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What’s to Like? Festival Goers Weigh In By Gene Williams May 15 -- What do Broadway show tunes, barbecue sauce, Brazilian dancers, energy-saving light bulbs and a band that blends traditional African melodies with hip-hop all have in common? You could find them all at Clover Park at Saturday’s Santa Monica Festival, where thousands came to party down in the unique and diverse kind of celebration the City is famous for.
After starting the day off in an interactive drum circle, many of the festival goers turned their attention to two stages as Santa Monica’s own Grupo Folklorico Herencia Mexicana kicked off an eclectic mix of entertainment that continued almost non-stop until 6 p.m. Others explored the scores of white tents that circled the grassy lawn and transformed the Sunset Park recreation area into a global village of arts and crafts, international foods and interactive workshops that included an Eco Activity Challenge. Presented by the City’ Cultural Affairs Division, the annual festival underscores Santa Monica’s rich cultural, historic and artistic heritage and its commitment to the environment. There couldn’t be a better place than this to find out what people like about the city and why. So the Lookout asked them. Here is what they said.
Hamp Simmons lives in Venice and works in Santa Monica as the City’s Cultural Affairs Supervisor. In between walkie-talkie conversations with staff, Simmons took a few minutes off to answer questions. “What I like most about Santa Monica is the fact that it’s just such a healthy, wonderful, supportive community for the arts and for the environment. “I came to the festival today because I’m sort of the festival producer, and I’m here every year. “It’s a great day. We get more and more support every year, the crowds get bigger and bigger, and we have a great time.”
Richard Simon is a professional musician who was getting ready to perform on the main stage when interviewed. The 56-year-old Mar Vista resident had some kind words for his Santa Monica neighbors: “Santa Monica represents to me the best of what California has to offer. Obviously, the geography, the sea breeze, the gorgeous beaches, but also because it has attracted a mixture of people that makes me feel at home. “There is certainly a wealthy contingent here, on the other extreme are the homeless, and in between are artists and people who just seem to care about the quality of life, and they make it their business to enhance the quality of life. “I’m a bass player, mostly a jazz bass player, but today I’m playing the music of Eastern Europe called Klezmer music with some authentic Eastern European musicians. And what makes that so appealing is that it reflects the Santa Monica diversity.”
Sabrina Benson came to the festival with her 17-month-old son, Owen. Benson is a TV production coordinator who lives in the Pico Neighborhood. “I love Santa Monica for its festivals and for the community in general. It’s wonderful. The people are very supportive of recycling and very aware of the environment, and it’s close to the beach, which I absolutely love. I came to the festival today because I had never been to it, so we thought we’d see if Owen would enjoy it. So far he’s loving it.
Christopher Parker is an actor who lives with his family in Marina Del Rey. “But we spend most of our time in Santa Monica,” Parker said. “What we like about Santa Monica is that it’s very safe. It has a variety of options for my children to do, and a lot of shopping for my wife. As for me, I love the beach. I run on the beach and play basketball there. Those are my favorite things to do. “We love the restaurants, oh my god! And the entertainment on the Promenade, you can’t beat that. “We heard about the festival by word of mouth, and we just wanted to see what was here. My kids come to this park to play every now and then, and we were just looking for a new experience. That’s why we’re here today.”
Eugenia Corb, 78, came up from her home in San Clemente to visit her daughter and granddaughter. The family had a booth at Saturday’s festival. “I’ve known Santa Monica for like 40 years and it used to be beautiful. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. It’s still beautiful, and it’s very well managed. But it used to be half the population. My mother loved it too. “I came to the festival today to celebrate my granddaughter’s and my daughter’s talents, and my talents too. I make the jewelry. The booth is my granddaughter’s. She sells the dresses and things. But the jewelry is ‘Eugenia.’ It’s mine.”
Bergie is a four-year-old pug and a frequent visitor to the city’s parks. Speaking through a translator, this well-bred Mar Vista resident explained what she likes about Santa Monica. “What I like about Santa Monica is Petco on Wilshire. I like going for walks in the park, especially Clover Park, and I like the great weather. It’s not too hot and it’s not too cold, and the people are very friendly. “I came to the festival today because my friend and I always come here in the morning. The festival may be here, but we were here first!” The City of Santa Monica wants those who live, work and play in the city to help shape a vision of the city’s cultural and artistic future. Workshops, community meetings and a phone survey are coming. In the meantime, ideas, suggestions and comments can be emailed to Jessica.cusick@smgov.net. Also, a Web site is starting up at www.creativesantamonica.smgov.net. The 14th annual Santa Monica Festival was sponsored by HBO, City of Santa Monica Environmental & Public Works Management, Argosy Univeristy, Amex IN:LA, REI, Arden Realty, Build America LLC, Watt Management, Whole Foods, City TV of Santa Monica, Sparkletts, Remo, and the Santa Monica Arts Foundation |
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