The 6th Annual Venice Sign Lighting and Abbot Kinney Holiday Stroll - Let It Snow!

The 6th Annual Venice Sign lighting was held on Saturday, and it just keeps getting better. It is one of the best events of the year in Venice, mainly because all of your old friends come out for what is truly a community event. Like the Abbot Kinney Festival, this is one for the locals. Tree Man was even back in town!

This year featured the addition of fake snow blowing down from the rooftops, so the entire proceedings had more of a real deal holiday feel, and as I heard one friend say, "It's like Edward Scissorhands!" It was both lovely and trippy to look up in the Venice sky and see snow falling while it was warm enough to not really even have to wear a jacket.

Windward Avenue was already packed by the time I got there, and it was great to bump into one friend after another, all there to kick off the holidays with their friends and family, and have a whole bunch of fun. The whole thing is simply adorable, and it was made even more so by the excited kids that got to have their poster art honored from the stage.

One of little pals, Rowan, was so excited about the official certificate he got from the poster contest, he was showing it off and beaming about it the rest of the night. I think he thought it was even cooler than Santa ...who was pretty cool this year.

Booths were set up all along the curbs, with hot chocolate, snacks, face painting ... all of that good street carnival type stuff. Venice Paparazzi was there so you could have your fun, holiday-themed photo taken. Everyone was feeling festive, and it showed.

Great White is the new spot in the neighborhood this year, and they hosted a fun party alongside the street party. There was the usual tipping of the hats to all the Chamber of Commerce people and local politicians, and then things got extra fun with Al Jardine of The Beach Boys leading everyone in sing and dance alongs to all your favorite surfy Beach Boys tunes. It was awesome.

All the talking and introductions meant that the sign lighting actually happened well after its appointed 8 pm, but they finally got a platinum-haired Matthew Modine up there (who I guess lives in Venice now) and we all did the countdown, and just like that, the sign was lit, and it's Christmas time in Venice!

Revelers filled the intersection at Pacific and Windward to take their holiday card photos, and then everyone dispersed off to the after-parties going on all around. I hit The Townhouse and Surfside, both of which were going off and full of Santa-hatted partiers. The fog rolled in late, making the skies look actually wintery, for added effect. GOOD times with REAL Venice.

Venice kids may have been a little confused the next day when there was MORE snow and a DIFFERENT Santa on Abbot Kinney for the Holiday Stroll. It was a warm and sunny day, and the fake snow being made in The Brig parking lot got a bit more melty as each moment passed.

The little ones squealed with delight as they sped down the wet and icy little slope made there for them to sled down in Venice's version of winter.

This day's Santa was awesomely authentic, with a genuine twinkle in his eye, and and actual jolliness to his laugh. That little bit of magic that you can see in the kids' eyes when they see him and talk to him about Christmas is truly what makes it all so special. And so sweet.

There was a cute little craft camper where you could make all kinds of holiday themed arts and crafts, as well as the ever-present and important face-painting situation. The line was too long or I'd have been all over that myself. 'Tis the season!

The food trucks were there, of course, and once again, the best part of this whole shebang was seeing the friends that these days otherwise try to avoid the Abbot Kinney mayhem. It's worth it, especially when you see how absolutely thrilled the little grommets are.

There wasn't too much else going on as far as the Holiday Stroll went this year. I didn't see the usual fun Carolers, and the only real stores that seemed to be that into the theme of the day were Burro, Principessa, Huset, and Show Me Your Mumu, who had a great little hot chocolate bar set up for their holiday shoppers. The corporate stores all looked like it was just another day of taking your money, so the strolling was cut short as we declared it time for a drink - namely the yummy spiked apple cider at Wabi Sabi, to keep the holiday vibes going. We sat in the window seats and watched the shoppers and sledders go by, laughing and jolly themselves ... it's infectious!

It gets real busy from here to the end of the year, so let's try to remember the good vibes and wishes for peace that this season has always been really about. It seems like everything has been so dark lately, that people are really going for it this holiday ... like let's have the best times ever possible, because you never know what's coming next. But anything can happen ... it snowed in Venice!

Let's love all of it.

Venice Holiday Kick Off!

And just like that, the holidays are upon us! It's hard to tell here in Venice ... bright sunshine and warm breezes make you wonder what time of the year it is every day. Then you take your morning walk and are greeted by a gigantic reindeer in the Windward Circle, and you know that it's time to deck the halls!

This whole weekend is going to be full of the festive fun that Christmas time brings to all the girls and boys. Tonight is First Friday (blah) if you can handle it, but then tomorrow is one of my favorite Venice events of the year, the Venice Sign lighting! Festivities begin at 6:00 pm, with the sign going red and green for the holidays at 8:00 pm, and partying everywhere all after that. It's one of the cutest, most small town community vibe, Bedford Falls-y thing we do, and I just love it. I hope to see all of O.G. Venice there, with jingle bells on!

The Yuletide frolicking continues on Sunday, when snow falls on Abbot Kinney for the Holiday Stroll. The kids get to sled in The Brig parking lot, another highlight of the year, complete with Santa visits, crafts, carolers, and more of bumping into friends from the neighborhood. It too is adorable.

The holidays can be crazy and stressful and emotional and way too busy, but it really is the most wonderful time of the year (Ok, after Summer, says your 2017 Venice Neptune Queen or I'd be forced to abdicate!). Hearts are warmed and so much fun is to be had. I got a great piece of advice this morning from the French Market's Agnes Martinez, that works for this, or any time of the year ... "Peace your mind." Yes. Whenever it all gets to be too much, take a deep breath and peace that mind of yours. Reminding that once again, the most important part of the holidays is to truly wish for Peace On Earth.

PEACE!!! See you out there, Holiday Revelers! xoxo

A Venice Winter Wonderland

Yesterday was one of the most charming days that happens in Venice, with both the Abbot Kinney Holiday Stroll and the Venice Canals Holiday Boat Parade falling on the same day.The day could not have been more gorgeous for Sunday outside, and the snow hill piled up in The Brig parking lot was in the process of melting all day.

Local children lined up to get their annual chance to experience snow in town, with a long sledding queue stretching around the parking lot as kids ran back to get in line again the minute they hit the hay bale finish line.

Sledding was not the only attraction by far, as kids could get their faces painted all fun, sit and make holiday crafts, and most importantly, sit on Santa's lap to relay their Christmas wishes to the jolly old fellow (and this was a really good, twinkly eyes, real beard Santa!).

With all the squeals of delight and happy, laughing faces, it's hard to believe that a Scroogey neighbor complained almost enough to deny our local kids the fun.

Listen, whoever you are ... RELAX. It's once a year. Some kids don't have the resources to get up into the mountains and see real snow, and this is there only shot. It's during the day. It's adorable. You really need to get over yourself, mostly for your own good. In my experience, nobody likes the buzzkill crabby neighbor, and word spreads fast. I"d concern yourself more (and your time would be better spent) with the Bang and Olufsen pop up shop on Abbot Kinney that blasted lousy house music until 2 am on Saturday night. They're days are numbered here in Venice too.

OK, back to awesomeness! Carolers strolled the boulevard, and little stuffed elves were hidden around the boulevard in front of shops that kids could discover and go inside and get a prize. Like a neighborhood Elf On The Shelf. Fun!

It was great to see what felt like all of Venice out in the sunshine, loving every minute of it. I've never seen the kids of Venice happier, and the whole operation was simply heart warming.

The fun of the day rolled right on into the evening, as it was also the Holiday Boat Parade over in the Canals. My friends, the Revelins, were hosting a fun party at their home on the Canals, so we had a beautifully perfect vantage point to watch the boat floats sail past.

The skies had now shifted into a rather ominous cloud mass, but the Christmas carols and holiday spirits were more than a formidable match for any dampening. The Revelins had what might be the most perfect for Venice Christmas tree I've ever seen. A surfboard tree!

The parade kicked off as the sun was setting, and the first boat to pass us by was a Batmobile, with a Batman that assured us he did NOT smell, and a Robin that really DID lay an egg.

There was a crowd favorite featuring a polar bear, with a sign asking us to "Lend a paw to help the thaw." So great.

There was a menorah float, there was a fantastic igloo, there was a floating gingerbread houseboat, all paddling as fast as they could to outpace the encroaching thunder clouds.

Alas, the rain won that race, but nobody seemed to care, as it just made it feel more wintery that we were experiencing actual weather.

A beautiful sea horse led float may have been my favorite, though I did confuse them for dragons at first.

When the rain picked up steam, we retired inside to sing Christmas carols led by our host, Rick, on guitar. The best was the whole gang belting out "War is over, if you want it ... !" at the top of our lungs together. It turns out we really do want it. It was perfect.

While warming up with our holiday cheer inside, the stars re-emerged outside, and it was time to take a stroll around the canals to see how all the bridges were decorated.

There was a bridge with ships, and a bridge with a Matterhorn looking mountain on it. All the lovely bridges reflected their lights on the water, and as people were photographing each other atop the bridges, new friendships were made. Everyone was laughing so hard in every photo, it was kind of hard to get a good one. Not a bad problem to have.

A bunch of our Venice crew was in New York to celebrate the wedding of our friend, Lexi, but another big bunch of us couldn't be there, so it was perfect when we crossed the bridge that said "Kiss" across the top of it, with a sign saying that if you kissed on this bridge, it would be eternal love. I blew a kiss to Lexi and Lewis and wished them exactly that!

And really, LOVE is the whole point of this season, and for events like this. Spending time with our loved ones, letting them know how much we love them, and going big to celebrate exactly that.

Love was also ALL I felt for our Venice yesterday, with its spirit of humanity and fun and good times always buoying up the proceedings. Thanks and love to all involved for what was a complete blast of a special, memorable day!

Fa la la la la la la la LA!

Snow Day - Venice Style

The annual holiday stroll was held on Abbot Kinney last weekend, and as always, the best part was the snow hill for sledding in The Brig parking lot.

Rare rain had threatened the fun all morning, and then miraculously cleared up just in time for the arrival of friends and neighbors who brought their kids out for a much-anticipated frolic in the even rarer snow.

Snow pants in Venice are hilarious, that needs to be said. But a bunch of kids had 'em on, and I guess were kept dry, though they were not at all needed for the warmth factor.

There was a good craft booth (manned by elves) where kids (and me) made ornaments out of this cool scratch-off paper, or crowns and antlers to don as they trailed after their parents in the shops before and after the fun.

Santa Claus was there - a pretty good one, in fact - and shy, thrilled little grommets lined up to tell him what they'd like and if they'd been good. It's always cute, there's no way around that.

Fire trucks stood guard, and the parking lot was crammed with the requisite Brig food trucks - again. The sun started to set and it did get pretty cold then, to be honest. That helped the snow keep from turning into a giant puddle in one second, and my little pal, Beckett, got his first sled ride. His Dad, Shane, is from Minnesota too, so this was a big moment, though Beckaboo seemed a little iffy about it. He'll learn.

Holiday lights came on, Carolers came out and that elusive "Holiday Spirit" feeling really was in the air. Even if I was still wearing flip flops. It's great that the Abbot Kinney merchants come together to put this on for the neighborhood, and it's looked forward to every year. Snow Day!

Fa la la la la, la la la LA!

Abbot Kinney Holiday Strolling

Well, maybe it was bright, sunny and pretty warm this last weekend, but that didn't stop Venice from kicking off the Holiday Season with some good old fashioned neighborhood fun - and SNOW! The Abbot Kinney Holiday Stroll was adorable again this year, and just made me so happy and grateful that we here in Venice really do have a sense of community, and aren't afraid to have a good time together, whatever the time of year.



For the second year, the Brig filled up their parking lot with snow and let kids more accustomed to boogie boards and sand fly down the icy, snow covered hay bales that stood in for the real sliding hills that these kids have mostly never seen.


Carolers belted out a catchy tune about Christmas on Abbot Kinney, the food trucks rolled in - as usual, they covered up the infamous Brig camel-toe with a bow for the occasion ...


... there was a little holiday craft area for kids ...


... and the cutest, happiest Santa Claus ...


... listened as the kids made their toy requests and pulled on his beard.


Neighbors stopped and talked, shoppers juggled their bags and their coffee cups, dressed up dogs went on a parade up and down the boulevard ...


and wound up back at Robin's Sculpture Garden for music and aerial circus fun.


Fun, in fact, was the entire day's m.o., and it was evident everywhere you looked.

Michelle the Elf greeted you at the decked out Zingara, where we popped in to get some apple cider and look at all the great gift ideas. Firefly, Ananda, Huset, and Principessa were also tied for trying to kill me with cuteness the most. Most of the shops were decorated by now for the Season, and added to the festive atmosphere with their twinkling lights as the sun set ever earlier.


These magical times fly by in the hustle and bustle of trying to get everything done, and it's days like this that remind us to stop and enjoy it all, and indeed have some FUN.


As I stood on the corner and looked at it all going on around me, I stopped and thought the thought that I so often do ... I love Venice.


Happy Holidays!! May they be merry and bright wherever you are.