Photo by Sundogg via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr FESTIVAL Stop by the Santa Monica Pier for a Celebration for the Arts pier party today and tomorrow. There will be a lot of stuff to do and see including live silkscreening by Alternative Apparel, Guitar Hero contests, Improv, celebrity appearances, and of course lots of live free music. All proceeds benefit the arts. 11 a.m. // Santa Monica Pier // 350 Santa......

Santa Monica's Pacific Park ferris wheel has a new owner, thanks to an eBay auction that ended at noon yesterday. The winner is Grant Humphreys of Oklahoma City, who came in as the highest bidder with $132,400 for the solar powered heavyweight carnival ride that arrived on the Pier in 1996. According to the Daily Breeze, Humphreys "beat out five others in a bidding war that went back and forth through 35 offers." The wheel......

Photo by puck90 via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr. FILM COL COA (City of Light, City of Angels) French Film Festival ends its run today with five screenings, including a series of short films. The program aims to promote French films and the industry’s diversity. 12 p.m. // Directors Guild of America Theater Complex // 7920 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles // $10 FESTIVAL The Green Apple Music Festival takes place today at......

Photo by Jonathan Alcorn (sundogg) via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr You can find all kinds of stuff on eBay, from trash to treasure, and so long as you are the highest bidder and can cough up the shipping fee, it's yours. How'd you like to be the proud new owner of a piece of local history, in the form of the nine-story ferris wheel from Santa Monica's Pacific Park? And, hey, cool factor:......

With the near completion of the Central Los Angeles High School #9, or the LAUSD High School for the Visual and Performing Arts, on Grand Avenue more folks are talking about the architecture stylings of Coop Himmelblau and the monument to the arts that they’ve created. Driving along the 101, people have speculated as to the meaning and purpose of the tall structure that creates an entry along with the Cathedral bell tower across......

On the Pier in Santa Monica Mr. Lincoln, we like your pennies, says the US Postal service, just a day shy of his birthday. To celebrate, they announced today that postage will go up by 1 cent to 42 cents, effective May 12th. A 15-minute car chase had CHP officers trying to catch up with a woman wanted in a forgery case today. The pursuit began in El Monte and ended in Sylmar, reaching......

Detail of creepy-cool clown mural painted by "Wizard" in 1975, which marks the entrance to fun! A few weeks back I promised to continue the photo essay of my next-door neighbor, the Redondo Beach Pier, where there is always something weird and wonderful to see and do. The Fun Factory is the next best thing to a cheesy, down-the-shore/midway arcade. Sure, Santa Monica Pier has its Ferris wheel, calliope and similar games of chance,......

After a visit to the doctor for my yearly oil change and lube, I was in the need of a bit of fresh air. Don't you just hate the irony of a heavy-set doctor telling you that your blood pressure is closer to high than it should be and that losing all the weight you gained back might be a really good idea? Yeah, me too. Damn it, I really wasn't planning on any......

In remembrance of the many lives lost in the 2004 South Asian tsunami, the public is invited to gather at a candlelight vigil with representatives of Sri Lankan organizations on Dec. 26, 6:30 p.m. at the Santa Monica Pier. Prayers will be offered by several religious denominations (Buddhist, Hindu, Christian and Muslim), followed by a moment of silence. Participants will release flowers into the ocean as the memorial service comes to an end. The......

Thanks to all for sending in some great happy hour tips! Here are a few more so you can get your drink on this frosty Friday evening. Don't forget to send your happy hour suggestions to carrie@laist.com From reader David: Dragon on the Hermosa Beach Pier, "Lucky Hour" from 4-9PM every day: They have a different special each day. "Yesterday I had kobe satay for $5 and drinks were 2 for 1." La Cita,......

I know you haven't been to Gambrinus on the Redondo Pier and had their "Russian style hamburger" called belashi, which they describe as meat-filled fried bread. IF you have, skip this post... But if you haven't then what are you doing wasting your time with these stupid American hamburgers?! Seriously though, people who think they are "in the know" rant and rave about how wonderful it is at Naja's, which is located about 2......

After a five-week hiatus, LAist is back to taking you on its weekly trip down to Orange County to uncover the unique dining experiences that await adventurous eaters willing to explore beyond the county line. I’ve always had a certain fascination with crepes. Not sure exactly why, perhaps it’s the simple elegance that a crepe has, its delicate buckwheat consistency and taste that can be deliciously served with virtually any kind of filling, whether sweet......

It’s a beautiful, wonderful day! Why, you ask? Have they pulled the troops from Iraq? Is America’s Next Top Model going to be syndicated twice a night, every night? Has the retail industry decided that Christmas should just be about spending time with family and loved ones, and yanked their holiday marketing bonanzas? No…it’s even better. For those of you who missed it this morning…Dunkin’ Donuts coffee will now be available for purchase in......

A mysterious email appeared in our inbox this morning, notifying us of a Dunkin' Donuts Shopping Cart Derby being held at the Santa Monica Pier tomorrow morning (check-in begins at 9am, you can register here through the Thrillist website). The event is being hosted by Maria Menounos, and the lucky winning team will receive a two-year supply of Dunkin' Donuts coffee, revered by many as the morning brew of choice. But wait just a......

"The surf was so big, no one was surfing here and the Pier was closed. Apparently, all the surfers were in Redondo," explains LAist Featured Photos contributer, Jake Rome, about yesterday's surf. LA Times: No big waves yesterday. We beg to differ. [LAist] Lure of waves draws many from workaday world [LA Times] The Day of Waves [Daily Breeze] Photo by jakerome via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr......

Today we are all supposed to be thankful, so that's exactly what I am going to do, right now, in enumerated fashion, just for you. 1. Just to get all the obligatory thanks out of the way: I am thankful for my mom and dad, for all the rest of my family, for the people who try their best to live green every day and for all the good things that have ever happened......

Redd Kross, Santa Monica Pier, 1982 Redd Kross @ The Echoplex The Bronx, The Mercy Killers @ Safari Sam's The Polyphonic Spree, Rooney @ Henry Fonda Yo La Tengo @ The Ivar Dropkick Murphys @ The Wiltern Jon Brion @ Largo Mezzanine Owls, The Black Kites @ The Echo Dax Riggs @ Spaceland Ferraby Lionheart, The Hundred Days @ The Bordello Low Vs Diamond, Something For Rockets @ Viper Room The Monolators, Correatown, Frankel,......

That's an average of 90.1 mph for the 2,794 miles between Classic Car Club in Manhattan and the Santa Monica Pier in California. Get this, and no traffic stops, no tickets (that would cost a detrimental 15-minutes). Feel bad now about getting pulled over recently? Meet Alexander Roy and his 2000 BMW M5 and welcome to the "subculture of illegal endurance racing" and the efforts to break transcontinental records, as the New York Times......

Glass shards and hacked up pieces of plastic are all that remain of Redondo Beach's Pier's light poles which had to be cut down after one of the poles fell from todays strong winds. The poles are made of plastic, and have been aging in the sun for years. Once one pole fell, the city decided the rest had to come down NOW, before someone gets hurt, and more importantly before this potentially injured......

Artist: Sunset Rubdown Album: Random Spirit Lover Label: Jagjaguwar Release Date: October 9th, 2007 Sunset Rubdown is the brainchild of Spencer Krug, member of major indie band Wolf Parade, and seemingly half a dozen other outfits. Instead of the pseudo-dance rock of Wolf Parade, we have a much more lyrically-driven product in Sunset Rubdown. Krug's curious copious screeds are lengthy and complex, and run the gamut of fable-telling ("The Mending of the Gown") to nearly......

That's right, two weeks before the grand opening you can get into the brand new Culver City Skate Park on the corner of Duquesne & Jefferson in Culver City. It's open dawn till dusk, but ymmv until the real opening. Friday night they put up the fence, and Saturday the place was jammed with 300 locals trying it out. I dropped by Sunday morning at 8am to check out the Wake n' Skate crew.......

These are the traveling rings at the original Muscle Beach, just south of the Santa Monica Promenade. Last week at a Van Nuys/Sherman Oaks Park meeting, a traveling ring enthusiast brought a proposal to have these installed at the park. I can't disagree with that, these are so much fun. Don't forget to chalk your hands!......

About the Above Photo: "Every Sunday from sunrise to sunset since February 15th 2004, a temporary memorial is erected in the sand just north of the pier at Santa Monica Beach in Los Angeles and at Sterns Wharf in Santa Barbara, California and other locations around the country by local chapters of Veterans For Peace (VFP) and volunteers. This memorial is known as Arlington West... By the end of July 2007, using the U.S.......

Gram Rabbit @ Spaceland Happy Hollows, Billionaires, Soft Hands @ The Echo Metal Skool, The Rainmain Suite, Silver Needle, Die Fast @ Key Club Inherit Disease, Gomorrah, Necronazarene, Abysmal Chaosphere, Rott @ Safari Sam's Seasons, Teddy's Cheer Club, Baxter House, Dirty City Brothers @ Mr. T's Bowl Free To Be Me @ Redondo Beach Pier (drum circle 4pm) The Minor Canon, Satisfaction, The Prix @ Viper Room......

Fiesta Hermosa This weekend Hermosa Beach will once again host it's 3-day arts festival formerly known as Fiesta del Artes. It's going to be a hot one, so the cool breezes will make this festival the place to be. The arts and crafts on sale are irresistable, so bring money. The food vendors are not that impressive; I prefer the local restaurants, and the beer garden really gets out of control. That can be......

Los Lobos @ Santa Monica Pier (free) Kronos Quartet @ California Plaza (free) The Dickies, D.I. @ House of Blues The Deadly Syndrome, Let's Go Sailing, The Western States Motel @ The Roxy Angie Mattson, Jason Reeves, The Northstar Session, Matt Ellis Band @ The Hotel Cafe Phathom, Think Alike, A Life like This, The Nixes, Summerfire @ The Troubadour Old Time Relijun, Jail Weddings, the Holy Kiss, Women, Jeremy Jay @ The Echo......

Jeff Tweedy of Wilco would probably prefer it if you didn't talk on Wednesday Spinal Tap @ Avalon, tonight Joss Stone @ Greek, tonight Metal Skool, Shapes of Racecars @ Key Club, tonight Stevie Wonder @ Santa Barbara Bowl, Tues Gogol Bordello @ Henry Fonda, Tues Wilco @ Greek, Weds. The Like @ Spaceland, Weds Los Lobos @ Santa Monica Pier, Thurs Kronos Quartet @ California Plaza, Thurs Mat Kearney @ House of Blues,......

Daniel Johnston at SXSW, 3/07 He's probably best known for his "Hi How Are You" tshirt that Kurt Cobain often wore, but if you don't know Daniel Johnston's music you're really missing out and you should definitely pick up the award-winning DVD, "The Devil and Daniel Johnston". Equally amateurish and darkly genius, Johnston's tunes lie somewhere between Brian Wilson and Wesley Willis while being heavily influenced by the Beatles: Daniel Johnston @ Henry Fonda......

Bluesy, smokey, growly, and deep -- Patti Smith the original She-punk poet, commanded the Santa Monica Pier last Thursday night. Her voice was clear and the sound was fantastical. Her stage banter was absurd and somewhat drowned out by the rumblings of the mostly parental type fans in attendance. I’m pretty sure there was talk of tacos, but I’m definitely sure there was discussion of oatmeal. Patti thought she was at a festival, but hey,......

Patti Smith @ Santa Monica Pier Public Enemy @ House of Blues Tony Bennett @ The Greek Delta Spirit, The Outline, Sparrow Love Club @ The Roxy The Detroit Cobras, Dan Sartain, The Willowz @ The Troubadour Stonehoney, Alejandro Escovedo, The Estate @ The Mint Bang Sugar Bang, Sin Serenade, The Prix @ Alex's Bar Gore Gore Girls, Midnight Movies, Irving, The Architects @ The Echoplex The Veils, Carina Round, Paul McLaney, Julia Darling......