborne structure and caused significant damage. When the storm eventually passed, most of the lower deck of the Pier had been destroyed.
To put it into perspective, the Eiffel Tower is only a smidgen older at 137 years and neither the Mount Rushmore National Memorial nor the Golden Gate Bridge have even passed a century yet, at 97 and 91 years old, respectively.
"The Pier’s birthday falls at a great time of year to celebrate the pier. While the tourist season is essential to this city’s economy, it doesn’t last forever and this time of the year feels a little bit like the city gets the pier back to enjoy," Jim Harris, Executive Director at the Santa Monica Pier Corporation said.
"I’ve long wanted to have an end of summer event that was specific to the Pier’s birthday and this year, things fell into place where we could make that happen … We're celebrating a few days early, granted, but you know, what better way to end summer?" Harris said.
There will be a special screening of the movie Barbie, since some of it was shot on the Pier, plus there will be cake; the first 115 attendees will get a piece of specially prepared Pier birthday cake made by the King's Seafood people who own Pier Burger. The Ferris wheel will be lit up, naturally and, for a donation to the Pier Corporation, your own unique message can be displayed. Moreover, many of the food and beverage outlets will offer special deals plus there will be live music from Pinktastic Plastixx and photo opportunities too.
Santa Monica’s very own Poet Laureate, Anne Carmack, will also be performing a reading and Harris himself will give a speech, unquestionably the highlight of the night.
The best way to soak up the rich history of this magnificent maritime monument, along with some sunshine and salty sea air, is by taking a walking history tour. Held every Saturday and Sunday at 10am by an exceptionally knowledgeable gentleman named Jeff Wynne, they last about an hour and are worth every cent of $25. Sure you can read a book, but frankly there’s no substitute to hearing the story from someone who is very passionate about Santa Monica history — and especially the Pier.
For more information, visit the website. Among the many highlights are hearing how the beach landscape has changed, the cinematic history of the famous Carousel and how the Pier came about in the first place. Admission to the event is free and the birthday festivities will continue on Friday night until about 10:30pm. The screening of Barbie starts at about 5:30pm.
scott.snowden@smdp.com
